Raavan screening resumes in Sri Lanka

The screening of Mani Ratnam's Raavan has resumed in eastern Sri Lanka despite threats by an unidentified group demanding the boycott of the bilingual film, starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai.

A cinema hall planning to screen Raavan was torched last week by the group, which is protesting Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya and director Ratnam's decision to stay away from the IIFA awards held in Colombo after South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce called for a boycott of the event.

But the National Film Corporation here said theatres in Batticaloa resumed screening Raavan despite the warning by the group, which has asked the theatre owners not to screen films produced in Tamil Nadu in a move to hit back at Indian film stars who boycotted the IIFA awards ceremony in Colombo.

The show was stopped after a giant screen at the Shanthi Cinema in Batticaloa was torched a day before the Tamil version of Raavan was to be shown.

The group had sent hand bills to cinema owners, saying that the boycott of the IIFA event by Indian artistes had brought disrepute to Sri Lanka and therefore retaliation was just and appropriate.

However, a film corporation official said necessary precautions have been taken to prevent a repetition of such incidents, the Daily Mirror reported today.

"The group, which threatened the cinema owners in Batticaloa, has been arrested after we intervened in the matter," the Film Corporation official said.

"When the incident occurred, I informed the Kathankudi police (in Batticaloa) and Film Corporation about what happened," the manager Kandasamy Murugesu said.

Amitabh Bachchan, son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya, had given the glitzy event a miss, citing work commitments. The Bachchan family's decision to skip the event had raised many eyebrows as the mega star is the ambassador for IIFA.

The event was boycotted by the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce as a mark of protest against the alleged mistreatment of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

The film industry in the state of Tamil Nadu, which shares close cultural and religious links with the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka, stayed away from the event with superstars Kamal Haasan, Rajnikanth and Ratnam also giving it a miss.

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Raavanan faces protests in Sri Lanka, theatre torched

A cinema hall planning to screen Raavanan was torched here amidst protests against the film owing to its star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and director Mani Ratnam's decision to stay away from the IIFA awards held in Sri Lanka.

An unidentified group in Eastern Sri Lanka has called on theatre owners in the country to boycott Tamil movies and the bi-lingual film, starring Abhishek Bachchan in the Hindi version and Vikran in Tamil, is the first victim.

The group had sent hand bills to cinema owners, saying that the boycott of the IIFA event by Indian artistes had brought disrepute to Sri Lanka and therefore retaliation was just and appropriate.

On Thursday, a day before the release of Raavanan, Shanthi cinema in Eastern Batticaloa, which was planning to screen the much hyped film was torched.

The hall's manager Kandasamy Murugesu said that three people came to his theatre on Monday and told him he should not screen films from Tamil Nadu.

"I informed the Kattankudi police and three days later there was an arson attack," 'The Sunday Times' quoted him as saying.

The manager said he would not bow to this threat and would screen films produced in Tamil Nadu and asked for police protection.

Amitabh Bachchan, son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya, had given the glitzy event a miss, citing work commitments.

The Bachchan family's decision to skip the event raised many eyebrows as megastar Amitabh Bachchan is the ambassador for IIFA.

The celebration was boycotted by the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce as a mark of protest against the alleged mistreatment of Tamils in the country.

The film industry in the state of Tamil Nadu, which shares close cultural and religious links with the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka, stayed away from the event with superstars Kamal Haasan, Rajnikanth also giving it a miss.

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B.O. update: 'Raavan' has below the mark opening, reports disappointing

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!

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Movie Review: Raavan

It's time for the modern-day version of 'Ramayana' to unfold this Friday, exactly two weeks after 'Mahabharata'. The very thought of watching an epic in the present-day milieu only enhances the curiosity for the film. And if the present-day adaptation of 'Ramayana' is helmed by a master storyteller [Mani Ratnam], the moviegoer should, and must expect the moon. Nothing less would suffice. After all, a Mani Ratnam film is not merely an experience, it's an event!

