Amitabh minds his language

Big B is in the news for all reasons linguistic.

If he’s waxing eloquent in English on screen for his latest movie, that’s news. If his better half cheekily asserts her allegiance to Hindi, that’s bigger news. But he’s also the son of a literary figure who was exceptionally skilled in both Hindi and English.

What language did he speak at home? “At home we spoke almost exclusively in Hindi. At school, it was the reverse.” And is it from the refinement of language that Harivanshrai imbibed in them that Amitabh’s own almost classical style of language comes? “ Maine ise kabhi is tarah se dekha nahi. Jo man mein aata hai, woh likh deta hoon. Lekin mera aisa manna hai ki agar kisi bhaasha ka prayog karna hai, toh use sahi dhang se hi karna chahiye. ”

But on-screen dialogues in commercial cinema are hardly written with the focus on purity or finesse of language, are they? What does he do when the script asks him to voice things that are anything but refined? “In some cases, the character is such that his language will be of a certain type. But if I find something that I am not comfortable with, koi cheez meri zabaan par sahi tareeke se nahi baith rahi, ya mujhe lagta hai ki mujhe yeh nahi kehna chahiye, mai jo director hain, unse kehta hoon, aur kai baar woh meri baat maan jaate hain. But generally, I go with what’s given. Zyadatar main dakhalandazi nahi karta hoon ...”

Would he be open to playing a character that had to deliver dialogues like the ones flying around, for instance, in an Omkara ?

“ Wahan par main thoda jhijhakta hoon . I wouldn’t be comfortable with that.” We haven’t heard him utter a profanity on screen ever, have we? “Yes, I have tried to keep away from profanity. And from the physical touch of a kiss. The only exception to the latter was Black, but that was not a moment of lust, it was not a voyeuristic moment. It was actually one of the best moments in the film, one of a tremendous connect between the two characters.”

He’s oft written or spoken of agendas against him and the family. Does the constant sniping for one issue or another get to him?

“It comes with the territory. If you are a celebrity, zahir hai ki yeh sab cheezen hongi aapke saath . When I was born, I was a celebrity, since I was the son of Harivanshrai Bachchan. And over the years I have learnt that things are this way. And I have learnt that we should be cautious about what we do, what we say, because anything we say or do could be used in a totally different manner. Words, as I said in my blog, have a wonderful way of being twisted around to interpret something totally different from what they were intended to say...”

Is there any pressure on him still, after the rounds of apologies and dropping of campaigns? He has no regrets at apologising, but clearly doesn’t wish to retrace those steps. “The matter is over, let us leave it behind now.” He may, but will the trail of words leave him, just yet? Unlikely. But then, as he knows, it comes with the territory...

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B.O. Update: '1920' starts better, 'Last Lear'-'Rubaru' poor

The horror genre seems to be fast catching up. Few weeks ago, PHOONK took the industry by complete surprise by fetching a very good start all over. Now 1920 has taken an encouraging opening at places. The opening was 40% to 60% in Mumbai and Delhi. At other places, the opening was lower. The reports are decent and the trade expects the business to pick up on Saturday and Sunday.

RU-BA-RU started on a 10% note. The business was even lower at places. THE LAST LEAR got a lot of mileage for different reasons prior to its release, but the collections were uninspiring.

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The Last Lear - Movie Review

Rituparno Ghosh, one of the finest storytellers from Bengal, chooses Utpal Dutt's play 'Aajker Shahjahan' as the premise for his new endeavour THE LAST LEAR. The plotline [the story of an aging superstar] as also the execution of the subject is the type that holds appeal for a miniscule section of audience.

The problem with THE LAST LEAR is that there's too much Shakespeare in the movie, which, to put it bluntly, isn't everyone's cup of tea. Besides, certain themes may hold some appeal for those into theatre, but don't work on cinematic level.

Yet, there's no denying that THE LAST LEAR has its share of engrossing moments. A few individualistic sequences are noteworthy as also the portrayal of characters by some prominent names. But that's not enough!

In a nutshell, THE LAST LEAR fails to connect. At best, it may find some patronage at Festivals, but there's nothing for Indian moviegoers.

Harry [Amitabh Bachchan] lives for acting, loves theatre, adores Shakespeare and absolutely detests cinema. Enter Siddharth [Arjun Rampal], a movie director. He is smart, Harry finds out in the very first meeting. He is glad to have found a cerebral partner to have a conversation with.

Slowly, they bond over coffees, vodka and conversations. Harry decides to work in Siddharth's film. New relationships blossom. But an incident changes everything…

Director Rituparno Ghosh's choice of the subject has its limitations. It's good to think different, but THE LAST LEAR is abstract. From the writing point of view, a number of points remain unexplained and even if they are, it's difficult to decipher.

