P Pavan (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 22, 2020)

A week ago, reports claimed that two British shows, Top Gear and Eastenders, are to resume shooting by June-end, while in the US, California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday that the state is mulling reopening production. Closer home, the FWICE (Federation of Western India Cine Employees) is seeking Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s permission to resume work (Mirror, May 20). Before that, Telangana government has given the go-ahead to the Telugu film industry to resume post-production work from today.

On Thursday, some of Tollywood’s bigwigs, including Nagarjuna, S S Rajamouli, Allu Aravind, Suresh Babu, and Dil Raju, assembled at actor-politician Chiranjeevi’s residence in Hyderabad for a meeting with Minister T Srinivas Yadav, who assured the group that an order to resume production would be issued. Work in film and TV industries across the country came to an abrupt halt on March 23 in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak.

Shreya Mukherjee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 21, 2020)

His screen presence is stellar, so is his acting prowess. He is suave, stylish and an exceptional dancer too. Allu Arjun has everything a star is made of. Besides tantrums. And he is humble and uncomplicated, the only other two aspects of his character that kind of shine brighter. So, as the outsider-insider debate rages on, he has no qualms in accepting that he is not “a self-made person”, and would not have made it if not for his father, Tollywood producer Allu Aravind.

“I can definitely never claim that I am a self-made person, because it’s not true and I completely accept it. Having a person from the family in the industry always helps. His (Allu Aravind’s) presence got me a break easily… That is a huge thing in your initial years. There is someone to help, support and most importantly, guide you through your mistakes. That’s an advantage, and I’m thankful I had that in my life during those developing years…,” he smiles.

But the star of Race Gurram (2014), Rudhramadevi (2015) and Naa Peru Surya, Naa Illu India (2018) explains once you’re in, everything depends on the person. “When the film is ready and releases in the theatre, I’m there on screen… My father or for that matter no one else will be able to perform, dance on my behalf or be with me to help me hold the interest of the audience. When the light goes off, in that darkness, on that screen I’ll have to impress the audience in the next three hours in my individual capacity… if they don’t accept me, my performance, my career goes nowhere. And I must continue doing the same… So in the long run, the initial push becomes a smaller factor,” elucidates the actor, who gets emotional talking about his father, especially the things he has learned.

“I get to learn so much every day… But one thing that’ll always stay with me is that he once told me, ‘Don’t think you have started off because you’ll never be started [especially in this profession]’,” says Allu, who is currently basking in the glory of the success of his latest Telugu family entertainer, Ala Vaikunthapurramloo.

And there are reports of the actor making his Bollywood debut soon, something his fans are looking forward to. The good news is that he is interested in doing a Hindi film, but to break your heart for the time being, nothing has been finalised yet.

“Let’s see when it happens,” he says, revealing the kind of films he would like to do in Bollywood. “I really liked Gully Boy (2019), I would love to do a film like that… I think in Bollywood, I would like to do a film strong on content which can be in any genre. Something on the lines of a Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), because such a film will be the perfect alignment of content and my strength,” Allu adds in his inimitable style.

L-R: Ravi Udyawar, Namit Malhotra, Allu Aravind, Madhu Mantena and Nitesh Tiwari

Filmmakers to direct a live-action trilogy in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu for Madhu Mantena, Allu Aravind and Namit Malhotra
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 8, 2019)

Mirror (May 10, 2017) was the first to report that Madhu Mantena, Allu Aravind and Namit Malhotra have joined hands to bring the Ramayana back to the screen as a live-action feature film with an estimated budget of Rs 500 crore. It will be made in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, shot in 3D, and released in three parts. Now, we have learnt that Madhu has got Nitesh Tiwari of Dangal fame and Mom director Ravi Udyawar who will be helming this ambitious project while Sridhar Raghavan is writing the screenplay. It will be made with actors from Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati and Punjabi films as the makers are targeting a pan-India as well as a global audience.

While admitting that it is a huge responsibility because the Ramayana is not just a revered ancient text in Indian mythology but also an integral part of our culture and more relevant today, Nitesh informs that they are ensuring that whatever is said and shown has the stamp of authenticity. Explaining his reasons for doing the films, he says his primary focus is the story and if it pushes the envelope while challenging him as a filmmaker further, and finds collaborators who share his vision and passion, he is happy to join the team. All three criteria have been fulfilled in this instance. “Madhu and Ravi have been friends for years, Allu sir and Namit are legends and Sridhar has fabulous credentials as a creator. All we have to do now is zap the world,” he laughs.

