The rest were all under 5 lakhs nett with the order being CHAARFUTIYA CHHOKARE, MEINU EK LADKI CHAHIYE and DEAR VS BEAR.

NEW RELEASES TO HAVE A TOUGH TIME AT THE BOX OFFICE!

A week before the release of a biggie is usually devoid of any significant film release. Small filmmakers take advantage and try their luck during such Fridays. However, such Fridays then become crowded with multiple small film releases and most of the time, none of the film manage to leave a mark. September 26 would be no exception as almost 6-7 flicks will be hitting theatres tomorrow, before Bang Bang and Haider take up all the screens on October 2. My views on the significant releases tomorrow:

DESI KATTEY: The film marks the debut of Vinod Khanna’s nephew Akhil Kapur. It is directed by Anand Kumar who earlier made Zila Ghaziabad and also stars Suniel Shetty, Ashutosh Rana, Jay Bhanushali and Murli Sharma. Tia Bajpai and Sasha Aagha, who made her debut in Aurangzeb opposite Arjun Kapoor, also feature in the film. Lastly, there’s an item song by the ‘O Balma’ girl Claudia Ciesla. The trailer is interesting and it is evident that the makers have tried their best to make the film look appealing. The film has the greatest chance to excel out of all the releases of the week.

3AM: It’s a horror film about a trio stuck in a haunted and abandoned mill. It stars Rannvijay Singh, Salil Acharya, Kavin Dave and Anindita Nayar. Vishal Mahadkar, who earlier made Blood Money, is the director. The promo indicates that the film will be a scare fare but excitement for this film is hardly there. Even songs haven’t made any mark.

BALWINDER SINGH…FAMOUS HO GAYA: It marks the acting debut of singers Mika Singh and Shaan. Mika himself is the producer as well. The promo is not at all interesting and gives a déjà vu of Mujhse Shaadi Karoge. Songs too haven’t picked up, despite that Sunny Leone features in a song called ‘Shake That Booty’. However, the idea isn’t novel and it seems that Mika is trying to go the Yo Yo Honey Singh way. The film might attract few people in mass centres; that’s about it.

CHAARFUTIYA CHHOKARE: It stars Soha Ali Khan in a leading role with a bunch of kids also playing a significant role. The film tackles the burning issues of child marriage and trafficking. But the promos and songs aren’t interesting at all. The film will have a very tough time and this is really sad since Soha is a fine actress and deserves a well-made significant film.

MEINU EK LADKI CHAHIYE: It has Raghuveer Yadav in the leading role and the promo seems quite confusing. It begins with Raghuveer trying to secure a girl, supposedly for marriage. But soon it becomes clear that the film is a serious courtroom drama. Hence, the title doesn’t match with the film’s premise. Also, the promos give out a B-grade feeling. Needless to say, it’ll be a washout.

Besides, there’s also Dear V/S Bear and Beyond – The Third Kind and both these films stand no chance at all.

WHICH FILM WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THIS WEEKEND AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!

Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; September 25, 2014)

If you thought you had an insatiable appetite for cinema, you are about to get lucky. Nine small and medium budget films will release this Friday — a seemingly informed decision on the part of the filmmakers who are clearly looking at avoiding competition from Bang Bang, starring Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif, and Haider featuring Shahid Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor. These two films will hit the marquee on October 2, the beginning of a five- day weekend. Earlier this month, Daawat-e-Ishq’s release date was pushed ahead to avoid a box office clash with Priyanka Chopra- starrer, Mary Kom. But it went on to cross swords with Khoobsurat that had Sonam Kapoor star alongside Pakistani actor, Fawad Khan.

hitlist takes a quick look at what the nine films have to offer to audiences.


'Balwinder Singh Famous Ho Gaya'
Directed by: Sunil Agnihotri
Star cast: Mika Singh, Shaan, Gabriela Bertante
In a nutshell: The film marks the debut of two singers, Mika Singh and Shaan, who share the same name, Balwinder Singh. Their efforts to win over the girl of their dreams as well as a multi-million estate, which has over 130 claimants — all by the name of Balwinder Singh.


'Desi Kattey'
Directed by: Anand Kumar
Star cast: Akhil Kapoor, Tia Bajpai, Jay Bhanushali, Suneil Shetty, Sasha Aagha and Ashutosh Rana
In a nutshell: Two orphans from a non-descript village, who work as sharp shooters for a dreaded gang, go on to earn name and fame as national-level shooters. While the two bag several laurels and turn over a new leaf, they fail to inspire their gang members to move out of the world of crime.


'Sarfaroshi'
Directed by: Mr. Bhagirath
Star cast: Gehana Vasisth, Ayub Khan, Ehsan Khan, Mustaq Khan, Shraddha Sharma
In a nutshell: An honest cop takes up the cudgels against corruption in the country but hits many a roadblock. With active support from his wife, he manages to save the country from the clutches of deep-rooted corrupt practices.


