Its Raftaar v/s Rann as both are based on the backdrop of a TV channel

The makers of 24x7 Raftaar starring Emraan Hashmi and Neha Dhupia are in a mad rush to release their film. The reason? Percept Picture Company's film and Ram Gopal Varma's Rann starring Amitabh Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh both have similar story lines.

Both stories revolve around the internal politics of a newsroom.

The buzz is that the guys at Percept at miffed at Ramu for starting a film on the same plot as theirs. A source reveals, "There is a big rush between Percept and Ramu to release their films as soon as the multiplex embargo lifts. Since both projects have similar plots and selling points, it's a race to reach first at the finishing post."

When contacted, Navin Shah, CEO of Percept Picture Company says, "Raftaar is a story of one media house using their resources to manipulate the market. The film has an extremely stylish look on the lines of Race and Dhoom." Reacting to comparisions with RGV's Rann, Shah says, "Well, I can vouch for the fact that ours is an original idea. We planned, conceived and made it before Mr Varma, and nothing can change that!."

Adding that his product is superior to Ramu's, he says, "Emraan Hashmi has a huge market of his own. His reach isn't just limited to metros and big cities. While RGV's films have an appeal that's limited to the big cities. We definitely have an edge with the broader appeal. Also, the Pritam-Emraan combination is a sure shot winner, while music has never been a forte for Ramu's film."

Percept plans to release Raftaar some time in August. "I am not aware when Rann is releasing and neither am I bothered. As per the market conditions, we plan to release Raftaar by August."

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RGV sends out 'Jana Gana Mana Rann' music video copies to 500 MPs

A few days before the matter of Ram Gopal Varma's revisionist version of the national anthem goes to the Supreme Court, Ram Gopal Varma and his co-producers Madhu Mantena and Sheetal Talwar have prepared CD's of the their 'Jana Gana Mana Rann' music-video and sent them off to all the members of parliament in the country.

Explains Mantena, "We did this so that the people who lead the country would have a clear idea of what we've done. See, it's easy to believe hearsay, and fall for malicious attempts to prove that we've played around with the National Anthem. Protest in our country is always based on ignorance. We wanted to change that."

This week 500 CDs of the Rann anthem were sent off to the MPs. "This is not meant to influence the judiciary, only to ensure that no one gets the wrong picture," says Mantena.

The Rann publicity machinery claims the film will be released on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti. But the inside information is otherwise.

Says a source, "The October 2 release date was Ram Gopal Varma's attempt to be as defiant and politically incorrect as possible. We've not fixed a release date for Rann."

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Supreme Court disapproves of Ramu's song

The Supreme Court on Monday disapproved of the controversial song "Jana Gana Mana Rann" in director Ram Gopal Varma's new film "Rann", saying nobody has the right to tinker with the national anthem.

A vacation bench of Justice V.S. Sirpurkar and Justice R.M. Lodha said this while hearing a lawsuit by the director challenging the denial of permission for exhibition of a promotional film for the song, which is based on India's national anthem "Jana Gana Mana".

"We have read it (the script of the song). It gives a total negative sense. It appears that every line of the national anthem has been proved wrong," said the bench.

"Nobody has got the right to tinker with the national anthem," the bench observed, while denying any prompt legal relief to Varma against the May 8 order of the Central Film Certification Board.

The board had denied Varma the permission for release of the promo on the grounds that the song, "Jana Gana Mana Rann", had distorted and tampered with the national anthem.

Refusing to grant any urgent legal relief to the film director, the bench told him to first approach the appellate tribunal, set up under the Cinematography Act, 1952 to challenge the board's decision.

The bench also asked the tribunal to decide on Varma's lawsuit challenging the board's decision within a month and subsequently asked the film director to come back to it if he was not satisfied with the appellate tribunal's ruling.

Appearing for Varma, senior counsel Arun Jaitley sought scrapping of the board's decision, contending that it has prompted various television channels to not show the promo.

Jaitley contended that the board's decision has made even mobile telephone service providers averse to uploading the song as caller tunes for fear of insulting the national anthem.

In his lawsuit, Varma contended that the "Jana Gana Mana Rann" song in his film merely uses the national anthem in a respectful manner for the purpose of artistic expression.

He said the issue involves a citizens' fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression.

Jaitley argued that if the film song could be misconstrued as showing disrespect to the national anthem, then the flag of various political parties too would be regarded as no lesser an insult to the national flag.

