Bollywood And Propaganda

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->UP govt to consider ban on 'Mangal Pandey'

August 14, 2005 19:21 IST

The Uttar Pradesh government will consider a ban on Mangal Pandey - The Rising starring Aamir Khan in the state if the movie did not exclude 'distorted historical facts' regarding the life of Pandey, the hero of 1857 First War of Independence, Minister for State for Cooperatives Shardanand Anchal said in Ballia on Sunday.

"The government will consider a ban on the screening of the film in the state if distorted historical facts are not taken out," Anchal told PTI.

Anchal said that the state government had taken the alleged distortion 'very seriously' and would like the director and producer of the film to 'correct them or else the film would be banned in the state'.

Convenor of the Mangal Pandey Manch and Samajwadi Party legislator Vikramaditya Pandey also said that party member of Parliament Janeshwar Mishra would be raising the matter in the Rajya Sabha.

The film could not be released in Mangal Pandey's native district Ballia following protests over 'distortion of facts'.

Local intellectuals, theatre personalities and students have launched a campaign against the film for what they termed 'distortion of historical facts and no reference to his native village, Nagwa' in the film.

They have been staging a protest since the past three days before the hall where the film was slated for release on Saturday, after which the management cancelled the shows.

The protestors also damaged a shop selling cassettes and CDs of the film in the district besides stalling a goods train on its way to Chapra (Bihar) for about half an hour and staged a sit-in on the Ballia-Barriya highway.

The administration was keeping a close watch on the situation, official sources said.

http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/14mangal.htm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Aamir Khan slams Narendra Modi

May 14, 2006 17:54 IST

Bollywood star Aamir Khan, who had to face the ire of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress workers in Gujarat when he had joined the protest against Narmada Dam last month, has slammed the Narendra Modi government for its alleged failure to control violence in Vadodara recently.

During an interactive interview to the BBC Asian Network's new Hindi/Urdu show, Khan also criticised US president George Bush for his Iraq policy.

'I think it is (Vadodara incident) very sad and what happened in Gujarat a few years ago was also equally unfortunate. It's a shame that the administration is not able to control the situation there and it is resulting in deaths of innocent people,' according to a BBC transcript of the interview.

'It doesn't matter which religion these victims belong to. The bottom line is they are all human beings. It seems to me that the law and order machinery or the administration is simply not capable of controlling the situation," Khan said, responding to a query from a fan.

To a query on Iraq, the Bollywood star said, "I think what Bush is doing is absolutely wrong. In my opinion, what people in Iraq want should be decided by themselves and not some outside forces. The US troops had invaded Iraq saying Saddam Hussein possessed the weapons of mass destruction, but we all know that it wasn't true."

Khan strongly advocated close co-operation between Indian and Pakistani artistes and said he can consider acting in a Pakistani movie if the offer is right.

"There is lot of talents both in India and Pakistan. I think the talents of both these two countries should come together and entertain the world audience. If the right offer and opportunity come my way, I will love to do a movie in Pakistan," Khan said.

Khan had last month surprised the protestors against the Narmada Dam under the leadership of Medha Patkar when he suddenly joined them at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to lend his support to their cause.

The move, however, evoked sharp reaction from workers of both BJP and Congress in Gujarat who stalled the screening of his latest film Rang De Basanti in the state in protest against his siding with Narmada Bachao Andolan.

http://www.rediff.com//news/2006/may/14aamir.htm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Funny how we never saw Aamir Khan coming out and slamming Mulayam for the Mau and Lucknow riots (Muslim initiated) and Y.S Rajashekar Reddy for Hyderabad disturbances (Muslim initiated) but he is ready to slam Modi.

[agnivayu]

Hindus need to stop watching movies made by Muslim radicals. What the hell is wrong with the people ?

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Story of cross-border love woos Bollywood

(AFP)

18 May 2006

MUMBAI -The story of forbidden love between two young couples from India and Pakistan has inspired a new Bollywood project about their plight, according to a report on Thursday.

Two Indian girls were halted by security forces last week as they tried to cross the Line of Control dividing the disputed territory of Kashmir to meet their Pakistani boyfriends.

