If OM SHANTI OM, SAAWARIYA, GOAL and AAJA NACHLE in November and DUS KAHANIYAAN in the first week of December 2007 were not enough, 21st December is turning out to be one of the biggest Fridays of recent past. The day would see as many as 3 major films arriving at theaters with the common factor being the letter 'A'!
WELCOME, TAARE ZAMEEN PAR and HALLA BOL are the films we are talking about and each of them have their central protagonist with their initial as A. While Akshay Kumar is clearly aiming for his fifth big major success in a row (BHAGAM BHAG, NAMASTE LONDON, HEYY BABYY, BHOOL BHULAIYAA) with WELCOME, Aamir Khan gets into a triple role of an actor, producer and director with TAARE ZAMEEN PAR.
On the other hand Ajay Devgan and Rajkumar Santoshi, reuniting after LAJJA, THE LEGEND OF BHAGAT SINGH and KHAKEE, have finally plugged 21st December as the release date of their HALLA BOL.
It's time for a Triple Ace this December as biggies refuse to relent month after month.
Co-star Vidya Balan was at the receiving end of actor Ajay Devgan ’s prank.
The impression of a brooding and serious persona that Ajay Devgan gives is in sharp contrast to his real personality. The actor is quite a prankster when it comes to pulling a fast one on his peers and co-stars.
He did it during the making of Cash and during the shooting of his directorial debut U Me Aur Hum .
Also, while filming director Rajkumar Santoshi ’s Halla Bol , Ajay did not spare his co-star Vidya Balan.
One day, on the sets, while Vidya was discussing a scene with Santoshi, Devgan came and began praising the latest song for the film they had recorded. Santoshi also praised the song in similar breath.
Noticing Vidya’s curiosity, Devgan flipped out an i-pod from his pocket and gave it to Vidya to listen to the song. As soon as the actress switched on the gadget she got a mild electric shock, strong enough to stun Vidya for a moment.
Seeing Vidya’s reaction, Ajay, Santoshi and the crewmembers had a hearty laugh. Vidya, however, took the prank sportingly.
Raj Santoshi is all set to start his epic on Emperor Ashoka in January 2008 with Ajay Devgan and Bipasha in the lead.
Plans to begin an intense love story in November with Shahid Kapoor and Katrina Kaif have fallen through.
The director currently putting finishing touches to his film about the individual and his conscience Halla Bol whch opens on December 21, reveals the details.
"We were all set to start the film. But then we saw some striking similarities between what we had in mind and Jab We Met. Doing two similar films with the same actor in the lead didn't make any sense. So now we're re-working the script and will surely come up with something soon. I really want to work with Shahid and Katrina."
As for his other film, the musical London Dreams, "Some differences cropped up between me and the producers. Also there was a lot of confusion over Salman's dates. So I really don't know where that project stands.
Yes, I do have a reputation for initiating several projects out of which some don't work out. But during the last 1 ½ years you must've noticed I've been focusing only on Halla Bol. I never go on the floors until I'm absolutely sure.
... Where did Cash go wrong? It was a bad film.The plot was confused. Everything went wrong in it. It’s sad because it was made with such good intentions. But sometimes the best of directors lose objectivity. ...
... Afzal had already been facing major problems because of the disrupted shooting schedule of his film Mehbooba starring Sanjay Dutt, following the actor's long running trial and subsequent arrest. ...
Celina Jaitley in a de-glamorised avatar in Golmaal Returns! - November 17
Audiences who have been seeing Celina in her glam roles will now see her in a completely different light as she has been roped in to star opposite Shreyas Talpade in the sequel to Shree Ashtavinayak's hit laugh riot Golmaal, "Golmaal Returns" directed by Rohit Shetty. The actress will be joining the likes of Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade and Anjana Sukhani in the lead for the film with supporting cast being Mukesh Tiwari, Murli Sharma, Sanjay Mishra and Vrajesh Hirjee.