Mani Ratnam, who has penned the screenplay of RAAVAN, models his characters on the lines of 'Ramayana':

• An upright cop, the punisher, the law/Lord Rama [Vikram];
• His doting wife/Goddess Sita [Aishwarya Rai Bachchan];
• The lieutenant he befriends in the forest/Hanuman [Govinda];
• His confidante/Lakshmana [Nikhil Dwivedi];
• The antagonist's sister, who triggers off the war/Surpanakha [Priyamani]
• And, of course, the antagonist, the Robinhood turned Raavan who kidnaps the top cop's wife and keeps her in his custody, in his Lanka/Raavan [Abhishek Bachchan].

Mani Ratnam has also included the part where Goddess Sita was banished from the kingdom of Ayodhya due to the gossip of kingdom folk. It was agni pariksha then, but in the film, the husband [Vikram] asks the wife [Aishwarya] for a polygraph test to prove her chastity/fidelity. At the same time, RAAVAN brings back memories of a movie that, coincidentally, had a similar storyline -- JUNGLE [Ramgopal Varma].

You've come to expect scintillating visuals in the master film-maker's films and RAAVAN is no exception. But RAAVAN falters in narrating the story with dexterity. In fact, this one's a game of see-saw, with a dull and lifeless first hour, an absorbing second half and a weak, lacklustre climax.

Final word? RAAVAN comes with the baggage of humungous expectations, mainly for the one name attached to it: Mani Ratnam. Even though comparisons with the genius film-maker's earlier accomplishments like MOUNA RAAGAM, NAYAGAN, AGNI NAKSHATRAM, GEETHANJALI, ANJALI, ROJA, BOMBAY and GURU are sacrilegious since all belong to diverse genres, RAAVAN is nowhere close to those epics. The benchmarks only get higher and higher every time Mani Ratnam makes a film and RAAVAN, unfortunately, is a step down. Sorry, several steps down!

Dev [Vikram] falls in love with Ragini [Aishwarya Rai Bachchan], a spunky classical dancer who is as unconventional as him. They get married and he takes up his new post in Lal Maati, a small town in northern India. A town where the world of law is not the police, but Beera [Abhishek Bachchan], a tribal who has, over the years, shifted the power equation of the place from the ruling to the have-nots of the area.

Dev knows that the key to bringing order to any place is not to vanquish the big fish; in this case -- Beera. In one stroke Dev manages to rip open Beera's world and set in motion a change of event which will claim lives. Beera, injured but enraged, hits back, starting a battle that draws Dev, Beera and Ragini into the jungle. The forest becomes the battleground. The battle between good and evil, between Dev and Beera, between Ram and Raavan.

Mani Ratnam's adaptation of 'Ramayana' begins with the wife getting kidnapped and her husband launching a massive hunt to track down his wife and nail Raavan aka Beera. The reason why Beera takes this extreme step is revealed much, much later, towards the post-interval portions, which means that Mani Ratnam follows the nonlinear pattern to narrate his story.

Let's talk about the factors that pull this film down. First and foremost, when you've a title like RAAVAN, the demon king, who couldn't be vanquished by Gods, demons or spirits, you expect Raavan aka Beera to be equally powerful, who could send a chill down your spine, who spells terror and fear. But, in RAAVAN, Beera comes across as a psycho. The streak of madness in his character makes a mockery of the character itself.

Also, his makeup and also the shabby avtaars of his family/henchmen is not something that makes them looks menacing. In fact, it makes the entire gang look repulsive.

Even the finale leaves a lot to be desired. Ideally, the film should've ended after the fight on the bridge, but the entire track thereafter seems like an add-on, which is forced into the screenplay. Ash having a change of heart for Abhishek is equally unpalatable and makes you wonder, how and when did she develop such strong feelings/emotions for Beera? The writing is flawed, no two opinions on that!

On the plus side, the track, which starts from Nikhil's kidnap to the entire flashback portion, is attention grabbing. The factors that prompt Beera to spell havoc in Dev's life are apt, although Beera's sister's portions, while narrating the atrocities committed on her, aren't easy to comprehend in entirety. What was she trying to say, frankly? Yet, the impact of the flashback portions is worth noting.

The fight on the bridge -- between Abhishek and Vikram -- is astounding. One hasn't watched something like this on the Hindi screen yet, I'm sure. In fact, the execution of each and every stunt [Shyam Kaushal, Peter Hein] is exceptional. Every Mani Ratnam film is embellished with stunning visuals and RAAVAN boasts of mind-boggling visuals as well. Shooting the film at tough locales isn't easy and Santosh Sivan and V. Manikandan's vision creates magic on screen. Every frame is worth admiring and applauding.

