Showing posts sorted by relevance for query films tv. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query films tv. Sort by date Show all posts

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Tamil Actor 'Suriya' Endorsed 'Complan' As 'Brand Star'

By Sheikh Sameer | Hyderabad

PRESS RELEASE Suriya together with Complan celebrates 50 years of strengthening India New Television Commercial featuring Suriya endorses Complan’s new brand messaging - 'Mana Uruthikku Valimai Tharum Puthiya Complan'.

South Indian and Tamil cinema hero and heartthrob Suriya pleasantly surprised the media at a specially convened press conference, as Complan officially unveiled the acting superstar as its new brand ambassador for the south region market.

Celebrating its Golden Jubilee this year, Complan has signed Suriya as one of the three celebrity brand ambassadors to unveil its new packaging and  branding. It is the first time that Complan has associated with iconic celebrities for endorsements.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

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Friday, January 09, 2015

Focus: Bringing 'Hollywood' To The 'Desert Of Abu Dhabi'

A red Porsche sports car speeds down a California street known to be popular for drifting cars. Driven at around 160kmh and with a former professional racer at the wheel, it eventually loses control, crashes into a concrete pole and bursts in flames.

While the scene was caught on film and the passenger in the car was actor Paul Walker, famous as the Hollywood star of the high-adrenalin, billion-dollar Fast and Furious film franchise, this was no film set.

Tuesday, April 01, 2014

New Filmi Initiatives: Bringing Hollywood To The Desert

By Rasul Al Harthy | INNLIVE 

EXCLUSIVE A red Porsche sports car speeds down a California street known to be popular for drifting cars. Driven at around 160kmh and with a former professional racer at the wheel, it eventually loses control, crashes into a concrete pole and bursts in flames.

While the scene was caught on film and the passenger in the car was actor Paul Walker, famous as the Hollywood star of the high-adrenalin, billion-dollar Fast and Furious film franchise, this was no film set.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

The Politics Behind Kamal Haasan’s Film

The U/A certificate was issued to Vishwaroopam without any application of mind,” claimed the Tamil Nadu government in the Madras High Court, defending the ban on the film. What’s more, it alleged that the certification of films itself was a “very big scam that required a full-fledged probe”.

The judge did not find merit in the ­argument and allowed an interim release late on the night of 29 January. In less than 24 hours, the release was stayed again after the Tamil Nadu government appealed against it. Kamal Haasan, who has written, produced and directed Vishwaroopam, ­besides playing the lead role in it, could now approach the Supreme Court.

The strong words used by the government’s counsel, however, point to a larger motive behind the J Jayalalithaa government preventing Kamal Haasan from ­entertaining his fans on the big screen in Tamil Nadu.
Kamal, who pledged all his property to fund Vishwaroopam, says he along with his “Muslim brothers” have been “trashed in a political game”. Even though he says he does not know who is behind it, it’s not difficult to guess who Kamal is hinting at.