Says Rohit Shetty, "We were looking out for a girl who is very glamorous in real life but the role would be that of a completely opposite person in the film. Celina will be playing a very normal, simple and different girl in Golmaal Returns, opposite Shreyas Talpade. She is the sort of girl who for some reason everyone is searching for in the film!"
And when asked why she chose to do this film Celina says, "Rohit and Ashtavinayak have created magic with Golmaal and I loved the film! No way was I going to give up the opportunity of being a part of the magical return of Golmaal!"
Actor Ajay Devgan is busy with work, especially with his own directorial venture U, Me Aur Hum.
But the actor is worried about his father-in-law’s health.
Kajol’s dad is unwell and in hospital and its for this reason that the couple attend dos only if it’s absolutely necessary.
At the same time, Ajay is extending his help for committee-driven organisations.
He recently inaugurated Yuva , politician Sanjeev Kalle’s social organisation. Ajay says, “I am glad that somebody has taken this initiative to guide the youth. Coming from a responsible politician this is a very welcome step, which will help integrate the younger members of society to the mainstream. It is important to mould the younger generation into better individuals. I offer my best wishes to Yuva and hope that it succeeds in its cause to weed out corruption from our society. I will always be available for such noble causes and do my part in contributing to the betterment of our society.”
I raise issues in my films without harming the entertainment value, which is a hallmark of good cinema' – Raj Kumar Santoshi - November 17
Ein Interview mit Santoshi über Halla Bol.
Some films make one ponder, some simply entertain. But there are some choosiest ones that combine both these essential elements of cinema and one director who is famed to dabble with this genre is Raj Kumar Santoshi.
Erstwhile assistant to filmmaker Govind Nihalani, Santoshi made a remarkable debut with Ghayal, followed by memorable films like Damini, Andaz Apna Apna, Khakhee, Pukar, The Legend Of Bhagat Singh and more.
If one notices, this director specializes in hard-hitting subjects and this time around he does the same with his next project Halla Bol (meaning attack) featuring Ajay Devgan.
How powerful this attack on the box-office is, let's check with the director himself.
Excerpts:
Time and again we have seen Ajay Devgan essaying characters where he fights injustice. So what made you cast him for a similar role in Halla Bol? I cast him mainly because he is a very good actor who can manage to get into any character very easily and comfortably. Secondly, we also happen to be good friends and share a good rapport.
This particular role of a film star is a common man's journey of struggle. The character has a lot of complexity and to bring it out comfortably and easily, I thought Ajay is the right actor. He has done it very successfully without going over the top. He is very instinctive. When you see the film from the audience point of view you will second my opinion.
Can you elaborate on Vidya Balan's role in the movie? Vidya plays a girl next door, who anybody can relate too. We wanted somebody who is unlike a star. Vidya's personality is very simple. She looks natural even though she is a big star now.
Halla Bol as you mentioned is about protest. Why did you choose to set it against the backdrop of the film industry? To make the story interesting! It could have been anything- a successful doctor, a lawyer, a businessman. But everybody admires a star. Today in India, the media peeks and grabs on to only two professions, that of a film star or a cricketer, rest nothing is left. So we had to choose between the two, and we opted for the former.
A lot of films are being woven around the film industry … say Om Shanti Om, Khoya Khoya Chand and now Halla Bol…. Halla Bol is not a take on film industry. It is a drama which can happen with anybody. It is just a story and the protagonist happens to be a film star. OSO is not a story of the film industry. It an incarnation story, again it is only the film industry as a backdrop which they have used. I think it's only Khoya Khoya Chand hat is based on our film industry. It's just a coincidence that all three films are more or less based the same backdrop.
Why do most of your films incorporate a social message? Right from Ghayal and Damini my movies have conveyed strong messages. Whenever I start any new film project the first thing I want in my film is entertainment. I think it should be encouraging for a person to buy the ticket and see the film. All he comes for is entertainment; he is not coming to seek any advice from the film or to learn anything from the film. First and foremost, the format has to be scripted well and after that's done, I raise questions or give a take on some issue without harming the entertainment value, which is a hallmark of a good cinema.