Ravi, not just a filmmaker but also a painter, is equally excited about the project. “I heard these stories from my grandmother and mother and passed them on to my children. Everybody knows the story of Ram, Sita and Raavan, it’s the story-telling that will make our trilogy memorable and I’m putting everything I have learnt into it to make it fun and engaging while staying true to the original,” he asserts.

The project has been a work in progress for the last three years and Mirror had an opportunity to see 100-odd intricate paintings created by artists from across the country for it. They include scenes from Ayodhya with its emblematic rosetinted tree of learning, a goldsplashed Lanka and a lush-green Mithila with Nepalese architecture, beside battles between the devas and the rakshasas and the aquatic underwater life, among others. They will serve as references for the setting, costume, cast and action.

For Nitesh, the appeal of the epic lies in its tableau of characters—from Raavan, who is a reminder to people of all that he could have achieved but because of certain actions, ends up on a stake every year during Ramlila, while Ram is an embodiment of some values that people have since forgotten. “I went with my father and brother to the Ramlila every year and though we all knew the story, it still evoked the same emotions in us when Sita was kidnapped or Raavan’s effigy burnt,” he reminisces.

A visit to Chitrakoot, where he saw Ram’s footprint and the outline of his bow, made the mythology real for the filmmaker. For Nitesh his greatest takeaway from Ramyana is Ram. “He was an ideal leader, husband, father and son. With time, I’ve realised that it’s easy for us to be a good father but so difficult to be a good son. It’s made me a better son to my elderly father, and I can only hope that my son will also take good care of me,” smiles the father of nine-year-old twins Aaradhya and Amaarisa (below). “Apart from Ram and Raavan, every character, be it Sita, Lakshman or even Hanuman, has something to say which is why we are telling the story in three parts.”

The team has yet to take a call on the filming and the release plan, but they are hoping to kick off next year and are targeting a 2021 release for Part 1, promising that there won’t be too long a gap between two instalments.

There have been various versions of the Ramayana on screen, from Sampoorna Ramayana and Ram Rajya to Lanka Dahan and Bajrangbali. Earlier, Ramanand Sagar had brought Ramayan into our homes through a long-running TV show and both directors recall how everyone was hooked to it. They are hoping for the same acceptance when their Ramayana arrives in cinemas in 3D. “Money and time are not a problem. Our producers have told us to be fearless and fly. So, we are flying visually,” says Nitesh, with Ravi adding, “There are many sci-fi films but only one Star Wars. We have access to the best technology and talent so what better time to let the world see what our country has to offer.”

Ravi points out that Namit’s studio, Prime Focus, has bagged three Oscars in the last five years and many of the technicians there have been working on A-list Hollywood films and are excited leap into the epical world. “For me the Ramayana offers magic in its shape-shifting monsters. It’s something that even a toddler will enjoy. When I told my son, Rian (right; above), who is 12 what we were doing he was jumping around all day wondering what Raavan and Kumbhakarna would look like while my 15-year-old daughter Renee (right; above) was visualising the fights between Ram and the rakshasas in the forest. Having seen animated versions on TV, they can’t wait to see it in live-action. For me the biggest thrill was when Rian told me that Hanuman is cooler than Superman. I am doing this for my children,” he exults.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 26, 2017)

Last week, Pritam opted out of Dinesh Vijan’s directorial debut, Raabta (Mirror, May 16), contending that he is opposed to sharing credits with another composer on the score. Now, Punjabi musician J-Star has claimed that his song, “Na Na Na Na” has re-recorded in Arijit Singh’s voice and used in the film without his permission as "Tu Mera Boyfriend".

“They (music label T-series) had approached me in January 2016 to procure the rights to the song. I didn’t agree to and was shocked to see them use it in Raabta without my permission. I have the legal rights to the song. I had released it under my label (J Star) and it has got 83 million hits worldwide,” J-Star told Mirror.

Responding to J-Star’s allegations, T-Series said, “Our new song 'Tu Mera Boyfriend' from the film Raabta is an adaptation of our earlier song, 'Girl Friend Boy Friend' (herein referred to as the “original song”) that was produced by T-Series in 2007 and released as part of its compilation album, Punjabi Blockbuster. It was sung by Gopal Sharma, composed by Sohrabuddin and written by Jitendra Raghuvanshi. All rights to the said song and the underlying components were acquired by T-Series through valid written agreements with said artists. By way of the above mentioned agreements, T-Series has the right to use any part of the original song or create an adaptation of it. In fact, J-Star infringed our song, released in 2007, and he should be thankful that T-Series did not take legal action against him for copyright infringement.”