Political analyst Gnani Sankaran says, “Jayalalithaa is trying to corner the Muslim votes with the 2014 General Elections a year away. By attacking the censor board, a statutory body, she is actually belittling the Centre, taking her antagonistic stand against the UPA a step further. She is using this ­opportunity to show that the Central ­government is insensitive to Muslim ­concerns. But I doubt if such steps will ­actually help anyone politically because the average movie buff knows it is just a film.”
The others have been no better. The same desire to pander to the Muslim ­constituency made even the DMK suggest to Kamal that he should work out a compromise with the Muslim outfits. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) Chairperson Leela Samson has said the film was “certified with due diligence”, and described the government’s arguments as “misinformed” and the expressions used in court “deplorable”.
Those who have watched the film (including this writer) in states other than Tamil Nadu, have found nothing in the film that should offend the sensibilities of Indian Muslims. Vishwaroopam has been running to packed houses in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, both states with a significant Muslim population, and there has been no breakdown of law and order.
In contrast, by taking the interim stay as an affront and going in appeal against the order, the Tamil Nadu government makes one wonder if there is more to it than meets the eye. And the Muslim outfits’ claim that the entire movie, save one song, is offensive, seems to be an attempt to ­target Kamal deliberately.
“Are we living in China or North Korea?” asks lawyer and film critic L Ravichander. “Yes, someone’s sentiment is hurt, but that is a woefully inadequate reason to ban someone else’s work. In our films, the villain could be called Ram or Rahman, what is the big deal? This way, no creative pursuit — be it cinema or ­literature — can flourish. Anarchy and protests also have their limits in a democracy.”
Vishwaroopam is the story of a Muslim RAW agent, who was once a covert operative in the al Qaeda and later saves New York City from a possible terror attack. The story is quite clear that the villainous Muslims are those who are in the al Qaeda, while the Indian Muslim (played by Kamal) is the hero of the film. The ­entire film is set in Afghanistan and New York.
Muslim groups, however, feel that the al Qaeda terrorists shown reading the Holy Quran would make people at large believe that all Muslims are terrorists. Another objection is to the name ‘Umar’, which the top terrorist (played by actor Rahul Bose) goes by. Muslim organisations say Umar bin-al-Khattab is the name of the second Khalifa in Islam, a revered figure, and the terrorist’s name should be changed. But then the Taliban head is Mullah Omar and no one asked him to change his name. ­Kamal has, however, agreed to make a few changes to find a way out of the mess.
A PIL has also been admitted in the Andhra Pradesh High Court against Vishwaroopam and one of the petitioners, Amjedullah Khan of a political party called Majlis Bachao Tehreek in Hyderabad, says, “It is a calculated move by the fascist ­Hindutva forces through their agents like Kamal Haasan to influence innocent non-Muslims and mislead them about Islam. It is an age-old strategy of anti-Muslim forces to portray Islam in a bad light by ­indulging in blasphemy.”
Preposterous as it sounds to accuse Kamal — given his track record as a brilliant filmmaker and a shrewd businessmen — of using his 95 crore venture as a vehicle to propagate anti-Muslim propaganda, the fact remains that either the Tamil Nadu government fell for such extreme ­arguments hook, line and sinker, or used them to get at Kamal for reasons no one is publicly willing to talk about.
Film stars and politicians have always had an uneasy relationship in Tamil Nadu, despite top politicians, including Jayalalithaa, DMK supremo M Karunanidhi, and Vijayakanth, having their roots in ­Kollywood. During the DMK regime, even top actors complained of being arm-twisted by the production and distribution network controlled by the Karunanidhi family. Actor Vijay, who owed allegiance to the AIADMK, had a tough time getting his films released during the DMK years. Things have not changed after the regime change with top comedian Vadivelu, who campaigned for the DMK, finding his career screeching to a halt since May 2011.
Little surprise then that conspiracy ­theories abound in Tamil Nadu. One of the theories links the government’s decision to Kamal expressing a desire at a public function in December last year to see a “dhoti-clad Tamilian” (an apparent reference to P Chidambaram) as prime minister. Given the frosty relationship between ­Jayalalithaa and Chidambaram, there is speculation if this would have angered Amma. Karunanidhi did not mince words when he told the media on 30 December that “Kamal Haasan’s dhoti-clad PM remark may have caused Vishwaroopam to be banned”.
Another unsubstantiated theory relates to Kamal selling the TV rights to ­Vishwaroopam to Vijay TV, when Jaya TV was also reportedly in the fray.
What is surprising is that barring Rajinikanth, Ajith, Prakash Raj and Bharathiraja, no one from the Tamil film industry has come out in Kamal’s support. Others like actors Khushboo, Jiiva and Jayam Ravi have been tweeting their support, but for a legend of Kamal’s stature, Kollywood has failed him. Clearly, very few want to get caught in this battle between Kamal and the State.
Kamal, who upset the exhibitors with his plans to release Vishwaroopam first on DTH, had to back off in the face of threats from cinema theatres not to screen his film. But the ban and the charge that the “unity of the country could be affected” by Vishwaroopam has been the last straw. “MF Hussain had to leave, now Haasan will have to,” the actor told the media, adding, “Tamil Nadu does not want me.”
One of Tamil Nadu’s most celebrated sons now wants to move out of the state to a more “secular state” or even leave ­India, if it cannot accommodate an artist like him. It’s shameful for Tamil Nadu as well as India.
What Exactly is Vishawaroopam?
Wish someone had gifted Kamal Haasan’s editor on ‘Vishwaroopam’, Mahesh Narayanan a pair of scissors. Narayanan would have found it handy to re-edit the meandering Afghanistan scenes in the first half of the ambitiously mounted film. Not only that would have given this international spy thriller that much-needed element – speed, it would have also made the lavishly mounted Afghan portion look less like a documentary (replete with sub-titles) on the life inside the Al-Qaeda.
In a nutshell, ‘Vishwaroopam’ is the story of a Muslim RAW agent who has spent time as a covert in the Al-Qaeda, who helps the US avert a `cesium bomb’ terror plot on New York. Kamal plays the agent who is undercover as a Hindu Kathak dance exponent (Vishwanath) in NYC.
The film has run into objections from Muslim organisations who have protested against the depiction of members of the community in the film. The Tamilnadu government, for reasons best known to it, banned the film, with other centres like Bangalore and Hyderabad delaying the screening at its theatres. My guess is that when more Muslims actually see the film, they would find the objections raised ridiculous because the villainous Muslims are all members of the Al-Qaeda. And a ‘good’ Indian Muslim is shown fighting the terrorists.
One of the objections raised is about the name Umar for the villain played by Rahul Bose. Umar bin-al-Khattab is the name of the second Khalifa in Islam and a revered figure. Wonder whether Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, who was accused of providing shelter to Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda terrorists too was asked to change his name by those protesting against ‘Vishwaroopam’.
Like in most of his films, ‘Vishwaroopam’ revolves around Kamal, who has also written, produced and directed it. The film has action of international class, some top-notch cinematography and yes, a lot of blood and gore. But an edge-of-the-seat thriller, it is not. The film is too slow and hardly the kind to inspire you to chew your nails. Yes, as a director, Kamal does bring in some special moments like the pathos of the young suicide bomber who has to do as his stone-hearted bosses order, or the grief of the woman when the wrong man is hanged at a kangaroo court in Afghanistan. But the film does not quite challenge Kamal the actor and the only part where he excels in is as the Kathak dancer, with graceful movements that would have made the choreographer Pt Birju Maharaj proud.
To give Kamal credit, cinematically, he takes us where few filmmakers have dared to in the recent past, bringing to life the story of a troubled land. It is a treat watching two extremely versatile actors – Kamal and Rahul Bose – sharing screen space. But Kamal the director falls below expectations. The film packs a punch only in parts, the climax is weak, with Kamal shortchanging the viewer with the promise of dealing with Umar only in Vishwaroopam 2. Much like counter-terrorism agencies, Kamal says there is still some work left to do.
The glamour element of the film is Pooja Kumar whose incessant tam-brahm chatter is presumably meant to amuse and I could see a number of Brahmin uncles in the hall, including my father, nod in approval. The rest of the cast, including Shekhar Kapur and Andrea Jeremiah are merely props in the Kamal army.
At the theatre in Hyderabad where I saw the movie, I found a significant number of youngsters who had travelled from Chennai just to watch Ulaganayagan in action. Perhaps that explained the loud cheer and whistles with which his entry on screen was greeted, the kind usually reserved for Rajinikanth. Kamal’s transformation from the effeminate Kathak dancer to a terrific fighter was the highlight of the film, with the fans reacting with shouts of ‘Thalaiva’.
At one point in the film, Pooja Kumar asks Kamal “Nee nallavana kettavana” (Are you a good man or a bad man?), inviting a knowing laughter from the Nayagan-aware audience. Kamal would be waiting with bated breath to hear from the Madras High court on Monday when they declare as ‘nalla’ (good) or ‘ketta’ (bad) his depiction of Muslims in ‘Vishwaroopam’.

