Tuesday, June 15, 2010

INTERVIEW

Jun 15, 2010 - 11:00 AM

Paresh Rawal: Step into Character

Character actor par excellence Paresh Rawal talks to Filmfare about the power he wields and why he thinks Ajay Devgn is an underrated actor.

You have done commendable films like Road To Sangam. But surely it must disappoint you when they don’t do well…
Yeah I feel extremely lousy. But you have to keep on doing them. When I do a commercial film also there is no guarantee that it’ll do well. If something good comes to me I won’t look at the box office. I’m really lucky that people have faith in my ability.

You command a certain price and people come to a film just for you. So character actors seem to command a lot of respect today…
Character actors are very powerful. They cannot do without us. You can do without heroes. Like they did in Malamaal Weekly, which was a hit even without a hero. China Gate was also a good step. They were all character actors. Rajkumar Santoshi was treading the path no one dared. Unfortunately, it didn’t work.

Rahul Bose says he’ll play character roles when he’s older. But can young performers also be character actors?
Yes, there aren’t too many. But Aamir Khan is a character actor. So is Ajay Devgn. Ajay is always playing a character. See Apaharan, see Halla Bol. He’s a highly underrated actor. The media hasn’t promoted him at all. He’s a very shy person who just does his work. Some people do bakwas kaam (lousy work) and still shout about it from the rooftops.

We hear you’re turning producer and you want Nandita Das and Dibakar Banerjee to direct.
We wanted to do the Nandita Das project but it’s somewhat similar to Peepli Live, Aamir’s film, itni achhi film banayi hai’ it’s fantastic. After that I said no, we’ll drop the project. I would love to have Dibakar as a director in my company, he’s great. Right now, I’m starting my home production with Umesh Shukla as director. I’m not fit to direct because then I’ll have to close down everything else.

You’ve done over 200 films! Which are the ones you’re proud of?
I’m proud of all my films because I’ve done films jinone meri pet ki bhook ko mitaye hai (which alleviate my hunger) so I could do films like Sardar jinone mere man ki bhook ko mitaya hai (which satisfied my mind’s hunger). So I’m proud of all the films.

Have you ever felt tired of it all and thought of quitting films?
Oh yes, there have been many times I’ve been frustrated and said I should leave all this. Sometimes people don’t understand you. People put everything they have into trash films. They are very myopic. Sometimes the film is good but the role is not good. After a point, there is no joy in doing the same thing. If you’ve reached a level in your art you don’t want to waste your talents on trivial roles.

What’s your take on the new generation of actors?
I think Ranbir Kapoor is a fantastic actor. Look at the characters he has done, all common men; typical Raj Kapoor style. Rocket Singh was a terrific film. Shimit Amin is a wonderful director. Hrithik Roshan is also very good. One good actor who is not that popular is Rajeev Khandelwal. Abhay Deol as well.
I would like to have these kinds of actors in my films.

When you sit down to watch a film, what sort of movie would you reach for?
I watch good human dramas. Never love stories, they are bloody boring yaar. Especially our Hindi love stories. Films don’t have to be preachy but you should take something home with you after watching it. After the film gets over another film should open up in your mind. You have surrendered yourself for two hours for that film. You don’t even pray for that long. You forget your home and life. And even then if you get nothing out of a film, what’s the point?

Sailesh Ghelani

(filmfare.com)

Saturday, June 12, 2010

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रांची : झारखण्ड की राजधानी

The capital city of Jharkhand, Ranchi, has been always popular to the administrators for its comfortable weather. During the colonial period, it was the summer capital of British Raj. Earlier, it was the summer capital of Bihar. The history of Ranchi can be traced back to the Vedic period. It is believed that the Vedic King Jarasandh ruled this area. In ancient times, Ranchi and the entire area were occupied by Munda and Oraon tribes. To the Aryans, these people were the inferior races and they referred this area as “Forest territory.”

