Showing posts with label Haathi Mere Saathi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Haathi Mere Saathi. Show all posts
I found my Cannes ‘Best Actress’ on Facebook-Konstantin Bojanov
7:43 AM
Behind Kolkata-born Anasuya Sengupta’s historic feat of becoming the first Indian to win Best Actress at Cannes is a Bulgarian filmmaker. In an interview with Sneha Bhura, Konstantin Bojanov talks about how he came to make the Hindi film ‘The Shameless’, and why he prefers Indian independent cinema to mainstream Bollywood
Sneha Bhura (THE TIMES OF INDIA; May 26, 2024)
Can you talk about your connection with India, and how you decided to make a Hindi film?
My connection to India goes way back to over 20 years. But to be precise, after my first feature film ‘Avé’ premiered in Cannes in 2011, I was looking to develop a new script. I was in Brooklyn and by chance picked up William Dalrymple’s book ‘Nine Lives’ in a local bookstore. I became fascinated by the themes it tackled— from art, tradition, modernity to sexuality and friendship in the complex and dynamic India of today. I optioned the book in 2012 with the idea of creating a documentary but gave up the project to develop ‘The Shameless’. Though it is a completely fictional story, I have to acknowledge that without ‘Nine Lives’, this movie would never have existed. And for that reason, I’m grateful to William Dalrymple. But the story in the book and the film are completely different.
What made you think of the story of a sex worker who escapes from a Delhi brothel after killing a cop?
While shooting the documentary in the Belgaum region of Karnataka, I observed the interactions of the central character, a 33-year-old real-life Devadasi called Reshma, with her best friend, Renuka, a sex worker in her thirties. It was incredibly touching and tender. The kind of emotional support that these two women were able to give each other in a very harsh world is what made me think of the story of ‘The Shameless’. Several women who come to these communities work under the relative protection of a quasi-religious system. So, I imagined what if a woman on the run, who has committed a crime, enters this community that operates by its own sort of rules, and rebels against it? That’s how the central character of Renuka (played by Sengupta) was born.
The movie has quite a cast but how did you find your ‘best actress’?
I take a long time to cast the leads for my films. I worked with Parag Mehta, the casting director who was recommended to me by Anurag Kashyap. Although I had shortlisted some extremely talented and well-known actresses for the part, I wasn’t convinced. I was so discouraged that I was contemplating making it as an animated film for adults. Then an Indian producer and a director I know said we have a friend who makes these very interesting drawings and maybe we could work together to develop the animated characters. And this is how I befriended Anusaya on Facebook. I would keep looking at her photo and knew there was something about her; a certain charisma that was suited to Renuka. The idea of the animated film was struck down by the sales agent and the producer, but that initial connection with Anasuya remained. The making of this film took so long — almost 12 years — that it almost drove me to insanity but the character of Renuka was the biggest hook for me, and it kept me going.
It’s not easy to be an independent filmmaker working in a foreign language. What were some of the challenges you faced?
I don’t speak Hindi and wrote the script in English. Translating the dialogue into Hindi proved to be a major challenge. I tried to work with several different translators and writers, and they were taking it in a different direction or adding Bollywood clichés. Ultimately, it was my production designer, Parul Sondh, who stepped in to translate and knew exactly what I wanted. We shot it on a very, very low budget in Nepal. The financing took years, with small chunks of money from different countries like Switzerland, France, Bulgaria and Taiwan. And finally, an Indian production company came on board just six weeks ago!
What are the Indian films you’ve enjoyed watching?
Growing up in 1970s Bulgaria, because of the links between India and eastern bloc countries, we watched a lot of Bollywood films. I remember as a kid, just bawling as I fondly watched ‘Haathi Mere Saathi’ maybe 10 times. Back then, as a kid, it was either Russian war films or East German Westerns, which is funnily enough a contradiction in terms, or Bollywood. But I don’t watch mainstream Bollywood movies now. However, there’s been a wave of refreshing, new voices in Indian independent cinema in the last 15-20 years. Some that have stayed with me include ‘Killa’, ‘Liar’s Dice’, ‘Newton’, Anurag’s ‘Black Friday’, and ‘Court’.
How did you deal with the fact that you’re an outsider in the Indian film scene?
I could only make the film from my own perspective. It would have been foolish and ignorant of me to try to make an Indian film from the perspective of an Indian director. I tend to focus on the universal aspects of the story, no matter where the story takes place. Ultimately, stories are what connect us. Also, it worked because of my sincere connection to the subject matter and all my Indian collaborators. You don’t make a film alone.
Rana Daggubati shares how his illness made him a ‘mean person’
8:59 AM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (February 29, 2024)
Afew years ago, Rana Daggubati underwent a kidney transplant, and at a young age, he also had a cornea transplant. Speaking at an event in Gurugram, the actor-producer revealed that these treatments took a toll on him, making him irritable and mean.
Reflecting on this challenging phase, he shared, “It’s funny because once you get into this life-threatening zone, you start looking at life very differently.”
Daggubati, now 39, disclosed that his health issues emerged after the release of Baahubali movies where he gained acclaim for his muscular physique. However, during the treatment, he lost weight, leading to inquiries about his health that he found difficult to handle.
“Everyone saw me bulked up for Baahubali: The Beginning (2015). So, everyone asked if I was ill, and I didn’t want to answer them. It was harder for me to live with people in the city; it was too much. I started becoming a slightly mean person. There was a point when if people asked about my health, I said, ‘Unless you can donate a kidney or an eye, don’t ask about it’. I didn’t like what I was doing,” he said.
Finding solace during the shoot in the jungle for Prabhu Solomon’s 2021 Tamil film Kaadan (released as Aranya in Telugu and Haathi Mere Saathi in Hindi), Daggubati expressed, “I got the chance to shoot in the jungle; I was there for almost a year. I shot with elephants. Nobody judged me there; nobody cared if I was sick. The silence there is what I needed in my life. Nature is a greater healer than anything else.”
Nepotism, by definition, is applied to political hierarchy or public sector companies-Rana Daggubati
8:10 AM
Rana Daggubati on collaborating with other actors, the reign of content and more]
Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 5, 2021)
Actor Rana Daggubati was quite excited about his trilingual film Haathi Mere Saathi (HMS). He had envisioned that the movie would receive appreciation pan India. However, unlike his expectation, it received mixed responses from movie lovers and critics. Talking about the film, which had a digital release a while back, the actor shares, “Like success, failure and mixed reviews are part of a few films you do, especially, when (doing) things a bit offbeat.” He adds that in such scenarios, “the learnings” are always abundant and “quite fruitful”.
Moving ahead, Daggubati will be collaborating with his colleague from the Telugu movie industry, Pawan Kalyan, in one of his next projects. “The story of the film plays on the male ego. It will be a new film for both of us as well as for the Telugu audience,” excitedly shares Daggubati, who will also be seen sharing screen space with another Telugu star Venkatesh on a digital project.
