NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Bollywood's A.R. Rahman won Oscars for original score and original song in Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" on Sunday, becoming the first Indian composer to strike gold at the annual Hollywood awards.
"Slumdog," which tells of a young man looking for love and competing for money on the Indian version of the television game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire", scooped up eight Oscars, including best motion picture.
Rahman, 43, won the Original Song Oscar for 'Jai Ho'.
"Before coming, I was excited and terrified," Rahman said when accepting his Academy Award.
"Last time I felt like that was during my marriage," he added.
Rahman had also been named best composer at the Golden Globes last month.
Known for his musical versatility -- from romantic compositions to foot-tapping numbers, Rahman has innovated with different instruments and sounds to create some of India's best-known musical hits for nearly two decades.
Despite earlier international credits such as the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Bombay Dreams", it is Rahman's work on British director Boyle's "Slumdog" that endeared him to Western critics.
LOS ANGELES – "Slumdog Millionaire" took the best-picture Academy Award and seven other Oscars on Sunday, including director for Danny Boyle, whose ghetto-to-glory story paralleled the film's unlikely rise to Hollywood's summit.
The other top winners: Kate Winslet, best actress for the Holocaust-themed drama "The Reader"; Sean Penn, best actor for the title role of "Milk"; Heath Ledger, supporting actor for "The Dark Knight"; and Penelope Cruz, supporting actress for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."
A story of hope amid squalor in Mumbai, India, "Slumdog Millionaire" came in with 10 nominations, its eight wins including adapted screenplay, cinematography, editing and both music Oscars (score and song).
"Just to say to Mumbai, all of you who helped us make the film and all of those of you who didn't, thank you very much. You dwarf even this guy," Boyle said, holding up his directing Oscar.
The filmmakers accepted the best-picture trophy surrounded by both the adult professional actors who appeared among the cast of relative unknowns and some of the children Boyle cast from the slums of Mumbai.
The film follows the travails and triumphs of Jamal, an orphan who artfully dodges a criminal gang that mutilates children to make them more pitiable beggars. Jamal witnesses his mother's violent death, endures police torture and struggles with betrayal by his brother, while single-mindedly hoping to reunite with the lost love of his childhood.
Fate rewards Jamal, whose story unfolds through flashbacks as he recalls how he came to know the answers that made him a champion on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."
As he took the stage to accept his prize for playing slain gay-rights pioneer Harvey Milk, Penn gleefully told the crowd: "You commie, homo-loving sons of guns."
He followed with condemnation of anti-gay protesters who demonstrated near the Oscar site and comments about California's recent vote to ban gay marriage.
"For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think it's a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect on their great shame and their shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that support," Penn said. "We've got to have equal rights for everyone."
For his demented reinvention of Batman villain the Joker, Ledger became only the second actor ever to win posthumously, his triumph coming exactly 13 months after his death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.
His Oscar for the Warner Bros. blockbuster was accepted by Ledger's parents and sister on behalf of the actor's 3-year-old daughter, Matilda.
"I have to say this is ever so humbling, just being amongst such wonderful people in such a wonderful industry," said his father, Kim Ledger. "We'd like to thank the academy for recognizing our son's amazing work, Warner Bros., and Christopher Nolan in particular for allowing Heath the creative license to develop and explore this crazy Joker character."
Since his death, the 28-year-old Ledger has gained a mythic aura akin to James Dean, another rising star who died well before his time.
The Joker was his final completed role, a casting choice that initially drew scorn from fans who thought Ledger would not be up to the task given Jack Nicholson's gleefully campy rendition of the character in 1989's "Batman."
In the months before Ledger's death, buzz on his wickedly chaotic performance swelled as marketing for the movie centered on the Joker and the perverted clown makeup he hid behind.
Ledger's death fanned a frenzy of anticipation for "The Dark Knight," which had a record $158.4 million opening weekend last summer.
The previous posthumous Oscar recipient was Peter Finch, who won best actor for 1976's "Network" two months after his death.
Cruz triumphed as a woman in a steamy three-way affair with her ex-husband and an American woman in Woody Allen's romance.
"Has anybody ever fainted here? Because I might be the first one," Cruz said, who went on with warm thanks to Allen. "Thank you, Woody, for trusting me with this beautiful character. Thank you for having written all these years some of the greatest characters for women."
"OK, that fainting thing, Penelope," Winslet joked later as she accepted her best-actress prize for "The Reader," in which she plays a former concentration camp guard in an affair with a teen. "I'd be lying if I haven't made a version of this speech before. I think I was probably 8 years old and staring into the bathroom mirror, and this would be a shampoo bottle. But it's not a shampoo bottle now."