A.R. Rahman's music is excellent and the visual appeal only enhances the impact. I'd like to single out 'Behne De' and 'Thok De Killi', two tracks that I'd like to hum even after the show has concluded. In fact, the latter is very energetic in terms of choreography. Vijay Krishna Acharya's dialogue hit you like a sharp object at times, which is in sync with the mood of the film.

I've admired Abhishek's work in Mani Ratnam's earlier films YUVA and GURU, but despite putting his best foot forward, for some strange, inexplicable reason, Abhishek doesn't look convincing for the part. Also, the dialogue delivered by him aren't coherent at times. Aishwarya is wonderful, looking ethereal and enacting her part with conviction. Vikram is first-rate, although the role isn't substantial enough. Govinda fails to create any impact whatsoever. Amongst the plethora of actors, Nikhil Dwivedi [a revelation; very good], Ravi Kishan [nice] and Priyamani [perfect] stand out.

On the whole, RAAVAN is a king-sized disappointment, in terms of content. From the business point of view, a Mani Ratnam film might ensure a healthy opening [at plexes mainly], but the weak script on one hand and the heavy price tag on the other will make RAAVAN see red.

RATING: 1.5/5

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'Raavan' London Premiere - Photos

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"I still don't know how to make a film"

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' on June 18 said.

"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 the 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 'Dalapathi' (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.

"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."

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WATCH: Beera is mad and so is Abhishek - Mani Ratnam

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'Raavan' in 2200 Screens Worldwide

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.

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What made Abhishek behave rudely?

He’s also getting jealous on sets of ‘Raavan’

We don’t know what’s bothering Abhishek Bachchan. Is it the pressure of living under the shadow of powerful family members or the fact that his career still has not gone places despite hits like “Dostana”?

Abhishek showed his rude side at an event in Bangalore recently. During a press conference, a journo from a leading newspaper posed a question to him, which he did not like. In haste, he ordered the journo to be thrown out of the venue.

Not only that, a few hours later the female journalist got a call from Abhi’s publicist asking her to come over and give a written statement that she had been rude to the Jr. Bachchan and that it was all her fault and not Abhi’s!

Meanwhile, it’s also being said that Abhi’s ‘Raavan’ co-star Ravi Kishan is making him jealous and insecure. Apparently, director Mani Ratnam is very happy with Ravi’s work and keeps praising him, which is making Abhishek sulk.

Ravi is playing Abhishek’s brother in the much-awaited film, which also stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Govinda.

Abhishek is banking a lot on “Raavan” and has worked very hard on his role, which he’s hoping turns out to be the best negative performance ever.

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Bipasha is Raavan’s wife

The secret is out, Bipasha Basu will play Abhishek Bachchan’s wife in Mani Ratnam’s Raavana.

Everyone was under the impression that Aishwarya Rai would play Abhi’s onscreen wife as well, but trust Mani Ratnam to turn things around. Aishwarya who plays Sita in the film has Vikram playing her husband and Mani had been searching for an actress who would suit Abhishek as Raavan’s wife Mandodari and soon settled for Bipasha Basu, who readily accepted the role.

Sources reveal, “Bipasha had accepted the role a month ago but being the secretive person that Mani is, he gave Bipasha strict instructions to keep it all hush hush. Bipasha has a 40 minute role in the film along with a sizzling item number. She starts shooting for Mani by mid September once she finishes her shoot for Priyadarashan’s film with Akshaye Khanna and Ajay Devgan. Her costumes are ready and the wait is on for her to complete her scenes with Abhishek Bachchan.”

News is Sushmita Sen was originally offered the role but she politely turned it down.Considering Aishwarya Rai has always been her arch-nemesis, it really didn’t come as a surprise.

About Mandodari
Although Ravana married several times, Mandodari, who was his Queen Consort- his favourite. Mandodari too loved Ravana very much. She always wished well for him and tried to keep him on the right path. She always protested humbly to his misdeeds. When Ravana abducted Sita, Mandodari gently tried to convince him that he should not lock horns with Rama and let Sita go back to her husband. Instead of reprimanding her, Ravana used to laugh whenever she insisted that he should behave righteously. It is believed that Mandodari had invented chess.