Ask him about Tollywood stars collaborating in multiple projects — a phenomenon that is a bit rare in the one-hero Hindi film industry — and he says, “It is the story that drives it all. If we have directors that demand it, audiences will always love and enjoy it.”
But hasn’t the hero-worship declined in recent times, especially with the invasion of digital media, we probe? “Stars are stars irrespective of the era. But having said that, it is the kind of content that the stars continually work on (that matters the most) to keep fans engaged,” quips the 36-year-old.
Also, Tollywood comprises actors who belong to prominent film families but, the debate around nepotism never seems to arise there. The Baahubali actor explains, “Nepotism, by definition, is applied to political hierarchy or public sector companies...The entertainment world is based on arts. It requires hard work from everyone, irrespective of being from a prominent family or not.”
Haathi Mere Saathi’s Hindi version to now directly premiere on television
4:31 PM
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; September 4, 2021)
It has been a long wait for Rana Daggubati to see Haathi Mere Saathi on the big screen. The multilingual, originally slated for an April 2020 release, had to be postponed to January 2021 due to the pandemic. In January, the makers announced that the drama was further pushed to March. Fortunately, Kaadan and Aranya — the Tamil and Telugu versions of the film respectively — had a big-screen release in south India on March 26. However, the Hindi version could not keep its date with the audience as the number of Coronavirus cases had risen in Maharashtra, Punjab and other states, which serve as crucial markets for Hindi releases.
Now, director Prabhu Solomon and the producers are pursuing a direct-to-television premiere. The Hindi version will premiere on Zee Cinema on September 18 and stream on Eros Now. “Through Haathi Mere Saathi, I wanted to put across a thought that could ignite conversations around the cause of protecting elephants and nature,” says the director.
The film focuses on the issue of human encroachment in elephant corridors. Daggubati is glad that the story will reach viewers across the country. “It is a journey of a man who is best friends with elephants and their protector. It is an important story that needs to be told.”
The bifurcation between what’s suited for big screen and what’s better for OTT will become clearer-Rana Daggubati
8:54 AM
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; July 20, 2021)
Shortly before the second wave of the pandemic hit the country hard, the film business down South had taken off in a big way. Rana Daggubati’s bilingual Haathi Mere Saathi, which was up for release at that time, had to be held back, yet again. It faced a similar situation in 2020, too. In a conversation with BT, Rana spoke about the impact of the pandemic, his understanding of the new normal and way he sees things moving, hereon. Excerpts:
A year ago, the Coronavirus pandemic pushed the film industry into uncertain territory. At this point, what do you think is the extent of its impact?
The pandemic has affected every business, brought it to a stop, and moved it to a point of reinvention and innovation. Where there has been a big pause, there has also been extreme growth of different kinds, and that is not restricted to any one business in the country. In our line of work, movies started going to OTT platforms in big numbers, and writers and directors are developing way more content than they have done in the past because they have the time on hand to do that extensively and deeply. It’s a wait like it is for everyone for things to open up, but there will be a significant change in the way we create our content and the way people consume it.
While the Hindi film industry was slowly getting back on its feet, with fewer releases and dismal openings before the second wave of the pandemic hit us, the south film industry opened up to huge box office figures in the same period. How did the businesses differ so drastically?
The opening of theatres and the way the theatre ecosystem depends on their ownership and the kind of films that are being made. In South India — I can talk about Andhra Pradesh and Telangana — the filmmakers and the film studios run large theatre chains. It was in their best interest to open theatre chains and have them full with films quickly. That is not the case in other business territories. Also, in the South, we have a larger mainstream film narrative with stories that are larger than life, written for the big screen and they are the spectacle kind of movies. It was something that the audience had been waiting to watch on the big screen.
What do you think will be the greatest impact of the pandemic on film business when we get to the other side of this situation?
The audience has watched so much content across languages and cultures on different channels in the last 18 months that filmmaking across the board will now have to be upped and improved. On the other side, we will have to see what kind of content will work in which space. That bifurcation between what’s suited for the big screen and what’s better for the OTT space will become clearer. Cinema consumption everywhere will see a drastic shift. Something meant for a big screen and the wholesome experience will go to the big screen, and the rest will be consumed on other platforms.
Now more than ever, we are seeing actors crossing language barriers. Hindi film actors are increasingly taking up work down South and South movie stars are featuring in Hindi film projects. Do you see that cross-pollination strengthening further in the times ahead?
This crossing over has always happened. More Hindi film actors have taken up work down South. In comparison, there are fewer Telugu stars in Hindi cinema. But now that everything else is merging even more, and everyone is watching everything, people have begun to show a liking for individual talents from different industries. In the future, it will be interesting to see the kind of cinema that will come out of this, how the industries will grow, and how newer artistes will emerge in different territories in the country.
Your film, Haathi Mere Saathi, was on the verge of release when the makers were forced to push the dates ahead, for the second time in two years. How does that impact you as an actor?
Haathi Mere Saathi’s release had to be moved around. The impact of such a decision had to be kept at bay looking at what people around us were going through. It is a very difficult phase for people. Their lives have been impacted severely. Haathi Mere Saathi is a very special and poignant film for today’s times when we understand and value nature more than we ever did. It was a beautiful experience putting that film together in different languages with different cast members.
Lastly, as an actor, do you find yourself attracted to the digital medium?
Yes, I do, I find the space very interesting. I am interested in taking up something in the long-format narrative. I think it’s very interesting how a story has a longer shelf life and also characters have a wider spectrum and actors have the scope to play out the arc. In comparison, there’s a definite start and finish to a story and a character’s journey in films. In the OTT show space, the connection and the duration one gets to play with is much longer. I would love to find something in the long-form that interests me.
Eros Now called out for non-payment of dues; CEO denies claims
8:16 AM
After Eros COO Shikha Kapur and team walk out of the company, ex-employees accuse production house of withholding F&F settlement; CEO denies claims even as he admits that studio is badly hit by the pandemic
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 25, 2021)
Last week, it was reported that Shikha Kapur, COO, Eros International, stepped down from her position, putting an abrupt end to her year-long stint at the organisation. Almost 20 members have exited the production house in the past few months, some along with her, giving credence to the industry buzz that the organisation has been defaulting in its payment of salaries and dues. Shortly after, several former employees took to social media to call out the company for its non-payment of dues.
A senior employee, who left the Kishore Lulla-led organisation this month, says the monetary constraints began well before the Coronavirus pandemic. “The management has been callous. The place doesn’t feel aligned to my value system. The employees are not cared for and the lockdown resulted in an emotional shift. People have not left because of money. They left because they were suffocated. There are angry employees in every corner of the company. Movie making is a collaborative process where if vendors are not being paid measly amounts like 25k and 1 lac, they wouldn’t want to work with you again. These monies haven’t been cleared in years and Eros believes they can get away with it because no one flags it off.”