Asha Patel, 24, from the northern outskirts of Mumbai, contacted Mumtaz Khalid from Lahore four years ago on the Internet but had managed only one snatched border meeting.

Last week she was thwarted again as she tried to cross the highly militarised border with her friend and turned back.

The incident inspired Bollywood -- which is rarely slow to pick up on reAl life incidents and turn them rapidly into movies -- for a new film tagged “Hindu”.

“All stories are inspired from some real incident. This is a great story to be told on what actually happened,” producer Salim Aftab told the English-language Midday newspaper.

“I plan to shoot some parts of this film in Pakistan.”

Aftab has already made Sun Zarra (Hear Me, Please) in Bollywood, as Mumbai’s movie industry is commonly known, but the film bombed at the box office.

He told the newspaper his son-in-law would play the male lead role in the film. Other roles have yet to be finalised.

India and Pakistan have held peace talks since January 2004 to resolve their dispute over Kashmir, the cause of two of their three wars since independence in 1947.

More than 44,000 people have been killed during the insurgency in the Indian-controlled zone since 1989.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle...on=subcontinent<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The name of the other wh*re is:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Asha Patel of Mumbai and Asha Sharma of Haldwani in Nanital, Uttar Pradesh, were arrested at Chakan da Bagh - the last Indian point on the LoC in Poonch - on Rawlakote road when they tried to cross over to the Pakistani side where their boyfriends waited for them Saturday.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?I...S&Topic=%2D375&<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It ain't surprising at all, especially when we have daughter's of armymen like that traitor Admiral Ramdas's daughter running off and marrying Paki Muslims and Bollywood is quick to use it for propaganda purposes like this so that they can brainwash young Hindus into mindless morons like the Bidwai's and Roy's.

[Guest]

<!--emo&:argue--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/argue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='argue.gif' /><!--endemo--> 'Fanaa' not be screened in Gujarat multiplexes
Source: PTI. Image Source: AFP


Ahmedabad, May 23 : Fearing attacks on theatres in the state, the Multiplex Association of Gujarat has decided not to screen Bollywood actor Aamir Khan's forthcoming film 'Fanaa' in multiplexes across the state.

"Multiplexes across Gujarat will not screen `Fanaa' which will hit theatres this Friday," Manubhai S Patel, the president of multiplex association of Gujarat told PTI.

The decision of the Association comes after violent protests were witnessed in different cities of Gujarat, including Ahmedabad and Vadodara, after Aamir made certain remarks against the Gujarat government and Chief Minister Narendra Modi few weeks back.

"This decision has been taken after 22 members of our association consisting of representatives from different multiplexes met two days back and arrived at a consensus on the matter," Patel added.

Patel, who is also the chairman of city-based multiplex Wide Angle, said some of the multiplexes in Gujarat had to stop the screening of Aamir Khan's film 'Rang De Basanti' mid-way after an agitation against the actor over his remarks in connection with the Narmada dam intensified.

"We do not want the property of multiplexes to be damaged nor do we want movie-buffs coming to see other movies harrassed in any manner," Patel said.

He, however, said that there was no political interference in the decision.

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->After Shabana Azmi spoke in favour of Aamir Khan, who has been at the receiving end of the BJP's antagonism following his stand on the Narmada issue, it is Hrithik Roshan who has stood up for the actor. Hrithik, who has always kept away from controversy says in his defence of Aamir, “I am ashamed to live in a country where one political party can use the power given to them ‘by the people’ to try and punish and rob a person of his own democratic rights just because he believes in a righteous cause that goes against their own interests.”

Hrithik has been reading about the on-going controversy, about Aamir’s refusal to apologise to the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat, and the subsequent ban on his film Fanaa in the state. Responding to Modi's decision, Hrithik reasons, “The concerned party has shown the highest level of immaturity by trying to use muscle by stopping the screening of Fanaa.” A large part of the industry feels that this is a political move to discourage actors and people related to entertainment from voicing their opinions in public. They also believe that by banning Aamir's Fanaa the film will suffer a financial loss. “Of course, it is an attempt to scare Aamir off, and also threaten the film fraternity against similar attempts in future. What is ridiculous is that they have not even understood what he is standing up for,” says Hrithik.