He said after all the flags of parties like the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Trinamool Congress bear a striking similarity to the national flag barring their central symbols.

But the court did not appear to be convinced by his argument.

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Ramu's battle over 'Rann' continues

Censor board refused to clear his new movie

The Supreme Court on Monday (May 25) asked noted film director Ram Gopal Varma to approach a tribunal set up under cinematogrophy laws to challenge the censor board's direction against showing the movie "Rann".

The censor board refused to clear "Rann" unless it removed a song that's a take-off on the national anthem. Varma has refused to remove the song.

A vacation bench of Justice V.S. Sirpurkar asked the tribunal to decide within a month Varma's application challenging the censor board's decision.

The bench also asked Varma to come to it after a month if he is not satisfied with the decision.

The Censor Board of Film Certification refused permission to air the controversial song. It said the national anthem was distorted in the movie.

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B-town makes news

The film fraternity has always shared a love-hate relationship with the media.

Of late however, there seems to be more hate than love, with the media being the industry’s favourite punching bag even on chat shows like the one hosted by Karan Johar.

The portrayal of the fourth estate in films has been diverse — in some cases stereotypical, farcical and in a bad light. How else would you explain Aishwarya Rai Bachchan telling Jackie Shroff, “Journalist log bahut kum sach bolte hain,” in Albela? Jackie, who played the journalist, says, “The media is targetted in films, but so are politicians, cops, sportsmen and film stars. But like every other profession, there are responsible and irresponsible people even in the media. Ash’s character eventually fell in love with me in the film. That says it all.”

You might never catch a journalist doing an item number in real life, but Zayed Khan, who played a TV reporter in Mission Istaanbul, did just that.Also, scribes being snubbed by actors is common in films. Remember how Abhishek Bachchan abuses a hapless scribe on being asked a ‘personal question’ in Naach? Or the Big B chasing a journo out in The Last Lear when he gets a fact wrong? Madhur Bhandarkar’s Page 3 is one of the few films that backed the scribe. “When I was making Page 3, everyone asked me who’d want to be sympathetic towards a journalist. But it became a bible for journalists in India. I met page 3 journalists who gave me the inside story. I attended parties in Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai as part of my research,” reveals Madhur.

If Madhavan played the gutsy journalist in Guru working under a righteous editor (Mithun Chakraborty), Minissha Lamba became the truth-seeking reporter in Shaurya. But not all are righteous, maintains Madhur. “Konkona wasn’t one. She was modern, had a boyfriend, drank wine and was fun-loving,” says Madhur. From the cranky Seema (played by Sridevi) in Mr India, to the fiery Romila Dutta in Lakshya, essayed by Preity Zinta, film-makers have attached different faces to the profession. Says Farhan Akhtar, who directed Lakshya, “I met war journalists before shooting. I was clear that Preity’s character needed to be a responsible journalist who gets the news first-hand rather than from someone else. You have to be sure about what you say to people, particularly in a panic situation.”

Why did he adhere to the kurta-crinkled skirt-jhola bag stereotype while deciding Preity’s look in Lakshya? “Indian movies are guilty of stereotyping all professions. But there’s some element of truth in them. Preity’s look in the film was very Delhi,” explains Farhan.

Nishikant Kamat’s Mumbai Meri Jaan highlighted the tendency of news channels to sensationalise reports, with the journalist (Soha Ali Khan) herself becoming a victim. The media has also been accused of being overtly intrusive, with many condemning sting operations, something that Alia (Priyanka Chopra) in God Tussi Great Ho planned to do. Ram Gopal Varma’s next, Rann, shows the media resorting to yellow journalism to grab TRPs. Gul Panag, who’s acted in the film, says, “It exposes the nexus between the media, politicians and industrialists. Ramu hasn’t shown anything far-fetched. Why are some always targetted while others go scot-free? Some politicians are caught accepting money in sting operations, others are never exposed. News anchors are expected to give unbiased reports. But during 26/11, reporters went breathless, were panting, and creating images that were worse than the real situation, thereby creating panic.”

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Ramu can't be punished for distorting national anthem

Director Ram Gopal Varma has irked the censor board by tampering with the national anthem for the song "Jana gana mana rann hai" in his upcoming film "Rann" which stars megastar Amitabh Bachchan. Lawyers say there is no specific law to prevent people from doing so.

