The movies and moves of Vishal Bhardwaj

Matru ki Bijli ka Mandola

2011-09-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

Following up on 'Vishal's Next(s)', the title for Vishal's Kumar Mangat-Ajay Devg(a)n-Fox production is "Matru ki Bijli ka Mandola" (see this HT report).

Apparently based on a Haryanvi play recommended by Pankaj Kapur, the movie stars Kapur, Ajay Devgan, and Anushka Sharma.

vishal's next(s)

2011-07-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

As seems to be the norm, there are numerous notes about Vishal's next venture.

The first is the sequel to Ishqiya and is called, until further notice, Dedh Ishqiya. Vishal, of course, will only be producing (and, one assumes, handling the songs and music). Shooting is supposed to start either at the end of 2011 or some time in 2012. It seems almost certain that Vidya Balan is not part of it while the other regulars are. It is unclear whether Kangna Ranaut and Madhuri Dixit will be part of the sequel.

The next is the much-hyped adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's 2 States and might (finally?) see Shah Rukh Khan collaborating with Vishal after the last opportunity for Mr. Mehta and Mrs. Singh came to naught. Rumours suggested that Priyanka Chopra was slated to play Ananya to SRK's Krish, but the actress has reportedly cleared that up: she is not part of the film (yet?). There are rumours that Asin might be the one, but rumours will be rumours. Things may start moving only in 2012.

Evidently bitten by sequelitis, Vishal is also working on Kaminey 2, but without Priyanka Chopra. More is not known.

The thread with the most surprises, however, has been for a film called (currently) Daayan. This not only sees Vishal collaborating for the first time with Ekta Kapoor, but also has a very surprising choice for the male lead: Emraan Hashmi. Evidently, this choice drove several A-list actresses away, including Rani Mukerji, but the latest rumour indicates that Vidya Balan, who did not make the roster of Dedh Ishqiya might snag the eponymous role. Little else is known about the film except for the premise of a guy doing the rounds with three lassies (which makes the choice of Hashmi not so surprising given his ouevre), one of whom is a witch.

Vishal is also working on what might well be the first in the pack to make it to the marquee: a romantic comedy with Ajay Devgn (TAFKA Devgan) and produced by Kumar Mangat. The title might surface in a few weeks.

After being a part of the launch of Mafia Queens of Mumbai by S. Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges, Vishal has reportedly bought the rights to one of its chapters. Anything more might happen only after the cinematic adaptation of 2 States gets done (or abandoned).

National Awards for Vishal and Rekha Bhardwaj and others (Ishqiya)

2011-05-19T04:44:00.000-07:00

The 58th National Film Awards (for 2010) were announced today.

Vishal Bhardwaj won his 2nd National Award for Best Music Direction (Songs) for "Ishqiya". His citation reads: "for blending rustic flavour with the Indian classical tradition. Earlier, Vishal had won this award for "Godmother" in 1999.

"Ishqiya" also won Rekha Bhardwaj her first Best Playback Singer - Female prize, the citation reading "for a sensual and evocative rendering of a heart longing for the beloved." (probably for "Ab Mujhe"). Two "Best Audiography" awards went to the film, to Kaamod Kharade (Location Sound Recordist ) and Debajit Changmai (Re-recordist of the final mixed track).

Unfortunately, Gulzar did not win his third award for Best Lyricist, losing out to Vairamuthu (who now has the most Best Lyricist awards at six). Incidentally, Suresh Wadkar, a long-time associate, won Best Male Playback Singer (for "Mee Sindhutai Sapkal")

(Readers will note that "Ishqiya" was a Vishal production. Previous National Awards won by Vishal and people associated with his films are listed here.)

Vishal's non-film music album in the offing

2011-05-10T03:41:00.000-07:00

According to the report in HT, Vishal Bhardwaj is working on a non-film Sufi album.

“We will be ready with it in about a year-and-a-half. It’s still in the planning stage,” Vishal says.

Also, per the update, 2 States, possibly won't be the film that Vishal directs next.