Aamir Khan, champions the cause of rehabilitation of those to be displaced by the Narmada dam, has been targeted, according to Hrithik. “Aamir is not against the dam,” Hrithik explains. “He has placed a very simple and human demand. He wants the rehabilitation of the concerned people. It's preposterous… I mean what kind of IQ do these gentlemen have?” he questions.

Currently busy with the promotion of his film Krissh, Hrithik Roshan has little time for anything else. But he feels deeply for Aamir's cause He fears that if Aamir is subjected to this discrimination, any film can be victim to similar political dramas. “These politicians are behaving like bullies!” Hrithik says. “It seems that they are still in school… what else can I say? I guess they need to grow up. I am with Aamir all the way,” he concludes.

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/mmpape...529200622104890<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->'I'm proud of what Aamir did'

Shabana arrived in London on May 27 and through TV got to hear about the blocking of Fanaa in Gujarat by BJP activists.

Shabana is shocked. "The attack on Aamir Khan must be condemned in the strongest words possible because it is completely unjustified. Vested interests have been attempting to turn his remarks for the rehabilitation of project affected people in the Narmada dam into remarks against Gujarat.”

“Aamir has only said what the Supreme Court has said. It is insane to ask him to apologise for his remarks that have been twisted out of context on the basis of canard and innuendo.”

“I am very proud of what Aamir has done – joined issue in giving voice to the voiceless. Any attempts to harm him and intimidate him will only make his resolve stronger to fight for social justice. The film industry needs to stand solidly behind Aamir Khan and recognise that it is crucial to express solidarity with him. Today it is Aamir, tomorrow it can be XYZ."

It's not that Shabana has any issues on people protesting against Aamir. "In a democracy the right to protest is an intrinsic freedom. If people wish to demonstrate against Aamir Khan by holding placards outside the theatre showing Fanaa it is acceptable. However threats of violence should be dealt with firmly by the State and firm measures should be taken to maintain law and order. It is the State's business to ensure that those citizens who wish to see the film should have the freedom to do so. No political party has the right to jeopardise a film that has been duly cleared by the central board of film certification".
www.indianexpress.com <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It is interesting to note that the pimp Mahesh Bhatt (who took a fancy to his own daughter if I remember correctly), Shabana Azmi and Hrithik and other's were nowhere to be seen when Da Vinci Code was banned in several Indian states. Now coming to Gujarat, I don't think the movie is banned, the BJP took a stand and said that it shouldn't be shown and the distributors guaging the public mood decided not to do it, a ban is when the gov't officially bans it not when people volunatrily mass boycott something. Nextly if Hrithik is so ashamed to live in India then I will be glad to provide him a one way ticket to pakiland where he can hang out with Dawood and his cronies.

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->A tale of two Khans - Feroze and Amir

By Ashok Chowgule

http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/

Two of the Khans of the film world made statements that were deemed to
be controversial. One issue died down almost as quickly as it was
raised, the other lingered.



The first statement was made by Feroz Khan in Pakistan. The occasion
was the official release of an Indian film in Pakistan after a long
time. Official because such films are banned by the government, but the
pirated versions were doing good business. As per a report in a
Pakistani publication, the anchor of the show asked a 'sensitive
question' to Manisha Koirala and when she 'squirmed', the anchor
'sarcastically offered to change the subject.' Feroz Khan could not
absorb what was going on, and so he said: "We have a Muslim President
and Sikh Prime Minister in India, but in Pakistan Muslims kill Muslims."
This was supposed to be a controversial statement.



The second statement was made by Amir Khan in India, when he said that
he supported the programme of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) which is
agitating that the dams in the Narmada Valley schemes are not completed.
Of course, he said that his objection was not to the dam per se, but
that it should not be at the 'expense' of improper rehabilitation of the
displaced persons. The people of Gujarat were upset at this support,
since for the state the water that will be available will be a big
relief to many parts, particularly the drought areas of Saurashtra.
They have been agitated with the delays caused by the antiques of NBA.
Both the main political parties in the state strongly condemned Amirji
saying essentially that he does not know what he is talking about.