It was Winslet's first win after five previous losses.
"Slumdog" writer Simon Beaufoy, who adapted the script from Vikas Swarup's novel "Q&A," said there are places he never could imagine being.
"For me, it's the moon, the South Pole, the Miss World podium, and here," Beaufoy said.
The epic love story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which led with 13 nominations, had three wins, for visual effects, art direction and makeup.
"The Dark Knight" had a second win, for sound editing.
"Milk" writer Dustin Lance Black offered an impassioned tribute to Milk.
"If Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he would want me to say to all the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told they are less than by the churches, by the government, by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value, and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights, federally, across this great nation of ours," Black said.
"Man on Wire," James Marsh's examination of tight-rope walker Philippe Petit's dazzling stroll between the towers of the World Trade Center in 1974, was chosen as best documentary.
The acting categories were presented by five past winners of the same awards, among them last year's actress winners, Marion Cotillard and Tilda Swinton, plus Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Kevin Kline, Sophia Loren, Anthony Hopkins, Shirley MacLaine and Robert De Niro.
It was a much different style for the Oscars as each past recipient offered personal tributes to one of the nominees, without clips of the nominated performances. Awards usually are done in chit-chat style between a couple of celebrity presenters.
After last year's Oscars delivered their worst TV ratings ever, producers this time aimed to liven up the show with some surprises and new ways of presenting awards. Rather than hiring a comedian such as past hosts Jon Stewart or Chris Rock, the producers went with actor and song-and-dance man Hugh Jackman, who has been host of Broadway's Tony Awards.
Instead of the usual standup routine, Jackman did an engaging musical number to open the show, saluting nominated films with a clever tribute.
Jackman later did a medley staged by his "Australia" director Baz Luhrmann with such performers as Beyonce Knowles and "High School Musical" stars Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron.
"Slumdog Millionaire" went into the evening after a run of prizes from earlier film honors.
The film nearly got lost in the shuffle as Warner Bros. folded its art-house banner, Warner Independent, which had been slated to distribute "Slumdog Millionaire." It was rescued from the direct-to-video scrap heap when Fox Searchlight stepped in to release the film.
"Slumdog" composer A.R. Rahman, a dual Oscar winner for the score and song, said the movie was about "optimism and the power of hope."
"All my life, I've had a choice of hate and love," Rahman said. "I chose love, and I'm here.
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On the Net:
Academy Awards:
http://www.oscars.org
Tv producer-turned-music director-turned-singer-turned-actor Himesh Reshammiya had been severely criticized by his critics of his new hair extensions.
The actor had gone though great pains including hair weaving and hair extensions in order to have lush hair for his look without the cap.
himesh-reshammiya-new-look
Well the latest news is that Himesh Reshammiya all set to show-off his real hair ie., his new look, which suits him well and really looks great on him.
Himesh Reshammiya’s real hair was growing under the extensions as a result of the hair weaving process for which he went abroad. Now that he has thick hair, he has thrown away the extensions and is looking fantastic now, said a friend of Himesh Reshammiya.
‘What is the point of extensions or wearing a cap? Now, Himesh has real hair’ added Himesh’s friend.
Himesh will be first seen in this look in John Matthew’s film A New Love Ishtory and Studio 18’s Ishq Unplugged.
Pooja Bhatt who is directing Himesh in her forthcoming film Kajrare said, “I was shocked when I saw Himesh with his new look two days ago. I think he is looking deadly.”
“I have shot most of his portions already. But I have yet to film a flashback track. I will be using his new look in those portions,” added Pooja.
I was shocked when I saw Himesh with his new look two days ago. I think he is looking deadly - Pooja Bhatt
Crores of rupees ride on a film and yet, the laws of the land seems to be such that anyone can pull the plugs on a release anytime -either legally or through hooliganism.
The latest to be bullied into compliance is none other than Shah Rukh Khan who was forced to remove the word 'Barber' from his latest Irrfan Khan flick, Billu Barber after the Hairdressers and Salon Association found it objectionable. Much like how a section in the country was upset at the use of the line, 'Samjhe mochi bhi khud ko sonar hai' in Aaja Nachle( 'mochi' is seen as a reference to cast), similarly, the association found 'haajam' a derogatory usage. If a film can come under such pressure in spite of having a Censor certification, it raises questions at the relevance of such a body itself, doesn't it?