Generally to depict a superstar on the screen one would cast an actor with chocolaty looks. Ajay Devgan's looks are very unconventional. Ajay Devgan is a star, nobody can deny this fact. Yes he is not a conventional looking star and he doesn't have that so called 'chocolate boy' image. But it is okay. Even Amitabh Bachchan was not a conventional looking man when he entered the industry, but he was a big star and he still is. I think if I would have cast a new comer, it would have been more difficult to convince the audiences that he is a superstar.
How far is true that you do not look beyond Devgan when you cast for your films? It's because most of the subjects that we are working on fortunately have an element and quality where Ajay fits in.
So what is that element and quality in Ajay Devgan? The vital element is that he sinks into any character. For example, Ashok which is our next project is about a character who is a dark skinned person with sharp eyes, unlike Alexandra or any other emperor. I think Ajay's plus point is that he can get into both rural and urban characters very well with ease. Like in Omkara, he looked so natural in those costumes and never said 'what is this?' or 'I don't think this character is working for me.'
What about working with Sunny Deol again? Unfortunately, we have not come across the right subject which can be the worthy successor of a three hit films we made in the past.
When is Ashok going on floors? Who is cast opposite Ajay? By the end of February. Bipasha and Ajay are the main character while the rest all are theater actors.
Have any visual effects studio been signed for either Ashok or Ramayan? I do not want to announce it just like that. Some talks are on with Hollywood professionals.
Vidya Balan has done a variety of roles. After Bhool Bhulaiya , the actress' next release will be Raj Kumar Santoshi's Halla Bol .
Unlike her previous films, Halla Bol gives her little scope to perform. Vidya plays a wife and mother in the movie. "It is a small role but still I chose to do it because not too many films of this kind have been made," explains Vidya. "When a film of this kind is made, you want to be part of it especially because it is helmed by a filmmaker like Rajkumar Santoshi."
She further continues, "It's my first film with Santoshi. I have seen all his movies and I think him to be a very versatile director. I like the way he deals with relationships, and the way he weaves the story is amazing. It's been a very enriching experience to work with someone who not only good at his art but also very well read."
With Ajay playing the protagonist of the film, won't he outshine other characters? " Halla Bol is the journey of a man from being a reel hero to a real hero. I believe that each and every character in a story makes a movie and it's the collection of resources that makes a movie. However small my role, my character is also very integral to the story.
"This is my first film with Ajay Devgan. I like his intensity. And though he is very intense actor, he is absolutely natural and understated. I love to work with such effortless actors. For me sharing screen space with Ajay Devgan, Pankaj Kapoor is a big thing," confesses Balan.
How has Vidya's journey been so far? "Struggle has always been part of my life. I had to struggle to become an actress but today I consider myself quite lucky. I got a chance to prove my talentand today have the luxury of choice."
Actor Ajay Devgan is busy with work, especially with his own directorial venture U, Me Aur Hum.
But the actor is worried about his father-in-law’s health. Kajol’s dad is unwell and in hospital and it’s for this reason that the couple attend dos only if it’s absolutely necessary. At the same time, Ajay is extending his help for committee-driven organisations.
He recently inaugurated politician Sanjeev Kalle’s social organisation. Ajay says, “I am glad that somebody has taken this initiative to guide the youth. Coming from a responsible politician this is a very welcome step, which will help integrate the younger members of society to the mainstream. It is important to mould the younger generation into better individuals.
I offer my best wishes to Kalle and hope that it succeeds in its cause to weed out corruption from our society. I will always be available for such noble causes and do my part in contributing to the betterment of our society.” Taaliyan!
... Rajkumar Santoshi’s forthcoming ‘Halla Bol’ has also drawn from Bollywood. It traces a small-town boy’s (Ajay Devgan) rise to stardom with Vidya Balan playing a traumatised star wife with some apparent allusions to the slain theatre activist Safdar Hashmi and the Jessica Lal murder case. ...