The ex-employee adds that following Eros’s merger with STX Entertainment in 2020, one assumed the company would be on firm ground. “Their issues are functional. And they have a tendency of not paying people. Last year, they hadn’t cleared a vendor’s dues, he made a big noise about it after which it was cleared. Why do we need to do andolan to get what's due? They say things like, 'It’s only one month’s money, why are you asking for it?' There is a lack of compassionate leadership. My biggest concern was for small vendors who were constantly told by the finance department why are you following up. They are too small in the system to protest because they fear not getting work in the future."
Another senior resource who left late last year informs us, “This has been happening routinely for the last few years. People keep leaving because there is an ethical issue more than a financial one. But their outlook on business is flawed. Eros Now had the first mover advantage but the platform could never capitalise. They keep bluffing their numbers on releases. Old collaborators are backing out because they are given lopsided deals. What happened with Shikha Kapur’s team has been happening to people for more than a year. Manav Sethi, the former COO too, had to go through a lot to get his full and final salary from the company. Eros also keeps senior employees at arm’s length and this lack of transparency issue is troubling.”
Another senior leader from the creative team, who quit in mid-2020, rues that he has not been given his year-end bonus. “Salaries would come late, which can be attributed to the pandemic. Letting people go can be justified, but how do you explain not paying dues? They are a listed company. I left in the initial days of the lockdown because they owed me certain money in January 2020. Taking into account the bonus and the full-and-final settlement, they owe me close to Rs. 60 lakh,” he says.
A vendor, who worked on media sales with Eros, says that the company hasn’t cleared his dues of close to Rs 10 lakh since 2019. However, two current employees confirmed that they are paid timely salaries, while Kapur and her team were also given their monthly dues.
Founded in 1977, the production and distribution company has backed several films, including Manmarziyaan (2018), Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017) and Bajirao Mastani (2015). It also launched its movie-on-demand vertical, Eros Now, in 2012.
When mid-day reached out to Eros, Pradeep Dwivedi, CEO, said that the studio was “doubly hit” by the lockdown. “We had 7 films on floors and everything came to a standstill. Theatrical shutdown impacted us heavily too. Significant constraints and stresses have been in our business. We have had to take some harsh steps to manage the situation. Unlike most companies, we did not cut salaries in the last one and half years. In turn, we have decided to move away from theatrical productions to develop content for OTT. OTT offerings are drastically different in its making than large format films. After wave 2, we have been left shaken. The business model is rejigged; requesting former people to resign or terminate their services after they have been found redundant in the current scheme of things. For all people laid off, complete salaries have been paid to them or are under process. Existing employees could face some delayed salaries, because of vendor payment delays. But former employees have all been paid in full.”
Dwivedi emphasises that the studio suffered huge financial losses after Haathi Mere Saathi that was released in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi but couldn’t have a run due to the theatre lockdown in March.
Reiterating that the payments could also be pending due to logistical delays if the employee hasn’t returned company items like access data cards, critical documents et al. “Once all the handover has been completed, it takes 90 days for finance to clear their amounts which we assure we will for every employee past and present.”
We specifically ask him about the non-payment of bonus amounts as cited by an employee earlier in the copy, to which Dwivedi says, “Some employees leave unhappy. A particular senior management employee left on a bad note and that’s where the non-payment of bonus amounts is coming from. As of July last year, he signed a letter saying he was duly paid by the company. He has withdrawn claims to bonus and ESOPs in his full and final settlement. He had sent us a legal notice to which we have responded. We are initiating legal action on the said employee for defamation (referring to his tweets) to move against the said employee. He is indulging in social media extortion.”
Addressing rumours of lack of vendor payments, he says, “It is a chain reaction. From the time the pandemic started till now, we had not let go of a single person till now. The fact that we have paid everyone internal, some external payments were delayed. Creative process getting hampered due to cash flow delay is possible. There are some long delays too. Some occasions it was a case of work not being completed. The monies being owed to us from distributors, theatre chains because there is no money in the market. The stress is on the economy and it’s not fair to single us out.”
Today, run of a film, whether it’s in theatre or not, it is longer because of OTT-Rana Daggubati
8:04 AM
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 7, 2021)
Year 2020 was a difficult one for many, but for Rana Daggubati, it has been a bit different and rather special as he tied the knot with Miheeka Bajaj.
Talking about his life as a newly married man, the actor says, “Married life is treating me good. I finally I feel old and settled, and so I am happy.” While it has been a good period for him personally, he does agree that the pandemic has been quite challenging for everyone, especially the entertainment industry. There’s some good that has come out he feels.
“A lot of things are in reset mode. The amount of content people watch has increased. There’s a consistent need to watch new things. That’s where the industry will be headed. Today, it’s no longer about mediums but about the quality of content,” says Daggubati.
Further doling out praises on the OTT platforms, the actor-producer says that it has been quite a boon as it has increased the shelf life of films. “Today, run of a film, whether it’s in theatre or not, it is longer because of OTT. Every time my first film comes on OTT, people watch and comment on it, even though it’s 10 years old,” the 36-year-old adds.
He’s happy that the Tamil and Telugu versions of his new film, Haathi Mere Saathi have hit theatres, while the Hindi version is on hold because of Covid-19. “I’m happy that people will watch it. It took us really long to get it done, far longer than my other films,” he adds.
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 667
10:16 AM
APRIL SUDDENLY TURNS DRY; 2 FILMS TO STILL TRY ITS LUCK TOMORROW
Last week, we mentioned that the rising cases of Coronavirus led to the indefinite postponement of the Hindi version of Haathi Mere Saathi. It was scheduled to release on March 26. In the last 8 days, a lot of other films got pushed. Bunty Aur Babli 2, scheduled for April 23 release, has been delayed indefinitely. 2 days back, the makers of Chehre too made it clear that they’d release when the situation would be better. This also became crucial after Maharashtra declared a night curfew, starting as early as 8:00 pm. As a result, the last show in a theatre needs to be held at 5:15 or 5:30 pm.
Interestingly, the last week also saw the release of Godzilla vs. Kong and it did phenomenally well. Our projection went completely wrong – we had predicted a weekend of around Rs. 10 crore. But the film surprisingly opened at a huge Rs. 6.25 crore when it released on Wednesday March 24. It ended up collecting Rs. 32.25 crore in 6 days, including healthy collections on Monday, the day of Holi. These are the best collections for a Hindi and English film since the beginning of a pandemic and ideally, it should have cheered up the trade and industry. However, when one sees the collections minutely, one realizes that a major chunk of the earnings came from the South. The cases in the South are not that high and the cinema business there is more or less normal. An average Hindi film meanwhile does limited business in the South. It relies majorly on West and North to score and these areas were doing poorly since the cases began to increase significantly. The not-so-great performance of Mumbai Saga and Saina also indicated that releasing a Hindi film in this scenario would not be able to fully perform as per its potential.
As of now, now only two major films, Thalaivi on April 23 and Sooryavanshi on April 30, are scheduled for release. However, it is being said that Sooryavanshi is definitely getting postponed as it’s a big film and in such conditions, it’ll prove to be a commercial flop in cinemas.