Ishqiya sequel and Sabrina Dhawan on Two States

2011-03-28T01:15:00.000-07:00

Some news:

* Looks like there may be a sequel to Ishqiya. See this.

* Vishal's next, an adaptation of the novel "Two States", sees a new co-writer in Sabrina Dhawan. She is better known as a close collaborator of Mira Nair on films such as "Monsoon Wedding". This is better news than having Chetan Bhagat on board.

Barse Barse

2011-03-28T01:11:00.000-07:00

"Barse Barse" sees Vishal collaborating not only with Gulzar, but also with Suresh Wadkar, whose association with Vishal has been fruitful but somewhat unheralded. (I have been mulling over a post on this topic for a while.) This is a non-film album (we don't seem to have a proper term for anything outside of a Bollywood soundtrack!). Karthik reviews it here.

Abhishek Chaubey: "Inside the Mind of Vishal Bhardwaj" (OPEN Magazine)

2011-02-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

Abhishek Chaubey knows a thing or two about what makes Vishal tick, having assisted him and having directed a film under his production. OPEN magazine has an interview with Chaubey on his mentor.

(Link courtesy Ajay Bhat)

"Vishal's World" - an article in Mint Lounge

2011-02-19T22:50:00.000-08:00

"When 19-year-old Vishal Bhardwaj returned from cricket practice that morning, his home had been emptied out on the street. Chairs, tables, utensils, clothes, photo frames—everything lay strewn on the road outside his home in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. In the midst of it, right there on the street, his poet father—for long his best friend—lay sprawled. And lifeless."

Mint Lounge has an insightful interview with Vishal about life, cricket, his family, and music. It's small, but tells us a something about the self-learning streak, the influences, and the journey so far.

(The board behind him in the photo is pretty interesting - among other things, I picked out references to names such as Wadia and Nadia - remember that Vishal was once planning to make "Julia" a film on 'Fearless' Nadia, and in talks with Franka Potente then.)

Baradwaj on Bhardwaj

2011-01-31T01:22:00.000-08:00

With "7 Khoon Maaf" around the corner, ace film critic Baradwaj Rangan explores Vishal Bhardwaj's fascination with and ability to render interesting female characters in a piece for Caravan Magazine aptly titled "Blood Sisters".

Warning: the essay contains spoilers about most of the films mentioned.

The music of "7 Khoon Maaf": track and credit listing

2011-01-31T00:37:00.001-08:00

Posting on behalf of George

1. darling*: usha uthup/rekha bhardwaj
2. bekaraan: vishal bhardwaj (violins: ganesh-kumaresh) (a nice flourish that, if i may add)
3. o mama: kk (rap: clinton cerejo) [vishal does a PAANCH for himself :)]
4. awaara: master saleem (sitar: niladri kumar) [saleem does rahat]
5. tere liye: suresh wadkar (mohan veena: pandit vishwa mohan bhatt) [lucky charm wadkar?]
6. dil dil hai: suraj jagan
7. yeshu: rekha bhardwaj
8. doosri darling*: usha uthup, rekha bhardwaj, clinton cerejo, francois castellino
9. o mama (acoustic): kk

*original russian folk song 'kalinka' composed by ivan larionov (1860); additional russian lyrics: aditi singh sharma

7 Khoon Maaf - Music track listing

2011-01-15T02:10:00.000-08:00

(from Flipkart's page)

1. Darling

2. Bekaraan

3. O Mama

4. Awaara

5. Tere Liye

6. Dil Dil Hai

7. Yeshu

8. Doosri Darling

9. O Mama ( Accoustic)

Singers: Master Saleem, Usha Uthup, Rekha Bhardwaj, K.K, Suraj Jagan, Suresh Wadkar

(will update the page as we get more info)

(7KM music) The official word on "Kalinka"

2010-12-27T22:04:00.000-08:00

As reported earlier, "Darrling", the song that accompanies the trailer of 7 Khoon Maaf is based on a Russian folk song called "Kalinka". This news report makes the additional clarification and assuages any potential misgivings about plagiarism:

Vishal confirmed using the Russian track, "Yes, it is based on Kalinka, which is a centuries-old Russian folk song. In fact, original Russian words have also been used in the song as one of the husbands happens to be a Russian." He adds, "It has been used in a lot of films around the world." We hear that he even flew down four Russian singers to sing the Kalinka song. They are also given credit in the album.