Meanwhile, makers of the Telugu film Magadheera, directed by S S Rajamouli, have approached the Hyderabad court, demanding a stay on the release of Raabta, claiming it is an unofficial remake of their film.

Magadheera producer Allu Aravind said in a statement, “This is to inform the large public that we, Geetha Arts, the original makers of the film Magadheera, felt through various sources including the trailer and publicity material, that the Hindi film Raabta is being remade, violating the copyright. Hence, we approached the Hyderabad court seeking injunction against the film's release. The Hyderabad court issued a notice to Raabta producers and posted the matter for June 1 to decide whether Raabta should be permitted to release.”

T-Series released another statement, saying, “We are yet to receive the relevant suit papers and therefore cannot give a specific comment on the subject at the moment. We would like to, however, categorically reject even the remotest of suggestions that our film is a copy of Magadheera. We find it extremely unsavoury and disrespectful when people from the industry belittle someone’s hard work by using words like “copied”, “plagiarised” and nonchalantly jump to conclusions merely on the basis of a mere two-minute-14-second trailer, without verifying the facts or waiting for the film to release for the public to give its verdict. We hope that the Court will uphold this view and promote creative expression.”
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Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 26, 2017)

A day after the makers of Ram Charan-starrer Magadheera (2009) moved court against Raabta alleging copyright infringement, writers of the upcoming Hindi film have claimed there is no plot similarity. Up for release next Friday, the film stars Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon. “If it’s like Magadheera, it’s like any other reincarnation film. Then every filmmaker in this country who has made a movie on reincarnation and past life should slap a notice on us,” says scriptwriter Garima, adding, “This is an original story, conceptualised and written by Siddharth and me. We worked on it for five years. They [makers of Magadheera] are free to go through our script and research material. Or they can watch our film and decide.”

Her co-writer, Siddharth, says the story is as much about rebirth as karma. “It’s immature of them to file a case just on the basis of the trailer. They could have called up our director [Dinesh Vijan] and asked for a private screening of the film. We weren’t expecting a legal tussle. If they want to stall the release, they should have contacted us way in advance,” he adds.

Films are often targeted on the basis of assumptions, he argues. “Like in the case of [Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s] Padmavati, no one has any idea about the story but they are offended because they feel it’s portraying their queen in a bad light.”

Director Dinesh, who was busy with post-production, remained unavailable for comment. An official statement from the Raabta makers read, “We are yet to receive the relevant suit papers and therefore, cannot give a specific comment. We’d, however, like to reject even the remotest suggestion that our film is a copy of Magadheera. We find it disrespectful when people from the industry belittle someone’s hard work by using words like copied and plagiarised nonchalantly.”

The matter will come up for hearing on June 1.

Three filmmakers have joined hands to make the epic as a live-action Rs 500-crore feature film
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 10, 2017)

Hindi cinema is getting ready for another epic reign. Mirror has learnt that in a development on Tuesday, three producers, Allu Aravind, Namit Malhotra and Madhu Mantena have joined hands to bring the Ramayana to the big screen. The liveaction feature will be a Hindi, Telugu and Tamil trilingual, being hyped as India’s most ambitious project yet with an estimated budget of Rs 500-crore. It will be shot in 3D and released as a three-part series.

Confirming the development Allu Aravind told Mirror, “It’s a huge responsibility but the Ramayana needs to be told on the big screen in the most magnificent way possible. We are committed to delivering a spectacular extravaganza.” The Tollywood producer has made films like Ghajini and Magadheera. Madhu and him collaborated on Ghajini.

According to a source close to the development the trio has been working on the script for over a year. “They realised that the epic hasn’t been presented on the big screen for many years now, not since Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan with Arun Govil and Deepika Chikhalia as Ram and Sita was telecast on Doordarshan in 1987-88, followed by another adaption of the epic by Sagar Arts in 2008 with Gurmeet Choudhary and Debina Bonnerjee in the lead. They wanted to bring the epic to the big screen this time,” adds the source.

Namit Malhotra asserts that he has always aspired to raise the bar in our cinema. His company, Prime Focus, has handled the stereo conversion and visual effects of big budget franchises like Ghostbusters, Star Wars, Transformers, X-Men: Apocalypse and The Martian. Namit, who is associated with this film in a personal capacity says, “Three generations of my family have been in the movies and we have a world-leading capability in bringing such stories to life. There cannot be a better time and opportunity to tell the greatest Indian story to the world in a way that preserves its respect and vision. The partnership with Allu sir and Madhu has aligned me with the best partners who share the same vision and passion to make this a cinematic experience all Indians can be proud of.”