However, two Hindi films, both small budget ones, will be releasing tomorrow despite the challenges. The first one is Flight. It stars Mohit Chadda, Pavan Malhotra, Zakir Hussain, Viveck Vaswani, Shibani Bedi, Pritam Singh and is directed by Suraj Joshi. The film has an unknown star cast and yet, it has grabbed some eyeballs. This is because it’s trailer is very thrilling. It tells the story of a man trapped in a mid-air flight! Despite the fact that the trailer impressed people, the excitement is obviously minimal. The rising cases will also prove detrimental to an extent. But on the positive side, if it’s a good film, it can grow through positive word of mouth. And it’ll have a long run in cinemas now that hardly any film is releasing.
The other film releasing tomorrow is Koi Jaane Na. It stars Kunal Kapoor and Amyra Dastur and is a suspense saga. It is directed by actor Amin Hajee, of Lagaan fame. The film was shot around 2 years back and is finally seeing the light of the day. This movie features Aamir Khan along with Elli AvrRam in the song ‘Har Funn Maula’. This song has been noticed but many have not been able to realize that it’s a part of the film. Hence, while the song is known, the film is still unknown for most people. Just like Flight, it’ll open to poor houses but might have a chance if public reports are encouraging.
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 666
4:49 PM
COVID-19 SECOND WAVE DISRUPTS SCHEDULE TO AN EXTENT
The Holi weekend is a few days away and it’s a time when exciting films usually release. What’s interesting is that on the second day of Holi, many theatres are shut till 1:00 or even 4:00 and 6:00 pm. But the occupancy is superb once cinemas open for the day. That’s the reason some big films have released on the festival in the past like Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Kesari, Baaghi 3 etc. This year, despite the Coronavirus scare, 3 films were scheduled to be released. One of them, Haathi Mere Saathi, has been postponed indefinitely. It’s a jungle adventure film starring Rana Daggubati, Pulkit Samrat and Zoya Hussain. It’s a tri-lingual film and interestingly, it’s Southern versions – Kaadan (Tamil) and Aranya (Telugu) – are all set to release, as per the schedule, on March 26.
The other two films of this week are as follows:
The Holi weekend is a few days away and it’s a time when exciting films usually release. What’s interesting is that on the second day of Holi, many theatres are shut till 1:00 or even 4:00 and 6:00 pm. But the occupancy is superb once cinemas open for the day. That’s the reason some big films have released on the festival in the past like Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Kesari, Baaghi 3 etc. This year, despite the Coronavirus scare, 3 films were scheduled to be released. One of them, Haathi Mere Saathi, has been postponed indefinitely. It’s a jungle adventure film starring Rana Daggubati, Pulkit Samrat and Zoya Hussain. It’s a tri-lingual film and interestingly, it’s Southern versions – Kaadan (Tamil) and Aranya (Telugu) – are all set to release, as per the schedule, on March 26.
The other two films of this week are as follows:
1. GODZILLA VS KONG: This Hollywood film is a part of the Monsterverse of Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures. The first three films in this series were Godzilla, Godzilla: King Of The Monsters and Kong: Skull Island. Godzilla vs. Kong is the fourth instalment and as the name suggests, it’s about two gigantic monsters clashing with each other. The trailer is grand and promises to be a big screen spectacle. What has also added to the film’s buzz is the memes. The film was supposed to release on March 26 but 2 weeks ago, it came to light that Warner Bros India has preponed it’s release by 2 days. So it releases today in a full-fledged manner. The hype is there for the film. Also, it can work in dubbed versions as the masses would love to see the fight between Godzilla and Kong. However, this is not a series that has a fan following like Marvel. The Godzilla films have got good to average response from most moviegoers. Also, the mid-week release might result in a not-so-huge opening. Still, it can open at around Rs. 1 crore. If the response is great, then collections can pick up from Friday evening. If the 5-day weekend is in the range of Rs. 6-10 crore, it’ll be great and if it goes beyond the Rs. 10 crore mark, it’ll be a huge feat for the film.
2. SAINA: As the name suggests, it is the biopic of Saina Nehwal, the legendary Indian badminton player. It stars Parineeti Chopra in the lead role and is directed by Amole Gupte. At one point, Shraddha Kapoor was supposed to play the lead part. She had even begun the prep and the makers had released those pictures as well. But due to date issues, she had to leave the project. That’s when Parineeti stepped in. The trailer is decent and it can be an entertaining and inspirational fare. The buzz, however, is very limited. The opening might be in the Rs. 1 crore range and it might be even less. If the word of mouth is positive, it can see a huge jump. With theatres shut in Punjab and some cities under lockdown, the collections can get affected. Saina releases on March 26.
Finally, Pagglait releases on Netflix on March 26 as well. It stars Sanya Malhotra in the lead role along with Sayani Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Rajesh Tailang, Ashutosh Rana and others. The trailer is quirky but not that impressive. It remains to be seen if the film proves to be better than its promo.
2. SAINA: As the name suggests, it is the biopic of Saina Nehwal, the legendary Indian badminton player. It stars Parineeti Chopra in the lead role and is directed by Amole Gupte. At one point, Shraddha Kapoor was supposed to play the lead part. She had even begun the prep and the makers had released those pictures as well. But due to date issues, she had to leave the project. That’s when Parineeti stepped in. The trailer is decent and it can be an entertaining and inspirational fare. The buzz, however, is very limited. The opening might be in the Rs. 1 crore range and it might be even less. If the word of mouth is positive, it can see a huge jump. With theatres shut in Punjab and some cities under lockdown, the collections can get affected. Saina releases on March 26.
Finally, Pagglait releases on Netflix on March 26 as well. It stars Sanya Malhotra in the lead role along with Sayani Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Rajesh Tailang, Ashutosh Rana and others. The trailer is quirky but not that impressive. It remains to be seen if the film proves to be better than its promo.
For Haathi Mere Saathi, we wanted to recreate the ambiance of a forest in Dolby set up-Resul Pookutty
2:47 PM
With none of his Indian, American contemporaries having a bank of elephant recordings, Haathi Mere Saathi sound engineer Resul Pookutty on living in Kerala’s jungles to source them
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; March 22, 2021)
Commencing his day as early as 4.30 am to record the sounds of gibbons in Assam’s Dibrugarh forest, Oscar-winning sound engineer Resul Pookutty recalls hearing an unusual rustle. “It was the sound of something breaking. I thought someone was cutting trees nearby, but the guard said it was the noise of a herd of wild elephants, who were only 50 feet away. They are gigantic, and despite their enormous body, produce only a small squeaky sound, that doesn’t justify their frame,” says Pookutty, talking of the muse of his film, Haathi Mere Saathi, with as much adulation as one would a star.
Pookutty says he “travelled the length and breadth of Kerala” to acquire what he claims to be the finest collection of live recordings of animals — especially those of elephants — which he couldn’t even procure from his Hollywood contemporaries. “We wanted to recreate the ambience of a forest in the Dolby set-up. After watching the film, I wanted viewers to fall as much in love with elephants as I did. We needed to make the elephants act, react to situations, charge towards the camera, and even retract from it. Prabhu [Solomon, director] has done an amazing job at enabling that. When you spend time with elephants, they begin to communicate with you. I experienced that first-hand, and wanted to recreate that experience for the viewer.”