“Abua Raj ste Jana, Maharani Raj tundu Jana” it means “Let the kingdom of the queen be ended and our kingdom be established.” These are the words of the famous Munda leader, Birsa Munda, who fought against the British oppression. He was a leader, a preacher and many more to his people. They even see him as god and refer to him as “Birsha Vaghwan.” Ranchi’s colonial history is filled with small and big clashes between the locals and British government. The local landlords, their subordinates and the government exploited the people and collected huge taxes which led to agitation and armed conflict between the two parties.

The city of Ranchi is located at an altitude of 654 meters above sea level. The total area of the city is 7574.17 square kilometer. During summer, the highest temperature is 37°C and in winter 22°C. After Jharkhand was turned into a state in November 2000, it became the state capital. Major rivers of Ranchi are subarnarekha, south koel, and sankh.

After Ranchi was declared the capital, the city saw a sudden rise in its population. People from surrounding places came here for work. Banks, various business organizations opened their offices in this city. Oraon and Munda are the majority here. Main languages are Hindi, Nagpuri, Oraon, Mundari and Kurmali.

Ranchi has many government and private schools but there are not many higher educational institutions. As a result, students go outside to study. Some of the major educational institutions are: Bishop Westcott Boys' School, Bishop Westcott Girls' School, Bridgeford School, Cambridge School, Central Academy, Children’s Educational Centre etc. Among higher education institutions, there are Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology,

Birla Institute of Technology, National Institute Of Foundry And Forge Technology (NIFFT), St. Xavier's College, Xavier Institute of Social Service etc.

Ranchi is very well connected to the rest of the country. The city is near National Highway. Bhagwan Birsa Munda airport is located 7 km from the city in Hinoo. The railway is the most popular mode of transportation. The railway station has train services to all the major Indian cities.

Agriculture is a major industry in the surrounding villages of Ranchi. These villages are known as “The vegetable Bowl” of Jharkhand. Major crops are paddy, wheat, maize, pulses etc. Major fruits include mango, jack fruit, guava, banana, litchi and so on.

After ’s independence, many industries were built around the city. Some of the major industries are Heavy Engineering Corporation, Mecon, SAIL's Research and Development Facility, High Tension Insulator factory, Usha Martin, Usha Beltron, Shipping Corporation of India etc. In this webpage, there is a list of industries situated in Ranchi: http://ranchi.nic.in/industry.htm

Ranchi is also famous for its medical college and hospitals. There are three mental sanatoriums: Central Institute of Psychiarty, RINPAS and
Davis Institute of Psychiatry. The Rajendra medical college is the largest medical college of Jharkhand. Advanced Diagnostic Center of Ranchi has very good neurodiagnostic facilities.

Ranchi and its surrounding areas contain many beautiful sites. Waterfalls, beautiful climate, barren rocks and hillocks are the major tourist attractions of this place.

Hundru Falls: The most beautiful waterfall in Ranchi situated on Ranchi Purulia road.

Jonha Falls: Also known as Gautamdhara, can be reached by road or by train.

Ranchi Hill and Pahari Mandir: This is one of the major landmarks of Ranchi. “Pahar” means and Mandir means “temple”. It is known as “Pahari Mandir” because it is situated on a hill.

Sun Temple: Situated about 40 km from Ranchi.

Water resorts: There are several water resorts in Ranchi. Ranchi Lake, Dhurwa Dam, Rukka Dam, Aqua Home etc.

Park resorts: Nakshatra Van, Tagore Hill, Birsa Zoological Park, Night Safari etc.

Among other major tourist spots there are: Angrabari, Dassam falls, Panch Gagh falls.

अमृता राव

Girl-next-door looks and immense acting potential is what describes the Bollywood actress Amrita Rao to the hilt. Before joining films she has modeled for almost all the popular brands and then decided to establish her footage in the Indian Film Industry. She made her debut in films with the Bollywood flick `Ab Ke Baras` which bombed at the box-office terribly. But then she went on to create history by meting out powerhouse performances in the Bollywood chartbuster `Ishq Vishk Pyar Vyar` by the renowned filmmaker Ken Ghosh.

In this film she starred opposite another very aspiring Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor who is also the son of the immensely talented and veteran actor Pankaj Kapoor. Bollywood Actress-Amrita Rao

She melted the hearts of the silver screen audiences with her simple looks and heartfelt emotional approach in this film. She received several awards for this success of hers and became one of the most sought after actresses in the nation.

