Movie Update + Review
MOVIE UPDATE
Sanjay Leela Bhansali has tied up with Hollywood studio Sony Pictures Entertainment to co-produce a Hindi film for the international audience. Titled Saawariya (Beloved), the film will go into production in 2006. There is a strong buzz that it will star Rishi Kapoor's son Ranbir and Anil Kapoor's daughter Sonam. The two star kids had assisted Bhansali in Black. This would be the first instance of a Hollywood studio funding and producing a Bollywood film to be shot mostly in India.
Among the December releases are Holiday directed by Pooja Bhatt starring Dino Morea, Rohan Sippy's Bluff Master starring Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra, and Mukesh Bhatt's Kalyug (earlier titled Blue Film). India's fist movie on Internet pornography, Kalyug is the story of a honeymooning couple who get caught in the web. The female lead is being played by Smilie Suri, who happens to be the sister of the director, Mohit Suri. Much of the movie has been shot in Zurich.
The other December releases are Arjun Sablok's Neal ‘n' Nikki starring Uday Chopra and Kajol's sister Tanishaa which releases on December 9 along with Apoorva Lakhia's action flick Ek Ajnabee starring Amitabh Bachchan.
Sushmita Sen has confirmed her project with Richard Gere. Called The Great Emperor, the film is being directed by Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi and will be shot in Argentina. It's a period film about Emperor Ashoka and Sush plays his youngest wife Tishiyarakshita.
Manisha Koirala will be seen in National Award-winning director Riruparno Ghosh's forthcoming Bengali venture Khela. The actress stars opposite Prosenjit Chatterjee.
Tushar Hiranandani, the writer of films like Masti and Pyare Mohan, has roped in Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani and Riteish Deshmukh for his directorial debut Zero Se Hero.
MOVIE REVIEW
Kyon Ki?
Starring: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rimii Sen, Om Ouri
Director: Priyadarshan
Music Director: Himesh Reshammiya
This one's strictly for fans of Salman Khan, and even they might just tire of seeing their favorite star gone insane (on screen of course) yet another time after Tere Naam. Priyadarshan would be well advised to stick to comedies (Hera Pheri, Hungama) kyon ki he has lost his touch when it comes to serious drama. Remember his earlier Virasat and Gardish? Kyon Ki is reminiscent of the Waheeda Rehman-Rajesh Khanna starrer Khamoshi, but it is actually a remake of Priyadarshan's own Malayalayam hit Thalavattam which in turn was inspired by the Oscar-winning Hollywood drama One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. As for the Salman-Kareena chemistry, it doesn't exactly crackle, though both have performed well.
Kyon Ki is the morbid story of Anand (Salman Khan) who loses his mental balance after his fianc�e (Rimii) dies in a freak accident. He lands up at the mental asylum whose head is the despotic Dr Khurana (Om Puri in an uncharacteristically loud role) who has brutal ways of dealing with his hapless patients. Dr Khurana's daughter is?yes you guessed it, Dr Tanvi (Kareena Kapoor) who nurses Anand back to sanity with tender, loving care. And then of course, the predictable happens ---- doctor and patient fall in love with each other. But Tanvi's ruthless dad will have none of it. To know more, you'll have to see the movie, that is, if you have a yen for things depressing!
The only bright spot in this dark tale is Dr Sunil (Jackie Shroff), the friendly neighborhood shrink who develops a special bond with Anand, and the Dil Keh Raha Hai number rendered magically by Kunal Ganjawala of Bheege Honth fame. The title song, ironically, with many versions is a big let-down.
A quick word of advice to Sallu: It's time you got out of that ‘cuckoo' image. If you don't, the viewers might just go ? yes, cuckoo!
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