As he continued to be invested in the endeavour, Pookutty was increasingly keen on acquiring sounds that could justify their varied emotions. Working with elephants, “singles, couples, and in a herd”, he procured sounds that could justify their love, and rage. “In the film, the elephant and the characters have conversations. During the scenes in which they converse with the [protagonist], we needed the sounds to be cute. In the sequences involving an elephant’s death, I want the sound to reflect its last breath. The most important moment, as far as the sound is concerned, is the climax. We see wild elephants sit in protest with Rana [Daggubati’s character]. In a bid to express its support, we showcase an elephant wrapping his trump around Rana. Uff! I am so lucky to have got the right sound for that section. It is a hair-raising moment.”
While he is now certain that his fine understanding of the animal would enable him to even domesticate one, Pookutty admits the task wasn’t a mean feat. “Because I wanted different emotions, I reached out to friends in the forest department. At one centre, they were taming wild elephants. We were two kilometres in the forest, where, in order to train them, they had let them out of the cage. One elephant began to make certain sounds. He must have got [agitated] on seeing the new faces and stereo-microphones. Since I was wearing my headphones, I could hear two more elephants in the vicinity react to his cries, and in no time, I had three elephants standing right before me. This elephant had previously killed eight people. We refer to them as ottayans [generally, rouge elephants]. I remember running for my life,” he says ending his note with an appeal. “The pandemic has taught us that every being has his/her space. Just like we don’t want anyone breaking into our homes, if we break into someone else’s dwelling, they will also react.”
We made Haathi Mere Saathi film for the big screen experience-Rana Daggubati
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Backing makers’ decision to hold Haathi Mere Saathi release for a year, Daggubati says small screen can’t do justice to movie’s larger-than-life appeal
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; March 14, 2021)
The year-long wait for the release of Haathi Mere Saathi hasn’t been easy on Rana Daggubati, but he insists it has been worth the while. As the adventure drama gears up for a March 26 outing, the actor says it was big-screen-or-nothing for him. “The makers were on the same page [regarding the film’s release post the pandemic]. Even as there were many [OTT] offers on the table, we decided to hold off till theatres across the country opened up. We made this film for the big-screen experience. We shot it in the middle of the jungle. Resul Pookutty, through his sound design, has tried to give it a larger-than-life feel. When viewers are watching this film, we want them to feel that they are in the middle of a rainforest, and [one can] never get that feeling on a mobile phone.”
Told through the lens of a man who shares a deep friendship with one of the elephants, the Prabhu Solomon-directed drama focuses on the issue of human encroachment in India’s elephant corridors. The director, who had previously worked with Unni on two films, roped him in for the trilingual. “Unni is busy because he is one of the few elephants with the Animal Welfare Board of India [AWBI] license. So, we had to [schedule the shoot] according to his dates because the elephant’s comfort was our priority,” says Daggubati.
A crucial part of prep entailed establishing a rapport with the animals off screen. The actor reveals that as the first step, he trained with animals in Thailand. “I worked with 10 elephants in Thailand. [Before shooting with Unni in the forest], we took out time to understand how he is with plants, trees and other animals around him. Since he doesn’t communicate much with humans, we kept an eye out for his reaction to having a human around him in the film.”
On this day, Amitabh Bachchan's first film Saat Hindustani released in Mumbai
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Box Office India Trade Network
On this day exactly 49 years ago the first Amitabh Bachchan film SAAT HINDUSTANI hit Mumbai. The date was 21st May 1971 and the film released at Maratha Mandir in matinee shows only. It was a low key release as it was earlier released in Delhi/UP and fared very badly.
Coincidentally, the film clashed with a release of the box office king of that time Rajesh Khanna. HAATHI MERE SAATHI also released in Mumbai on 21st May 1971 though the film had released earlier in Delhi/UP and East Punjab. This film became the first film in history to collect 1 lakh nett in Mumbai on day one. It was released on 27 theatres and Rajesh Khanna beat his own day one record in Mumbai city which was set with SACHAA JHUTHA in 1970.
SAAT HINDUSTANI was the first release of Amitabh Bachchan but it was not the first time that Mumbaiites got to see the star that was going to become a future megastar. The other coincidence that in Mumbai the first sight of Amitabh Bachchan also came in a Rajesh Khanna starrer which was released a couple of months before Saat Hindustani in Mumbai city. The film was called ANAND.
Another point here is that last year there were celebrations of fifty years of Amitabh Bachchan hitting the big screen and that was not the case. The fifty years were actually hit a couple of months back. It was funny to see fifty years of SAAT HINDUSTANI celebrated when the film did not even release in 1969. It showed a lack of knowledge with these commentators and even the millions of fans but they cant really be blamed as the media has a tendency to follow what is out there rather than actually collect facts. Then the fans follow what the media has to say. Its understandable that the date of the first film is not known of some small actor but this is Amitabh Bachchan who is the biggest star the country has seen till date.
The fifty years of Amitabh Bachchan were hit on 27th March 2020 as SAAT HINDUSTANI first released in Delhi/UP on 27th March 1970. Amitabh Bachchan made his debut in 1970 and not 1969 as it is claimed by the media. The main cinema for SAAT HINDUSTANI was Sheila and it also released in Eros, Minerva, Amba, Ajanta and Radhu Palace as well as some theatres in UP. The release in Delhi of 6 cinemas was a good release as it was a small film and the biggest films released on around 8 theatres in the city at that time. The collections were horrific with just Rs. 10,000 apprx coming on day one with capacity of around Rs. 40,000. The film was out of theatres very fast and next it went to Mumbai a year later but the response in Delhi meant it was more of a token gesture release. The other circuits saw a release when Amitabh Bachchan had become a star with more creative posters keeping in mind the image Amitabh Bachchan but it was a black and white film and pretty much an art film so had no takers.
Just like SAAT HINDUSTANI had no takers, there will not be many takers that Amitabh Bachchan actually debuted in 1970 as there has already been a false picture painted by the media but facts are facts and anyone with access to genuine sources can do the research and easily check what is fact and what is fake.
Like Star Wars, Baahubali has changed cinema-Rana Daggubati
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Rana Daggubati on decade-old career replete with surprises, including a rapper turn
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 27, 2020)
In 2010, Rana Daggubati debuted as an actor in the Telugu film Leader. A year later, he stepped into the Hindi film industry with Rohan Sippy’s Dum Maaro Dum. Reflecting on his decade-long journey, the actor, who has become a household name with Baahubali, says that he feels fortunate for the variety and diversity in his filmography. “I guess, that’s what growing up means. Today, I can confidently say that I’m a better actor, with a better knowledge of cinema,” asserts the actor who has a Telugu production coming up and intends to produce Hindi films in the future.