Not so long ago, Ghajini's release was threatened when two court cases against it cropped up. The film's preview show tickets were selling like hot cakes when the Aamir Khan starrer was stalled, giving its makers and lead actor a mini-heart attack.
But the more serious problem remains that of films being affected due to various 'special interest groups'(read publicity seekers) who threaten to disrupt screenings on one pretext or the other. Last year, there was Jodhaa Akbar that could not find a release in Rajasthan, after objections from a few Rajput groups.
It's interesting to see how Danny Boyle reacts to the criticism against his film Slumdog Millionaire. He says, "Protest is a way of life in India. It's an extraordinary democracy. You just hope it won't become violent."
Boyle has been lucky, because his film at least has had a peaceful run in the country. Many films that become controversial invariably endure losses in some form or the other. And it's not even about 'objectionable content' all the time. Last year, a seemingly harmless comment from Jaya Bachchan was enough for the MNS chief to announce that all films starring the Bachchans would be banned. In 2006, Aamir Khan's Fanaa was banned in Gujarat after his statements on the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
Imagine the vulnerability under which the industry and its stars operate!
Which is exactly why one feels hesitant to blame top stars for not responding in time with sound bytes on national or other sensitive issues. One completely understands their position when they choose to refuse the proverbial 'long rope to hang themselves with'
Coming back to SRK's decision of going with just 'Billu', a lot of it is to do with the fact that the producer and distributors are really alone in their battle. State protection is limited. Similarly, not many multiplexes are willing to take the onus of protecting a film. So is there a solution? Well, only if there is united effort from the whole film chain and most importantly, political will. Film bodies and the State government could invest jointly in high-end securities to protect films that get into trouble in spite of the Censor Board passing them.
The bottom line is simple. Our films do not deserve the constant Friday jitters, unless it is the boxoffice
Box office may not have been very kind to her last few films, but Mallika Sherawat is apparently demanding unreasonable price from producers.
Well, at least the folks at Studio 18 are not pleased with Mallika’s queenly ways. The production house was already in a legal tangle with Mallika over the return of the signing amount of a shelved film. The tangle was almost sorted out after Mallika agreed to do another film for Studio 18, co-starring Himesh Reshammiya .
But Mallika stumped the production house again by quoting a fee of Rs. 2 crore against her normal fee of Rs. 1 crore.
Shocked by Mallika’s demand, the production house reportedly dropped her from the project, although Mallika’s spokesperson alleges that it was she who decided not to do the film.
Whatever the case, Mallika is no longer doing Studio 18’s next project. And the production house has now pursued the case against Mallika with the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA).
According to industry insiders, Mallika is pretty confident that her upcoming film Hisss , which is being directed by Jennifer Lynch and has a host of technicians from Hollywood, will be a super success. And she is quoting her new market price keeping the future in mind.
Dev D Movie Cast & Credits Overview
Starring : Abhay Deol, Kalki Koechlin, Mahie Gill, Dibyendu Bhattacharya
Director : Anurag Kashyap
Producer : Ronnie Screwvala
Music Director : Amit Trivedi
Writer : Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane
Genre : Drama
Release Date : 6 Feb, 2009
After creating a buzz among audiences with its grunge soundtrack and promos, Anurag Kashyap's "Dev D", a modern take on "Devdas", struck gold at the box office by raking in Rs.95 million at the opening weekend.
The inclusion of real life cases like the MMS scandal at Delhi Public School and the BMW hit and run accident in the movie is luring the audiences, say film experts.
"'Dev D' has proven its mettle by pulling in audiences in hordes - especially youngsters. The film has selling material in terms of content. Incidents like the DPS MMS scandal, the BMW case and colloquial language has further led to its triumph at the box office," said Joginder Mahajan, a Delhi-based distributor.
Releasing after a dull week that saw "Luck By Chance" and "Victory", Kashyap's film opened to positive reviews and was houseful at the weekend. Produced by UTV Spotboy and Bindass, "Dev D" stars Abhay Deol with newcomers Mahi Gill and Kalki Koechlin.
Girish Johar, associate vice-president of UTV Motion Pictures, said: "'Dev D' is one of our premium products and it has managed to generate a very good hype among our target audience (youth). We are hoping it will have a long run at the box office."
Kashyap's contemporary take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's classic novel has sidelined simultaneous releases "Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye" and "Chal Chala Chal".
"The other two releases 'Mere Khwabon?' and 'Chal Chala Chal' have been total failures. They are only gap fillers," said Mahajan.
