BOLLYWOOD (Hindi)

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Priyanka returning from the GIMA awards

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Mausam First Day To Cross Rs 8 cr

by Box Office India (September 23, 2011)
This week marked the much-awaited release of Pankaj Kapur’s directorial debut Mausam, starring Shahid Kapoor in the lead opposite Sonam Kapoor. The father-son duo managed to generate decent openings all over India and in places like Delhi and Punjab, collections were outstanding.
As for other territories in India, collections are growing with every show. Judging from the audience response, most distributors feel the first-day collection would be approximately Rs 8 crore or even more.
On the other hand, Akshay Kumar’s Indo-Canadian venture Speedy Singhs, directed by Robert Lieberman and starring Vinay Virmani, failed to engross the Indian audience and cash in on its first day at the ticket counter. The third film to hit the screens was Aron Govil’s U R My Jaan, which went unnoticed.
In Mumbai, Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines says that Mausam did average business, with a 50 to 60 per cent opening. But, he adds, collections are improving with every show and are expected to close its first day at around Rs 7.5-8 crore, all-India. Speedy Singhs failed to capture the audience and make a dent in collections.
“In Gujarat, the response to Mausam was outstanding. It did business of 90–100 per cent on its first day,” says Thadani.
Delhi gave Mausam a resounding opening. G D Mehta of Bobby Arts International says, “The opening of Mausam was 70 to 75 per cent. Its first day might close at Rs 5.5-6 crore, nationally, and in Delhi, first-day collections will be around Rs 2.5 crore. Speedy Singhs opened at 15–20 per cent only.”
Distributors in East Punjab danced to an altogether different tune. Surinder Salluja of Lakshya Movies says Mausam took a decent opening. No doubt, expectations were high as this venture is based in Punjab. It opened at 45 per cent and collections are improving as the day progresses. The first day is predictable to close at Rs 7.5 crore. Speedy Singhs failed to impress and took an opening of 20 per cent.”
In West Bengal, Moni Venkatesh of Shri Vekatish Films predicts that Mausam will close at Rs 50 lakh in its first day in the territory, and at Rs 8 crore, all-India. “The numbers have improved from its opening of 45 per cent to 70 per cent in its evening shows. Speedy Singhs has had a bad opening although its reports are decent. It’s still not getting the audiences’ attention.”
Jeetu Khandelwal of Movie Pioneers adds, “In Orissa, the first day response to Mausam is good, and the film took an 80 to 90 per cent opening. It is expected to close at Rs 8 lakh in its first day in the Orissa circuit. The craze for the film is impressive and it is only fair to say that collections are bound to improve. Speedy Singhs did average business at the box office. MBKD is still doing average business.”
But in Mysore, Mausam did not meet audience expectations although business prospects appear lucrative over the weekend. B H Basha of Bahar Enterprises says, “The opening of Mausam was not up to the mark and the film has drawn a response only 20 to 30 per cent response at the box office. The response to Speedy Singhs is below average and MBKD is still strong at the box office.”
In Bihar, Mausam managed to take a decent opening. Abhay Sinha of Yafhi Films says, “The opening of Mausam was average, with 50 per cent collections. The film is expected to have a better weekend than its opening. Speedy Singhs did business of about 40 per cent and U R My Jaan hasn’t released here.”

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[kiran]

ram

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Bollywood fans upset with comedian Russell Peters - Entertainment - DNA

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Being Air Force pilot was childhood fantasy: Pankaj Kapoor - Hindustan Times

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I was chasing dad to make a film for me: Shahid

The father-son duo, Pankaj Kapur and Shahid Kapoor on how Mausam brought the entire family closer to each other.

What is your feeling now that the film is finally releasing this week?

Pankaj Kapur: I agree that there has been a delay by a week, but as they say it’s all for the best. My film is getting a worldwide release, which wouldn’t have been possible on September 16 because by the time we got the Censor Certificate, the overseas prints had got delayed. They wouldn’t have reached by the scheduled date though we could have released it in India. After discussing the pros and cons, we decided to release it on 23rd all over. Also, till a week ago, I was completely tied up in the post-production and not able to be a part of the film’s promotions. Thanks to the delay, I have got an opportunity to rectify that. (Smiles)

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'Mausam'; Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Supriya Pathak, Anupam Kher and Aditi Sharma; Writer-Director: Pankaj Kapoor; Rating: ****

There is an absolutely devastating moment of pure drama in this eagerly-awaited far-from-disappointing romance where Shahid Kapoor, playing one of the most deliciously challenging roles of his career, espies from a train the lost love of his life, Sonam Kapoor, standing forlorn in the snow with luggage, like Meryl Streep in 'The French Lieutenant's Woman' or Manisha Koirala in 'Dil Se', waiting for god knows what! The next train? Love? Death? Or the next life?

