An idyllic tale of love and lies

Debutant filmmaker Abhishek Chaubey's Ishqiya, however, is a privileged exception.
Regardless of its colourful language, simmering sexuality, ribald humour and unabashed reverence for the offensive, the drama has enough lyricism, layers and eccentricity to stereotype it as grim or gawky.

Produced, co-written (along with Chaubey and Sabrina Dhawan) and composed by Vishal Bhardwaj, Ishqiya bears his stamp of brains, brilliance and blasphemy but leaves enough space for Chaubey to establish his credibility. And that's not an easy task when your film is set in the same milieu and texture as Bhardwaj's Omkara. But like Chaubey mentions in an interview, the similarities are mostly 'cosmetic.' He's quite right too.

Barring the fact that both films are set in Eastern Uttar Pradesh belt, which obviously reflects in the conversations, mannerisms and clothing, there's no further resemblance. Interestingly, Chaubey's UP is not just a contrived hamlet featuring mooing cows and stray dogs but a self-sufficient town with malls, restaurants and beauty parlours.

Comfortable in its capricious skin, Ishqiya -- a tricky and moody tale of a whimsical trio caught in twisted circumstances -- gets even more complicated owing to the impulsiveness of heart.

The fickle tone is set in the opening sequence itself wherein a couple shares intimate moments of domesticity when their bliss is shattered after a gas cylinder blows off. This then immediately follows with some wonderful on-the-road bonhomie between Naseeruddin Shah [ Images ] and Arshad Warsi, courtesy the supremely infectious Ibn-e-batuta. The drastic change of tracks is conducted with such crispness and panache; it's quite impressive, really.

The afore-mentioned actors play Khalujaan and Babban, small-time crooks on the run after stealing from their gun-toting boss, Mushtaq (Salman Shahid). Things don't work out as planned and they are forced to take refuge at a deceased friend's dilapidated abode in Gorakhpur (striking props and production design by Nitin Chandrakant Desai) run single-handedly by his melancholic widow, Krishna (Vidya Balan [ Images ]).

While Khalujaan is clearly the experienced yet emotional of the lot, Babban, underneath the cocky surface is disarmingly boyish and sensitive. As for Krishna, she's exactly like the tone of this movie -- unpredictable.

Her melodious charms instantly find an aficionado in Khalujaan who reveals his antecedent belonged to the 'Great Gharana of Indore' for his tabla-playing skills whereas the perennially aroused Babban befriends a 'Bees-kam-paanch' adolescent lad (Aalok Kumar) to track down the nearest brothel in town. Eventually, he too starts competing with Khalu for Krishna's hard-to-tell affections.

Just as we get comfortable with the romance, Chaubey throws a new twist our way. Certain developments in the script implore them to kidnap a specific Mr Kakkad as the only resort to wiggle out of the ensuing dilemma. What follows is a wild ride of set-ups, heartbreaks, revelations and a high-five worthy awesome climax.

I'm talking to Hrithik for my next film: Vishal Bhardwaj (Interview)

New Delhi, Oct 26 (IANS) He carved a niche for himself in filmdom with non-starrers like 'Makdee' and 'Maqbool'. But composer filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj now says star presence is extremely important for a film's box office success and that he is trying to rope in Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan for his next movie.

'I think stars are very important to reach out to the people. Along with that they are good actors as well. I think Shah Rukh (Khan) is a very fine actor, so is Aamir (Khan), Hrithik (Roshan), Saif (Ali Khan) and even Shahid (Kapoor),' Bhardwaj told IANS.

'If the audiences love them and they don't mind coming to the cinema halls to see their faces and their costumes, then that's good because we can tell a story through them,' added the director who teamed up with big stars for 'Omkara' and 'Kaminey'.

He made his directorial debut 'Makdee' (2002) with Makrand Deshpande, Shweta Prasad and Alaap Mazgaonkar. The only big name in the cast was Shabana Azmi.

Two years later, Bhardwaj came out with his highly acclaimed movie 'Maqbool', an adaptation of Shakespeare's famous play 'Macbeth'. It didn't boast of a star line up either -- Pankaj Kapoor, Irrfan Khan and Tabu formed the cast.