One of the actions taken was to ask the film distributors not to show
Amirji's latest film "Fanaa" in the various cinema houses in Gujarat.
It appears that the distributors, gauging the mood of the people, have
agreed to do so. The Government of Gujarat has not taken any official
position on the issue.



So, what was the reaction of the various people to the two statements.
The Pakistani publication said that Ferozji's son and brother tried to
'calm down' the actor. Perhaps the reaction is best summed up by the
statement made by Mahesh Bhatt, a renowned director of Hindi films, to
the publication. He said: "We are all extremely shocked with this
incident and it was certainly not expected from Feroz Khan. The entire
team of Indians was extremely apologetic to the Pakistanis for Feroz
Khan's remarks and behaviour."



Ferozji has made no personal apology for what he said, and the position
now is that he is banned from entering Pakistan. Not only the film
industry have been conspicuous by their silence in the whole issue, the
secular intellectuals have competed with them to see who maintains a
greater silence.



But in case of Amirji? Silence is the last option that will be used.
Amirji thinks he has made his case stronger by criticising the Gujarat
Government in its handling of the demolition of an old dargah recently
in the city of Vadodara. Along with many temples, and a couple of small
mosques, the objective of the demolition was to widen the roads in the
city. These temples and mosques created no resistance, but the dargah
did. In the rioting that followed, two Muslims were killed in police
firing. However, two Hindus were killed by Muslims as part of their
protest - a fact that will be as deligently buried as the statement by
Ferozji. One Muslim was also killed by the Hindus as a reaction - a
fact that will be used to potray that innocent Muslims are in grave
danger in Gujarat.



So, for many in the media and Bollywood, since Amirji has projected
himself as against the present Gujarat government, he has suddenly
become a hero. And Mahesh Bhatt has filed a Public Interest Litigation
(PIL) in the courts asking that the Government of Gujarat be directed to
ensure that the film is released in the state. Various film
personalities, who were silent in case of Ferozji, have said that they
think that Amirji has said nothing wrong.



But did Amirji say anything wrong? He has based his opinion on what the
NBA has to say on the subject, and it seems that he has not done any
independent investigation of his own. He has chosen to ignore reports
about the rehabilitation of the displaced persons, and, more
importantly, ignored reports about how NBA is forcing many people not to
accept the rehabilitation package. Critical observers (some who are
also political opponents of the present Gujarat Government) have
commented quite favourably about the work done so far.



Here it is pertinent to take into account what Amirji has to say about
what some of the active supporters of NBA have to say on the issue of
the soft drink Coca Cola. It alleges that the bottling plant in Kerala
has caused damage to the availability of drinking water and also made it
harmful for consumption. Since Amirji endorses the product through
advertisements, and since he says that in case of the Narmada dam he is
speaking 'for the rights of the poor farmer', some newspapers asked him
whether this was not double standards. Amirji has said that he is
making his own investigation about the allegation made against Coca
Cola, and that in a month or two he will come out with his own
definitive conclusions. (It is hoped that the media will contact him
after the expiry of the period, so that the people of India get to know
his wise words on the issue.)



So, when it comes to Coca Cola, Amirji will not accept the statements of
the active supporters of NBA. But will do so when it comes to issues
relating to the Narmada dam. Perhaps if he did accept the allegations
against Coca Cola, not only would he (and perhaps many others in the
film industry) have a significant monetary loss, but also he would not
have been the darling of the secular intellectuals as he is presently.



One of the newer channels got him in front of their cameras in their
studio, for what was billed as the first live interview of the actor.
Ferozji received no such courtesy. Long interviews of Amirji have
appeared in various publications, but not of Ferozji. And the thrust of
all these interviews is to project the Government of Gujarat in a bad
light.



Another issue which exposes the political agenda of Amirji is his stand
on the travails of the Kashmiri Pandits who have been ethnically
cleansed from the Kashmir Valley in 1989. In a recent comment that has
come from him, it appears that it is only very recently (that is after
he has expressed his concern about the 'poor farmers' being displaced
from the Narmad Valley) that he is aware of such a thing happening. And
he has said that he will be 'soon' visiting the squalid camps where they
are living all these years. (Mahesh Bhatt had made a similar promise
some four years ago, and he has yet to fulfill it.)