Monday, February 09, 2015

Education Scenario: Non-Conventional Courses A 'Hit' But Indian Universities Failing To Meet The Demand

Though universities like Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai University and Nagpur University offer some innovative courses, the attractive ones are being offered by the private standalone centres, which often lack recognition but charge hefty fee for the course.

Kshama Gandhi, a class-12 science student of a Mumbai school, is neither interested in pursuing engineering nor a medical career and has been devoting a lot of time these days surfing net to find something more "exciting" and "satisfying" than the traditional career options.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

The Urban Politics Of Parkour: The New Play To Rediscover The City

By SARAH WILLIAMS | INNLIVE

This playful form of rebellion is empowering people all over the world to move freely around their cities.

Parkour, as we know it today, stems from the activities of nine young Parisian men. The Yamakasi group, as they were known, trained together in what they called “l’art du placement”: a spectacular, regimented and controlled way of moving. But that was at the turn of the 21st century. Now, parkour is a global phenomenon, with traceurs – those who practice parkour – running, jumping, climbing and rolling their way through cities around the world, and in places such as Gaza.

Thursday, March 07, 2013

Media And Entertainment Sector To Touch Rs 91,700 Crore In 2013

The Media And Entertainment (M&E) industry is likely to grow at a marginally lower pace this year at 11.8 percent over 2012, and will touch Rs 91,700 crore, says a Ficci-KPMG report.

Last year, the domestic M&E industry grew at 12.6 percent to Rs 82,000 crore from Rs 72,800 crore the year before, said the report.

“While 2012 was a challenging year, the M&E industry looks better going forward and is estimated to grow 11.8 percent to touch Rs 91,700 crore in 2013,” said the Ficci-KPMG Media & Entertainment 2013 Report, released ahead of the Ficci-Frames meet beginning next week.

The report is bullish about the future, saying the sector is poised to clip at a healthy CAGR of 15.2 percent to reach Rs 1,66,100 crore or Rs 1.67 trillion by 2017.

Though the report notes that television continues to be the dominant segment, its says new media sectors, animation/VFX and films and music sectors are witnessing stronger growth.

Radio is anticipated to see a spurt in growth at a CAGR of 16.6 percent from 2012 to 2017, on the back of third phase of licensing.

According to the report, total advertising spend across media was a little over Rs 32,700 crore in 2012. Due to continued slowdown in the general economy, advertising saw a growth of only 9 per cent in 2012 as against 13 percent in 2011 and 17 percent in 2010.

Print continues to be the largest beneficiary of advertising, accounting for 46 per cent of the ad pie at Rs 15,000 crore.

Ficci M&E committee chairman Uday Shankar said, “2012 was one of the toughest years in recent times. But it has also been a landmark year for the sector with significant progress in all verticals: the signs are already evident that digitalisation will fundamentally change broadcasting, films have scaled up their ambitions, and radio and print continue to defy global trends. This year promises to be even more
disruptive.”

KPMG M&E head Jehil Thakkar said, “2012 was a year in which important foundations for future growth were laid. The advertising environment went through one of the toughest years in a decade.

“However, digitisation, stellar performance of films and their digital distribution, continued growth in regional print and new media momentum and announcement of Phase 3 radio licensing have all finally provided the needed platform to boost the industry.”

On digitisation of film and TV distribution, the report says the film industry has achieved 77 percent digitisation of screens and expects to be close to 100 per cent in the next 18-24 months.

Overall, digital technology is expected to drive growth in the M&E sector, by spurring on end-user spending and transparency, it said.

Monday, February 17, 2014

'Selling Indian Leaders In The Rs 2000 Crore Ad-Scramble'

By Likha Veer | INNLIVE

EXCLUSIVE It’s raining political ads and copywriters are reaping the whirlwind. All major political parties, national and regional, have recruited advertising agencies to sell them in the coming Lok Sabha polls. The size of the election publicity pie is Rs 1,000 crore, estimates Group M, an international media investment arm of the WPP group which may well escalate to Rs 2,000 crore. 

The Congress is spending the most, around Rs 700 crore, mostly with Dentsu India, a Japanese public relations-cum-advertising agency. The BJP’s campaign revolves singularly around Narendra Modi, though party treasurer Piyush Goel maintains that the party hasn’t finalised any agency. It’s an indicator of the changing times that Mayawati’s BSP is also hiring a professional ad agency to mount a catchy poll campaign. 

