Priyadarshan unhappy with ‘A’ certificate for Aakrosh
After valiantly crying out loud against the comprehensive cuts ordered by the censor board producer Kumar Mangat has quietly accepted an ‘Adults Only’ censor certificate for Aakrosh, apparently without consulting the director Priyadarshan who’s currently in London shooting producer Ratan Jain’s thriller Tezz.
The certification of the hard hitting film for Adults has not gone down well with Priyadarshan who feels young people in the country need to understand the topical issue of honour killing.
Priyadarshan was adamant that the film get a ‘UA’ certification which would have made Aakrosh accessible to kids under parental guidance.
Argues Priyan, “I think children must see the film and understand what gruesome barbaric conventions and traditions still run a part of our society. Of course Aakrosh is violent at times. You mean to tell me kids today are not subjected to violence when they see the news on television?”
Producer Kumar Mangat who quietly accepted the ‘Adults’ rating has another story to tell. “The censor board had ordered 30 cuts for Aakrosh to avoid an Adults rating. If we had complied, the film would have ended up mutilated and disjointed. We instead preferred to take an Adults certificate with just two cuts in the visuals and dialogues.” Two scathing references to cast differences have been muted in the dialogues.
Reasons Mangat, “I don’t think it was a big sacrifice to make. These cuts don’t make any difference to the storytelling.”
"I won’t settle with A certificate for Aakrosh" – Priyadarshan
There is no honour in honour killings. And there is certainly none in the censor board clamping down on the dialogues and scenes depicting this gruesome age-old ritual that has lately made a comeback into our lives.
The censor board has clamped down heavily on the dialogues and visual of Priyadarshan’s Aakrosh, a film on honour killing. Ironically, the Aakrosh producer Kumar Mangat’s earlier film Omkara which replicated the visual and vocal violence of the same North Indian backwater town as Aakrosh got away scot-free with its abusive soundtrack and visceral violence.
But then as the producer Mangat explains, “We had agreed to take an Adults certification for Omkara. We want a UA (for children under parental guidance) for Aakrosh.”
Sounding discernibly upset from Chennai the prolific Priyan, says, “This is the first time in my entire career of 25 years and 81 films that a film of mine has got into censor trouble. And I am not amused. On the one hand, I am accused of selling-out to mindless comedies. None of my supposedly mindless comedies have ever got into trouble. On the other hand, when I make an issue-based film it gets stuck. How will I do something meaningful when our moral guardians don’t seem to believe in my vision?”
Priyan admits there are shocking scenes of violence in the film. But he feels they are indispensable to the theme.
Argues the director, “How can I put across a social issue without hard-hitting visuals? Let the film go to the revising committee. My producer Kumar Mangat and I are not accepting any cuts.”
Priyan insists Aakrosh occupies the entertainment space and he wants it to be accessible to young viewers. “It is hard-hitting. But not an offbeat experimental film. We want younger generations to watch the film, to become aware of the frightening reality that surrounds their existence. Unless we let younger viewers grow aware of the reality we can’t change the aberrations in society. So yes, I won’t settle for an A certificate. Let me make films that have a social purpose. Or I go back to making De Dana Dan.”
Live Chat: Abhinav Kashyap on Sept 8 at 1500 hrs IST
He is making his debut as a director with the upcoming Dabangg but he is not new to this industry in any way. Abhinav Kashyap assisted in the making of 2004 film Yuva; he wrote the dialogues for Manorama Six Feet Under and 13B, he also co-wrote the film Jung. All said and done, making a debut and that too with Salman Khan is definitely something to talk about and an experience worth recording. Creating a character like Chulbul Pandey and showcasing Sallu bhai in a never seen before avatar has taken the entire nation by storm. If we say it’s the most awaited film till now, it would be a massive understatement.
Bollywood Hungama gives all you Dabangg fans an exclusive opportunity to chat up with director Abhinav Kashyap. Log on to our celebrity video chat on Wednesday, September 8, at 1500 hrs IST and ask him all your questions!
MQM, ANP delegations meet Indian FM
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani politicians called on visiting Indian External Minister S M Krishna here on Friday.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) delegation was the first who met with Krishna followed by ANP delegation.
Talking to media after a meeting, MQM leader Farooque Sattar said terrorism is a regional issue and India should also come forward to meet the challenge.
He called for positive talks between Pakistan and India adding that all contentious issues including Kashmir should be discussed in the process of talks.
He said the party delegation urged the Indian minister for arrangement of the visa facility in Karachi. He said the delegation also talked over boosting bilateral trade ties and making the SAARC forum more effective. He said the Indian foreign minister denied any deadlock in the talks.
Indian External Minister invited MQM delegation to visit New Delhi. Later, a three-member delegation of ANP comprised of Haji Adeel, Hashmi Baber and Tajuddin met Krishna.