Several actors from down South have forayed into Bollywood, but have quickly returned to their original fan base and not ventured out again, but Rana continues to do the occasional Hindi film, his last outing being Housefull 4, despite remaining rooted in Tollywood. How does he manage to shuttle between the two industries? “That’s something even I’ve been trying to figure out,” he chuckles. “A Telugu film usually takes 10 months to a year to wrap up, so, I realised early on that I couldn’t be a part of Mumbai’s pop culture ever. There won’t be frequent airport sightings nor would I be papped leaving the gym. So, I focussed instead on scripts and that’s lead to interesting career choices, be it the submarine film, The Ghazi Attack, the epic Baahubali or the upcoming Haathi Mere Saathi with 15 elephants as my co-stars.”His jungle adventure was to open on April 2, and while it’s disappointing to have to wait for people to see it, Rana has found a positive co-relation between what is happening around the world and the film, which is about nature fighting back to survive. “The animals are happier today and the waters are cleaner as humans stay home,” muses the actor, who, during the Coronavirus lockdown, is revisiting his first love, animation.
Starting out in 2004, Rana worked as a visual effects coordinator for about eight years. Now, he is back to watching, reading up on and exploring different animation forms. He admits something is brewing on that front, but won’t divulge details.
Mention Baahubali, a special effects extravaganza, which, he admits, “took exactly half of my career”, and Rana remembers the thrill of being a part of something really big for five years, before it was unveiled to the world. “Nobody on that set had done anything like this before in their career, be it an actor or a technician. It was like being in an acting school, a film school and a visual effects school all at once, with a great teacher, S S Rajamouli. Like Star Wars in the ‘70s, this is one landmark film that has changed cinema forever,” he asserts, adding that Baahubali opened up the industry to bigger gambles and higher stakes. “India has scale now. An Indian film today is not restricted to any one language.”
Rana was supposed to do Ajay Devgn’s Bhuj: The Pride of India, but pulled out of the film last year. He informs that he couldn’t accommodate it because he was shooting for a Telugu film then, plus, his look in Haathi Mere Saathi was so unique, he couldn’t transition out of it to do another project so quickly.
But while he couldn’t fly high in Bollywood, he did make his debut as a singer last year in the Telugu film, Action, featuring Vishal and Tamannaah in the lead. “This was a con job, Vishal is a good friend and one day, he landed up in Hyderabad and asked me to rap a portion for the song 'Lights, Camera, Action'. I did it just like that,” he says nonchalantly. Will we see him rap and sing in Hindi too? “No, that I will leave to the singers and try to focus on saying my dialogue properly,” guffaws the actor.
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 615
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THESE ARE THE BOLLYWOOD FILMS AFFECTED BY CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK – PART 2
Last week, we threw light on the 7 films that got affected due to the lockdown as a result of Coronavirus outbreak. Here’s a list of more films whose release has been postponed:
1. HAATHI MERE SAATHI: This is a trilingual film and will be released in Tamil as Kaadan and Aranya in Telugu. It stars Rana Daggubati in the leading role and as the name suggests, it is set in jungles amidst elephants. It looks quite different and much better than the last year’s action adventure Junglee, which also dealt with elephants. The teaser is spectacular with Rana in a never before seen avatar. Even Pulkit Samrat, who features in what seems like a supporting role, looks great. The film would have released tomorrow if the situation was normal. This could be one of the first releases once the theatres open
2. COOLIE NO 1: After Judwaa 2, David Dhawan and his actor son Varun reunited for another remake of the former’s film. Also starring Sara Ali Khan, Paresh Rawal, Jaaved Jaaferi and others, there’s a lot of excitement for this one. Such films often work well pan India and also later on television. It was scheduled to release on May 1 and it’ll take a while for it to release after the lockdown ends. That’s because its promotion hadn’t start at all and it’ll need at least 3 weeks to a month to promote its trailer and songs.
3. THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN: It is a remake of the Hollywood film of the same name and stars Parineeti Chopra in the lead role. The other actors in the film are Aditi Rao Hydari, Avinash Tiwary, Kirti Kulhari and Ishita Dutta. It’s a very small film aimed at urban centres. It should release probably in a week which will have no biggie’s release. There’s no way it’ll get a solo release and it’ll clash with a film or two of similar size.
4. DIL BECHARA: This is a remake of the Hollywood classic The Fault In Our Stars and marks the directorial debut of casting director Mukesh Chhabra. It stars Sushant Singh Rajput and Sanjana Sanghi in the leading role. The film is ready since almost a year and there are reports that producers Fox Star Studios are unsure of its commercial prospects. It was also said that they are in talks with Amazon Prime for a direct OTT release but the studio has denied it. Like The Girl On The Train, this remake of a Hollywood film was to also hit screens on May 8. And just like the Parineeti Chopra starrer, it’ll have to contend with a clash on a Friday which won’t be taken over by a biggie.
5. JHUND: This was the third film that was to release on May 8. It marks the Hindi debut of director Nagraj Manjule, of Sairat fame. Amitabh Bachchan stars in the lead as a football coach who teaches the sport to a group of slum kids. The presence of Big B and Nagraj’s direction will give this film a slight boost when it finally releases.
6. SHAKUNTALA DEVI: This was the fourth and final flick that was to release on May 8. Vidya Balan plays the role of Shakuntala Devi who was a famous mental calculator and called ‘human computer’ for her talent. Sanya Malhotra plays her daughter and looks quite unrecognizable. The film has potential to strike a chord among the multiplex audience, especially of the trailer is impactful.
7. RADHE: This is supposed to be the grand Eid release of 2020. It stars Salman Khan, Disha Patani, Randeep Hooda and Jackie Shroff and is directed by Prabhudheva. Due to Salman’s presence, there’s a lot of excitement for the film. Sadly, the shoot is still pending and with Eid around 50 days away, it’s difficult to say if the film can be completed and be ready on time. Also, there’s question mark if things will get normal by Eid. Even if it does, the films that were to come in March and April like Sooryavanshi and ’83 would arrive first. But knowing how important Eid is for Salman, Radhe might end up coming up on this holy festival.
8. LAXMMI BOMB: This was to clash with Radhe on Eid and stars Akshay Kumar in the role of a transgender. It is a remake of the famous Tamil horror comedy Muni 2: Kanchana and just like the original, Laxmmi Bomb is also directed by Raghava Lawrence. Akshay’s films are working big time and hence, trade is confident that it can work big time. However, fans would have to wait longer because Akshay’s Sooryavanshi would arrive first and Laxmmi Bomb would arrive only after at least 6-7 weeks.