Sunday, October 02, 2011

Bigg Boss 5 - Launched with Bashing Duo, Sanjay & Salman

By M H Ahssan

Actor Sanjay Dutt, who makes his debut on televison as the host for the fifth season of reality show Bigg Boss, says he was nervous initially but co-anchor and friend Salman Khan built his confidence.

The Bollywood celebrities made a splashing entry at a promotional event here last night, where they played anchors and questioned each other on various things including Khan's recent surgery and talk of an alleged tiff between the star-duo sometime back.

"As an anchor I enjoyed and liked it. I got confidence from Salman. Since this is the first time I am hosting a show so there was nervousness backstage. I was nervous but when we came on stage and Salman started the act and then I became comfortable....and we went with the flow," Sanjay said.

Both Salman and Sanjay have worked together in films like Saajan and Chal Mere Bhai, and share a great friendship.

Sanjay says he considers Salman like his younger brother. "We share a great chemistry, there is a great bond and friendship so all this is fun to do," he said.

Salman, who is hosting the show for the second time, won't be there for few episodes. When asked Sanjay how will he manage the show alone, he said, "I will call up Salman and take his help...we will be in touch. And I have seen the previous season as well."

Sanjay even asked for suggestions on how he should present himself on the show. The response was to perform his famous 'Munnabhai' act and do 'Gandhigiri', considering that the show starts from October 2. The show will be aired from Monday to Friday at 10.30 pm and on weekends at 10 pm on Colors channel.

The fifth season of TV reality show Bigg Boss promises to get bigger and better with two star hosts - Salman and Sanjay - who will be welcoming 14 new inmates including probables like boxer Mike Tyson and pop singer Shakira.

The show sees celebrity contestants stay in a house for about three months, cut off from the outside world. They are overseen by a "mysterious person" known as Bigg Boss.

This time, the location of Bigg Boss house has been shifted to Karjat from Lonavala. Interior designer Shayam Bhatia has designed the 9,000 square feet house.


This year there are two separate bedrooms as against the single bedroom last time where all 14 housemates stayed. The bedrooms have been done in shades of green and fuchsia with a hint of white, brown and yellow. The confession room varies with a shade of royal green and the jail concept is back and black.

The beautifully designed open kitchen is connected to a dining room that extends to the garden area. The outdoor spot consists of a pool, the activity area, gymnasium and the kitchen sink.

This season there will be over 55 cameras following every move of the contestants 24x7. Like last year there will be a special bedroom for the Head-of-House who will get special privileges.

Also, the show will also see two hosts for the first time --Bollywood stars Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. Salman, who hosted the fourth season, is the only celebrity who will be repeating the feat for the second time.

Fourteen handpicked strangers, locked in the house for about three months will have to perform all the household chores right from cleaning to cooking to tasks.


The names that are doing the rounds include - former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, Colombian singer and dancer Shakira, former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, Nihita Biswas (wife of convicted murderer Charles Sobhraj) Mexican actress Barbara Mori, former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes, British singer-rapper Jay Sean, stand-up comedian Sudesh Lehri, Jaspal Bhatti, Shekhar Suman's actor son Adhyayan, TV actors Parul Chauhan (of 'Bidaai' fame), Karan Singh Grover (of 'Dil Mill Gayye') and Amar Upadhyay.

However, the names of the housemates will be out soon as the reality show is set to hit the small screen on October 2 on Colors channel.

"I feel this is the best time to do TV. Earlier I was little afraid to do it. When I went as a guest on Salman's show Dus Ka Dum he had told me that I must host a show. And if there is a good opportunity then he will ensure I do it. It is Salman who told me about Bigg Boss and that is how I came on board," Sanjay said.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Why New Zealand Is Emerging A Big Threat To Hollywood?

By Alex Neil | INN Live

In the old days, filmmakers flocked to Hollywood for its abundant sunshine, beautiful people and sandy beaches. But today a new film making diaspora is spreading across the globe to places like Vancouver, London and Wellington, New Zealand.

Fueled by politicians doling out generous tax breaks, film making talent is migrating to where the money is. The result is an incentives arms race that pits California against governments around the world and allows powerful studios - with hundreds of millions of dollars at their disposal - to cherry-pick the best deals.

Monday, April 20, 2009

A New Indian Woman?

By Kusum Choppra

Have you ever heard of a woman called Sitaram ? Or Radhakrishna or Radheshyam? Why?

The names sound feminine enough. Then why does one only hear of men carrying those double-barreled names? Legend has it that these double-barreled names are the outcome of a "vardaan" from the Gods to two women, Sita and Radha: that their names would always precede the man's. This was because their steadfast loyalty and pure love had raised them head and shoulders above their communities, even their men, Ram and Krishna, respectively.

For Krishna had dallied with dozens and married two, but Radha, a married woman defied home, family and society, to abide by her steadfast love for her Lord.

Sita too proved her mettle, in banwas, in imprisonment, in the agnipariksha and ever after, to place herself a cut above the Maryada Purushottam, against whose later days and apparent lust for power, question marks still stand.

Yet it was the men who were named Radhakrishna, Radheshyam, Sitaram or Shivaramakrishna.

The issue here is the usurpation, by the male of the species, of the double-barreled name, which was the vardan of the Gods for the females of the species.
In earlier times, and often in our times too, men were conscious of the threat of being out shone by their women. Hence the girls are never christened Sitaram, Radheshyam or Radhekrishna; only plain Sita or Rama, Radha or Krishna. It is the boys who get the double appellation.