Like, for instance, Shefali Shah's hatred for Preity is unexplainable. Why does Shefali detest Preity? Her problem, in the first place, should've been with the director of the film [Arjun Rampal], not the co-actors. Also, the accident and the aftermath lack clarity. Why does Arjun want a retake? Why does he want Amitabh to perform the death-defying jump all over again? This, when he knows that Amitabh can't see without his glasses. Clearly, the writing has its share of loopholes.

That's not all, for THE LAST LEAR is too verbose, like Rituparno's earlier film RAINCOAT. It gets very talk-heavy after a point and that's quite off-putting.

Amitabh Bachchan is the life of THE LAST LEAR. But it's definitely not his best performance so far. The actor has delivered stronger performances in the past. He's good, not great. Arjun is evolving into a fine actor. After ROCK ON!!, this is another performance that would fetch Arjun laurels. Preity is very effective. Shefali Shah is superb. Divya Dutta is wasted. Prosenjit is alright. Jishu impresses.

On the whole, THE LAST LEAR has something for the Festival circuit, but nothing for the cinema-going audience in India. At the box-office, it caters to a minuscule section of moviegoers at select metros only. Disappointing!

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Big B gears up for The Last Lear

On the eve of the release of his film The Last Lear , Amitabh Bachchan humbly apologised in front of the media for the remarks made by Jaya Bachchan at the music launch of Drona a few days back. Trying to keep controversies aside, Big was fully geared up for The Last Lear .

Talking about his role, Amitabh said, “I am playing a retired Shakespearan actor who is acting in a film. Arjun Rampal is the director of the film.”

Bachchan had a great time working with the director Rituparna Ghosh. “I was really interested in working with Rituparna Ghosh since a very long time. Finally we got a script to work together upon. I have to say that it was a fantastic experience in working with an exceptional director like Rituparna Ghosh. He is not just exceptional in his thoughts but in his writing and also in the way in which he treats his artists. He provoked and excited us to a great extent.”

After having delivered dialogues in Hindi for so many years, how was it delivering dialogues in English? “I had no problems in delivering them. It was deliberate to keep it in Engish as the subject was concerning an actor who was a retired Shakespearean actor. When you talk of Shakespeare, it has to be English.”

Bachchan had a nostalgic time shooting on the streets of Kolkata. “I had an amazing time shooting in Kolkata as I had worked there for eight years not as an actor but as an executive. The people of Kolkata have always shown great affection for things that are artistic. I hope they enjoy the film as much as everyone else.”

We hope that there are no problems in the release of the film and the audience is able to see Amitabh Bachchan’s performance in the film which has been hailed as his finest performance till date by many critics.

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Preity Zinta's look in 'The Last Lear'

Preity Zinta has played the glam doll to perfection in many films. But in her next release, The Last Lear, the bubbly actress would be seen in a different look from what she has been sporting in her last few films. Preity would be seen wearing some really beautiful sarees and salwar suits in the film. One look at this picture and you will agree that she indeed looks ravishing even in a saree.

Preity herself loved the experience of getting decked up in a saree. "What a pleasant change it was, from all the dolled up work I have done. I got to play Shabnam, someone so real! I love my look in the film. Ever since the posters of The Last Lear are out, the compliments haven't stopped coming in! Everyone's look in the film is extremely different. You can trust Rituparno Ghosh to surprise everyone with his films, even his own actors!", says the bubbly actress.

The Last Lear, which opens across cinema halls on September 12th 2008, has generated tremendous curiosity amongst audiences ever since the promos began. People are inquisitive to find out the roles that Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Arjun Rampal play in this hatke film. In fact, Amitabh's performance in The Last Lear has been hailed by many as the best of his illustrious career. As for Preity, considering the fact that she has become so choosy about selecting the right films and that her last release (Jhoom Barabar Jhoom) was in June 2007, all her fans must surely be charged up to see their favorite actress don a brand new avatar! The wait would be worth it, we are sure!

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Amitabh Bachchan and Arjun Rampal in 'The Last Lear' Trailer

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Preity Zinta takes art route

Pretty girl Preity Zinta is changing tracks with a vengeance. With an obvious attempt at shedding away her bubbly tag, especially after the box office failure of her high profile films like JAAN-E-MANN and JHOOM BARABAR JHOOM, she has headed for art house cinema.

One may term her films as meaningful, parallel or offbeat cinema but the fact remains that each of her upcoming films is a far cry from the cute and effervescent image that she has built for herself over the years. Whether it was her initial stint with the likes of SOLDIER and KYA KEHNA or her recent crop of films like SALAAM NAMASTE, VEER ZAARA and KOI MIL GAYA, she was finding herself trapped in a particular brand of cinema.

2008 may just about manage to change it all where she is working on number of art/offbeat films. These are:

Har Pall (directed by Jahnu Barua)
Heroes (directed by Samir Karnik)
The Last Lear (directed by Rituparno Ghosh)
Heaven On Earth (directed by Deepa Mehta)

Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network

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