'Chaarfutiya Chhokare'
Directed by: Manish Harishankar
Star cast: Soha Ali Khan, Seema Biswas, Zakir Hussain
In a nutshell: An NRI girl lands up in a Bihar village with plans to open a school. She meets three 12-year-olds, who have turned to crime due to certain circumstances. She gradually unearths a ghastly tale of children being sexually abused and pushed into a child trafficking racket with the tacit support of politicians.


'3AM'
Directed by: Vishal Mahadkar
Star cast: Rannvijay Singh, Anindita Nayar, Salil Acharya and Kavin Dave
In a nutshell: A reality show host finds his girlfriend murdered in a mill and, along with his friend, decides to come up with a show to unmask her killer. However, when the clock strikes 3 in the morning, they experience paranormal activities around them.


'Meinu Ek Ladki Chaahiye'
Directed by: Abhishek Bindal
Star cast: Raghuvir Yadav, Puru Chibbar, Irfan Razaa, Reecha Sinha
In a nutshell: This relationship goes wrong when the girl slaps her boyfriend with rape charges and the latter struggles to fight the stigma. It is a satirical commentary on men who are wrongly accused of sexual abuse.


'Dear vs Bear' 
Directed by: Sanjeev Vedwan
Star cast: Uttar Kumar, Lovely Joshi, Manoj Bakshi
In a nutshell: It is an adventurous love story of a young Delhi girl, the captain of a football club, and an arrogant village boy, who, too, leads a football team

Soha Ali Khan on love, being in a live-in relationship, commitment phobia, playing a mother on screen but not wanting to be one for real
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 22, 2014)

Ananya Ghosh (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 9, 2014)

A story about child trafficking that unfolds in a remote village of Bihar is an unusual choice for a debut film. But for Manish Harishankar, the writer, editor and director of Chaarfutiya Chhokare, it was an organic decision. He explains: "I wanted to start out with something true to character. I have a background in theatre and have worked under Rajkumar Santoshiji, who strongly believes that although films are meant to entertain, one should not shy away from the responsibilities of a filmmaker." According to him, the film that releases on September 5, is not a crafted story but a voice of children around the world, who are victims of abuse in any form.

Manish is a film editor first who became a successful playwright and assistant director by chance. And in his debut film he has put all three skills to use. "Filmmaking is like water. It changes shape in every phase. It was a deliberate decision to edit the film along with writing and directing it. As an editor you can ensure that the quality of the film is maintained and also bring down the budget as you know exactly where to cut. Similarly, being the writer-director helps you on the editing table too, which was where I felt the need for a background song and promptly recorded one and incorporated it," he says.

However, he is quick to point to point out that it is important to not mix the three areas. "When I went on floors I had a bound script in my hand. And when I went to the editing table I had footage of the entire film," he explains.

While he was weilding the scissors, he wanted the shots to flow lucidly. "Silence and pause has its own power and you need not always resort to fast-paced editing. I decided on minimal computer effects and maximum raw moments. I'd spend hours every night alone in the edit room trying out different permutations and combinations of shots," he asserts.

And the hard work has paid off. There is a scene where Soha Ali Khan is molested by some goons which he kept editing over and over again. "A few days ago, I met a friend who has seen the rough cut. She told me that the scene had made such an impact on her that she had been avoiding Zakir Hussain's (who plays the main villain in the film) calls since then," he laughs.

Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; March 5, 2014)

An apparent stroke of serendipity saved 13- year- old Shankar Mandal from having a brush with the law. Caught stealing food on the sets of Chaarfutiya Chhokare in Film City, the slum boy from Goregaon was rewarded with a lead role in that film after director Manish Harishankar was moved by his background.

“Shankar belongs to a family that earns its livelihood by collecting honey from trees and buildings in and around Film City. One of my assistants caught him red- handed. He also confessed to have committed petty thefts earlier. But when I saw him, I thought of him as a character for my film,” said Manish.

Producer Vibha Dutta Khosla’s Chaarfutiya Chhokare is centered on child criminals, who are exploited by local slumlords. The director said though Shankar was excited about the role, convincing his father was the toughest part. “He thought we were laying a trap to get his son arrested for theft. It took me time to convince him about my intentions,” said Manish.

Though not schooled, Shankar now dreams of becoming a star. “He is a sharp and promising kid.
Before starting the shoot, we conducted a two- month workshop with three boys, including Shankar, as they were shy in front of the camera,” the director added.

Shankar seems to have shed all inhibitions as he came forth to talk about the opportunity. “I was used to getting pushed around and abused. Now I have shunned the wrong things and want to grow up and become like Shah Rukh Khan. He is my favourite,” said the boy.