This whole episode has once again exposed the hollowness of the practice
of secularism in India. It is not only Amirji who stands indicted, but
also his so-called supporters in the film industry, as well as those who
go under the rubric of intellectuals. And even as there is a call to
the film distributors in Gujarat to lift their ban, there is a silence
with respect to the ban on the film "Da Vinci Code" in the states of
Meghalaya, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, allegedly because the
sentiments of Christians in India have been hurt. No on asks how is it
that the sentiments of Christians in Christian countries, where the film
is released, have not been hurt. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Fanaa is a rare Hindi mainstream film that is radical enough to talk of the possibility of a referendum in Kashmir. Yes, the ‘jehadis’ eventually meet their logical end, the universe doesn’t really get disturbed, the status quo is firmly maintained but there are at least two instances where the right to self-determination of ‘Azad Kashmir’ is pitched for, otherwise an absolute no-no in popular cinema. Now, if only Kunal Kohli had made these contentious and political debates more loud, clear and intense. If only the issue of terrorism in Kashmir, its causes and effects had been looked at more intently. Instead, he turns terrorist operations into a James Bond kind of thriller, the seriousness and severity of the situation getting lost in caricaturisation.

http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodna...=Showtime&sid=1<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The Bad

Now we come to the holes in the story. Fanaa makes a political statement that the filmmakers were desperate to fit in.

Desperate enough to have us believe that a forty plus looking terrorist being hunted by more than one government of the world could enroll into the Indian army, serve in it for seven years and become a captain in an elite commando unit..

Desperate enough to have us believe that a nuclear missile and a warhead could be easily stolen by terrorists from India.

Quiet clearly the film makers of Fanaa have no clue as to how the defense forces that guard their freedom operate.

The Ugly

The ugly of Fanaa can be simply stated - It glorifies terrorism and it suggests that the movement for Independence in Kashmir is justified.

For me both the above are very ugly. There is and can be no glory in terrorism and nothing that compromises the integrity of India can be justified.

The most ugly scene in the film is where Tabu, playing the role of a senior intelligence officer of the Indian government, in an official meeting tells a minister that the movement for independence in Kashmir is rooted in India’s refusal to hold a plebiscite as per its promise!

Tabu’s statement on Kashmir was not just history quoted out of context but also injected out of context in the scene. The rebuttal to her statement was rushed and inadequate and the fact that Tabu retained her job following her outburst is a nuance that suggests she spoke some truth and her conduct was acceptable.

There were other scenes. For example, when Rehan tells Zooni’s that he is a terrorist because his grand father is forcing him to be one. There is no rebuttal by Zooni suggesting that terrorists can be forgiven because they are forced into terrorism.

http://news.sawf.org/Bollywood/13580.aspx<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Moron Hindus made it a big hit, it would be interesting to see if these people would like to go live in Kashmir after the plebiscite.

[Guest]

email to Aajtak by a IF member
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Dear Prabhu Chawlaji:

I watched with interest your Seedhi Baat episode with Shatrughan Sinha. In that you concluded that Aamir Khan's credibility was far greater than Shatrughan Sinha or even the Bharatiya Janata Party. While partially you may be correct - Aamir Khan being a popular actor has charm that can belie any seriousness or depth in perception. Shatrughan Sinha on the other hand presented three bullet points which left people of Gujarat distraught. Leading that thought was Aamir's association and using the NBA as a platform. It is no secret that people of Gujarat perceive the NBA as "anti-Gujarat" for reasons more than the Sardar Sarovar Dam. While "aam junta" outside Gujarat may be forgiven for falling for the charms of popular actor, it was disappointing to see you fall hook, line and sinker for what Shatrughan Sinha described as his third bullet point - emotional appeal. The episode felt as if you wanted to push your endorsement of Aamir Khan (focussed solely on emotional appaeal) , rather than your guest's opposition (quantified carefully in three points). Do you really think Aamir Khan knows what the hell he is talking about?
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Shocking: Mallika, Bebo Flop! </b>
By Subhash K Jha
<b>Going by the dismal fate of the latest Bollywood concert Rock Stars abroad it would be a long time before any organizer or stars would dare to venture into a world tour abroad. </b>

Last week the last stop for the<b> Rock Stars entourage—Salman Khan, John Abraham, Mallika Sherawat, Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor</b>—turned out to be a nightmare that the stars aren't likely to forget.