The oldest cultures saw the woman as the Life giver, the Nurturer. Hence the personification of earth, nature and the rivers etc. as female deities and the matrilineal communities. At some juncture, when a crisis erupted when the woman was going through her reproductive cycle, the Man used his brute physical force to meet the crisis and to take over.

What proof is there that the Cave Woman did not accompany the Cave Man on his hunting expeditions? Or that Cave Man actually slung Cave Woman over his shoulder to cut short the wooing process? Except the buffoonery of some Western writers? Where brute force takes the day. In the Orient, female deities held sway longer - in fact, almost until the precursors of the Occident arrived, after the Occident had outgrown its own female deities with the advent of Christianity.

The precursor of the ghunghat was the purdah of Islam, while ancient India celebrated its women in the carvings of Mohenjadaro and Khajuraho. Now Hindutva choses to opt for aping Christianity and Islam in imposing uniformity in organized religion, where rather than reap souls, religious leaders prefer reap real estate riches from their devotees.

In recent times a new Indian woman has emerged.

There are two ways of looking at it. The New Indian woman can be termed a very nebulous creature populating the hyper active mind of writers only; for there remain to this day millions upon millions of women who might dress like the new Indian woman but mentally and physically remain steeped in the post partition era and mentalities.

Or she can be a many splendored creature, super woman, ranging from the ‘done that, seen that, type of person’ to a well-rounded personality who combines profession with personal admirably. It all depends on the spectrum of society you interact with.

The New Indian Woman is in fact a many splendored creature, more educated and aware than her predecessor, although very large segments of the New Indian Woman seems to be losing out on the massive store we have as heritage. This is because parents, more especially mothers, push daughters towards careers so vigorously that earlier ‘feminine’ arts such as embroidery, knitting, cooking, more temperate housekeeping, even child and health care is left by the wayside as women climb rapidly up the career ladder. Housekeeping becomes cursory or relegated to a housekeeper who is also a professional, a career woman perhaps lower down the ladder than the corporate executive whose house she looks after. But then, the housekeeper too is a new Indian woman.

So it is, that you win some, you lose some for the New Indian Woman who scales new heights, crashing through all the glass ceilings. More than the urban woman whose heights were scaled even before Partition and regularly thereafter, in today’s India, it is the rural woman who is more deserving of the New Indian Woman categorization.

Statistics confirm that the number of families headed by women is rising dramatically, especially in the rural areas. And thousands of women are making their mark in panchayats and other local self-government bodies and organizations across the country working at the grass roots levels, with startling results.

Another aspect is the New Indian woman depicted in media, especially electronic media and films…generally a more feather headed person than may be actually the case. In the current crop of serials, the New Indian Woman comes across very sorry. Tulsi and Parvati are hardly new Indian women, for all their glamorous homes, they are as hectoring as any old time Nanad or Sasuma, and as regressive.

But for all the hectoring and the ruling that the women do, they will still do the perfunctory know-towing to the male and forgive them all their sins, although each and every single digression of the woman becomes an earth shattering event for the entire joint family.

Rare is the woman in any of those popular soaps ever does anything except dress to kill; even a supposedly professional like Prerna is never seen working as one, although she does dare to take on issues as rapid-fire marriages and divorces and recently, rape and marital differences. A symbol like Jassi, despite her hi-fi career and transformation remains a creature of her father, and then family, rather than her own.

Unfortunately producers are still rather shy of translating literary works into films, serials or plays. Heroine oriented, author backed roles are a rarity. I cannot recall a recent example, beyond Parineeta. Before the K serials of the Ekta Kapoor’s society women genre inundated TV, there was a very interesting series that translated short stories into single episode short TV plays. Some of them brought out the strengths of women much more powerfully than any of the big names in the K soaps. But if I recall correctly, again most were nostalgic rather than contemporary.

Feminism may be big headlines and page three chatter; but hard-core feminism where women think like women, not like men, is still struggling for a voice.

Novels would undoubtedly make an impact, if they managed to get read in the first place. Perhaps in the smaller towns and campuses, where reading has not yet gone out of fashion novels are devoured with some appetite.

In elite circles, it is no longer fashionable to read. And if anyone does read, it is totally incomprehensible for everyone why anyone should read an Indian author, except may be a Shobha De or Jhumpa Lahiri ?

Big-ticket authors find a wide readership. Those who come via an NRI tag enjoy an edge, no doubt. But the impact is limited to much the same elite circles that produce that limited edition of the New Indian woman who populates the soap operas on TV.

Who or what constructs this media image, or what are some of the factors that contribute to this construction?

Unfortunately the construction of the New Indian Woman, who is publicly projected, has been left more in the hands of persons who are out of touch with the reality of most of India. Writers of plays and serials and films today, even the more popular pulp fiction which finds publishers easily, are by and large persons from upper middles or plain wealthy homes, whose exposure to the Other India outside their world of internet cafes, international rock shows, malls, multiplexes and foreign holidays is very very limited. That is why perhaps that their characters act very out-of-character as women from homes other than those that are super rich.

Hence even so-called middle class heroines wear designer outfits and make up and are very rapidly propelled into the hundreds of crores category. Their concerns are rarely down to earth at all. Has anyone seen any really good middle middle class serial in the mould of Humlog or film like Chitchor or Gharonda in recent times? Has anyone seen a serial heroine dressed like the ordinary woman on the street in any of our non-metropolis or if not actually working professionally or at least keeping house like any normal “real life” woman?