"There can't be anything disparaging on the national anthem or flag or any such property. One can't play around with these things. But sadly, no legal action against any person can be taken if he or she tampers with the anthem because there is no law for it," Lalit Bhasin, president of the Society of Indian Law Firms, told IANS.

According to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, a person could be charged with a criminal offence with regard to the national anthem only if he or she "intentionally prevents the singing of the Indian national anthem or causes disturbances to any assembly engaged in such singing".

Bhasin also said that nothing can be done to prevent Varma from using the anthem under the existing law.

Varma faced the ire of protesters and a ban on the song by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) after he showcased the first look of "Rann" last week. But the filmmaker maintains it does not portray the national anthem in bad light.

"Through this song, we are talking about the (ongoing) disputes in the country but there were no intentions to ridicule anything. It's something I felt in my heart and it was my idea to place the song like this. It is based on the script of my film and I don't think there's any offence in it," Varma had said.

The promo, however, led to protesters burning effigies of Varma and Bachchan in Mumbai and Ranchi a few weeks ago.

A Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader, who was among the 100-odd protesters in Ranchi, had said: "We cannot tolerate twisting of the national song. It is dishonour of the national song and the country. We are planning to file public interest litigation in the Jharkhand High Court seeking banning of the movie."

But such acts of protest are futile, say lawyers.

"I don't see why justice is going to the roads. When there is no punishment for the act according to the law, nothing can be done about it. I have heard the song and there is no dishonour to the national anthem," said Supreme Court lawyer Pinki Anand.

"Freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right of every Indian citizen. And when there is no system of law against what the filmmaker has done, no amount of people taking to the roads and agitation can help," she added.

Jayant Bhushan, a senior advocate, echoed similar sentiments and said: "Freedom of speech is important. One shouldn't be too sensitive. I don't think the filmmaker has dented the national anthem by just changing a few lines. The dignity of the national anthem is not so fragile."

Varma is now moving Supreme Court after the censor board refused permission to air the song, said producer Madhu Mantena.

However, Lalit Bhasin said that the CBFC can ban either a part or the entire film "if its content is socially misgiving and creates unrest among people".

"But if the filmmakers are going to appeal to the court, only the judges will have the final say," he said.

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Rann to release on Gandhi Jayanti

While it was confirmed last week itself that Ram Gopal Varma's much hyped and already in controversy Rann would be releasing in the month of October, the latest piece of news that has just come in is that 2nd October has been locked in as D-day for the film's release. Considering the fact that the film comes with a volatile theme and is expected to boast of a power house drama, a Gandhi Jayanti release is obviously not just a coincidence.

"The world knows that 2nd October was the day when the Father of the Nation was born. He taught the world the power of tolerance. Now on the same day, Rann will show the world something that will make them lose their faith in this blinded tolerance to each and everything", comes a very strong statement from an insider who wished to be unnamed.

With Rann already been in controversy due to it's theme track 'Jana Gana Rann', isn't it's 2nd October release adding fire to the fuel?

"To each his own", says the source, "Why don't we also look at the business angle of affairs. Any film would like to come over a long weekend and with 2nd October being a Friday (a National holiday), the film is already looking at an extended weekend. Which film won't want to arrive in such productive time frame?"

However, one can't deny the fact that by choosing 2nd October as D-day, Rann has made a smart move by making quite a few other films do a rethinking around their release strategy. With this Ram Gopal Varma film being one of the biggest to arrive this year, what with a power packed star cast spear headed by Amitabh Bachchan and well aided by others like Riteish Deshmukh, Paresh Rawal, Sudeep, Rajat Kapoor, Gul Panag, Neetu Chandra, Rajpal Yadav and Mohnish Behl, it is only bound to create ripples amongst other production houses that may be looking at bringing their film over the stated weekend.

Says a member of Rann, "The film has been shaping up exceedingly well and it will not just wake you but shock you. And please, it is not an out and out political drama per se, as is being speculated by a few out there. In fact that's just one part of it. Believe me, when you will walk out of the film, you won't want to move on to doing something else. Instead you will want to sit down and put your thinking cap on to retrospect on the drama that just unfolded."

Though Ram Gopal Varma was unavailable for comment, the know-how of the industry are quite sure that he won't miss the opportunity of bringing his topical Rann on 2nd October.