Then Amrita Rao went on to earn much critical acclaim for her performances in Bollywood hits like `Masti` and `Main Hoon Na`. But then she surprised the film-buffs by delivering some consistent flops including `Deewar`, `Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi`, `Shikhar` and `Pyare Mohan`. But this was just a mere bad phase of her life. Following that she again managed to receive universal acclaim for the most successful film in her career `Vivaah` made by the famous filmmaker Sooraj R. Barjatya. Through this film she also experienced one of the most happiest moments of her life, that of receiving the Dadasheheb Phalke Academic Award. In fact post `Vivaah` she has managed to bag some of the great projects in her kitty. Recently she has done a cameo in the multi-starrer song of the Bollywood chartbuster `Hey Baby`. She then went down the South to made her debut with the super hit Telugu movie `Athidhi` in which she was paired opposite Mahesh Babu. Her forthcoming Bollywood releases are `My Name is Anthony Gonslaves`. Another two films in which she is supposed to essay the lead roles are `Hook Ya Crook` and `The Con Is On`.

Film Vivaah

Very few know that the very talented Amrita Rao is a graduate in psychology and had not accepted any film offers until she completed her studies. Her passion had always lied in the art of acting but she had never thought in her wildest dreams that she would become one of the most popular actresses of the country. She had received several awards for her remarkable performances; the most notable ones among them include the Stardust Awards for `Superstar of Tomorrow-Female` for `Ishq Vishq Pyar Vyar`. The other awards include Sansui Awards for `Best Debut-Female` for the same film in the year 2004. Then again in the year 2007 she was honored with `Anandalok Puroshkkar Awards` for the `Most Promising New Talent` for the film `Vivaah`. This promising actress is sure to go a long way in the coming times.

सचिन तेंदुलकर immortal at 200

Even before he took guard at Gwalior, Sachin Tendulkar's place in the pantheon of cricketing gods was assured. He had already amassed both the highest number of runs and the maximum tons in Tests and one-dayers alike.

If devout worshippers had any reason to quibble, it was that there was no one record-shattering innings - Brian Lara has the highest Test score of 400 and Saeed Anwar and the little-known Charles Coventry shared the ODI record of 194.

Just 147 balls later, Tendulkar set the record straight in emphatic fashion. A staggering 2,961 matches and almost 39 years after the first ODI was played - and remember, many ODIs in the early years featured innings of 60 overs each, which gave batsmen more scoring opportunities - the Little Legend finally became the first cricketer to score 200 in a one-dayer, propelled by a record 25 fours in one knock.

The landmark 200 came in the final over of the innings, though Sachin crossed the previous record of 194 in the 46th over; in the interim, several lustily-hit fours and sixes by M S Dhoni were accompanied by groans from millions of spectators desperate to see Sachin on strike.

The big moment, though, finally arrived, crowning what is fast turning into one of Sachin's most productive periods with the bat. The last 12 months have seen him score 10 international hundreds: six in Tests - including four centuries in his last four Tests - and four in ODIs.

Three of those 4 ODI tons - Wednesday's 200, the unforgettable 175 against Australia last November and the brilliant 163 in New Zealand last March - are among his four highest ODI scores. Only his previous highest score of 186, against the Kiwis, falls outside this golden patch.

Some years ago, as Sachin struggled with injury and a dip in form, some commentators had the temerity to suggest that Ricky Ponting would eventually overhaul his records.

Over the past 12 months, though, Sachin has once again opened up a yawning gap between himself and all his contemporaries, and ensured that if at all any comparisons have to be made, they should be with another Australian - Don Bradman, who was famously reminded of himself when watching Sachin bat.

True, no one comes close to the Don's amazing average of 99.94, or his phenomenal 29 centuries from just 52 Tests. But the fact that Sachin is breaking records barely two months shy of his 37th birthday testifies both to remarkable longevity and an insatiable appetite.