Whenever the situation improves, Hindi filmmakers will have a big ‘challenge at hand’, say trade experts
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As movie theatres get shut in several important overseas markets for Hindi films due to Coronavirus, experts say whenever the situation improves, Hindi filmmakers will have a big ‘challenge at hand’
Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 27, 2020)
Did you know that overseas markets contribute as much as 30- 40% to overall box office business of Hindi films? Or, that China topped the highest collection list in the overseas region at over ₹1,900 crore in 2018, to become the largest international market for Indian films? That’s why overseas markets have gradually become an extremely critical component of a Hindi film’s total earnings, and so, no filmmaker — quite understandably — wants to let go of that lucrative source of income.Total lockdown
Currently, amid the Covid-19 outbreak across the globe, overseas film theatres — like in India — have been shut. All theatres in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji are shut for eight weeks till May-end; and AMC Theatres in the US have been closed for 6-12 weeks. Furthermore, theatres are also shut in many parts of Europe as well as Canada, Dubai and China, too. And trade experts feel it “throws a challenge of a new kind” at filmmakers considering the fact that “we live in the age of simultaneous releases across the globe.”
“Be it US, UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada or Fiji, they are really important markets for Hindi films. Also, today, we live in a world wherein all the films — regardless of its budget — have to be released simultaneously in the international markets too. All the release dates have to be synchronised in a manner that it hits theatres at one go. So, whenever things come under control, filmmakers have to keep the global situation in mind because it won’t be possible to release the films till theatres open in overseas markets, too,” says trade analyst Taran Adarsh. Experts also point to the fact that there will be a barrage of international/Hollywood releases once the Coronavirus threat subsides.
Keeping the hopeAt the same time, trade expert Komal Nahta is hopeful that the global situation vis-à-vis Coronavirus “will improve” before India because the outbreak happened in India “quite late.” He explains: “Countries such as China, US, UK, Italy, Dubai and other parts of Europe were hit by the virus before India, so they should, hopefully, recover before us. So, that shouldn’t be a problem. But the fact remains that overseas market is a huge contributor to our total earnings, and so it just can’t be ignored.”
Besides the fact that foreign markets contribute about 30- 40% to overall Hindi films’ pie, newer territories such as China and Australia have grown big in recent times. In China, for example, Indian films have seen massive growth in terms of the release cycle — it went from just two releases in 2016 to 10 in 2018. “Small films don’t release overseas so they can release only in India but biggies such as Sooryavanshi or ’83 can’t let go of the huge international pie. If Sooryavanshi expects to make ₹50 crore internationally, why would they let it go? It’s simple mathematics,” says trade expert Amod Mehra.
Thinking of movies
However, Adarsh feels “we are looking a bit too ahead”. “Don’t forget that even when things settle down a bit, watching films in theatres will be the last thing on people’s minds. That habit will have to be re-cultivated. We have spoken so much about ‘social distancing’ that people will be iffy about going into public places,” he says. And lastly, when can we realistically expect a new film release? “That’s a billion dollar question because no one will have an answer to that,” say experts unanimously. Adarsh adds: “If you have noticed, makers of Sooryavanshi, ’83 and Haathi Mere Saathi have moved their films but without any fixed release date.”
Coronavirus scare brings Tamil-Telugu film industries to a standstill
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MUMBAI MIRROR (March 19, 2020)
Like the cinema, television and OTT production across the world, the Tamil and Telugu film industries, too, which contribute a sizeable share to the annual box office in India, are witnessing a shut down. Movies that were scheduled to release in the coming days have been deferred while shootings have been halted with actors, filmmakers and technicians choosing caution over commerce. Production will resume and movies will release when the situation returns to normalcy.Films directly hit include Mohan Krishna Indraganti’s V, featuring Nani, Sudheer Babu, Nivetha Thomas and Aditi Rao Hydari, which was scheduled to open on March 25, and Hemanth Madhukar’s Nishabdham starring Anushka Shetty and Madhavan, have been deferred. Rana Daggubati’s trilingual jungle adventure, Kaadan (Tamil), Aranya (Telugu) and Haathi Mere Saathi (Hindi), slated release on April 2, has been postponed indefinitely.
For Haathi Mere Saath, I increased cardio, turned vegetarian-Rana Daggubati
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Rana Daggubati on how he shaved 30 kilos for the role of a jungle man in Haathi Mere Saathi
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 26, 2020)
A far cry from his humongous frame in Baahubali, Rana Daggubati's next avatar sees him 30 kilos lighter and leaner, as he plays jungle man Bandev in Haathi Mere Saathi.
The actor tells mid-day he had to severely monitor his calorie intake to shed the kilos. "Prabu sir [Solomon, director] wanted the film to look real. It was difficult to lose all the weight since I have always had a large physique. I had to undergo extensive physical training to look lean and make adequate dietary changes. My workout was altered entirely; focus was paid on agility [training]."
Instead of continuing his weight-training, the actor took to longer cardiovascular sessions that lasted about an hour. However, he attributes the weight-loss primarily to dietary changes.
"I [stopped consuming] protein-rich [foods] and turned vegetarian for a couple of months. I also reduced the intake of salt, and, in general, ate less," says the actor, adding that he maintained this regimen throughout the two-year filming duration.
A source tells mid-day that Daggubati will be seen sporting a heavy beard and grey hair in the film. "His character walks with one shoulder constantly tilted. The makers tried several appearances, and interestingly, his final look was revealed to him only on the first day [of shoot]."
Set to release on April 2 as Haathi Mere Saathi in Hindi, Kaadan in Tamil and Aranya in Telugu, the film is based on the encroachment of elephant corridors in Kaziranga, Assam.
Rana Daggubati incorporates popular Tinkle comic character, Kalia The Crow, in Haathi Mere Saathi
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Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; December 25, 2019)
If you're a '90s kid who grew up on a steady diet of Tinkle comics, Rana Daggubati's upcoming film, Haathi Mere Saathi, may pique your interest. Turns out, the actor — who has a stake in Amar Chitra Katha — has woven in the popular character, Kalia The Crow, in the narrative of the social drama."Tinkle has an association with Haathi Mere Saathi. The film includes the elephants in the Big Baan [the forest that has its origin in the] Shikari Shambu franchise, and Kalia The Crow. So, we have encouraged the crossover of these characters from the comic book to the film," he says.
A self-confessed comic book geek who devoured copies of Amar Chitra Katha, the actor hopes to revive the charm of the lost culture among the youth. "The idea is to bring our culture alive in the digital world. We have set up Amar Chitra Katha learning centre in Hyderabad. I'm also in talks with people who develop augmented reality [games] and theme parks to see how we can take [the idea] further."
Both, Gurinder Chadha and I, enjoy history-Shriya Pilgaonkar
8:26 AM
Deepali Singh (DNA; June 15, 2019)
After Shriya Pilgaonkar auditioned for the British TV series Beecham House, she didn’t hear from them for quite some time. “One day, I was suddenly called to their office and I thought I was going for a meeting, but they started taking measurements for the outfits!” she recalls with a laugh. Directed by Gurinder Chadha, the period drama set in 1795 was shot across London and Rajasthan and was an engaging and interesting process for the Mirzapur actress. Shriya tells us more about the show and her role...
Was it daunting to be a part of an international production?