Vishal, Shah Rukh Khan, Chetan Bhagat (OMG!)

2010-12-25T14:20:00.000-08:00

I guess it's time to come out of denial and actually report this as befits this blog. Apparently, Vishal will be adapting Chetan Bhagat's "Two States" with Shah Rukh Khan, thus resulting in a combination that one would not have guessed days ago. Just how this will turn out, we'll wait and see, but a certain sense of disbelief at Vishal using CB material is a little disconcerting. Such sentiment earlier has been restricted to his choice of actors (and must confess, these have been unfounded), so time will tell.

The guys at 'Fight Club' are also none too impressed with this development (2nd half of the post).

7 Khoon Maaf - the trailer

2010-12-24T07:17:00.000-08:00

Earlier today, "VBFan" told us about the official poster of "7 Khoon Maaf" and soon after, Punit Jha posted the link to the first trailer on the Gulzarfans Y! Group. On first viewing, this one is as good as Kaminey's trailer (impressive that Indian film-makers too can cut such trailers):

Striking notes:

* Can't figure out the main voice in the song, but there's Usha Uthup in the mix (she's also acting in the film)

* A cross-dressing John Abraham!

* Nice to see Annu Kapoor in a film after a long hiatus

* Great European lilt to the tune

* Oh, and looks like the official title is "7 Khoon Maaf".

Enjoy.

(Poster from Bollywood Hungama)

Update (25 Dec): Fight Club finds the base folk Russian song on which "Darrrling" is based (a Russian song called Kalinka).

Karan Johar not in Saat Khoon Maaf

2010-12-10T08:26:00.000-08:00

Now KJO as a wife-beating sex maniac in Saat Khoon Maaf was an inspired choice and would have been great piece of casting. I am sure it would have earned Karan Johar a zillion brownie points and weirdly would have dampened the whispers about his 'leanings'.

Of course, Karan Johar can't even fathom the concept of such characters, forget embodying them. The guy thinks "My Name is Khan" was a massive creative leap for him! The frog in the gilded well is now a Director in Bollywood.

Kaam Ka Plot: a made for TV flick with a bit of Vishal

2010-11-23T05:26:00.000-08:00

Vishal's friend and Mid-day film critic Minty Tejpal wrote and directed "Kaam Ka Plot" a tepid thriller featuring Ranvir Shorey, Sandhya Mridul, and Vinay Pathak, which appeared on TV a couple of weeks ago. Promoted as having music by Vishal, it had one song, which, truth to be told, was largely uninspired and unnecessary. Lyrics by Munna Dhiman and sung by Vishal himself.

Saath Khoon Maaf's music: Suresh Wadkar

2010-11-22T05:18:00.000-08:00

Given the film's January release date, the music of Vishal's next release "Saath Khoon Maaf" should hopefully be in the pipeline. Veteran singer Suresh Wadkar was interviewed for the Marathi TV channel "IBN Lokmat" during the Ganesh festival, where he spoke about how Vishal has probably experimented the most with Wadkar's voice. He also mentioned that he's sung a song for 7KM (if I can take the liberty), which came out well.

Wadkar's last Vishal appearance was in Kaminey where he lights up "Raat ke Dhaai Baje".

Dream Sequence: title, casting, story

2010-11-21T05:17:00.000-08:00

It seems that "Dream Sequence" is what it's being called. Vishal's film for Ektaa Kapoor's production house has seen a spate of news about its casting muddles. Fortunately (IMO), one established fact is that Deepika Padukone will not be one of the two leading ladies thanks to scheduling problems. So it's just Priyanka Chopra for now.