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Rann - Wallpapers

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Ramu to challenge censor board decision

Director Ram Gopal Varma and producers of his film "Rann", which stars Bachchan as a media baron, will to go to the Supreme Court to appeal against censor board's ruling to remove the song "Jana Gann Mana Rann hai" from the movie as well as the promos.

The censor board has objected to "Jana Gann Mana Rann hai" because it feels that the song violates the law governing the national anthem.

Varma and producers Madhu Mantena and Sheetal Talwar were supposed to go to the High Court on Wednesday (Mat 13) to fight the censor board's ruling. But Tuesday afternoon there was a change of plan. The "Rann" team has now decided to go straight to the apex court to challenge for what they think to be their fundamental right to expression.

"There has been a change of plan. We were earlier to go to the High Court. We're now moving into the Supreme Court because our lawyers Naik & Naik feel we've a very strong case," Mantena told IANS.

"The censor board has prevented us from using the song in the film and for the promotions. They've cited the rule that applies to national emblems and symbols, not the national anthem. So we feel that rule cannot be applicable to our song. As far as we know, the rule regarding the national anthem is that no one can be stopped from singing it."

Mantena and his co-producer Talwar have registered a civil case in the Mumbai High Court against the censor board's ruling. The "Rann" team is determined to fight it out to the last.

"We've time on our side. We're releasing 'Rann' in October," said Mantena confidently.

With "Rann" Varma is attempting to expose media industry. Apart from Amitabh, Riteish Deshmukh, Paresh Rawal, Gul Panag and Neetu Chandra form the cast of the movie.

Many feel Varma should have desisted from creating a controversial situation.

"When it's Mr. Bachchan, you've got to be very careful with what goes into his projects because there are political elements waiting to pick holes in what he does. It's an unnecessary burden on his over-burdened sense of commitment to his projects," said a filmmaker who's making a movie with the Big B.

Interestingly, Amitabh was supposed to sing a song in "Rann", but that's no longer happening.

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Lyricist of 'Jana Gana Mana Rann' talks about why he wrote the song

It's the RGV controversy season yet again as this director loves to be hated. With much said and done about the controversial song depicting the Indian National Anthem in his recently launched song promo of Rann, the lyrics 'Jana Gana Mana Rann' have now come in the eyes of the censors. Now in a do or die situation, RGV fights his own battle in the Rann. Will one man, lyricist of 'Jana Gana Mana Rann', Sarim Momin come to the rescue of RGV and his Rann? Without losing focus on the media and politics, Ramu nails the adrenaline rush of breaking news and emphasizes the power of a medium being used to its potential. The director's strongest promo shows the calm before the storm, signifying the start of what will be a historic broadcast, or will it? Censors may apply their own politics to it, but they're missing the point. This is an incendiary attack on complacency but the Rann promo occupies a chapter of history when words spoken via television captured a national audience. It should raise the pulse and bubble the red blood of any audience members proud enough to call themselves Indians. As RGV has used the line - Truth is Terrible. Bollywood Hungama's London correspondent and UK's Harrow Observer columnist Devansh Patel brings you Sarim's take, who shares his views on the controversy and why he thinks the song should be dear to all the citizens of India in the following excerpt. Over to Sarim...

Sarim Momin:

"When I was writing this song, I wanted to capture the emotions of a situation in the film where the citizens of India are asked to wake up; To wake up and realize that we are not being fair to the country by letting anti-national powers flourish for their personal gains, that we are surrendering the very freedom that we fought for, that we are dividing the country when we should actually stand up united for it's progress.

Now, if we had used lines like "Jaag jao... Bharat ko bachaao' or 'Humari jaan Hindustan', maximum reaction would have been a yawn or a raise of an eyebrow. Or both, if somebody really liked it and were generous.

It would NOT have made people sit up and think about the current state.

Diverting from the song for a moment, the Election Commission started many campaigns this year to urge Indians to come out and vote yet the turnout was only around 50%. It's not like we don't care. It's just that we don't care enough to make an effort to even elect the best men to decide the future and fate of our country. We are comfortably numb and almost sleepy to what is happening to us.

And how do we wake up a person who is asleep? Do we sing lullaby to him? Or do we shrug him and shake him out of sleep?

As the script demanded it, with this song, the characters want to shrug and shake people out of their slumber; make them realize that India is wounded. It needs us, the citizens to come forward and help it. By now, we were clear that we wanted the song to be intense and hard-hitting; an eye-opener! Any 'Jaag jao... Bharat ko bachaao' wouldn't have served the purpose.

