Shyamalan stalls release of Amitanh Bachchan film?

By Hindustan Times

A few years ago, a heavily-bearded Amitabh Bachchan was often spotted roaming around places like Shimla and Nashik. Soon it was revealed that the superstar was shooting for director Shoojit Sircar’s film, Johnny Mastana (earlier titled Shoebite).

But the film hasn’t hit the theatres as yet, apparently at the behest of Hollywood filmmaker Manoj Night Shyamalan.

The story goes like this: In 1994, Shyamalan sold the rights to his story Labour Of Love to Fox Studios for a reported sum of $750,000, but the movie wasn’t made. Years later, UTV bought the rights of Labour Of Love to make into Johnny Mastana since Shyamalan was apparently not keen on turning the story into a film.

So UTV Motion Pictures — after buying the rights — almost completed the film with Bachchan in the lead. “But as Johnny Mastana neared completion, Shyamalan changed his mind and stated that he wanted to make the film based on his story. Later, Shyamalan, along with Fox, informed UTV that they shouldn’t release the film until the Hollywood filmmaker made his own version in the US and released it. But since there’s no talk of Shyamalan’s film based on Labour of Love, the Big B’s film is stuck indefinitely,” says an industry insider.

At the moment, Shyamalan is busy shooting the adventure/sci-fi film After Earth, that toplines actors Will Smith and Isabelle Fuhrman.

While UTV officials were unavailable for a comment, Sircar stated: “I hope UTV figures (things) out and completes whatever negotiations they have to do with Fox. It’s a good film not only for the actors and the director, but also the technicians. We have put our blood and sweat into it.” He confirms that Johnny Mastana’s storyline is based on Shyamalan’s original idea. “Rensil D’Silva has developed our script. M Knight Shyamalan never made it into a film. UTV needs to figure out everything because my job was to just direct it.”

Early roadblock
Shoebite is the story of a man in his early 60s named John Pereira. He sets out on a journey of self discovery and penance, which leads him to rediscover his love for his wife in the twilight years of their marriage.

The film had hit headlines in 2008 after the Delhi High Court granted an order restraining director Shoojit Sircar and producers UTV from infringing Percept’s copyright on their film, Johnny Walker. Reportedly, Sircar was to make Johnny Walker for Percept but later approached UTV with the same subject, renamed Shoebite. Percept approached the High Court, which ruled in their favour.

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Ketan Mehta's Rang Rasiya to release in May

By Hindustan Times

Ketan Mehta's historical saga Rang Rasiya will finally hit theatres this May after a delay of over three years.

The film is based on the life of the 19th century Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma. The film is directed and co-produced by Ketan Mehta, and stars Randeep Hooda and Nandana Sen in lead roles.

Ready since 2008, the film could not release due to various reasons including dispute between Mehta and the distributors. Also, the Censor Board had once objected to a topless scenes of Nandana Sen, who plays muse to 19th century painter, played by Randeep.

Initially, the film was supposed to release in 2008, later in February and November last year but now, it is releasing in May this year.

"Finally the film is releasing end of May. There were never any issues on the censor front, there were basically legal issues. There was some partnership and financial institutions that were involved and the issues needed to be sorted out,"

"It is an expensive film, historical epic with costumes and no big star cast...it has taken its time in getting a release and every film has its time. Also we have made it in English and Hindi," he said.

Rang Rasiya raised many eyebrows due to the skin show by Nandana. The director was criticised for presenting Nandana in the form of Indian goddesses.

Mehta says his film is about creative freedom. "It is not all about sensuality, the theme of the film is creative peace and freedom of expression. It is a relevant film today, despite the fact that it is set 100 years ago. It is a very contemporary film".

"Every film has its own destiny. I have made the film at that point of time when I felt there was climate of intolerance in India like M F Hussain was hounded out of the country, rogue elements beating up girls in Mysore... The film is in a sense response to the climate of intolerance," he said.

Rang Rasiya has travelled to festivals across the world including Cannes, London, New York and Chicago. It was also voted as the Best Film this summer in the London Film Festival.