Speculation is also rife about the leading man: first it was Saif Ali Khan, who later moved out because he wanted Vishal to do a film for him in return (which Vishal declined). Apparently, Abhay Deol was to replace him, but now SAK is back. It's borderline gossip, so just read this news item instead.

The film is slated to be a smaller, more experimental film. Here's an interview with art director Samir Chanda on some of the pre-production work happening in Kolkata. Incidentally, he says the story has been written by Mukul Sharma. If I'm not mistaken, this is the same MS who writes for the Times of India on topics such as science and spirituality, used to run the popular Mindsport column during the bearable days of the TOI, and is the father of Konkona Sen Sharma (who, but for her pregnancy, should have been a shoo-in for the 2nd lead's role).

Milte hai Sur Yahaa

2010-10-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

Vishal Bhardwaj has been signed up to compose music for Meghna Gulzar's next, 'Milte Hai'.
According to India Today,

Producer-director Sanjay Gupta has managed to get the golden duo of Vishal Bhardwaj and Gulzar as composer-lyricist for his upcoming Vidya Balan starrer Milte Hain.The film, to go on floors early next year, will be directed by Gulzar's daughter Meghna and it is after a long time that Vishal has agreed to compose for a movie, which is not being directed by him.

Of course, Meghna Gulzar, Sanjay Gupta is not a new combination. She has directed ek kahani titled Pooranmasi in the film, "Dus Kahaniyan".

Here's hoping Vishal and Gulzar duo add something special to a Sanjay Gupta Production.

"K-k-k-k-k-k-kaminey!"

2010-10-09T04:24:00.000-07:00

A report in Glamsham says that SRK's signed up Vishal for his next home production, supposedly set in a small town.

Right now, I'm curious to see whether Vishal can stop SRK from doing that arms-spread-out-three-quarters-view-with-cheeky-grin pose of his.

vishal nuggets from a strange place

2010-08-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

In a post over at PFC dedicated to Sushil Rajpal, the director of the National Award-winning Antardwand, Hansal Mehta looks like Forrest Gump as he drops one destined-to-be-famous name after another. A very interesting nugget surfaces when he writes about Amrita, a short film he had made in 1995. It turns out that the music director was none other than Vishal Bhardwaj. Hansal Mehta offers nothing more except But that is another story, another fond relationship and maybe another emotional blog. One awaits that post eagerly.

More Ruskin, some Deepika

2010-08-27T03:51:00.001-07:00

From recent news items:

More Ruskin Bond's Saat Khoon Maaf appearance: Times of India - 23rd August (featuring the tidbit that Bond and Bhardwaj are now neighbours in Mussoorie)

The news that Deepika Padukone has signed a Vishal film (is he directing or simply producing?), to be featured opposite Saif Ali Khan. More prayers for non-actor to actor transformations.

Vishal for Meghna Gulzar's movie

2010-08-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

Mid-Day reports that Vishal will be doing the music for Meghna Gulzar's next film, an adaptation of the play "Double Act" by Barry Crayton . More here.

The new Bond movie and the Seven Deadly Sons

2010-07-21T04:15:00.001-07:00

The irreverent moifightclub blog provides a complete list of doomed husbands in Vishal's upcoming Saath Khoon Maaf (original source: The Hindustan Times). They are:
Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan, John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Russian actor Alexander Dyachenko, Annu Kapoor and Vivaan Shah (Naseeruddin Shah’s son).

Ruskin Bond's cameo is also confirmed, thanks to a note from the writer himself. Writing in Outlook, the quiet great man talks of his admiration for his director, the toil behind a film, and of being unable to make an offer that Vishal couldn't refuse:

I offered to sing and dance, but I was gently told that I should stick to writing.

Read about the latest 'Bond movie' here.
(There's an funny - unrelated - anecdote at the end of the diary.)

"A Shah among actors" - Vishal on Naseeruddin Shah

2010-07-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

Personally, I feel Naseer should quit the movies now. His heart is in theatre — on stage — and I can see that. When he’s on the sets, it’s like dealing with a temperamental child. He’s impatient because he’s a spontaneous actor — retakes are not his thing at all.