But his next directorial venture 'Omkara', again based on Shakespeare's play 'Othello', was bejwelled with big names like Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Vivek Oberoi.

His latest hit 'Kaminey' too had Bollywood stars Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra.

Now Bhardwaj is trying to sign Hrithik and Priyanka for his next venture. 'I am in talks with Hrithik for a film but nothing is confirmed at the moment. However, Priyanka is confirmed for that project,' he informed.

The 49-year-old started his Bollwyood innings as a composer for Gulzar's 'Maachis' (1996) followed by movies like 'Satya' (1998) and 'Chachi 420' (1998) before taking on the director's mantle. He has proved his versatility as a music composer, singer, writer and filmmaker.

When asked what among these gives him maximum creative satisfaction and enjoyment, Bhardwaj said: 'Enjoyment keeps changing. When you are making a song and it turns out to be very good, then you enjoy that process and that gives you creative satisfaction.

'Similarly, when you are making a film, you keep struggling on it for seven-eight months to set it right and finally when you see the result then that too gives you creative satisfaction and enjoyment. Satisfaction, happiness, enjoyment are all very momentary. They keep changing,' he said.

Bhardwaj was in the capital to attend the 11th Osian's Cinefan Film Festival and said that such festivals are imperative so that movie aficionados can see entire films without any censorship.

'People need to see the entire films. Normally, the censor board cuts half of the film; at least there is some place where we can see the film without censorship,' he said.

He also feels that censorship should be a personalised thing. 'We should be our own censor boards. It should not be imposed on us. This censor board came from the British because they didn't want the Indian movement and Indian struggle to be seen by others, but somehow laws in our country don't change,' he rued.

Hrithik Roshan signs deal with Vishal Bharadwaj

Bollywood’s hunk Hrithik Roshan has raised everyone’s hopes over his upcoming flick ‘Kites’. But this international project has been really letting down everyone’s hopes with the delayed release. The film was supposed to hit screens for Diwali and now swaps in for the release of Jan-2010 schedule.

Of course, his sweet pappa alone did showcase him on experimental roles winning out the laurels with ‘Koi Mil Gaya’ and ‘Krrish’. And now, they’re much confident about striking jackpot in box office with their hat-trick spell.

Meanwhile, the actor has signed deal for Vishal Bharadwaj’s untitled film that will go straight on the floors by June 2010. Looks like Priyanka Chopra might be roped in for starring opposite him in female lead role.

When approached Hrithik Roshan, he did not let anything out about the project and said, “We will be making official confirmations very shortly…”

vishal bhardwaj's next film 7 husbands with priyanka

After playing 12 roles of bride-to-be in What's Your Raashee?, actress Priyanka Chopra is finally playing the role of a bride, not to one man but seven different men. The actress is gearing up for yet another multiple role in Vishal Bhardwaj's next titled 7 Husbands.

Buzz up!A source reveals, "Vishal was very impressed with Priyanka while working with her in the movie Kaminey. He always referred to her as a dedicated and devoted actress. While scripting for 7 Husbands, without any second thought, he made up his mind to cast the actress in the movie. Vishal also had seen the rushes and promos of What's Your Raashee? with her 12 different avatars and thought she carried it off really well and could do justice to her film."

The source continues, "In 7 Husbands, Priyanka will again be seen in seven different avatars of wives to seven different men. She will have different get ups for each wife. The seven different actors for the role of husbands haven't been finalized as yet. They are in look out for serious actors who might not be A-listers."

"The movie is still in the scripting process. The movie will go on floors next year after Priyanka's dates are available and the seven actors are finalized," adds the source.

Priyanka Chopra remained unavailable for the comment.

Shahid Kapoor: superstar on the ascendant

New Delhi, It’s all about Shahid Kapoor these days. His portrayal of the morally-incompatible twins – the ruffian with the endearing lisp and the simpleton who stammers – in “Kaminey” has catapulted the chocolate hero into an A-lister and audiences can’t stop raving.

And just so we don’t forget the romantic hero, promos of his forthcoming “Dil Bole Hadippa” are all over the place.

Six years after his debut in “Ishq Vishk”, Shahid has finally got his due.

