Dum Maaro Dum lands up in controversy once again
For years, whenever one heard of ‘Dum Maaro Dum’, one would recollect the hippy looking Zeenat Aman singing the famous track from the super hit film Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Circa 2011… today when one hears Dum Maaro Dum, there are so many first that comes to the person’s mind. On one hand, there’s Deepika and her booty-licious body that gyrates to the groovy track, followed by controversies galore!
Just couple of days after controversies surrounding Dum Maaro Dum settled down, the producers seem to have step into another tricky situation. This time, it’s in the form of Frankfinn Institute, one of the high-flying institutes that groom youngsters for aerial jobs. Reportedly, Samir Valia, Frankfinn’s Vice President said that when Fox Star Studio had approached them for having an in film branding, they were game for the same, and they shared their logos, and trademarks and other required material. But when they realized that the overall portrayal of the airhostess shown in the film does not mirror the quality and standards that they impart to their students, they refused the offer for in film branding.
What then shocked Valia was the fact that the filmmakers apparently made a logo which was strikingly similar to theirs! Valia, when he filed the case, said that, his institute does not intend to stall the resale of the film or anything of that sort. But they do want to remove the tarnishing and damaging portions from the film.
Further details regarding the case are awaited.
Sudhir Mishra cries foul against censors for Tera Kya Hoga Johny
Sudhir Mishra has just fought a long and hard battle with the censor board again! This time its over the content of his latest much-delayed ensemble drama Tera Kya Hoga Johny.
Apparently, the censor board objected to a sequence showing a police-man trying to rape the young hero (Sikandar Aggarwal) in custody. Sudhir not only put his foot down, he refused to cut down the sequence.
Laments the veteran-auteur, “Why does this always happen to me? It’s almost as if there’s a separate censorship code for me from other filmmakers. Invariably my films get into a situation on matters that are allowed to remain in other people’s films.”
Sudhir finds it strange that the censors objected to a sequence of atrocity in police custody. “It isn’t as if I was showing something that doesn’t happen. And I didn’t even show the boy being sodomized. I showed the cop attempting it. The boy escapes. But so many real-life under-age delinquents go through unmentionable torture. Are we not supposed to show that?”
In another sequence, a cop shoots a man and says it happened because his hand accidentally moved on the trigger.
Says Sudhir, “They also wanted me to delete all the maa-bahen ki galis. As if we haven’t seen characters abusing in other films! I really don’t understand these double standards.”
Rather than fight a long battle with the censors Sudhir Mishra agreed to accept an ‘Adults’ certificate with relatively lesser cuts.
Says Sudhir, “I had two choices. I could fight a battle or accept an ‘A’ certificate with fewer cuts. There was no time for a fight. I took the ‘A’ certificate. But I feel we need to have more uniform rules of censorship.”
On a happier note, the film’s leading man Neil Nitin Mukesh has finally agreed to do some promotional activities for the film. And yes the film’s young protagonist, the real-life street child Sikandar is 19 now.
Says the proud surrogate-father, “Sikandar is good on the computer. He’s qualified to take up a job. But he wants to continue living out of my office where I put him up after picking him up from the streets of Kolkata to play a role in my film.”
Posters of Guzaarish rouses protest from doctors
Being famous comes with a certain bit of responsibility and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is certainly realising that. Her upcoming film Guzaarish is already marred with controversies and the film is yet to release. What with the film’s posters creating a stir within the medical community.
The posters of Guzaarish show the stunning Ash holding a cigarette as she gazes at Hrithik Roshan. The idea of it hasn’t gone down well with the doctors who believe that this gives out a wrong impression to the youth of India. Ash being an extremely popular with the youth, they are deemed to follow suit if they see her smoke.
Apart from being miffed with the movie producers, the medicos are also upset with the BEST, for allowing the posters to be displayed on their buses.
As a mark of protest, Doctors for You, a non-profit-organisation has decided to wear black badges on day of the release of the film.
In 2005, Union Minister of Health, Dr Anbhumani Ramadoss, had banned on-screen smoking but that ban was revoked in 2009. Now, Dr. PC Gupta from the Healis Sekhasaria Institute of Public Health plans to send a letter to Aishwarya requesting her not to use this particular scene for promotion as it wrongly promotes smoking as an act.
Will the filmmakers take this in the right spirit and withdraw this promotional material is yet to be seen.
dora the explorer illegal immigrant
May 22, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
dora the explorer illegal immigrant
As a resident of the state of the Arizona, I have been following the recent immigration law passed with some interest. Many have expressed concern over the new law, and many are trying to boycott the state of Arizona. I even attended a 30 Seconds To Mars concert over the last weekend here where the artist said on stage that he and his band should boycott the state and not do the show. He did it anyway because he didn’t want to punish concert goers who he had to postpone on once already.