Naseeruddin Shah turns 60 soon. To mark the occasion, Vishal Bhardwaj writes a heart-felt appreciation of one of India's greatest actors. The link is here.

Rope to hang yourself by

2010-07-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

The news is that Vishal Bhardwaj seems to be roping in Aishwarya Rai for the next film. So frankly, we can write this one off.

Saath Khoon Maaf, par Ash in Vishal movie, inexcusable!!

Now that we mention it, Saath Khoon Maaf shooting seems to be complete. Hope the post production doesn't take a lot of time. PC interview here

Usha Uthup replaces Mohanlal

2010-04-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry, made that one up!

But jokes aside, seems like the original pop ki raani, Usha Uthup, is part of Saath Khoon Maaf.

Usha who has already shot with the director for three days says, "I had stopped acting in films as I didn't get a role which was good enough".
Everyone was only asking me to play myself. I almost jumped out of my skin when Vishal sir offered me such an exciting role in his film. It's got layers to it and is very challenging. It's a dark comedy"

Will be interesting to see how Double U is used/ approaches the role - hope we don't have her making kathakali faces just to pump up the scare factor.

the first husband leaves

2010-04-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

Saat Khoon Maaf is what the Vishal/Priyanka flick written by Ruskin Bond is called and the roster of the seven bridegrooms has looked interesting ever since it started out with Mohanlal. Alas, the list which also features Naseeruddin Shah, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Irrfan Khan and Anu Kapoor will be missing the thunder from down under, because, reportedly, Mohanlal is no longer of the film. Little else is known yet. Perhaps it's just a joke. Perhaps it's not. Only time will tell.

Saath Khoon Maaf in Kashmir

2010-03-27T04:42:00.000-07:00

One of the first on-set reporting for Saath Khoon Maaf comes from Mumbai Mirror. Looks like the shooting is on in full swing in Kashmir. It has been for some time in Kashmir, this time, for reel (long time before Bollywood goes digital).

The report title is Murder, she rote, which for all the pun-wizardry of TOI publications, still doesn't make sense.

It's a Mirror Exclisive, btw.

Jyoti Jalaile (Athithi Tum Kab Jaaoge)

2010-03-03T06:16:00.000-08:00

In The Blue Umbrella is a prayer scene in the little Himachal village where the story is set. A bhajan begins, but is in a very familiar tune, which turns out to be "you are my soniyaa" ("Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham"). The setting of a prayer song to a popular Hindi film tune is a common feature in many Indian towns (Punekars can summon memories of the aural assaults during the Ganesh Festival).

A similar thing has happened to "biiDii jalaile" ("Omkara"). The soundtrack of "Athiti Tum Kab Jaaoge" has a song called "jyoti jalaile" which runs on the same lines as the original, and is even sung by Sukhwinder Singh (music is either by Pritam or Amit Mishra - hopefully not the leggie, who still has some cricket left in him).

Vishal has some old associations with the makers of this movie. "Athithi..." is produced by Amita Pathak, the daughter of Omkara producer Kumar Mangat. In addition, the lady made a disastrous debut in her father's production "Haal-e-Dil", which had a smorgasbord of music directors including Vishal. The twin versions of the excellent title track (by Raahat Fateh Ali Khan and Rekha B) sank without too much attention as a result of the film doing very badly.

And there's your dose of Vishal trivia for the day.

Susanna's Seven Husbands

2010-03-01T03:18:00.000-08:00

Vishal's next, the what-is-the-title-after-all Saath Khoon Maaf/Ek Bataa Saath is based on Ruskin Bond's short story "Susanna's Seven Husbands". This is Vishal's second collaboration with the veteran writer after "The Blue Umbrella".

According to an interview with Bond, Bond describes Susanna thus:

"My protagonist is a femme fatale who bumps off her seven husbands… I had to find ingenious ways of bumping seven people off while writing the story. Not something that I am used to contemplating generally,"

And it seems Vishal's begun shooting for the film in Coorg with a hairline fracture sustained while playing tennis.