“Shahid is one of the most promising actors on the block. With ‘Vivaah’ and ‘Jab We Met’ he established himself as a very good actor and a star. Now with ‘Kaminey’, he is in the A-league; he is definitely someone who will compete for the number one throne at a later date,” Meena Iyer, national Bollywood editor, The Times of India, told IANS.

“This is the most exciting phase of Shahid’s career. He has good work coming in ‘Dil Bole Hadippa’, Ken Ghosh’s tentatively titled ‘Yahoo’ and the new Parmeet Sethi film. If he chooses his future assignments with care, he will always be in a comfortable position,” she said.

“He has age on his side and the fact that he is a super-duper dancer and competent actor makes him a good bet for a reigning Hindi film hero,” she added.

Shahid wowed critics and fans alike with his portrayal of the shy groom in “Vivaah” and as the intense business tycoon in “Jab We Met”. But nothing has worked for him quite like Vishal Bharadwaj’s “Kaminey”, the dark thriller about gangsters, rebel soldiers, rogue politicians and crooked cops.

The Charlie-Guddu roles have shattered the conception that he was just the romantic. And critics believe the 28-year-old son of seasoned actor Pankaj Kapoor has made it to the big league.

“Shahid is going to be the next big thing…he has arrived. From a good-looking boy and a romantic hero, he has graduated to a star,” said film critic Omar Quereshi.

Added another noted film critic, Anupama Chopra: “This is the role – or roles – of a lifetime and Shahid Kapoor, best known for innocuous chocolate-boy romances, sinks his teeth into it. ‘Kaminey’ does for him what ‘Omkara’ did for Saif Ali Khan. A star has evolved into an actor.”

The star is taking the accolades in his stride.

“Yes, various tags have been given to me since the success of ‘Kaminey’. And I am very happy to hear them, but the most important thing is to keep doing good work and surprising the audience every now and then. That to me is the biggest reward,” Shahid told IANS.

“I can never be like my father (in terms of acting)…he is way beyond anyone to be like him. I don’t even have any aspirations to be like him because I know that’s not happening. I just hope whenever my father sees my films, he likes my work,” Shahid said.

Vishal Bharadwaj - from critical acclaim to blockbusters

New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS) His directorial debut 'Makdee' didn't rake in the moolah but was widely appreciated. So were 'Maqbool', 'The Blue Umbrella' and 'Omkara' for their alternative climaxes and literary influences. Now with the huge success of his latest 'Kaminey', versatile filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj has also proved to be a box-office hit.

'Vishal has always been critically-acclaimed but commercially not that successful. For example, 'Omkara' was a lazy proposition business-wise... it didn't even have a good opening. But the opening for 'Kaminey' has been huge and it has had a good first weekend too,' trade analyst Taran Adarsh told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

'He has proved his credentials with the movie that he is also commercially viable. At the end of the day everything boils down to how rosy your balance sheet looks because the stakes are very high and Vishal, after this film, has realised that it's good to make critically-acclaimed films but it's also necessary to strike a balance,' he said.

Film critic Omar Qureshi also had something similar to say.

'Vishal is now top of the ladder. He is multi-talented and is of a different league altogether post-'Kaminey'. He is a very intelligent filmmaker and versatile...who even writes, composes and sings apart from directing,' said Qureshi.

'He made a movie like 'Maqbool' with lesser-known stars and a great story and then graduated to A-list stars in 'Omkara'. He then decided that he wanted to make an out-and-out big-budget masala movie and so graduated to level three and that too with a very intelligent film,' he added.

Bharadwaj started his Bollyood innings as a composer for Gulzar's 'Maachis' (1996) followed by movies like 'Satya' (1998) and 'Chachi 420' (1998) before taking on the director's mantle. He proved his genius with his movies and his versatility as a music composer, singer, writer and filmmaker.

Review: 'Kaminey'

Dhan Te Nan. Vishal Bhardwaj pays homage to cinema of yore and that's reason enough to go out and grab tickets for one of the most keenly anticipated films of our times.

