Showing posts with label Focus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Focus. Show all posts
Fearful of cuts, Warner Bros pulls release of adult comedy Get Hard?
8:01 AM
Wary of a series of recent decisions by the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to impose cuts and restrictions on movies scheduled for release, Warner Bros. has resolved against showing their upcoming film Get Hard in Indian theatres. The Will Ferrell-Kevin Hart starrer was to open in India on March 27.
It is learnt that the call to not release the adult comedy was taken jointly by Warner Bros. offices in the US and India. "Another studio deleted 20 minutes of content before screening its film for the Examining Committee and was still refused certification. In these times of aggressive censorship unless you truncate your product to an extent that it doesn't resemble the original anymore, you can't get it passed here," a source told Mirror. "Why spend money marketing films that the censors assume are too risque for the audience?"
Directed by Etan Cohen, whose previous credits (as a writer) include Men in Black 3, Tropic Thunder and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Get Hard is a comedy about a millionaire, Will Ferrell, who is wrongly convicted for tax evasion. The film got an R-rating in America for its sexual content, colourful language, graphic nudity and drug material.
Earlier, the Will Smith-starrer, Focus, which opens this Friday, was rejected by the CBFC's Examining Committee (EC). The dark romcom was eventually passed by the Revising Committee (RC) with as many as 14 cuts.
"They even objected to the word 'boob'," said the source, pointing out that "this kind of regressive environment is not conducive to adult comedies whose funny lines will be punctuated by 'over 100-odd beeps'."
Last week, following a censor screening, several members of the CBFC's EC had ruled against the release of the erotic drama, Fifty Shades Of Grey. Following rumours of the film being banned here, the CEO of the CBFC, Shravan Kumar, issued a statement clarifying that though they had received an application for a censor screening on January 23, this was followed by requests on January 31 and February 5 to hold back the EC viewing.
The application was cancelled on February 12 due to non-availability of content, despite repeated requests from the CBFC. Mirror had earlier reported that the studio was engaged in intense edits of its own before showing the film to the Indian censor board.
Fifty Shades Of Grey was eventually screened on February 28 - following a difference of opinion, the CBFC Chairperson, Pahlaj Nihalani, accepted the majority recommendation of the EC not to certify the film. This was communicated to the studio on March 3.
Kumar insists that when a request is received, a RC is constituted, to view the film. If the RC refuses to certify the film, an appeal could be made to the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal. So far, the studio hasn't renewed its appeal to the Board.
Despite repeated attempts, both Warner Brothers and Shravan Kumar declined to comment. But Uday Singh, the Managing Director of the Indian arm of the Motion Pictures Association of America said, "This is an extremely worrisome move as it hints at the demoralised sentiments of the studio. We need to adopt the ratings system, as discussed with the minister of state for I & B, Rajyavardhan Rathore. The release is the studio's individual call."
Rajkummar Rao-starrer Focus postponed again; to now roll in mid-2015
7:47 AM
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 26, 2014)
Focus, the Bejoy Nambiar film starring Rajkummar Rao, which was to roll in June, has been put on hold, again. Earlier, it was delayed when its debutant director, Akarsh Khurrana, quit. He was replaced by another newbie, Heeraz Marfatia, a Shekhar Kapur protege, who now has to wait, for at least a year before the film rolls.
Earlier Arvind Swamy was supposed to top line the cast. But after the script was reworked, he did not make the cut.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui too was dropped and Rao finalised.
Mirror has it that Bejoy wants to concentrate on his next directorial starring Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar and Aditi Rao Hydari. As a result Focus will not roll until mid-next year. Bejoy confirms, "Yes, I won't start Focus until I am done with Vidhu Vinod Chopra's project."
Last weekend, rumour had it that the film had been shelved but Bejoy argues that if that was the case, he wouldn't have signed Heeraz.
Rajkummar Rao's Focus gets a new director - Heeraz Marfatia
8:20 AM
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 12, 2014)
Bejoy Nambiar's upcoming film, Focus, with Rajkummar Rao in the lead, ran into troubled waters after its director, Akarsh Khurana, opted out following creative differences (Mirror, June 2). The project is back on track.
The film will now be directed by Heeraz Marfatia, who had previously directed the critically-acclaimed 2002 short film Birju which was nominated for the Oscars in the student film category. A protege of Shekhar Kapur, Heeraz also directed a short film, Exit, produced by Kapur, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year.
Confirming the news, Bejoy said, "I've been ideating with Heeraz on a script for the past one year. After Akarsh's exit I confided in him that I was in a fix and ran the script of Focus by him and asked if he'd be interested in directing it. He jumped at the opportunity. We'll roll in Mumbai by the end of this month."
Rajkummar Rao's Focus in trouble as director opts out
8:36 AM
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 2, 2014)
He bagged multiple honours,
including the National Award for his performance in Shahid and now his
work in Citylights is fetching him rave reviews from every corner. But,
Rajkummar Rao's next has hit a roadblock.Akarsh Khurrana, who was supposed to direct Bejoy Nambiar's Focus, has walked out of the project that was supposed to roll next week with the first schedule to be shot in Kerala.
Buzz is, Akarsh had a fallout with Bejoy, who is producing the film. A source close to the development told Mirror, “Akarsh and Bejoy decided not to work together before the equation between them got worse. The differences were irrevocable. A similar situation midway through the film would have been a bigger blow."
Focus, a road trip film which has elements of drama and comedy, has already had its fair share of hiccups. Earlier Arvind Swamy was supposed to topline the cast. But since the script was reworked, Arvind did not make the cut. Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who was also reportedly roped in, was excluded from the final cast.
When contacted, Bejoy confirmed that Akarsh will not wield the megaphone for Focus. “Due to some creative differences, Akarsh has decided to opt out. The decision was amicable and made in the best interest of the film,“ Bejoy said.
Bejoy has not yet finalised who will step into Akarsh's shoes. Said the source, “A director cannot be replaced immediately. Bejoy has shortlisted a few names and will soon take the final call."
Mentored by writer Robin Bhatt (of Omkara fame), Akarsh has penned the screenplays of films such r as Krrish, U Me Aur Hum and Kites. Son of veteran film and theatre actor Akash Khurana, he has popular plays such as Afsaneh: Bai Se Bioscope Tak, Blackbird, A Special Bond and Aabodana to his credit.
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