Now it is Saath Khoon Maaf: Husband 6 locked in

2010-02-23T05:21:00.000-08:00

I wonder if the reporters make up their own titles as they go along, while reporting on movies in production. I have heard Seven, Seven Husbands, Ek Bataa Saath as potential titles. I am guessing they are talking about the same movie.

Neil Nitin Mukesh is playing one of the husbands, and seems to be the sixth one roped in to play the part of Priyanka Chopra's short-lived husbands. But I could identify only other two from the reports - Naseeruddin Shah and Mohanlal (Kamal Hassan would have been enough to play all!)

From the name and the number being touted, I am guessing PC leaves her husbands quick and dead.

I hope Mini Mukesh dies a gruesome death right into the 1st minute of the movie. He is acting के नाम पे धब्बा! Personal view, thats all.

Chandan Arora's "Striker" - music

2010-01-14T05:04:00.000-08:00

"Striker", a film directed by Chandan Arora and starring Siddharth (probably the first Hindi film to feature carrom as its central theme?), recently released its music album. Among the many music directors to write songs for the album is Vishal.

The song is called Yun Hua, is penned by Gulzar, and is sung by Vishal himself.

(see the Wikipedia article on 'Striker' for more.)

Vishqiya

2010-01-05T03:41:00.000-08:00

Rediff review is all praise for Ishqiya music.

Once again Gulzar [ Images ] and Vishal Bhardwaj [ Images ] have conspired to give us a soundtrack to marvel at, that one intoxicatingly warm song leading the way.

"dil sa koi kamiinaa nahii"

2009-12-24T06:19:00.000-08:00

"dil to bachcha hai jii" is the next song from Ishqiya to be seen and heard, from this "Making of..." video on YouTube:

Once again, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan seems to be used wonderfully and the lines & threadlets are quite Gulzar-esque.

(Via Ajay on the Gulzar fans group)

Ishqiya - Ibn Batuta

2009-12-18T06:37:00.000-08:00

Intrepid, unceasing traveller. Travel writer. Scholar. And now finally, Ibn Batuta is referenced in a Hindi film song, thanks to the Gul-czar.

The Abhishek Chaubey directed Ishqiya is likely to release in Jan, which could mean a music release this month. A look at the first song to make it out on the airwaves (like Dhan Te Nan, more onomatopoeia & Sukhwinder - couldn't figure out the other voice)

Found via the 'Fight Club' blog

And even the trailer seems to have hit censorship roadblocks for Arshad Warsi's killer (and rather tragic) line.

Is the movie's title to be pronounced as "ishqaa.n" (the way it is said in the trailer)

Connecting the dots

2009-11-23T00:42:00.000-08:00

Vishal had alluded to the fact that he was working with Ruskin Bond.

Now, it seems Ruskin Bond is the writer for ~~The Seven Husbands~~ Seven (700 million Rs. the title won't stick!).

now it's 7: husband one locked in

2009-11-16T15:02:00.000-08:00

If the buzz is to be given credence, Vishal's next will be called Seven (or 7) and not 7 Husbands. Given the insurmountable strength of David Fincher's moody piece on the Internet, one can see problems when using Google to find out more. The buzz also tells us that Vishal has, after much persistence, signed up the first of the seven: Mohanlal. Given Vishal's track record, this might undo the damage done by RGV's fiery in-sippy-d flick and bolster the ouevre established with Company. Now muster your best Malayali impression and repeat after me लोहा गरम है

Nahi chalegi, nahi chalegi, gandi bhaasha nahi chalegi!!

2009-11-16T12:31:00.000-08:00

Bound scripts, targeted audiences, massive publicity budgets, media tie-ups, and merchandising - Bollywood has indeed turned a corner in the noughties.

One clear sign of an increasing corporate hold over the film industry is the instillment of test screening. Good, bad? Well, definitely good for producers who want the film not to bomb for the lack of UAT and appeal to the widest audience possible. By the same token, bad for audiences with a keener palate.

Take the case of Ishqiya. During focus group screening, women squirmed and shifted in their seats. Indeed, they found it uncomfortable to watch. (give them cushions I say!)

