Book Review: The Legends Of Indian Cinema - Shammi Kapoor

In last six months, quite a few books have been written on legends like Gulzar, Rajinikanth, Chetan Anand, Dev Anand and Hema Malini. While Shah Rukh Khan too continues to be written about every six months, a writer went on an overdrive and even attempted to make a legend out of Shilpa Shetty a few months back.

However, it was about time that someone thought about exploring Shammi Kapoor's life too, that resulted in a book series called 'The Legends Of Indian Cinema'. Six titles arrive here on film personalities that include Sohrab Modi, Sivaji Ganesan, Guru Dutt, Mehboob Khan and P.C. Barua with Shammi Kapoor being one of them. Written by Deepa Gahlot with Aruna Vasudev being the Series Editor, 'Shammi Kapoor' is the first to be picked as he continues to live in the memories of one and all even till date.

The write-ups are to the point and still explore Shammi Kapoor's journey from being a young man who had given more than a couple of dozens of flops in a row at the beginning of his career to a man who became a rebel star and never looked back after giving innumerous romantic breezy entertainers in a row.

There is another important facet of his personality that hasn't been known to many people both inside and outside the industry, especially amongst the current generation. Believe it or not but 50 years before the concept of celebrity blogs was to become a phenomenon, Shammi Kapoor was a regular on that, though in the print media.

Even way back in the 50s, he was an avid writer and shared his innermost thoughts with the readers of magazines like Filmfare. One look at his writing and you know that he is indeed one of the best read men that one may have come across in the industry. Read on:

'I am crazy and mixed up. I feel the urge for destruction exhaust me and drain out some of the bottled-up conflicts that tear me. The urge for self destruction is perhaps a manifestation of the urge for self-destruction.'

'Mine is a one man rebellion, trying to break the old and make the new. A rebel who wanted to find himself, his real self; not a reflection of the personalities of other people.'

'I have outgrown the legend which I helped create and do not wish to perpetuate it. Trying to climb the peak, I had to use a certain kind of strategy, but now, jumping from one peak to another, I have to adopt different tactics.'

He also had women reserving some of the best compliments for him. One of them went to the extent of saying - 'I hate you, but you have two powerful appeals for women. To some you are an irresistible wolf, to others you are a stallion they would love to tame.'

Deepa Gahlot also does well in providing insights about the personal aspect of Shammi Kapoor's life and details about his whirlwind romance with Geeta Bali, their deep love for each other and later Shammi getting shattered after Bali's untimely death. She talks about how Kapoor hit the bottle and indulged himself big time into womanizing before Neela Devi (not from the industry) came into his life and helped him stabilise after marrying him. There are also quite a few mentions about Shammi's love for women ever since his childhood and how he had demanded Nargis for a kiss!

Rise and fall of Shammi Kapoor also makes for an interesting read because just like 99% of celebrities belonging to the film world, Shammi Kapoor too went through the grind before bagging his career-defining film Tumsa Nahin Dekha which was rejected by the likes of Dev Anand and Sunil Dutt. However, after quitting as a leading man while on the top (his Andaaz was one of his last films and a success), his career as a director was short-lived and quite disappointing. In fact, he minces no words on the mere mention of Rajesh Khanna with whom he self admittedly had a torrid time filming Bundalbaaz - a disaster!

One factor that impresses most about the book 'Shammi Kapoor' is that it doesn't try to project him as a 'Mr. White'. Majority of books fall under this trap when they try exploring the life of a celebrity who has won hearts all over but this one treads a different path.

It shows Shammi Kapoor's wild side, his insecurities, his womanizing virtues, his ambition to reach the top, his failure as a director - and all of this when the man is very much alive and kicking. Even better is to see the man himself contributing to quite a lot that is written in this book; something which makes it a far better effort than some of the desktop books that one continues to see in the name of biographies!

So what is it that makes 'Shammi Kapoor' an interesting read for the audience? It's crisp chapters and avoidance from getting into unnecessary details which otherwise become boring after a point. The book lasts only around 100 pages and within that limited space, it tells its readers quite a lot about the legend who was one of the forerunners when it came to unabashed entertainment in the 60s.