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Mani’s Raavana halts Vipul’s Action Replay

The most talked about film of Bollywood is Raavana, directed by Mani Ratnam.

But the busy schedule of the film is keeping Aishwarya Rai away, and she is not being able to give time to Action Replay with Khiladi Kumar Akshay. The film is being directed by Vipul Shah and is reportedly based on the Hollywood film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Hence Vipul’s plans to release his film in October has been hindered.

Confirming the news, Vipul spoke in print ‘Yes, what you have heard is true. I just need fifteen more days from Aishwarya to shoot for three songs and I am sure even she is equally curious about it as I am. But, unluckily, Raavana has taken far more of her time than she had projected. In addition, she is also shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish, so I have no option, but to wait.’

Vipul who crated magic with Aki in Namste London is hopeful of getting Aishwarya’s dates towards the end of September. Nevertheless, they wouldn’t be adequate as he also needs to shoot with her in November. Also, her dates will have to be coordinated with Akshay, who is another busy chap.

However Vipul says ‘Both Aishwarya and Akshay are very professional and I am hoping a solution soon for it from all of us. And Akshay is also the co-producer of Action Replay; he has an added inducement to give me his dates.’

Taking about the release of Action Replay Vipul says, ‘Now I think it will only be possible next year as there is lot to shoot for the film and then there is other post-production work to be carried. I had initially planned the release in October which was later pushed to December first week. The film will be completed on time but it will not release this year.’

Vipul’s considerate behavior towards Akki is widely known and the other reason why he does not want to release his Action Replay this year is, Akshay’s De Dana Dan is releasing on November 27 and you can’t have two Akki films competing. Another reason for the delay in Action Replay is that Vipul's other film London Dreams releases on October 30.

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Aishwarya excited about her South films

Mani Ratnam’s ‘Raavan’ being shot in Ooty now

Aishwarya Rai is elated over bagging the main leads in two mega south Indian projects - Mani Ratnam's "Raavan" and Shankar's "Endhiran".

"Shankar had approached me previously to work with him, but it never materialised. Finally, everything landed in place and here we are working together after 10 years," said Aishwarya on the sets of "Raavan".

Tamil superstar Rajinikant, who is playing the male lead in "Endhiran", was also very keen to work with Aishwarya and had tried to sign her for his earlier ventures - "Padaiyappa" and "Chandramukhi", but the actress could not spare the dates.

Speaking about Ratnam's "Raavan", in which she once again teams up with her husband Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya said: "I don't want to reveal much about it. Working with Mani is always a delight. He is a man of perfection. I am lucky to act in his movies again and again."

Aishwarya was earlier seen in Ratnam's "Iruvar" and "Guru", in which Abhishek was in the main lead.

While shooting for "Raavan" in the jungles of Kerala, the entire cast and crew had a scary experience when an elephant ran amok and killed 51-year-old mahout Andavan.

The actors including Abhishek, Aishwarya, Vikram, Prabhu and Munna had to take shelter in a guest house.

According to sources, the film personalities spent the night in the forest guest house and survived on bread and eggs. After 12 hours of tension and waiting, the crew returned to their hotel.

Now the cast and crew of "Raavan" has moved to Ooty where the remaining portions of the film will be shot.

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Shooting to resume for Abhi-Ash’s ‘Raavan’

An elephant had disrupted proceedings

The shooting of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai starrer "Raavan", disrupted when an elephant ran amok in the jungle where it is being shot, will resume Friday, cinematographer Santosh Sivan said here Thursday.

"We will resume shooting tomorrow (July 31)," Sivan told IANS.

The tusker, whose name is Kunju, killed 51-year-old mahout Andavan. After the incident, the road at nearby Athirapally forest was blocked and the cast and crew of Mani Ratnam's film could not return to their hotel.

"We didn't see much since we were shooting on the other side of the bridge... so we couldn't cross over... we had to stop shooting, but I didn't see anything except the confusion. We had to spend a few hours in a guest house in the forest," said Sivan.

Neither the actors nor any crew member of the film was injured.

Later the elephant was chained and tranquilised by veterinary doctors.