Let there be more lights, action, camera. Sixteen years after his Sensational Actor Debut, he has turned director with You, Me aur Hum which is being finessed at this very moment. Plus, as an actor he will soon be seen in Halla Bol. A man of few interviews, Ajay Devgan is inveigled into one by Hiren Kotwani
You seem to have become inaccessible after Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag. I've been preoccupied with You, Me aur Hum. We've almost completed the film... except for a song sequence.
Do you regret doing.. Aag? No. It's not Ramu's fault, we're all to be blamed. But I do regret taking up Cash.
I believe you have warned (director) Anubhav Sinha to stay out of your sight after the Cash fiasco. Nothing like that. We're all sensible and grown-up professionals. As long as I'm not working with him, I've no issues. If we ever work together in the future, we'll have to sort out some issues.
How come you didn't appear in the Om Shanti Om starry number? Was it because Farah Khan some made unpleasant remarks about you on Koffee with Karan? It's not about that. To begin with, Farah didn't approach at all. Shah Rukh Khan had told Kajol to ask me.. and I would have made the appearance for sure. But I wasn't in the country when it was being shot. I would have definitely shot for Shah Rukh. I didn't even think that Farah was a part of it.
So, finally you're okay with Shah Rukh Khan now? Okay in the sense that there are no issues. We don't exactly call each other regularly and chat, but there are no issues at all.
Incidentally, P J Singh, the producer of London Dreams, has been crying that he has lost Rs 10 crore. Rajkumar Santoshi didn't even shoot 10 minutes of the film. If you ask the people associated with the film, it is PJ Singh's fault, and no one else's. Why don't you ask Rajji and him what happened? I'm just an actor. About 100 days of mine have already been wasted. I can't give any more dates because the producer is still not ready.
Reportedly, there's a cold war between you and Salman Khan over the shelving of London Dreams. Salman and I get along very well, thank you. Why should there be a cold war? Just because it's PJ Singh's fault?
News is that Salman is trying to get the same film made by Vipul Shah. I don't know about this. I'm not a part of the film any more. PJ Singh is the producer. If he wants to go ahead and make it with others, it's his wish.
How come you don't feature in the Tata Indicom commercials any more? I requested them to give me a six-month break.. so I could complete my film. Now that the film is almost over, I'll be shooting for them soon.
You play the role of an actor in Halla Bol. Which actor is the reference point? Why should there be a reference point? It's a fictitious story.
Isn't the movie star-politician rivalry in Halla Bol sourced from the real-life friction between Rajnikant-Jayalalitha, Shah Rukh Khan-Amar Singh and Aamir Khan-Narendra Modi? Not really. The conflicts aren't from any actor's differences with politicians. The film revolves around an actor who struggles to achieve his dreams. But somewhere down the line, he loses touch with his conscience. He ignores his values to realise his dreams. And then he has to make a choice between his fame and his conscience.
Can actors take up a cause without political consequences? If we worry too much about repercussions, then we can never stand up for our beliefs. If a department of the government machinery is corrupt.. it's because the people have made it that way.
Do you expect fierce competition from Taare Zameen Par and Welcome which will also be releasing like Halla Bol on December 21? I'm not sure if Halla Bol is releasing on the same day. Each one of the films is different. Ideally, I'd appreciate if the films didn't come in a bunch.
Since you have now worked with Rajkumar Santoshi in four films (Lajja, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Khakee, Halla Bol ), have you picked up any pointers to apply as a director? Raj is a fantastic writer, he believes in high voltage drama, humour and action. Actually, it's difficult to pinpoint what one learns and from whom.
Apparently, You, Me aur Hum is inspired from Hollywood's The Notebook. Apparently, it's not. I'lljustify this after the film's release. Where did you get this from? No one knows about the script. Get me an official statement which proves what you have said. If someone says so, please see the worth of the informer. Is he or she associated with the movie in any which way? Whoever claims it is based on The Notebook is a fool.