<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>"There was almost nil attendance!" says a shell-shocked source. " </span><!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->  The show at Wembley in London had to be cancelled because there was hardly anyone there to see our so-called Rock Stars! <b>In all 500-600 people turned up to watch our great entourage. You should've seen the expression on their faces.</b>

On the evening before at Birmingham the attendance was hardly any better. There were around 15,00 people in all. Fortunately the show at Birmingham didn't have to be cancelled.

But what happened at Wembley has sobered and cautioned our entire Bollywood fraternity.I don't think the stars are likely to go on concert tours for a long long long time to come."

The worst blow was yet to come. <b>Sahara India had acquired tv filming rights of the cancelled concert</b>. <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

<b>"Their expensive equipment and large crew had to return without any footage. There's a lot of financial accounting to be done. The organizers haven't even started counting their losses in the UK as yet,"</b> says the source.

So is it a no-no for Bollywood concerts abroad? "For others stars? Yes, they're unlikely to go for a long time after this experience," says the source. <b>"But if it's a concert featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai tickets will sell like hot cakes any time."</b>

Salman Khan and John Abraham returned to Mumbai on Monday. Shahid and Kareena are expected back later during the week."
www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp?pid=10964 <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

People are tired of these idiots. Propaganda is not working anymore.

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Filmdom looks ahead to cross-border ‘leap’
- wall breaks, brick by brick ASHWANI TALWAR

New Delhi, June 21: The dropping of a single paragraph from Pakistan’s censor code has raised hopes that Islamabad could be on the way to lifting a 40-year ban on Indian films.

Reports from Islamabad say the government has scrapped the “notorious” para 5 in Form B that exhibitors fill up while seeking the censors’ clearance for a film made abroad.

Under this paragraph, the exhibitors had to affirm “that the film has neither been wholly nor partly exposed in any Pakistani or Indian language depicting Pakistani or Indian way of living nor leading roles have been played by Pakistani or Indian artistes”.

The Pakistani media interpreted this amendment to the Censorship of Films Rules, 1980, as lifting of the ban on Indian actors in Pakistani films and on India-Pakistan joint ventures.

But film circles in India and Pakistan would not go so far as to say this means an Indian film with Indian cast and “exposed” in an “Indian language” can now be shown across the border. They seem to agree though that there are no legal hurdles now to joint ventures starring Indian actors.

In time, they feel, the ban on Indian films will also go.

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt said the wall is being dismantled “brick by brick”. Bhatt, who has been lobbying for years against the ban and in favour of a freer cultural exchange between the two countries, called the development a “major leap”.

The ban won’t go overnight, he felt, because people needed to “absorb” the changes. When the presence of Indian actors in Pakistani movies — which the amendment seems to allow — boosts the Pakistani film industry, it will lead to the next step. A Pakistani actress, Meera, featured in one of Bhatt’s films, Nazar.

Trade analyst Komal Nahata was more cautious, but he too agreed the amendment will eventually lead to lifting of the ban. “Otherwise, why would they do this?” he asked.

Barring the odd waiver for a specific film, Indian films have not been seen legally in Pakistan since 1965. But they remain hugely popular and the DVD trade thrives.

In contrast, Pakistan’s film industry is in a downspin. Reports say cinema houses have been going out of business over the years and many exhibitors feel allowing Indian films is the only way to revive the industry.

Nahata thought it was unlikely that big Indian stars would act in Pakistani movies soon. “Nobody will be able to afford our actors,” he said. But there could be joint ventures with actors from both countries.

Bhatt said Indian actors and technicians should make use of the opportunity, even if it means making less money. Sometimes it is more important to get a footnote in history than to make money, he added.

The filmmaker was part of a delegation to Pakistan for the premiere of Akbar Khan’s Taj Mahal, billed as the first commercial release of an Indian film in Pakistan in four decades. But that film had got special clearance and the profits went to earthquake victims.