India wasn’t ready for talks: Qureshi
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said Indian officials were not mentally prepared for the talks. As a result, the talks ended without any development.
Addressing a news briefing here on Friday, Qureshi said the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and FM S.M Krishna were ready for the talks a night earlier, but the whole scenario has been changed in the morning.
He said that he did not have to contact anyone during the dialogues while the Indian FM S.M Krishna was taking instructions from New Delhi on regular basis. This attitude shows that India was not mentally prepared for the talks, he added.
Qureshi said Pakistan is ready for meaningful dialogues; however, open mindedness is needed for the success of dialogues and progress.
It was said unlikely Pakistan, the Indian delegation was inflexible and refused to discuss issues of core concern to Pakistan including Kashmir dispute.
FM Qureshi said India will always find Pakistan positive and constructive but it is not possible for Pakistan to neglect national interests.
FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna ended almost seven hours of talks in Islamabad on Thursday with no common ground but reiterating their known positions on thorny issues such as Jammu and Kashmir.
India wants to usher new era of ties with Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said the focus of both India and Pakistan in the recent negotiations remained on the restoration of composite Indo-Pak dialogues, Geo News reported Thursday.
Addressing a joint press conference along with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir, she said her country wanted to begin a new chapter of relations in this regard.
The Indian official said the dialogues were held in constructive and conducive environment where viewpoints of both parties were given weight.
She said the thought was given to restoring the trust between the two countries, so that path could be paved for the comprehensive dialogues, adding India talked to Pakistan on restoration of bilateral ties and bridging the gap between the two countries.
“The issue relating terrorism was of course one of the principal topic during the talks. And both the countries will have to work in sync to eliminate the menace,’ she stressed.
Speaking on the occasion, Salman said Pakistan visit by the Indian Foreign Secretary to work out for the meeting of Foreign Ministers is important.
Pankaj Kapoor is first Indian actor to dub at Canongate Studio in Edinburg
For his starrer Happi directed by Bhavna Talwar, where Pankaj Kapoor plays the Charlie Chaplinesque role of homeless tramp in Mumbai, most of the dialogues and sounds have been captured live. However, some vital portions of the brilliant actor’s lines had to be dubbed in a studio.
Since Kapoor had to leave for Scotland to shoot for his first directorial venture, it was suggested that he dub the vital lines in Edinburgh at one of the poshest post-production studios in the world.
This week Pankaj Kapoor created recording history by being the first Indian actor to dub at the Canongate Studio in Edinburgh.
Speaking on behalf of Pankaj Kapoor, the film’s producer Sheetal Talwar said, “This is the studio where Sean Connery dubs for all his films. We needed to dub just a handful of Pankaj-ji’s lines. So we decided, why not do it at one at of the best post-production studios in the world since we were shooting right next to it.”
Pankaj Kapoor was accompanied to the world-famous recording studio by his son Shahid Kapoor who wanted to get a feel of the way voices are dubbed in a studio that has recorded Connery’s baritone for decades.
US Supports Pak-India Dialogues: Richard Holbrooke
November 24, 2009 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
US special envoy on Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke says US will urge India and Pakistan to resume their dialogue, adding that US would support them if they decided to resume the talks but Washington was not willing to play the role of a midwife.
Holbrooke during a briefing in Washington said that US would cooperate with Afghan government, adding that US civilian aid would help in Pakistan’s development.
Responding to a question about how the US could balance its ties with India and Pakistan when both were suspicious of each other, Holbrooke noted that ‘all Americans were delighted’ with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s current visit to Washington. ‘But no one in Pakistan should see this as a diminution of the importance we attach to them,’ he said. He said that US would take positive steps to end poppy cultivation in Afghanistan.
US Supports Pak-India Dialogues: Richard Holbrooke was first posted on November 24, 2009 at 4:13 pm.
No Black Water In Pakistan: Foreign Office
September 17, 2009 by Trend PK
Filed under Breaking News
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office Spokesman, Abdul Basit said Indian propaganda against Pakistan cannot succeed.
In a weekly press briefing on Thursday, he said that Indo-Pak Foreign Ministers are likely to hold talks in New York, however the date and venue for the talks is yet to be finalized; and that it may be hoped that dialogue will yield positive outcomes.
“Pakistan Foreign Minister will hold the dialogues with a positive attitude.”
Abdul Basit denied the presence of any organisation in the country called ‘Black Water’ adding that Islamabad is taking the issues of terrorism seriously.
The spokesman informed that regarding terrorism French President will soon visit the country.
When asked to comment on a letter, sent to the DG ISI of Pakistan’s Ambassador to US Husain Haqqani, and the Foreign Secretary, he replied that it is a confidential issue and he would not comment on it.
Pakistan does not agree with the term of ‘AF-PAK’, he concluded.
No Black Water In Pakistan: Foreign Office was first posted on September 17, 2009 at 1:44 pm.
©2009 “News Trends“.