Price: Rs. 195/=

"Manav fits the bill for BHANVRAA" - Dharmesh Darshan

Manav Gohil is all set to make his Debut on the silver screen in Dharmesh Darshan's 'Bhanvraa'-The Love 'Bee' Stings! This romantic thriller required someone who would portray the perfect metrosexual who is sensitive, vulnerable yet physically strong and has a heart of gold! Says the director, "I wanted some fresh faces for Bhanvraa because I've worked with established actors like Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Khanna and Suneil Shetty. Someone whom I could say is Mr. Clean though being a man of the world, a person who has strength along with humility, whose masculinity and sensitivity blend well together. Manav fit the bill completely as he had all these characteristics. He portrays the role of a man who is provoked to the extremes and hits back like a strong gentleman would. I was also looking for an extremely disciplined, punctual professional and that was the reputation Manav carried in real life." Point noted, Mr Darshan!

Shahid, no! Harman, yes!

Was Shahid Kapur the first choice for Ashutosh Gowariker's new project WHAT'S YOUR RAASHEE?, before he finally zeroed in on Harman Baweja? According to a news-report, Gowariker persistently called Shahid, but the actor wasn't keen on doing this film. "That's completely untrue," Gowariker informs me, "Shahid was never approached in the first place."

Was Harman the first choice then? "Call it a coincidence, the launch of LOVE STORY 2050 promos coincided with the casting of my movie. I was on the lookout for a fresh face for the film and when I watched the song-promo of LOVE STORY 2050, I requested Harry Baweja to screen a few scenes for me. In fact, Harman was the first actor I approached for the role in question. He's ideal for this role," the talented film-maker sets the record straight.

Meanwhile, here's good news for all those who loved JODHAA AKBAR. Ashu has decided to premiere the edited portions [which were chopped off on the editing table due to its excessive length] on television, before the film is premiered on TV. These portions, I must add, are simply outstanding!

After JANNAT, Bhatts move to big budget films

A competitive world has two possibilities for you: you can lose or, if you want to win, you can change. Vishesh Films who were known only for producing low budget movies is now spinning on to produce big budget movies; hence it will prove to be a resurgence of Vishesh Films. Since their advent in Indian Film Industry with the success of the blockbuster movie Ashiqui they had attained the success beyond anyone’s imagination. Now the situations are turned turtle Vishesh Films are now moving towards big budget movies and big productions houses are also now joining hands with them. Earlier Vishesh Films had inked music deal with Sony BMG for a multiple films. But after the success of Jannat, Sony BMG has decided to expand their relationship with Vishesh Films and is now coming into Production with them for multiple movies. Vishesh Films has joined hands with Percept Picture Company (PPC), for 'Jannat'. PPC did acquire the global distribution and commercial rights of the films. Success is not only measured by the accomplishment but also with the courage with which it encounters the opposition. Jannat, based on India's favourite sport cricket which had done better than anyone’s expectation. When everyone was hooked up in IPL which had destroyed Bollywood business for a while, Vishesh Films released their movie Jannat which received good response at the box office. According to the figures, during the IPL, where the big budget movies couldn’t create much magic on screen, Jannat created fireworks on the screen. This great success of Jannat during the adverse time, build up the trust of big production houses on Vishesh Films. Raaz 2 is the upcoming venture from the Bhatt Camp. This Project is a joint production between Vishesh Films and Sony BMG. Though the film sounds to be a sequel, the film team claim that its not. The first phase of the shooting in Shimla of Razz 2 had ended and now a days the crew is busy shooting for the film in Mumbai. They have also planned to go abroad for the shooting for Razz 2. Vishesh Films are known for making a film which boasts of content, style, messaging and mainstream ingredients all coming together and now Mukesh Bhatt’s son Vishesh Bhatt has also started his career and proved his mettle in the movie Jannat as a Creative Producer. Jannat has fetched a bumper response from all over. Success of Jannat has reaffirmed this belief and Vishesh Films are ready to tell a new story with their forthcoming films. Vishesh Films was started by the Bhatt brothers in 1986. Since the first film, the company has covered the long journey, with number of blockbusters. Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt are highly receptive to the changing society and believe in translating these changes onto their films. They combine their creative strength and business acumen to touch the heights of success. In Bollywood, Bhatt brothers are known for their innovative and out of the box movies. Vishesh Films started the trend of low budget films which have high concept and challenging roles. But with the changing state of affairs Vishesh Films are coming up with new paradigm big budget project to give tough competition. Abundance of talented professionals in Vishesh Films will roll on many more hits in future.

Ranbir-Konkona in Karan Johar's next production!