Even writers, it is rather depressing to note, quickly hark back to early, post independence eras for a middle class touch, while most recent writing is devoted to multiplex ma’ams and their counterparts from smaller towns.

Chhote ghar ke log or chhote gaon ke log are a subject of derision, rather than an exploration of their emotions, problems, issues. Glamour, it is felt, sells and everyone goes all out for that glamour, and literature be damned. Kal kisne dekha? Is the attitude. For the big city slick writer, the new woman is a combination of the people he knows, is familiar with, therefore easier to depict in words or pictures.

It is ironic that modern Indian English writers often write in the nostalgic mode. Should it be interpreted that modern writers do not find too much worth writing about the modern miss. Or that the modern miss is already nostalgic about the past when she was not a cutting edge, gizmo driven DINK?

Apart from the nostalgia segment, we have an imitation of the west, whether it is post-Harold Robbins sex driven novels or the Harry Potter imitations. Where is the New Indian woman in these?

She scores, if at all, in the short story genre and in the regional languages. India is a vast country with countless talents waiting to tell their tales. Whenever they get the chance, they present a smorgasbord of the Indian woman’s experience in all her harrowing variety. Humor is usually in short supply. Every other emotion aplenty.

Writing in English does give the writer a snob value when interacting with readers of regional literature. Inversely, regional writers do often display an inverse snobbery when meeting writers in English…we’re in touch with the real India, tum to angrez ki juthan ho; sort of unspoken vibes are common.

In some ways, one may be tempted to accept the New Indian Woman is a political construction, viewed from the point of view as politics being relationships of power at all levels of society, and not just as government or party politics.
Writers sculpt this female political construction with an agenda dictated in very many cases, through suitable veils, by the presiding deities in India today, the political parties and the Sangh Parivar. Those who are aware of the nuances can recognize the guiding hand quite easily.

The day has yet to come when Woman Power will be truly womanpower and not a creature of its author. There are very few women who think like a woman and move forward. All too frequently, they succumb to that admonish “ think like a man”. Remember that famous quip about Indira Gandhi being the only Man in her cabinet. If women continue down that path already beaten by men, how will they ever bring the world back from the brinks that Men have brought it to?

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Focus: Has Actor Aamir Khan Overdone His Perfectionism?

Aamir Khan's habit of pedestalling any-damn-thing he acts in, acts as the chink in his perfect armour.

Back in 2008, when his Mr Perfectionist tag was yet-un-abused, Aamir Khan had said in an interview, “One of my favourite authors, Harry Crews, has said, what deserves to be done, deserves to be overdone!” (Uncut: Understanding the Minds of the Khans, Anshul Chaturvedi). Six years down the line, one can’t help but wonder: has this Khan overdone his perfectionism?

If one remembers right, even a decade back, Aamir wasn’t this hardcore a perfectionist as he’s turned out now. There were films like Raja Hindustani and Dil, which helped him gain a firm footing in the Hindi film industry, but that was Aamir minus the perfectionism.

Sunday, May 03, 2009

Zoozoo: The new brand 'endorser' for Vodafone

By Jay Makwana

Some find them akin to aliens; others insist they are animated cartoon characters, while a third bunch doesn’t quite know what to make of it. Nevertheless, we have all been privy to these white, scrawny creatures with giant heads as they invade our TV screens during an IPL match.

In 2008, Vodafone had unveiled the ‘Happy to Help’ series during the first season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). With the launch of the second season, Vodafone has given birth to the Zoozoo: a special character created specifically to convey a value added service (VAS) offering in each of the newly released commercials.

What’s interesting is that there are some 25 such commercials planned under this campaign, 10 of which are already on air. The aim is to release approximately one ad a day, to sustain interest till the end of the IPL.

So what’s with so many?

It’s no mean feat to unleash so many commercials at a go, with the risk of consumers not grasping them as fast as the brand churns them out.

Explains Harit Nagpal, chief marketing officer, Vodafone India, “We’re acquiring customers at a very fast pace, but a large number of them are unaware of the range of services we offer. I mean, ‘phone backup’, which we’re advertising now, was launched two years ago, for instance!”

Media spends and visibility for brands peak during the IPL, so Vodafone obviously wanted a piece of the pie. Further, Nagpal explains, the brand was in need of an idea that would work doubly hard, as it was planning to spend some four months’ worth of marketing monies in one month. “So, we chose not to do just one or two ads, or viewers would get bored quickly, watching them over and over on the IPL,” says Nagpal.

Six months ago, Vodafone briefed its agency, Ogilvy India, to create uncommon characters – a common thread to link the ads in the campaign together. Rajiv Rao, executive creative director, South Asia, Ogilvy India, tells afaqs! that the only starting point for the team was that the character had to be simple to a stupefying level. And thus, the Zoozoo was born.

You egghead!

Ogilvy experimented with several characters and finally took its love for the term ‘egghead’ one step too far, creating characters that don the colour white (with black dots for eyes and a mouth), have heads resembling eggs, and disproportionately thin bodies.

The idea is to tell the VAS stories in a world akin to, yet different, from humans. The creatures were then given a characterisation: they are to lead simple lives, speak a language of their own (something that sounds like gibberish), move in a certain way, and even emote like human beings, with big frowns or big grins to do the trick. The execution is almost like emoticons. “We even limited the number of emotions to be used, to keep things easy,” says Rao.

A completely Indian concept, Rao lent these characters a name: the Zoozoos. There’s no science to it, he explains – the name just had to be something fun, memorable and catchy, and not a clever one that’s difficult to pronounce.