In earlier years, there have been a few screenings of select movies. But the ban has stayed.

www.thetelegraph.com <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It's bad news, before Bollywood used to get revenue losses because the Pakis used to watch the crappy movies on pirated dvd's and also get brainwashed by Bollywood mornism just like Hindus.

[Guest]

Now there will be more Muslim theme movies where they will openly name l dog "Hari or Ram" [check Hera Pheri]

[Guest]

Wonder what this commie b@stard has up his sleeve with this new movie! <!--emo&:mad--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo-->

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Kamal Haasan's Dasavatharam starts

Shobha Warrier | August 18, 2006 20:49 IST


Dasavatharam
   
The year-long preparation by one of India's greatest actors is finally over. Today, Kamal Haasan began shooting for Dasavatharam, one of the most talked about films in recent times. For the past year, Haasan has been travelling mainly to the US to perfect the make-up for the film, where he dons 10 get-ups like Lord Mahavishnu himself.

<b>The shooting was originally to take place at the 2000-year old Airavatheeshwarar temple near Kumbakonam</b>, but permission was denied as it was a heritage structure. So, for the last 15 days, 500 workers worked round the clock on a 5-acre plot at Muthukadu, a place on the East Coast Road in Chennai, to recreate the temple with the aid of art director Samir Chanda.

<b>Kamal Haasan will be a Vaishnavite saint at the temple in his first avatar, and acting with him will be the young Asin. Mallika Sherawat is also expected to join the crew by the end of this month.</b>

Haasan's former wife, Sarika, used to be his costume designer until they got separated. The role has now fallen on the shoulders of former actress Gowthami. Ravi Varman was supposed to be the cinematographer, but it is Jeeva who will now take charge. The music is by Himesh Reshammiya.

With Gowtham Menon's Vettayadu Vilayadu reaching theatres and K S Ravi Kumar's Dasavtharam finally rolling, it seems like exciting times ahead for those who love the films of Kamal Haasan.

<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[ramana]

From Telegraph, 18 August 2006

Link: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060818/asp/...ory_6624537.asp

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->KANK merits UK study
AMIT ROY
 
A scene from Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna 
London, Aug. 17: Karan Johar’s Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna may have had some mixed or even unkind reviews in India but today in Britain, where Bollywood is big and seemingly getting bigger by the day, it merited serious analysis on BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour.

The discussion ended with the programme’s long-time presenter Jennie Murray commenting that after the generous plug on Radio 4, “many people will want to see the film — I certainly do”.

Murray’s guests on the programme included two from Manchester, Shobna Gulati, an actress from the soap Coronation Street, and Rajinder Dudrah, who is “Senior Lecturer in Screen Studies” and “MA Screen Studies Programme Director” at Manchester University.

Dudrah, who is also the author of Bollywood: Sociology Goes to the Movies (Sage), knocked the notion that Bollywood movies featured only song and dance, and spoke knowledgeably about films with heavy sociological content such as Achhut Kanya (1936) and Mother India (1957).

<b>Dudrah told The Telegraph after emerging from the studio that he had seen KANK at the Star City multiplex in Birmingham over the weekend and that he would include the film in the subject he taught at Manchester University — “BA Film Studies with a course in Bollywood Cinema (1947 until today)”.

He said that he had 30 students doing the course at the undergraduate level. “All are white, middle-class students, boys and girls. I also have four MA students and two doing PhD.”</b>

“The fact that Bollywood is discussed on a mainstream Radio 4 programme, which is not just for women, not just for Asians, does take it into the mainstream,” he argued.

Gulati was included in the programme presumably because her name will be familiar to British television audiences, especially to millions of viewers of Coronation Street.

She recalled how as a child she was “dragged” by her parents to see such Hindi films as Sholay.

But Murray’s real interest was in “adultery” — did KANK break new ground by revealing extra-marital affairs was now as much a feature of Asian life as it was among the rest of the British population?

Here, opinion was divided. A BBC vox pop conducted among Indian viewers coming out of a Birmingham cinema had some women saying the film was far removed from their own experiences — one said that couples would “argue” rather than go off with someone else — while another said her “mum had cried a lot”.