Gee, what a pair! But there you have it. Saawariya star Ranbir Kapoor is all set to star opposite the twice National awarding winning Konkona Sen Sharma in a film that will be produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Production.

This highly unorthodox confluence of a Punjabi heir-apparent and the Bengali bohemian is being directed by Ayaan Mukherjee who's a cousin of Kajol. Ayaan has assisted Ashutosh Gowariker in Swades and Karan Johar in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.

Says a source, "It wasn't so much because Ayaan was Karan's pal, Kajol's cousin. It had more to do with Ayaan's script than anything else that clinched the deal. The minute Karan read it he fell in love with it."

But aren't Ranbir and Konkona coming together like the synthesis of Venus and Mars? "That's exactly the point. In this Mumbai-based romance about urban relationships, the director needed a pair that seems incompatible. The film is about seeking a level of compatibility in a world gone distinctly out of control."

Apparently, when Ranbir and Konkona heard the script, they immediately fell in love with the script. Now all they've to do is fall in love with one another on screen.

"There were three options for 'Bas Ek Kinng' - Mayur Puri

While the soundtrack of Singh is Kinng is topping the charts the world over, little has been written about the lyricist who has penned these successful numbers - Mayur Puri. From the emerging breed of young and talented dialogue writers-lyricists, Mayur Puri's name strikes a chord when one talks about songs with distinct Punjabi flavour.

Also to his credit lies that fact that he has penned most of the chartbusters by Pritam, making them knock-out hits. Talking about his work for Singh is Kinng, Mayur fondly says, "I've done some of the most popular work of my career, be it for Dhoom or Pyaar Ke Side Effects with Pritam. So there's an inherent understanding between us. Also Aneezji (Bazmee) and I had been talking about working together for a long time. Finally everything fell into place with Singh is Kinng. And I'm glad I did it; it's a project close to my heart as I got to revisit my mother tongue in all the songs."

When quizzed about his favourite track from the film, Mayur is quick to respond, "Actually I have two favourite songs. Jee Karda for its energy and synergy between the Punjabi and English lyrics, and Teri Ore for its softness."

He also shares how Pritam had initially composed three different tunes for Bas Ek Kinng - the track currently topping the charts, and had almost settled for one of the other tunes. After much deliberation from Mayur he used the current tune. In fact even the lyrics were a little different originally, but then a philosophical twist was added to them to go with the message of the film - Being a Kinng is a derivative of positive attitude in life.

Interestingly, while Punjabi is a binding factor among the songs, Mayur has gotten as authentic as it gets in the Daler Mehndi-rendered Bhootnike - using some of the most rustic expressions found in the language.

Talking about this track he says, "I really didn't want this song to be a run-of-the-mill shaadi number, where people come and wish the couple. This is the first song in the film and it really had to set the tone right. So Aneezji and I came up with the idea of making it as real as possible. If you notice, at a wedding, the groom's friends are always kidding about the end of his independence, and how he found himself such a good looking wife despite being so ugly himself! Bhootnike was written in the same spirit. Akshay's character has a blast in the song, and he's performed it beautifully. I'm confident it'll leave people laughing!"

If the two songs on air are anything to go by, this album looks set to win listeners' hearts all over!

Neha Dhupia as Julie in Singh Is Kinng

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Four years back the sexy Neha Dhupia sizzled in a film titled, Julie. Is it any coincidence, that in her next keenly awaited Akshay Kumar-Katrina Kaif starrer, Singh Is Kinng, Neha's character name happens to be 'Julie' yet again!

Blushes Neha, "I don't think the Julie connection will ever leave me! Even today when I go up north and to the small towns, people say, Arre Julie Aa Gayi. Since the association is so strong, I said, why not christen my character Julie!" Was Julie the initial choice? "No! I'm not sure what they had in mind initially! I think it was Rosy," she laughs.

On how she landed herself with a juicy role in the film, Neha reveals, "Vipul's (Shah) office approached me. I was slightly apprehensive initially because I wasn't playing the romantic interest. But I was assured that being the girl of the gang, I'd have a plum part. And because I am a sardar in real life as well that helped!" About Singh Is Kinng, she smiles confidently, "Just watch it! It's an absolute blast."

Singh Is Kinng releases worldwide on August 8, previews in select locations on August 7. It is an Indian Films-Studio 18 release and is produced by Vipul Shah.