It's a moment that defines 'Mausam', a film that has some serious flaws, but finally holds together as a work of renaissance art, more remarkable, in parts outstanding, for what it attempts rather than what it finally achieves.

Pankaj Kapoor takes the Muslim-Hindu love story between a Kashmiri refugee girl and a Punjabi boy through an arching sweep of history. Every historical trauma that has defined and defiled India and Indians in the last 30 years props up as a vital image to underline the love story.

And what 'Mausam' finally says is, love becomes impossible in a civilization that chooses to define itself by violence rather than peace. Gandhi? He could be just a spectre that never existed in a world where two young people cannot come together in a clasp of love for the fear of falling into a terror trap.

We have award-worthy performances in 'Mausam' by the hero who happens to be the director's son. But that is just a karmic coincidence, like much of what transpires between the lovers in 'Mausam'.


The film goes from one phase in the couple's life to another, not quite smoothly but not strenuously either. The transitions in their estrangement are mapped out in some finely-written scenes where the couple's smothered affections for one another are manifested in moments of sublime beauty.

The ever-brilliant cinematographer Binod Pradhan captures the couple against breathtaking backdrops in rural Punjab and Scotland.

'Mausam' is one of the best-looking films in recent times. The transitions in time and topography are brought about with a fair degree of inner conviction and outer resplendence.

The synthesis of the lovers' inner and outer world is not always stress-free. The couple's inability to come together through various tragic and traumatic historical conflicts is depicted in scenes that range from the rivetting to the mundane.

Visually the film is a feast.

The film's strong sense of purpose and its love-defining affiliation to socio-cultural incidents leave little space for the incidental characters (of whom there are many) to grow in the plot. That, in a way, is the need of the plot. But you do crave to see more of the lives around the couple and how these lives and the relationships qualify the love story at the film's centre. You want to see the long-lasting friendship between Aayaat's Muslim father (Kamalnain Chopra) and the Kashmir Pundit (Anupam Kher).

And there is a plenty of quality of that sublime stillness in the storytelling - the film's extraneous correctness hides much of the film's intrinsic inconsistencies. Then there is Shahid, standing tall with a performance that puts him right up there among the finest contemporary actors.

Shahid takes us through the film's and his character's romantic odyssey, inconsistencies and all. Forget Tom Cruise. In the Airforce uniform he reminds us of Rajesh Khanna in 'Aradhana'. And that's the highest compliment any contemporary star can be paid.

The director tries hard to merge Sonam in the resplendent ambience. Her performance has enchanting echoes of Kareena Kapoor in 'Refugee'. The camera gives her no room to complain. But in the intensely romantic moments, she looks lost rather than lovelorn.

It's the other girl, the spirited Punjabi kudi Rajjo, in Shahid's life played by Aditi Sharma, who fills up the small space provided to her character.

'Mausam' is about the thwarted love between Harry and Aayaat. When they finally meet during the Gujarat riots, they seem to discover not love but its aftermath, which is a far greater thing than love.

Where the film seems to lag behind is in creating emotional pockets for the couple's mutual feelings to develop. Shahid playing Harry the Punjabi wastrel turned air-force officer and Sonam playing Aayaat the refugee from Kashmir, have several shared tender moments . The stand-out ones all come towards the second-half when loves grows impossible between the couple.

The climactic reconciliation during the Gujarat riots, enacted with supreme passion by Shahid, stands out for its stark dialogues that intercut between the couple's long pent-up feeling of separation and the socio-political forces that have kept them from each other.

The climax on a ferri's wheel appears a trifle manufactured.

Editor Sreekar Prasad's smooth flow in the narration is suddenly stymied in the search for a jolting finale.

But you have to hand it to Pankaj Kapoor. In his directorial debut, he tells an old-fashioned story of love, separation and reunion with flourishes and flashes of great cinema igniting what would in lesser hands, appear to be a trite tale of love gone frightfully cliched.

And yes, Pritam's music is apt. But the best tunes 'Abhi na jao chod kar' and 'Ajeeb dastaan hain yeh', are not his.

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'Mausam' earns Rs 9 crore on opening day - Movies News - Bollywood - ibnlive

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Mumbai: The marriage plans of chote nawab Saif Ali Khan and Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor have been put on hold after the demise of the actor’s father - Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi.

Apparently, Saif and Kareena were supposed to marry in mid-February 2012. Talking to a daily, a source said, “The official mourning period of the family is six months, but the family won`t celebrate for the next one year. The plans were already put on hold and we were looking at a date later next year because we expected Nawabsaheb to get better. But tragedy has struck.”


Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, one of the greatest cricket captains India has produced, died on Thursday after battling with a lung infection which was diagnosed about three months back. He was suffering from interstitial lung disease (interstitial pneumonitis).