Ironically, nowhere in the communication does the Zoozoo name pop up, but Rao doesn’t feel that’s much of a problem: it wasn’t a task to popularise the name in the first place.

Currently, some10 films are on air, for service offerings such as Cricket Alerts, Beauty Alerts, Phone Backup, the IPL Contest 1, the IPL Contest 2, Chhota Credit, Vodafone Maps, Vodafone Call Filter, Live Games and Musical Greetings. Each film, shot against a Grey backdrop, has these characters interacting with one another (some storylines even have Zoozoo families) with the product story weaved in.

For instance, the Phone Backup ad (the first in the series) has several Zoozoos lined up to have their faces photocopied through a photocopier, while a tetris towards the end (the messenger in all the ads) announces how Vodafone allows for creating a phonebook backup.

Making of the Zoozoo
No, they aren’t animated characters. They are human beings who were made to wear body suits. “The design of the characters is such that one gets fooled into thinking it is animation,” shrugs Rao, which was indeed the very illusion that had to be created. “In a sense, it is ‘live’ animation!” he quips, referring to the fact that it was all shot live.

Prakash Varma, ad filmmaker, Nirvana Films, has directed the commercials, and reveals that the Zoozoos were a big challenge to create. The practical aspects of how they will move, talk, gesticulate and emote were very important. Essentially, costume design and artwork were crucial elements.

“It took me three weeks of pre-production to understand how it will work,” says Varma. There were two fabrics that were considered for the body suits, and one was rejected for it had too many wrinkles and was shiny. The wrinkles would have shown when the characters moved, thereby shattering the illusion of animation. “So we chose the more practical, thicker fabric,” Varma explains.

The production team divided the outfit into two parts: the body and the head. The body part of the outfit was stuffed with foam in some places, while the head was attached separately. To make it look bigger than a human head, a harder material called Perspex was used, which in turn was stuffed with foam (with scope for ventilation).

If one wishes to understand the size of this head, here’s a fact: a human head would typically reach up to the mouth level of this giant Zoozoo head. “We kept the hands and legs thin, which is why we cast women – and occasionally children – wearing the costumes,” says Varma. The thin limbs, contrasted with big bellies and a bulbous head, all add to the illusion that these creatures are ‘smaller’ than humans. Sets were created to suit the size of the Zoozoos.

Cinematically, this ‘size’ was a trick: the creatures look smaller than they actually are on screen, to portray a different world of sorts. For this, the speed of shooting was altered: Nirvana shot it in a high-speed format to make them look the size that they do.

Furthermore, simple sets/backdrops were created and spray painted with neutral Greys – a colour of choice so that attention isn’t diverted from the main characters. For a supposedly ‘outdoor’ shot, even the shadow of a Zoozoo was kept ‘live’ and not done in post production: it was painted in a darker shade of grey on the ground. An even lighting was maintained throughout.

There was virtually no post production work done.

The films were shot by Nirvana in Cape Town, South Africa, with the help of a local production house there, called Platypus. Incidentally, the same combination of people also worked on the ‘Happy to Help’ series last year. When asked whether Cape Town is fast becoming a tourist spot for Vodafone and Nirvana, Varma laughs, saying, “Oh no! It’s just that we are very comfortable with the team there and know what sort of work to expect from them.”

Nagpal adds here that the production cost had to be minimal for unveiling such a large number of commercials. “Otherwise, our production costs would exceed media spends,” he quips.

Zoozoos: storming the digital world
In the digital space, Zoozoos are currently featured on a specially created microsite – here, one can partake in quizzes and contests, including the ‘What kind of Zoozoo are you?’ quiz. Each Zoozoo has a unique set of characteristics and traits allotted to it. The microsite also allows for goodies to be downloaded (including wallpapers, screensavers and ringtones), and offers details on the IPL. With a specially created YouTube channel on the site, the TVCs are provided there for people to watch and share.

Apart from the microsite, a Zoozoo fan page has been created on Facebook, which has more than 5,600 members. Fans have access to special tag-me images, Zoozoo sounds (such as Zoozoo laughter and music tracks) and ad previews. People are also following Zoozoos on Twitter and get updates whenever new commercials go on air.

Zoozoo ads are fast becoming popular on YouTube, and on certain days, claims Nagpal of Vodafone, some of the videos even managed to figure among the most watched lot on the site.

The team behind the Vodafone-Zoozoo work includes Rao, along with Kiran Anthony, Elizabeth Dias, Rajesh Mani, Mehul Patil, Kumar Subramaniam, Kapil Arora, Debaleena Ghosh and Desmond Fernandes.

Zo, what do zoo think?
Zoozoos clearly seem to be a favourite amongst the ad fraternity. From the name ‘Zoozoo’ to the painted eyes and mouth, Brijesh Jacob, managing partner, White Canvas, says he has not seen anything like it. “They have a certain madness to them, which makes them likeable and memorable,” he says.

In the past, too, Orange and then Hutch (the earlier avatars of Vodafone in India) had made use of characters – an animated boy-girl duo – to whip up its VAS offerings before consumers. But those characters were limited by their definition, unlike the Zoozoos, where an entire world of such characters has been etched. “Zoozoos come in all shapes and sizes; kids, mother, friends, individuals…there does not seem to be a set format to use them,” Jacob adds, which makes the possibilities endless.

Satbir Singh, chief creative officer, Euro RSCG, shares his own Zoozoo story: “Every time the commercial gets over, my two-year old son Angad hands me the remote and demands to watch it again. The other day, a waiter at a club mixed up my order as he was too busy watching the ad during IPL!” That pretty much sums up the ‘Zooperb’ impact, as he puts it.