"It went to London, New York, Sri Lanka, Kolkata and other film festivals and has been appreciated wherever it travelled," Mehta said. Now the filmmaker is gearing up for his next film, titled Noor.

"My next film is an international co-production one. It is an Indo-British-French co-production...it is called Noor. It is again a period film set up during the Second World War. The script is ready and the basic production tie-up is being worked out. There is no star cast in mind yet," he said.

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Why Aamir Khan delayed Talaash release

By Hindustan Times

Actor Aamir Khan has pushed the release of his upcoming film, Talaash, to concentrate on his maiden TV show, Satyamev Jayate, after a fire broke out on the latter’s sets in January this year. The psychological thriller directed by Reema Kagti is now likely to hit theatres only towards the end of the year.

Aamir’s initial plan was to launch his show around May before getting involved with the promotions and subsequent release of the film. “We faced a major setback when the fire broke out on the sets in Madh Island. We had to rebuild the entire set. As a result, Satyamev Jayate has been delayed,” says Aamir, adding that the show will now start around June.

If the makers of Talaash had stuck to the original plan of releasing the film on June 1, the projects would have clashed, which is something Aamir didn’t want.

“Talaash is a special film for all of us including Farhan (Akhtar), Ritesh (Sidhwani) and Reema (Kagti). After my TV show’s delay, we discussed the matter and felt that we should give the film the clear window that it deserves. Now, we might release Talaash on November 30 or December 7,” explains Aamir, who turned 47 on Wednesday.

This year, the actor, who is usually known to spend his birthday away from the limelight, didn’t get too much time for himself. “Since I am shooting for the TV show today, unfortunately, I won’t be able to celebrate it with the family,” the actor said on Wednesday.

As for progress on his TV show, Aamir just returned from a week-long tour of India. He had travelled to Rajasthan, Kashmir, Kerala, Delhi, Punjab and several North-Eastern states among other places, over the past few days. “I’m really excited about both my show and Talaash,” says Aamir, who is currently canning the episodes at Yash Raj studios. Satyamev Jayate will be telecast on Star Plus over a period of 13 weeks.

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Pakistan Taliban demand release of bin Laden's widows, threaten attacks

Dera Ismail Khan:  The Pakistan Taliban will attack government, police and military officials if three of the late al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's widows are not released from Pakistani custody, a spokesman for the militant group said on Friday.
Pakistan's government has charged bin Laden's three widows with illegally entering and staying in the country, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Thursday.
"If the family of Osama bin Laden is not released as soon as possible, we will attack the judges, the lawyers and the security officials involved in their trial," Ehsanullah Ehsan of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) told Reuters.
"We will carry out suicide bombings against security forces and the government across the country."
Mr Malik did not specify which court was dealing with the case. The three women will have to stand trial, but it was not clear what punishment they face if convicted.
Bin Laden was killed in a secret U.S. raid in the northern Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad in May last year.
The al Qaeda leader's body was flown out by American special forces, but his three wives and an undisclosed number of children were among the 16 people detained by Pakistani authorities after the raid.
Two of the wives are Saudi nationals, and one is from Yemen, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry.
Pakistan had previously said that it would repatriate the women after a government commission probing the bin Laden raid had completed its questioning.
The commission has interviewed the family members for clues about how the al Qaeda chief managed to stay in the country undetected.
The TTP vowed revenge after bin Laden's death last year, and carried out high-profile attacks across Pakistan. It bombed an American consulate convoy, laid siege to a naval base and killed paramilitary cadets.
Formed in 2007, the TTP is an umbrella group of various Pakistani militant factions operating in Pakistan's unruly northwestern tribal areas along the porous border with Afghanistan.
TTP's spokesman also threatened attacks against Shad Begum, a women's rights activist based in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
The U.S. State Department honoured Begum with the 2012 International Women of Courage award at a ceremony in Washington on Thursday.
"She works for a secular and infidel system in Pakistan," Ehsan said. "That is why America has given her this prize."
Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012
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