Now, I wonder if Satya had been shown to such a focus group. Would Bhiku Mhatre saying "paagal" instead of "chutiya" conveyed the same nuance?

Ishqiya seems to be of a milieu where people swear to punctuate their sentences (the male protagonists are thieves, you ar*3$0735!). Indeed in my opinion, expletives qualify and elaborate the exclamation mark oh so wonderfully.

Why, oh, why, should we then curb the beauty of the rustic lingo?

Another interview with Vishal Bharadwaj

2009-10-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

The only ghee laden Hindi word I know for interview is साक्षात्कार. Anyone know any better?
Another साक्षात्कार in TOI from the folkal voice par excellence.

An interview in The Hindu with Rekha Bhardwaj

2009-10-05T07:49:00.000-07:00

The amazingly talented Rekha Bhardwaj, who recently performed (riffed?) in the Rajasthan International Folk Festival, speaks of her singing, Vishal's direction, singing "Namak", and how Vishal romanticises the fact that he took up music just to woo her in college. The full interview here.

from 12 to 7: vishal gets the raashee rash

2009-09-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

If articles floating online are to be believed, Vishal Bhardwaj is working on a script called 7 Husbands and seems to have to roped Priyanka Chopra in to play 7 brides for 7 men. Since the rushes of What's Your Raashee? are mentioned, one is inclined to dismiss this as another case of striking the hot iron. Satte pe Satta becomes Ek Sati Saat Pati?

Vishal's Broadway Musical?

2009-09-12T03:15:00.001-07:00

The Times of India reports that Vishal will be scoring the Broadway version of "Monsoon Wedding", which is to be made by Mira Nair (the film version had music by the talented Mychael Danna).

The news item here.

2009-09-04T07:27:00.001-07:00

"Steam Funk" - my little post on the opening scene of Maqbool

Some weeks ago, I was sitting in the evening bus back home when it began to rain. The conditions were sufficiently heavy for condensation to appear on the window panes. As is inevitable when presented with a damp canvas, doodles began to materialise, literally out of thick air.

This reminded me of two movie sequences that used the drawing board of the window-pane (not considering shower doors or other glass panes merely providing 'steamy' vistas). One is in Kill Bill: Vol. 1, where a suddenly serious Hattori Hanzo, confronted by 'The Bride', writes the name of their arch-enemy. The condensation doesn't drip, perhaps suggesting a fog created by means other than water or just multiple takes. It's a little too perfectly etched, though.

The second, however, is more naturally crooked. This is the opening scene of a film. The first shot opens on a blurred background, bluish in colour. A dull noise accompanies the frame, which you realise is the sound of rain. The Bombay rain. A hand reaches out behind what turns out to be glass, and there is cackling.

The hand proceeds to draw a scraggly line to our left, and begins to fill out a rectangle. Followed by diagonals and two more. lines. It's a horoscope. Of Mumbai's. This a police van, and inside it are Sadik Chikna and the Inspectors Pandit & Purohit.

Thus brilliantly, in a haze of condensed air, in the jungle of Mumbai, does "Maqbool" unveil.

Kind of Krzysztof?

2009-08-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

In a couple of interviews, Vishal has cited the seminal influence of Krzystof Kieslowski's Decalogue. In this interview with Outlook, he talks about following the footsteps of the acclaimed director, and trying out his style of film-making.

Says Vishal, “I want to explore silences and calmness the way he does, I have yet to find the Kieslowski expression in my cinema”.

That would be as far away from the mind-bendingly frenetic Kaminey as possible. Interesting to see how that one turns out.

For me, Vishal's take on Tarantino style didn't completely work, though Kaminey continues to be a must watch for all the laugh out loud scenes, whacky characters, and a tremendous ensemble cast.