I have done a French film earlier, but this is my first British series and one of the primary parts. In that sense, I was a little nervous about it, especially because it’s a period drama and this is the first time I’m speaking English on screen. Everyone had to undergo voice lessons and diction training workshops because the English spoken in a period drama is a little different from how one would speak otherwise. It’s slower and the sentences are fuller. I wasn’t daunted as I was excited about the experience. Also, it was a diverse cast and crew from all over the world and I was really looking forward to that setup.
Tell us a bit about the show and your character.
It’s a drama about family, relationships, love and loss. These are universal themes. Hence, they’re quite relatable. My character is an intriguing one. There is not much known about her. She is a young girl who comes to the house as the caretaker to John Beecham’s baby and ends up falling in love with his brother. She is ambitious, adventurous and loyal. A part of her wants to explore the world and she is always torn and conflicted about what she wants to do. What makes her more intriguing are the choices she makes. She is unafraid and uninhibited.
How was it to work with Gurinder Chadha?
She really represents diversity in the true sense because she is able to keep her team together, which I think is the most important quality of a director. She has a good understanding of the script and working with actors. Both of us enjoy history. There was so much energy on the sets and she deserves credit for that.
What’s next?
I have a film titled Bhangra Paa Le with Sunny Kaushal and Anubhav Sinha’s Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai. Then I have Haathi Mere Saathi, a trilingual with Rana Daggubati. It’s my first Tamil-Telugu project. There is also a project for an OTT platform.
After decades, Junglee brings back magic of jumbos on big screen
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Hindi cinema has not seen real elephants since the ’60s and ’70s.As Junglee fills that jumbo-sized gap, those that remember the thrill of watching elephants in theatres relive the era
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; March 18, 2019)
”When the elephant cried, I cried too”, “I wanted an elephant friend whom I could call by name”, “petting an elephant was my only dream” — these were just some responses we got from the generation that still remembers the magic of watching elephants ‘act’ on the big screen, when a handful of elephant movies were made in the ’60s and ’70s. Since then, it’s only been CGI elephants or animated characters, leaving later generations with only the imagination of what it would have been like watching real elephants in action in theatres.
In fact, Haathi Mere Saathi (1971) was such a huge hit that moviegoers stood in never-ending queues to get tickets. Those associated with these films of yore say that they gave the elephant characters their most human characteristics, and that the ’60s and ’70s were a defining period for elephants in Hindi cinema.
More than four-and-a-half decades later, that magic is set to be revived with Junglee, which stars Vidyut Jammwal and Bhola, the mighty elephant. With Bhola and his jumbo friends ready to take over the screens on March 29, kids finally have a chance to watch the story of a real elephant.
WE USED TO WAIT FOR HOURS TO GET ONE SHOT WITH ELEPHANTS: DHARMENDRA
Dharmendra, who shot with elephants in films like Maa (1976) and Shola Aur Shabnam (1961), says that the shooting was challenging, but “one of the best experiences” an actor can have. He tells us, “In my career, I’ve got quite a few opportunities to shoot with animals, including elephants and tigers. One of the prominent ones was Maa, which was all about a mother elephant’s love for her little one and how she fights a man (played by Dharmendra) trying to trap the baby elephant. It was a beautiful film that conveyed an important message through a touching story. The film was loved not just in India, but was a huge hit in Russia as well. I really enjoyed shooting it. We were shooting in Mudumalai in Karnataka and it was interesting, but very challenging, too. Those elephants and other animals we were shooting with were trained, but you need a lot of patience while shooting with them. We used to wait for hours just to get one perfect shot. It was a lot of hard work for everyone but I enjoyed every bit of it. I also got a chance to shoot with elephants in my second film, Shola Aur Shabnam. We shot that in Karnataka as well.”
WE SHOT IN A FOREST WITH TRAINED AND WILD ELEPHANTS: KALA PARVAT DIRECTOR
M S Sathyu, best known for directing Garm Hawa (1974), also directed Kala Parvat (1972), an India and Soviet Union co-production. The film was jointly directed by M S Sathyu and Alexander Zagurdi. Sathyu says, “We shot the film in a forest with 80-90 real elephants, with a Russian group. Shooting this film was difficult because we had different types of elephants — trained ones, wild elephants and baby elephants. But we had the expertise of a Russian crew, who advised us on how to deal with animals, and forest officials helped as well. It was indeed a mammoth task, but children loved the film, and even now it is screened for kids.”
He adds, “Of course, a film shot with real elephants will work even in today’s time; children will especially love it. We don’t make films with real elephants anymore. Now, everything is animated.”
‘HAATHI MERE SAATHI WAS A MASSIVE SUCCESS BECAUSE IT WAS RAJESH KHANNA’S FIRST FILM TO CONNECT WITH KIDS’
Gautam Chintamani, who has written Rajesh Khanna’s biography, had come across a number of anecdotes about Haathi Mere Saathi during his research. He tells us, “When I was talking to Salim Khan (who wrote the screenplay with Javed Akhtar), he told me that one of the major reasons behind the massive success of Haathi Mere Saathi was that it was Rajesh Khanna’s first film that connected with children. A number of scenes with elephants were included just to entertain kids. Other than its success at the box office, the film had a message for animal rights, too.”
Chintamani adds, “For me, another film which is memorable is Safed Haathi. As a kid, I related to this film so well because it was full of adventure. I also found Maa very exciting as a kid because of the animals. Those films had such a huge impact that you’d want to have an animal friend whom you could name and pet.”
CHILDREN LOVE ELEPHANT MOVIES, BUT DIRECTORS DON’T MAKE THEM: CHILDREN’S FILM SOCIETY OF INDIA
The Children’s Film Society of India’s (CFSI) catalogue lists only a few films on elephants, like Kala Parvat and Haathi Ka Anda (which doesn’t have any elephant). Nagraj Kulkarni, a CFSI official, says, “We have films like Kala Parvat, and a few other regional films on elephants, but most of those are old. Nowadays, there are very few films on elephants. One reason could be that shooting permission is difficult to get.”
Dharmendra agrees, “In the ‘70s, it was easier to shoot with elephants and other animals, but now, the law is very strict and therefore we don’t see many films on elephants. I’m glad to hear that after so many years, there is this film called Junglee that’s coming soon. I hope this film wins hearts and that it’s a big hit, and more and more people go to watch it. There are very few films now where we see elephants as part of the main story.”
‘WANT TO SEE HOW THE ELEPHANTS IN JUNGLEE ACT AND REACT’
As Junglee has been shot with real elephants, those who have seen elephant movies in theatres are quite excited about the movie. Jaisingh Rajput, Assistant Officer in Production at CFSI, says, “As a kid, I’ve seen all the movies with elephants — be it Haathi Mere Saathi or Kala Parvat — and I’m a huge fan of them. There are a few films with real elephants in them, and where the elephant is not just an animal, but a character. I’m looking forward to watch the film to understand how they have dealt with the animal, check if he is also acting in the film and how he responds in the scenes.”
— With inputs from Divya Kaushik
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