Since the film Rann is not about a battle fought on the borders of India but it is about the battle that all of us fight within ourselves, the words were meant to express "There is a battle in the minds of all people" and literally they translated into 'Jana Gann Mana Rann Hai'. This was the birth of this song.

Yes, there is a reference to the respected National Anthem of our country but this song is NOT our National Anthem, nor is it demeaning or insulting it in any way. While the National Anthem speaks about India and Victory, this song talks about the 'need' to achieve that victory by keeping India united today. In fact it reaffirms all the goodness that the National Anthem stands for. But at the end of the day, it is just a song by itself pertaining to the script and the scenes of the film.

How can you call it National Anthem when there are 100 different words used in it? (Yes I counted, 100 words!!)

Kindly go through the lyrics once and decide for yourself if there is any insult to India...
Kindly understand the intent before blindly judging the content...
Kindly ask yourself if you don't really want India to be free from all corruption, bloodshed and destruction...
Kindly be honest...

This song reinforces and urges citizens to respect India, its greatness and it's National Anthem.

If anyone thinks that it is a crime to ask Indians to stand up and help India be the glorious Country that it was, then I have only one thing to say...
"BHARAT KO BACHAA LE VIDHAATA"

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Riteish takes a break from comedies

Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh, who has done a bouquet of comedy films, will essay a serious role in Ram Gopal Varma's media-based film "Rann".

The actor, who will share screen space with Amitabh Bachchan in the movie, will be seen in the role of a journalist.

"I play the role of a guy named Purab Shastri. He is a beginner and believes in real journalism and that's the reason why he joins a news channel named India 24X7," he said.

On being questioned about his decision to take up the role, Riteish quipped: "When I was doing comedy, people used to ask me why I am doing just comedies and now when I have got a chance to do something different, they are again asking me why I am doing a serious role."

"The thing is that I got a chance to do such a good role and that's why when Ramu (Ram Gopal Varma) asked me, I readily agreed. However, there are some comedies to come in the future," he added.

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I have done it for publicity: RGV

Ram Gopal Varma is upset. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), as was expected, has denied the filmmaker permission to air his song Jana Gana Mana Rann Hai in his forthcoming film Rann that is reportedly based on the national anthem.

Vijaya Chawak, secretary to CBFC chairperson Vinayak Azad, told media persons that the song violates guidelines 219 of Section 5B2 of the Cinematography Act and the lines Jana Gana Mana are a violation of the National Honour Act of 1971.

Azad, however, is travelling; and Rann co-producer Sheetal Talwar (with Madhu Mantena), who claims to be unaware of the CBFC order, is waiting for Azad’s return on Wednesday when they will get the official word on the fate of the song. But RGV has drained the bitter cup already. The controversial director is feeling persecuted. “The Rann song is not the national anthem. It’s just inspired by what the national anthem stands for,” he said in a chat with BT. “The national anthem has a completely different meaning. But, yes, the Rann song stands exactly for what the national anthem does today... and in consideration of what we are going through.”

He is furious that people are saying he knew the song would meet this consequence, and that he did all this for publicity. “Of course, I have done it for publicity,” RGV snapped. “Any material that goes out of a filmmaker’s office by way of interviews, audio-visuals, music pieces or anything else is to garner publicity for his film. I have made a film and I want as many people out there as possible to know that it will soon come to their theatres. I also want them to know what the film is going to be all about. I ask you, if I had known that this was going to happen, would I deliberately turn people off my film?”

According to the beleaguered director, with Rann he wants to bring people’s attention to the battle they are fighting with the powers-that-be of our so-called civilised society. “There has been no attempt to ridicule or demean or show the national anthem in a bad or comic light. It only seeks to draw attention of all concerned to the problems that the country has... like terrorism, poverty, riots, debt-ridden farmer suicides, rapes, murders, famine and flood, they have become mere symbols that are highlighted as conscious awakeners for vote banks,” said RGV.

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Protesters burn effigies of Amitabh, Ramu

Activists of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) burnt effigies of director Ram Gopal Varma and Amitabh Bachchan in Ranchi for "dishonouring" the national anthem in their movie "Rann".

Hundreds of LJP members gathered around Albert Ekka roundabout in Ranchi on Saturday (May 9) morning and burnt effigies of Varma and Amitabh. They also shouted slogans against them.