Besides Abhishek and Aishwarya, "Raavan" also stars Vikram, Govinda and Manisha Koirala. It is being made in Hindi and Tamil simultaneously.

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Who is delaying Raavan

Abhishek Bachchan does not make a convincing Raavan.

Everyone knows of Mani Ratnam’s penchant for re-shooting his films. So why should Raavan be any less re-worked? Some portions are being re-shot as the filmmaker is not happy with the rushes.

A source confirms, “Mani Sir is not happy with Abhishek Bachchan’s performance in the film, compared to Southern superstar Vikram, who seems to be stealing Jr Bachchan’s thunder with his fine performance. Since he is not the central character, Mani Sir thinks he will over-shadow Abhishek, who is the hero of the film and so he wants to re-shoot some scenes just to make sure Abhishek is not over looked.”

As for Aishwarya, she will have a dance choreographed by internationally renowned dancer Astad Deboo, and she is thrilled with the prospect of working with him. Aishwarya is also an old hand when it comes to her association with Mani Ratnam, with whom she did her first film Iruvar.

Raavan also stars Govinda, and the film is being made simultaneously in Tamil as Ashokavanam with a different cast.

The story of Raavan is a closely guarded secret. However, what is known is that in the film the sister of Abhishek Bachchan is humiliated publicly by the character played by South star Vikram. Thereafter, Abhshek kidnaps Aishwarya Rai, the wife of Vikram as revenge. Both of them take shelter in the jungle chased by the police. Thereby, both of them fall in love.

Raavan is only a reference point and Mani Ratnam does not want to court controversy by suggesting that Sita falls in love with Raavan. Knowing this, Raavan is likely to court trouble, owing to public pressure, when the film is released in early 2010.

The New Year is sure to start with a bang!

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Mani ropes in Abhi-Ash for one more flick

It's not always that blood runs thicker than water.

Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan who have worked with director Mani Ratnam share more than a professional relationship with him.

Aishwarya had debuted in his Tamil film Iruvar and Abhishek first worked with him in Yuva. However, their bond strengthened on the sets of Guru. Since then, Mani Ratnam has adopted both of them. The couple too has reciprocated in a similar manner. When Mani suffered from a health crisis recently, they left behind everything to attend to him and monitor his medical progress. This gesture from Abhi-Ash moved Mani so much that he has become incredibility possessive and emotional about them. He’s already planning a third film with them after Raavana.

Commenting on the Abhi-Ash relationship with the maverick filmmaker, a source says, “Abhi and Ash are also very attached to his wife Suhasini. The day Aishwarya heard about Mani’s hospitalisation in Chennai, she immediately flew out of Hyderabad to see him and rushed back for her shoot the same evening. Abhishek too couldn’t focus on anything else till Mani was out of hospital. Somewhere Mani has formed a deep emotional bond with Abhi and Ash.”

Since Mani’s illness, Aishwarya and Abhishek have almost taken charge of Mani and his wellbeing. “They won’t allow him to resume shooting until they’re sure. And they’ll allot dates as and when his health allows. Abhishek and Ash have also promised Suhasini they’ll make sure Mani doesn’t strain himself,” the source added.

In fact Mani is so attached to the couple that he has begun to feel the presence of one or the other is lucky for his films. The source said, “Mani was planning to make Lajjo with Aishwarya and Aamir Khan. But he was compelled for reasons beyond his control to take Kareena Kapoor. Mani was not happy with this. When Lajjo got shelved, Mani turned around and said to Ash, ‘See it’s because it was an unfair thing to do to you that this happened.’”

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Mani Ratnam went off to hospital quietly

Filmmaker Mani Ratnam first complained of uneasiness and then left the recording studio and checked himself quietly into the Apollo Hospital on his own, says Lyricist Gulzar.

"Mani complained of uneasiness. We presumed it to be nothing more than creative anxiety. We all get restless and nervous when we are working intensely an a project. We had no clue it was a health issue," Gulzar told IANS on Friday (April 17).

"Yes, Mani just left the venue of the recording and quietly got himself admitted into hospital."

The multilingual filmmaker was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday following breathing difficulty and dizziness. Ratnam was in Chennai working on a song for his film "Raavan" with Gulzar and composer A.R. Rahman when the health scare occurred.