A few monsoons ago, Farah Khan paid homage to the cinema of 1970s with Om Shanti Om. Now Bhardwaj picks up characters that we have witnessed on the Hindi screen before, but executes it like Tarantino and Guy Ritchie do. He creates a film that's so different from movies we've witnessed thus far.

'Kaminey' is bold, stark, funny and unpredictable and that's what works in its favour. There're two more reasons: Shahid Kapoor and of course, 'Dhan Te Nan'. Okay, we've seen Shahid pitching in a sincere act in his earlier films, but 'Kaminey' should catapult him to superstardom. His double role in 'Kaminey' is exemplary.

There's another star in 'Kaminey' and that's 'Dhan Te Nan'. Your heart starts beating faster every time you hear this in the background or also when Shahid breaks into the song. The track is as big a craze as 'Jumma Chumma' [Hum, 'Ek Do Teen' [Tezaab] and 'Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai' [Khal-Nayak] and will contribute enormously in attracting viewers in hordes.

'Kaminey' music: Experimental, power-packed!

Filmmaker and composer Vishal Bhardwaj had set high standards for himself after the hit music of 'Omkara' and he has fulfilled all expectations yet again with 'Kaminey'. Full of punch, experimental and hummable, the soundtrack of the film is a must hear.

Music Review

The album, which has lyrics by Gulzar and vocals by some of the best singers in the industry, has five originals and two remixes.

First comes an edgy and full of energy track called "Dhan te nan" sung by Sukhwinder Singh and Vishal Dadlani. While Sukhwinder gives the track a rustic flavour, Vishal adds the rock touch to the song. "Dhan te nan" has a certain magic that is intriguing and holds the interest of the listener till the very end. It is already a big hit with audiences.

"Dhan te nan" has a remix version too that is more like a raw and scratchy variant of the original. Lower on instruments, this one focuses more on the vocals.

Up next is a totally different track. "Pehli baar mohabbat", which is brilliantly sung by Mohit Chauhan, is a soft, free-flowing love ballad that instantly strikes a chord with the listener.

Then we have the fusion of Western and Indian influences in "Raat ke dhai baje". It's a foot-tapping, fast-paced track that has Suresh Wadkar, Rekha Bhardwaj, Sunidhi Chauhan and Kunal Ganjawala behind the mike.

The song also has a remixed version - an amalgamation of rap, pop and touches of classical.

Next in line is a track that has a deadly combination of two very talented singers - Sukhwinder and Kailash Kher. The song "Fatak" has a folk flavour with a fast tempo and amazing vocals. Gulzar makes his presence felt with his trademark lyrics. The song's ending sung by Sukhwinder packs a punch.

The title track of "Kaminey" has the composer going behind the mike as well. It has a very soft start but a few seconds into the song, the tempo rises. It's a different number mainly because of its out-of-the-box lyrics. A decent hear.

Finally the album entails an instrumental theme song "Go Charlie". A two-minute long piece, Vishal Bhardwaj has done a great job with this track that is high on music and extremely edgy.

On the whole, 'Kaminey' is easily among 2009's finest scores. Experimental in its sound, yet very mainstream in appeal. Vishal Bhardwaj has proved his mettle yet again.

Meet the 'Kamina' in Kaminey

Amole Gupte raked up a controversy when Aamir Khan took over his directorial debut Taare Zameen Par, and directed it himself.

The talented artist has since moved on, and now wants to test his acting skills. He will play the villain in Vishal Bhardwaj's Kaminey, starring Shahid Kapur and Priyanka Chopra.

He tells Patcy N what to expect from Kaminey, and more.

Have you acted in films before?

Yes. I worked in Ketan Mehta's Holi in 1984. There was a lot of talent in that film - Aamir Khan, Ashustosh Gowariker, Yatin Karekar, Raj Zutshi, music director Rahul Ranade, theatre and film actress Sulbha Deshpande's son Ninaad and Rakesh Sarang (who directed Horn Ok Pleassss).

I was a part of Mahendra Joshi's theatre group. The others in this group were Paresh Raval, Feroz Khan, Aamir, Neeraj Vora, Vipul Shah, Aatish Kapadia and Deven Bhojani. Most of us who were a part of Joshi's group have done something creative though we were commerce students in college.