While many would say that Zoozoos are cute, not all are in accord with this new being. Mythili Chandrasekar, senior vice-president and executive planning director, JWT India, says, “I think Vodafone has made delightful stories in the past with humans as well. Maybe I’m too old, so I didn’t particularly like the Zoozoos personally.”

She attributes it to her personal dislike of the sci-fi type genre of communication, or the creation of something abstract that doesn’t exist.

Some feel that the Zoozoos could well become a part of the brand story, instead of just being used for this VAS oriented campaign. But this comes with a warning tag: one has to be careful about letting the Zoozoos become bigger than the brand or the message. “Vodafone shouldn’t get stuck with a format,” says Jacob of White Canvas. “They did suffer this to a certain extent with the pug.”

Saturday, January 04, 2014

'Begum Para' Role Takes Me To Next Level': Maduri Dixit

By Niloufer Khan | INN Live

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW The area around Mehboob Studios is buzzing with people trying to catch a glimpse of the lady with an electrifying smile. All eyes are transfixed on her as she gets out of her white Mercedes, while sipping water from her Starbucks tumbler. You can hear hearts skipping a beat as she greets everyone outside Stage 7 with her million-dollar smile. 

That's the aura of Madhuri Dixit Nene, whose acting and dance skills has earned her the moniker - Dhak Dhak girl. Dressed in a fitted little black dress, ankle strap stilettos and chunky gold bracelets, Dixit - Nene at 46 and a mother of two, still retains an effervescence and charm that can give the current lot of actresses a run for their money. And it's with that same grace and ease that she faces us to talk about films, life as a mother, her new ventures and more. In a freewheeling interview with INN Live, recently in Mumbai studios.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Spotlight: Why IPL-8 Mostly Has 'Videshi' Cheerleaders?

Considering IPL is anyway supposed to be a Bollywood awards function with some cricket thrown in, the decision to ban cheerleading never amounted to much. What's Bollywood without item numbers and IPL without cheerleaders? 

Not that this was ever a big, fat secret, but it is important to remind ourselves all the time: IPL is just one part cricket. The rest is an expensive, real-life remake of events that usually lead up to a big Punjabi wedding in a Yash Raj film.

Wednesday, August 07, 2013

'SRK 's 'Mannat' And My 'Jannat' Are Quite Similar': KRK

By Niloufer Khan / INN Bureau

There is a subspecies of Homo sapiens that has hitherto gone unnoticed by scientists. Its male members walk with heavy arms and wide puffy chests, are hairless above the waist except for their heads and faces, and seem to possess subnormal intelligence. Their origin is unknown, but they are mostly found in the Four Bungalows-Lokhandwala stretch of Mumbai, prowling around coffee shops. The street term for them, ‘Bollywood strugglers’, only explains a little of what they do. In one bylane of Andheri, however, you may spot an unusual specimen. He is rich, ageing and crass. He wears axiomatic T-shirts and tight-crotch pants. His name is Kamaal Rashid Khan. Or, KRK, as he likes to call himself.

Sunday, August 04, 2013

Remembering Singer Kishore Kumar On His 84th Birthday

By M H Ahssan / INN Bureau

Anyone who has grown up on Hindi film music will instantly recognise that voice: the power, the playfulness, the pain. Forever young, forever romantic, forever eccentric. It’s difficult to imagine that Kishore Kumar would have been 84 today had he lived. Kishore Kumar, an old man? His legion of admirers would shudder at the thought, such was his persona, the youthful charm he exuded through his songs and his performances. A man who could never grow old.

Today, as every music station and TV channel celebrates his 84th birthday by playing his hits over and over again, it’s pertinent to understand why “Kishoreda” as he is called even by people who never ever met him or knew him, remains the most contemporary voice in the Hindi music world long after his passing.

Monday, October 21, 2013

'Bigg Boss-7' Goes To The Dogs. Bechara Dog 'Heaven'

By Rajyasree Sen (Guest Writer)

Last night’s episode of Bigg Boss 7 started with a shot of Armaan Kohli, he of Jaani Dushman–fame channeling Narendra Modi and saying “kutte ka baccha” though Kohli was tossing that one out amidst a bunch of expletives. Why? Who knows. Most of the time I think Kohli is suffering from Tourette’s Syndrome and needs immediate medication. But Kohli might have been foreshadowing something this time. 

For a couple of days, Salman Khan has been saying that there’s a wild card entry. And while I expected some new washed out celebrity, horror of horrors was shown the sweetest golden retriever I have seen in a while, waiting to enter the house.

Friday, August 09, 2013

Inspiration: How To Make A Film Within A Lakh of Rupees?

By Gumah Sakret / Dispur

Bribing his cast with momos and noodles, director Kenny Basumatary has made a film in less than Rs 1 lakh. At a time when the mere publicity costs of Bollywood films run into crores, an Assamese film is setting an example in creative austerity. Kenny Basumatary's Local Kung Fu, a martial art comedy has been made on a shoestring budget of Rs. 95,000.

The Assamese production will be released through PVR's independent arm - Director's Rare this September.

The story is inspired by the ancient art of Kung Fu and has all the mainstream elements of love, action, family conflict and a fair share of humour. Since the film's cast is made up of martial arts students, all the stunts were performed without using any support-cables. With a team of around 20 nonactors, the film was shot within a span of 100 days.