I've heard that Kajol was her fiery self on the sets of You Me aur Hum. Was she? Now, who told you this? This is news to me.
Have you changed in any which way after directing the movie? What does change have to do with film direction? But yes, with age one becomes more responsible. I don't react to circumstances today the way I did when I was in my 20s. Look, I'm not making a classic.. it's a commercial film, straight from the heart. I'm not saying this is the gospel truth in film direction for anyone. I'm not showing off.
Are you worried about detractors who'll be ready with daggers drawn? No. Because even if you make a fabulous film, daggers will be drawn. As an actor too, I've faced this.. there has never been a shortage of daggers to rip me apart. Today film marketing is key.
Can you play the hype and hoopla game? I'm aware of the changing market scenario. Hype is important. The producer has to explore every avenue besides creating new ones to ensure that his film reaches every corner of the world. I know I need to do that as a producer-director. As an actor, I could have just turned around and said that it's the producer's job. Not any more.
Will you visit reality show sets? I'll do everything that's worth the effort.
As expected, HALLA BOL is turning out to be a mega event even as there is just a little over 1 month to go for the film's release.
The first teaser of this Ajay Devgan film is out and it has made head turns in awe as the Devgan-Santoshi combo promises to ignite the proceedings yet again after KHAKEE, THE LEGEND OF BHAGAT SINGH and LAJJA.
A highly dramatic venture by producer duo of Suresh Sharma and Abdol Samee Siddiqui, HALLA BOL has its plot based on some real incidents in the recent past that have made headlines and resulted in country wide agitation and revolution.
Knowing Santoshi's penchant for translating such issues on cinematic frames and bringing them alive for the audience, HALLA BOL is expected to be a hard hitting high voltage drama which comes to screen on 21st December.
Celina Jaitley has always been a glamorous actor, in all the movies that she has done so far. So it comes as a surprise to know that she has accepted Rohit Shetty's proposal to deglamourise herself for the sequel to Shree Asthavinayak's laugh riot 'Golmaal'.
"Rohit and Ashtavinayak have created magic with 'Golmaal' and I loved the film! No way was I going to give up the opportunity of being a part of the magical return of 'Golmaal'!" says Celina, justifying her acceptance of the role.
According to Shetty, "We were looking out for a girl who is very glamorous in real life but the role would be that of a completely opposite person in the film.
Celina will be playing a very normal, simple and different girl in 'Golmaal Returns', opposite Shreyas Talpade. She is the sort of girl who for some reason everyone is searching for in the film!"
Titled 'Golmaal Returns', the movie stars Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade and Anjana Sukhani, and, of course, Celina Jaitley.
Ajay Devgan and Vidya Balan at 'Halla Bol' press meet - November 13
Ajay Devgan, Vidya Balan and Pankaj Kapoor attended a press meet Monday, 12 Nov 2007, at JW Marriott, Juhu, Mumbai, to announce that Pyramid Saimira Production Limited (PSPL), a part of Pyramid Group, have acquired the worldwide rights for for their film Halla Bol. Also present at the event were Rajkumar Santhoshi, Yashpal Sharma, Kulraj Randhwa, Mukesh Bhatt, Darshan Jariwala and Anant Mahadevan. Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi (Lajja / Andaz Apna Apna / Pukar), the film is due for release on December 21.
It revolves around the murder of an actress by a group of influential men who use their political connections to cover up the crime. Press reports have suggested that the film is inspired from the Jessica Lal murder case.
However, Santoshi demurred saying, "Yes, there is a character like Jessica Lall in my film but it is not entirely inspired from the case." .
"In Halla Bol my character evolves from playing a reel life hero to a real life hero. It's about how an ordinary man's life changes," Devgan said.
Vidya Balan who has had a very successful year with back to back hits in Partner, Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa says the film is Ajay Devgan centric and sends a message "that one should always say halla bol when something wrong happens."