The composite photo, which was created by Debbie Groben of Sarasota, FL, was not intended as a political commentary. Instead, Groben, who is against the new anti-immigration law, said she was inspired to create the image last year for the fake news web site FreakingNews.com.
Interestingly, this image and other similar one, are being used by both sides of the immigration debate. Dora is non-threatening and relatable. But she’s also, presumably, foreign (although she speaks Spanish and English, the show never explicitly states her ethnic or national heritage).
“Dora is kind of like a blank screen onto which people can project their thoughts and feelings about Latinos,” Erynn Masi de Casanova, a sociology professor at the University of Cincinnati, told the Associated Press. “They feel like they can say negative things because she’s only a cartoon character.”
Some anti-immigration web sites see the character, whom they assume is a migrant from Mexico, as part of a larger conspiracy to convince Americans to welcome Hispanics.
Last month, Arizona passed a law requiring police, in the context of enforcing other laws, to question people about their immigration status if they have reasonable suspicion they are in the country illegally.
The depictions, whether through irony or protest, are being used by those who oppose and support Arizona’s law. On one hand she’s a likable symbol who many can relate to, and at the same time, perceived as an outsider who doesn’t belong anywhere.
It’s not the first time a children’s character has been dragged into a serious debate.
In the late 1990s, Tinky Winky the Teletubby, a purple children’s TV character with a triangle antenna – was called out by Christian leaders for being gay. Sesame Street roommates Bert and Ernie are often involved in statements on same-sex marriage.
men in black
May 22, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
The official companion book to the sci-fi comedy adventure. Included in this book are the complete Ed Solomon screenplay and more than 150 full-color photos, along with production design artwork and the behind-the-scenes story of how the film was made. A special bonus section, The Official MIB Agent’s Manual, features profiles of America’s “Most Wanted Aliens,” a Weapons Catalog, a Field Placement Evaluation for new recruits, and the MIB Dress Code. 150 color photos, drawings.
The Newmarket Pictorial Moviebooks, official companions to films, large format (8 3/8 x 10 7/8), heavily illustrated throughout, with color photographs, details on the making of the film, background on the filmmakers and cast
Vidhu Vinod Chopra to launch book division documenting screenplays of classics
In the West, it’s quite common to get hold of books featuring the screenplays of some of the really popular films. However, closer home, the trend of releasing the official screenplay of a film in the form of a book is not too common.
Late last year, Vidhu Vinod Chopra launched the book ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai- The Original Screenplay’ which featured the complete screenplay of the cult classic. Now the maverick filmmaker plans to continue this tradition even further and plans to release books of not just films made under his banner but also of timeless classics like Mother India, Pyaasa, Kagaz Ke Phool etc. These books will not just feature the original screenplay of the film but also sections such as deleted scenes, casting process and everything else that went into the making of the film. The books will be released through a new division created under Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s banner.
The first film to be catalogued in this form will be Chopra’s blockbuster 3 Idiots. When contacted, Vidhu Vinod Chopra confirmed the news saying, “Yes, I wish to catalogue the screenplays of classics.”
One will have to wait and watch if other filmmakers also follow suit in documenting the screenplays of their films in the form of a book.
Katrina Kaif With Shahrukh? Salman not Fuming
October 1, 2009 by Trend PK
Filed under Entertainment
MUMBAI: Dream merchants in 
Bollywood are working overtime to whip out the most sensational casting coup in years.
Efforts are on to pair up Katrina Kaif with none other than Shahrukh Khan for a film.
Yashraj Films have reportedly been trying to rope in Kat with their blue-eyed-no-longer-boy SRK. Now Karan Johar has joined the queue.
K-Jo said that Shahrukh and Katrina are the actors with the most romantic image in Hindi film industry presently. When quizzed if he wants to cast them together in a film, Johar, the enterprising producer that he is, did not rule out the possibility.
If indeed the efforts of these filmmakers come to fruition, we might see Katrina and Shahrukh romancing each other on screen sooner than expected. The on-screen match is now all the more possible, because Salman Khan, Katrina’s beau, has made it clear that he has absolutely no objection to Katrina working with anyone “except one idiot” (Sallu clarified he’s not SRK) in the industry.
So the door is open. All that the filmmakers have to do is come up with the right script that brings SRK and Kat together. For Sallu surely won’t be fuming.
Katrina Kaif With Shahrukh? Salman not Fuming was first posted on October 1, 2009 at 6:11 pm.