Filmmaker Shaad Ali, who is assisting Ratnam on "Raavan", was also present there.

The director was revved up as Gulzar and Rahman argued and collaborated over the perfect words for the tune. However, after a while a fidgety and restless Ratnam sneaked out of the recording, left the studio alone and checked himself quietly into the Apollo Hospital.

That, according to Mani's close friends, is the filmmaker's style. He never draws attention to himself.

There was a sudden panic among the friends and well-wishers of Ratnam since he has a history of heart ailment.

"Thankfully, it was nothing serious at all. Though I wasn't allowed to visit him in hospital Shaad did visit him on Wednesday. Mani was just fine, laughing, joking and talking nineteen to the dozen," Gulzar said.

"We're all very much relieved and happy. And on to top it all, the song that we were recording when Mani had a health scare has turned out beautifully. It's a proud moment. To my relief I'm told Mani is well enough to be out of hospital very soon."

Sources say the next schedule of "Raavan", which is on April 20, might be delayed by a few days. Ratnam, known to be a workaholic, is expected to be back to the gruelling outdoor schedule in Kerala as soon as the doctors allow him to do so.

"He's already talking about keeping his date with his next schedule. But that seems unlikely," said a source from the "Raavan" crew.

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Mani Ratnam's illness gives Abhi-Ash time together

If you wanted to greet the first couple of Bollywood- Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan - on their wedding anniversary, you may be disappointed. Sources confirm that Ash-Abhi won’t be in town on April 20 when they celebrate their second wedding anniversary. The family, including Amitabh and Jaya, are debating whether the couple should go to Europe or the United States.

Europe, especially Italy, is Jaya Bachchan’s favourite holiday destination. She even has a villa in Florence where she stays during her visits. A source close to the family reveals, “Jaya is suggesting they fly to Florence and spend the day there, while Amitabh is coming up with the idea of a US trip. They haven’t yet taken the final call but it will be one of the two destinations.”

Both Abhishek and Aishwarya have been working super hard for Mani Ratnam’s film Raavan for the past few months. Now that Mani was hospitilised for exhaustion, they have the opportunity to take a break while he recuperates. “This will be the first time in a very long time that they will get to take a vacation. They haven’t been on a holiday ever since their marriage,” says the source.

Last year, the couple didn’t celebrate their one year anniversary due to the demise of Abhishek’s grandmother Teji Bachchan. The source says, “They won’t be at Jalsa this year, there is definitely a mini vacation being planned.”

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SRK-Ash will work together

After a souring of relations between the two stars, things have reportedly become better.

While our much-loved Ash was always meant to play the female lead role, Mani Ratnam wanted to cast SRK as his Ram in Raavan.

Owing to the fight between Salman Khan and SRK, relations between Ash and King Khan had soured. Keeping this in mind, Mani Ratnam approached Ash and confessed to her his original choice for Ram. She politely agreed to star opposite him.

However, while SRK agreed to play the part, he realized his dates were taken for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

Oh at least fans can be assured of seeing the duo sharing screen space again!

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Mani Ratnam’s being very careful with Ravana

In the original script there were some intimate scenes between Abhishek and Aishwarya, but Mani Ratnam decided to do away with them. Why? Because he did not want to upset anyone’s sensibilities, since the film is a modern-day take on the epic Ramayana.

Ravana takes off when Aishwarya’s husband humiliates Abhishek’s sister and the latter commits suicide. That’s when Abhishek abducts Ash and takes her to the jungle. They then start developing feelings for each other...

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Abhi on a weight loss spree

Raavan happens to be Abhishek Bachchan’s third movie with Mani Ratnam. And the actor seems to go that extra mile for the moviemaker everytime.

In both Yuva and Guru, he worked hard to achieve the perfect look for the character. Abhishek’s role in the films was quite appreciated, so we guess all that work did pay off.

And now, the actor is at it again. For his role in Raavan, Abhishek is on a strict diet and has been travelling, shooting for the movie, along with a personal trainer, Sameer Jora.

A source tells us, “Abhishek is on a no carb diet. And he’s made sure that if he won’t have carbs then other people in the unit won’t either. So he doesn’t let anyone have any sweets. But, he did eat a ladoo on the sly once.”

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