Ram Gopal Varma has tinkered with the national anthem "Jana Gana Mana" in "Rann".

"We cannot tolerate twisting of the national song. It is dishonour of the national song and country. We are planning to file a Public Interest Litigation in the High Court seeking banning of the movie," said Jitendra Singh, an LJP leader who participated in the protest.

"We will not allow screening of the movie in Bihar and Jharkhand if the national song which has been twisted is not removed from the movie," he added.

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Censors ban Ramu's anthem

Banned by the Censor Board, Ram Gopal Varma says his modified Jana Gana Mana retains the dignity of India's anthem.

The song is being used in the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Rann and contains lines like "Jana Gana Mana Rann Hai" and "Is Desh ne humko ek kiya, hum desh ki tukdey kar rahein hai" before the line "Dravid Utkal Banga."

It also has "Vindhya Himachal Yamuna Ganga" followed by "mein tezaab ubal raha hai." But Ramu says the song is alright and that "everyone can see the dignity with which it has been treated.

The Censor Board saw it differently and has held the song's release.

"The Censor Board reviewed the film's promo on Friday and decided to refuse permission under guideline 219 of Section 5 (b)2 of Cinematograph Act as well as Prevention of insult to National Honour Act 1971," Vijaya Chawak, secretary to the CBFC chairperson Sharmila Tagore said. She added that the anthem could not be modified in any way. Ramu's song also has the line "Bharat ko bacha le vidhaata!" instead of "Bharat bhagya vidhaata."

The plot of Rann revolves around a media tycoon who owns a television network (Big B) and his understudy played by Riteish Deshmukh. Ramu and Ritiesh had got into trouble when they accompanied Deshmukh's father Vilasrao to the Taj Mahal hotel after the November attacks. Dubbed 'terror tourism' Vilasrao lost his job because of ensuing coverage.

About Rann, the director said that the word means war and in the context of civil society large organized forces, like news channels, political parties and industrial czars, were involved in a fight with each other. "If dog bites man, it is not news. But if man bites dog, it is news. And if a cat bites a dog, it’s Breaking News," said Ramu. The sensationalism of news television is going to be the target of his movie.

But for now, the hard-hitting song that spearheads his message has been put in the freezer.

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RGV remixes the National Anthem - Video

Watch the controversial promo of Rann

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Amitabh would like to be a journalist

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, whose antipathy towards the media is well known, on Wednesday (May 6) said he "would like to be a journalist".

"I would like to be a journalist. In fact in my interviews that I had given in the 1970s, I mentioned during most of them that I want to become a journalist in my next life," Amitabh told reporters in New Delhi (pictured right at the press conference).

"I say this because I feel that it is a very difficult task since sometimes your conscience doesn't match with reality and that's where you want to go home and tear yourself apart and take a decision," he added.

This, from the 66-year-old who has been castigating the media and journalists on his blog that he started in 2008.

Amitabh was in the capital to promote his forthcoming film "Rann" about the Indian media. He plays the head of a 24-hour news channel.

Helmed by Ram Gopal Varma, "Rann" also has actors Paresh Rawal and Reitesh Deshmukh in pivotal roles.

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Ramu's India 24/7 is now Rann again

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma's media-based film, whose title had recently been changed to "India 24/7", is now back to its original title "Rann", says megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

Bachchan, who plays the owner of a news channel called 'India 24/7' in the film, revealed the new development on his blog and has also put up a picture from the movie.

"The photograph is from my film that I shoot for these days - Ram Gopal Varma's ‘Rann'. Yes... It is back to being called that since the title we wanted – ‘India 24/7' is with another producer who refuses to part with it," Bachchan posted on his blog.

"This (the picture) is my character - Vijay Harshvardhan Malik, the owner of the TV channel "India 24/7". And that is where the story of this film unfolds, which is why RGV (Ram Gopal Varma) felt that "India 24/7" as the title of the film was appropriate.

"But since someone else has it and has refused to part with it, despite our requests, even though they have no intention of starting a film by that title, we felt we should leave the issue and move on giving the other producer our warmest wishes and greetings," he added.

"Rann" is Varma's attempt to "expose the Indian media" and apart from the Big B, it stars Paresh Rawal, Rajat Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh, Manisha Koirala, Purab Kohli and Gul Panag.

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