<b>Dudrah pointed out that in the past, characters in adulterous relationships were conveniently “killed off”. This time sexual boundaries were crossed.</b>

Murray wanted to know if the “vamp” had won this time. She seemed happy to be reassured that the adulterous couple had “checked into a hotel”.
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[utepian]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->He said that he had 30 students doing the course at the undergraduate level. “All are white, middle-class students, boys and girls. I also have four MA students and two doing PhD.”<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There you go man, the stage is set for yeh dosti from Sholay to become an expression of homosexuality - pucca limp-phallus ishtyle!!

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->dosti from Sholay to become an expression of homosexuality - pucca limp-phallus ishtyle!! <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
When NCERT is writing books for young Indians with full pervertness, why they will leave their own masters UK. link<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->New Delhi: Lok Manya Tilak as a militant national and Subhash Chandra Bose as a terrorist, that's not all, <b>sexual innuendos, voyeurism and an ode to naxal poetry</b>, that's what makes up the syllabus for students now.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

Saw two movies last week - Hollywood "Day After Tomorrow" and Tamil "Indian".

Though the movies were on themes miles apart, coincidentally there was one striking similarity. In "Indian" there is a dog called Krishna and in Day After Tomorrow, there is a dog called Buddha.

Never came across any movie - Hollywood, Bollywood, or south-Indian - with dogs named after Jesus or Mohammed. (I am not suggesting there should be).

[Guest]

<b>Amitabh-Anil-Amar head to temple </b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->New Delhi: In a fresh series of temple visits, superstar Amitabh Bachchan visited the Tirupati Balaji temple on Sunday morning, accompanied by the two A's in his life. No, not soon-to-be-wed Abhishek and Aishwarya, but politician Amar Singh and industrialist Anil Ambani.

<b>The three of them made a donation of Rs 51 lakh each towards the education of poor children and hospital facilities in the locality.</b>

<b>Amitabh Bachchan reportedly placed an invitation card for Abhishek and Aishwarya's wedding at the feet of the deity</b>, that's just five days away now.
.............<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<b>Calling us Bollywood is derogatory: Naseeruddin, Om</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->"The term Bollywood was used to mock us by the western press. And it's just an indication of our own idiocy that we still use it," said Naseeruddin Shah, a winner of several national and international awards.

Om Puri, who received an Order of British Empire (OBE) for his acting talent from the British Queen, said "Bollywood, whenever western people refer to it, they mean Hindi films, they say 'Oh those song and dance films'. So it is a derogatory term. These terms are created by media."

Shah also urged the Indian media not to use the term 'Bollywood'.

"Now Bombay film industry refers to itself as Bollywood. It's like being called an idiot all your life and then making it your name," he said, adding "If you want to be a good citizen, first start stopping at the red light."

The Director of India-EU Film Initiative Pervaiz Alam, who interviewed the actors on stage later said "This is the reason we've started distancing from the term 'Bollywood' as more and more film-makers and actors from India are telling us not to use the term 'Bollywood'.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Finally, they are raising voice but they are still off. In reality, Western Media/country considers Indian Cinema as low class, low with content and story line. Recently I have started watching Korean cinema; in every aspect they are far better than Indian Cinema, whether it’s content, cinematography or sets.

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Jul 3 2007, 11:44 PM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Jul 3 2007, 11:44 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Recently I have started watching Korean cinema; in every aspect they are far better than Indian Cinema, whether it’s content, cinematography or sets.[right][snapback]70764[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Just vote with your wallet. Like Indian cinema suffers from christoislami psecular subversion of Hinduism, in Korea, the christoterrorists have been doing the same (somewhat more subtly) with Buddhism. And of course viewers in the west, not knowing better, gush about these movies, thinking it shows them some meaningful insight into Korean Buddhism or whatever. It doesn't fool Koreans though.
Can't explain what I mean in detail. For example, here. Read this review for Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring by "devoutly Catholic director" Kim Ki-Duk - a darling of western reviewers and cinearts - which carefully twists and darkens Buddhism and gives a corrupted view.
(But it's not as overt as in the HK action film "So Close" where the eye-catching accessories tell their own story: the heroines wear crosses around their neck and have a whole sin-salvation thing going in the plot; meanwhile, the main villain(s) we're supposed to be booing at, have a Buddha statue in the background. Nice try.)