"Mere Khwabon?", which has Arbaaz Khan, Randeep Hooda and Raima Sen in the lead, was snubbed by the audiences and couldn't garner more than five percent collection. Helmed by debutante director Madhureeta Anand, the film has been co-produced by PVR Pictures and Madhureeta's company Ekaa Films Pvt Ltd.
The budget for "Dev D" and "Mere Khwabon?' was the same. The producers invested around Rs.60 million excluding the publicity costs. In terms of prints, "Dev D" was released on more than 300 screens globally, "Mere Khwabon?" hit around 200 screens.
"As for 'Mere Khwabon?', it was a non-starter since the beginning and had zero buzz about it. The movie opened to empty houses and the weak content only made it worse. Ditto for 'Chal Chala Chal' that was a fringe release," said a source from Mumbai.
Govinda starrer "Chal Chala Chal", which was directed by T.K. Rajeev Kumar, too failed to impress the movie buffs. The producers of "Chal Chala Chal" refused to divulge any details regarding the movie that released after a deferred delay of about two years since 2007.
"'Dev D' is all set to be the second big hit of 2009 after 'Raaz - The Mystery Continues'. It breaks the very stereotype of the legend of 'Devdas' and that is where it scores the winning goal," added the source.
On the whole, "Dev D" has fair business chances till Shah Rukh Khan starrer "Billu" and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's "Delhi-6" hit the screens Feb 13 and Feb 20, respectively.
Back when love was a compendium of silences and sighs, Devdas was an icon. These days, when it's more a matter of working off those pesky hormones as quickly as possible, the legendary lover is regarded as a champion loser.
In ‘Dev D’, Anurag Kashyap and Abhay Deol dust him off and resurrect him, making of him just another guy who goes at romance with all the arrogance and prickliness and insecurities of a young man. Recognise yourself in him? Dev's (Abhay) childhood sweetheart Paro (Mahi Gill) has all of these qualities, tempered by the essential female-ness of her. When, in a fit of jealous pique, he throws her off, she doesn't beg or grovel: she turns her back on him, too. Recognise yourself in her?
The film invites you to come along on a stunning multi-layered journey---the psychedelic contours of the overloaded-on-substance, on-the-verge-of-losing-it mind, the physical degradation of the body, the slow dissolution of the spirit. With Anurag and Abhay, (whose idea it was in the first place), ‘Dev D’ becomes one of those rare films which is all of a piece: every single frame is where it should be. As Dev and Paro part ways, Chanda aka Chandramukhi (Kalki) enters the equation, and the film steadies into its triangular groove, rocking to an inverted, just-right climax.
In this virtuoso re-working of the Devdas story, there's none of the obfuscatory self-indulgence that marred Kashyap's last outing, ‘No Smoking'. The cast is perfect for their parts. Debutante Mahi Gill is no Bollywoodized phoolkari-dupatta-wearing ingénue: she dresses, moves and behaves like a feisty girl who's been born and brought up in sugarcane country in rural Punjab. The other first-timer, Kalki, is astonishingly apt too: her journey from a traumatized schoolgirl (based on the MMS scandal emanating from one of Delhi's top schools a few years ago) to a role-playing, phone sex-worker Chanda, is riveting. The first is raw and sensuous, the other raises the lust-meter as high as any red-blooded male can handle, but both are heart-stoppingly, blatantly alive, needy, looking-for-love-with-sex-as-a-by-product real girl-women.
But it is Abhay who makes this thing sing. His Devdas is both eerily similar to the others who've played the part (Kashyap cheekily references posters and scenes from SRK's `Devdas' in a couple of scenes), as well as completely his own. Spoilt rich brat, king-of-the-castle, center-of-the-universe, the kind of male who is always so sorry for himself, that he can't see anyone else as clearly. Rig
ht from the attire—jeans, Tees, strap-across-the-chest-bag--- to the attitude—love me, love me, love me-- this joint-rolling, alcohol-swilling ( Coke, vodka ‘ke saath’, is his line in seedy bars) Devdas wears his victimhood with panache, blaming others for the `emosional atyachaar' (one of the eighteen sparkling songs Amit Trivedi and Amitabh Bhattacharya have created for the film: sometimes the film seems too stuffed with the background music, but that's a very minor quibble) being wrecked upon him, but reserving the right to a chuckle in the middle of it all.
Dissolution, despair, and redemption—the film unerringly hits all the right notes of a life sliding down the precipice, teetering on the edge, and drawing back from the brink, at the very last moment. 'Dev D' is a contemporary classic. Watch it, whatever else you do.
Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Konkona Sen Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Juhi Chawla, Sanjay Kapoor, Isha Sharwani, Hrithik Roshan;
Director: Zoya Akhtar;
Rating: 4 out of 5.
One has often heard, read and seen on screen the positive and negative aspects of Bollywood. It would be erroneous to state that LUCK BY CHANCE does a pol-khol of the glamorous industry. Let’s put it this way: The film mirrors the behind-the-scenes drama and manoeuvring exactly the way it occurs in showbiz. Watching LUCK BY CHANCE is like experiencing it first-hand.
If you’re associated with Bollywood, if you know how the machine works, you’d laud and applaud, laugh and smile, identify and understand and at times, empathize and sympathize with the characters in LUCK BY CHANCE. Zoya Akhtar’s take on an industry that attracts millions of hopefuls year after year is bang on target.
Almost three decades ago, Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s GUDDI depicted a star-struck teenager’s [Jaya Bhaduri] obsession for a top star [Dharmendra]. Along with the core issue, the film highlighted the behind-the-scenes hard work and labour that went into making movies.
LUCK BY CHANCE taps almost every important facet of Bollywood and presents assorted characters you’ve encountered some time in life: An over-ambitious aspirant who knows to make the right moves; an actress trying hard to get that big break, even if she has to compromise; an icon of the 1970s who desperately wants her daughter to be a star; a producer who looks at riding on big names, script be damned; a failed actor now looking at direction to redeem his career.
One of the prime reasons why LUCK BY CHANCE works is because the writing [Zoya Akhtar] is simply wonderful. Right from the characters, to the individualistic scenes, to the way Zoya puts them in a sequence, LUCK BY CHANCE is easily one of the most cohesive scripts this side of the Atlantic.
The verdict? Leave aside everything and hitch this joyride called LUCK BY CHANCE. It would be sacrilege to miss this one!
Sona [Konkona Sen Sharma] arrives in Mumbai with dreams of becoming a film star. She does whatever it takes, to make it. Vikram [Farhan Akhtar] has just moved to the city leaving the comforts of his Delhi home. He is used to getting what he wants and is smart enough to know when to demand it and when to manipulate it. Gradually, Sona and Vikram develop a romantic relationship.
Rolly [Rishi Kapoor] is a successful though superstitious producer who only works with the biggest stars. He is making a potential blockbuster launching Niki [Isha Sharwani], the daughter of 1970s superstar Neena [Dimple Kapadia]. The hero of the film, Zaffar Khan [Hrithik Roshan], is the superstar.
Zaffar decides to opt out of Rolly’s film and that creates havoc
in Rolly’s life. Rolly decides to cast newcomers and finally, Vikram is shortlisted for the main role…
LUCK BY CHANCE picks up characters straight out of life and that’s the beauty of this script. The interesting part is that each of these characters has a story running parallel to the main story. Although the writing is foolproof, this review would be incomplete if one failed to acknowledge a number of scenes that are the hallmark of this enterprise.
If Zoya’s writing is superb, her execution of the written material deserves distinction marks. This may be Zoya’s directorial debut, but she treats the difficult subject like a veteran. Javed Akhtar’s dialogues are remarkable. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music is a mixed bag; the score could’ve been better. However, the choreography of the circus song is remarkable. Carlos Catalan’s cinematography captures the right moods.
Farhan Akhtar is evolving into one of the most dependable actors of his generation. He’s very real, very believable. No wonder, this character stands out. Konkona Sen Sharma is exceptional. The supremely talented actress delivers a sparkling performance yet again. Rishi Kapoor is incredible. A performance that merits the highest praise. Dimple Kapadia is in terrific form. It easily ranks amongst her most accomplished works. Juhi Chawla is first-rate. Isha Sharwani does her part well. Sanjay Kapoor springs a surprise. He registers an impact. Aly Khan is perfect.
Hrithik Roshan is truly wonderful. Note the sequence when he strikes a conversation with Karan Johar, only to realize that he himself had paved the way for Farhan in the industry. Only an accomplished actor could’ve handled this sequence with aplomb. Amongst the A-listers who make fleeting appearances in the film, the one who registers the maximum impact is Shah Rukh Khan.
On the whole, LUCK BY CHANCE is an outstanding film in all respects. A magnificent outing from the producers of ROCK ON!!, LUCK BY CHANCE is sure to prove an extremely lucky and rewarding experience at the box-office.