Indeed, there are no speed limits on Sachin Tendulkar's road to excellence. After two decades of basking in the glory of his sporting pre-eminence on the world stage, India is now privileged to witness the second coming of the most complete and prolific batsman of this age. Even the back-breaking expectations of a billion unrealistic fans, it seems, are a pittance compared to the soaring aspirations of the man himself.

Over the last year, Sachin has taken his skills to a whole new level of consistency. The body, close to breakdown in the mid-2000s, has been chiselled to accessorize this new-found garb of perfection. Back in 1998, he had scored 12 international tons, 9 in ODIs and 3 in Tests. This purple patch has turned back the clock.

In the last 12 months, he has been the only player to score six hundreds in 10 Tests, at an average of 78.3. In 20 ODIs, a format in which his records are set in stone, he has notched up 1158 runs at 72.37, with 4 hundreds.

How about a Test triple, Sachin?

In Gwalior, Tendulkar strutted on his stage like a man possessed, ran between the wickets like a 20-year-old and reaffirmed his relevance in modern cricket's rapidly-changing dynamics.

When it finally came to pass, the unbeaten double ton almost seemed a scary inevitability. There were no cramps, no nerves, just steely intent to go on with a ruthlessly dominating display. Where have all the years gone?

Commentator Ravi Shastri repeatedly referred to him as a run machine, but that's only a half-Sach. Tendulkar isn't a mundane machine. Instead, he scripts his achievements with soul. This is a man for whom excellence is a habit, who is so devoted to his craft, so enthusiastic still, that with experience he has mastered the art of seamlessly binding talent, discipline and perspicacity, all without compromising on style, for maximum gain in a team cause. The end result is machine-like consistency.

Treasure this new, improved Tendulkar. He is, by far, still India's most valuable player, and will remain so till he decides to call it quits. But that's for later: after Gwalior, and given the form he is in, it's time to ask what's next. Maybe a 100 international hundreds, given that 93 are already in the bag?

* Highest run-getter in ODIs, with 17,598 runs from 442 matches. Jayasuriya (13,428) and Ponting (12,731) follow

* Most centuries in ODIs (46), followed by Ricky Ponting (29) and Sanath Jayasuriya (28)

* Since Feb 24, 2009 has scored 1,158 runs in 20 ODIs, with 4 tons, averaging 72.37. In the preceding 12 months, had scored 352 runs from 9 ODIs at an average of 44

* His double century is the first in 39 years of ODIs, including 60-overs-a-side matches

* Highest scorer in Tests, with 13,447 runs from 166 matches. Next best Lara (retired with 11,953) and Ponting (playing with 11,859)

* Most Test centuries (47), well ahead of Ponting (39) and Kallis (34) among active players, and retd Lara and Gavaskar (34 each)

* In 2010, has already scored 477 runs averaging 95.40. Only Hashim Amla (674) has scored more Test runs this year

• In his last 10 Tests, has scored 1,018 runs at an average of 78.3 and is the only one with 6 tons in the last 12 months. In the previous 10 Tests, he had 647 runs and averaged just 38.08

अजय देवगन - A VERSATILE ACTOR???????

Most Bollywood actors belong to a certain genre. While they might dabble in other types of cinema, they prefer their comfort zone. However actor Ajay Devgan has turned versatility into an art. The star, whose career spans almost two decades, has experimented with a wide variety of roles. He was mostly seen in intense drama or action flicks but has turned to comedy off-late.

His comic act in recent films like Golmaal, All the Best and Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge have fetched him accolades. The national award winner also donned the role of the director and producer in the recent past. He has experimented with his looks for each of his films. Not one to rest on past laurels, he is now gearing up for his next releases.

With Rajneeti, he returns to serious cinema. He is doing Once Upon a Time in Mumbai, which is set in the underworld of the 70s. His upcoming ventures include Toonpur ka Superhero, an animated flick and Golmaal 3 of the hit franchise. Ajay teams up with director Madhur Bhandarkar's in the latter's first attempt at comedy. The methodical actor has quite an interesting mix of films lined up. We guess the only unexplored area would be a dance-based film. What say, Ajay?

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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

INTERVIEW

Paresh Rawal: Step into Character

Saturday, June 12, 2010

सचिन तेंदुलकर immortal at 200

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