The original "Dhan Te Nan" (Gubbare) version

2009-08-21T06:14:00.000-07:00

In an earlier interview (also posted on this blog before by Abhishek), Vishal had mentioned that "Dhan Te Nan" was reworked from an episode of the same name dfor "Gubbare" (Zee TV, 90s). The episode was one of the early directorial forays by Vishal and by most accounts was quite badly made :-). The video of the opening has surfaced now (Gaurav & Salil pointed to it), and features some bad choreography, a rocking train, and an even more juvenile Sharman Joshi.

Quoting from the interview:

“Dhan te nan was not designed specially for Kaminey. I had first used it in a telefilm called Dhan Te Nan. I had used that catchphrase and the tune in that telefilm.

Dhan te nan is a phrase that belongs to our film and music culture. For us Indians cinema is the biggest cultural entity. We often borrow illustrations and speech patterns from our films. Dhan te nan is used during bedtime stories for dramatic effect.

Whenever I used to tell mey son Aasman stories I’d go ‘Dhan te nan’ to create drama. This phrase remained with me.”

I have always wondered how Vishal's baby steps in film making would have been. Here's an example. Thankfully, he's become much better :-)

Here's the video (sung by Suresh Wadkar & Roop Kumar Rathod, and humming by Rekha Bhardwaj):

Ishqiya - trailer

2009-08-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

Long time Vishal associate Abhishek Chaubey's directorial debut is Ishqiya (see posts from this blog on the topic). The film is co-produced & co-written by Vishal. After the musical lean patch of the last couple of years, 2009 will see another Vishal soundtrack, with lyrics by Gulzar.

Shemaroo has made available the first trailer. The images & dialogues are in the Omkara-mould, and the content is more NC-17 than PG-13. There's a nice guitar theme running along. Enjoy.

kaminey: early praise

2009-08-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

Vishal Bhardwaj seems destined to be the guinea pig for all sorts of strange SNAFUs associated with film releases. Anurag Kashyap's problems were limited to censor bans. But the creative and talented Mr. Bhardwaj has had to deal with obscurity (Maqbool seems to have gained its admirers and fans almost completely by word of mouth and the occasional articles lavishing praise), hype dying with a whimper (a lot more was written about The Blue Umbrella before it finally hit the marquee, at which point it seemed to slide all the way out), strangely disappointing initial collections followed by a backlash of prudery (Omkara). And now it's the H1N1 wave that has prevented it from hitting the marquee back home in Bombay and Pune. The film has hit the marquee overseas and, as with Omkara, seems destined to get most of its early reviews from abroad (local limited screenings for critics notwithstanding).

And the early notes are promising. Nay! They are extremely encouraging in an eerie way. Raja Sen ends his enthusiastic take with Awefome!; Another positive review ends with praise for the director; Nikhat Kazmi gives it a full-star rating before gushing about it as does the Indian Express and Vasan Bala is drooling over at PFC. Anupama Chopra, writing for NDTV, starts by calling it the best Bollywood film she's seen this year. Taran Adarsh, the reviewer from hell, who pretends to be a critic while looking at films like a baniyaa, also has good things to say, ending with four stars out of five. Lisa Tsering (reportedly "the first Western journalist to write about Bollywood and Indian pop culture for the Indian press") calls it a smart vivid thriller. Baradwaj appreciates Vishal's respect for the audience's intelligence as he unfurls a favourable review. Rajeev Masand gives "this imaginative and original film" four stars out of five. Over at The Hindu, Sudhish Kamath is "dying to watch it again." Minty Tejpal loves the film (adding a disclaimer that he worked with Vishal on the screenplay of The Blue Umbrella) and can't get the tune out of his head.

And if you thought I was just looking at the good notes, allow me to offer Khalid Mohamed's take (the guy can't even spell "Bhardwaj" right, though).

Blow by blow account

2009-08-03T23:17:00.000-07:00

What can one say apart from "Publicity stunt"?
The release is imminent, so I wont be surprised if some phantom punches get exchanged.

Censor Board trips Kaminey

2009-07-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

Mumbai Mirror reports

Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminey has run into trouble with the censors and even after the revising committee saw the film, they refused to give it the U/A certificate that he was hoping for. The options available to Vishal are that he can to go to the tribunal or seek legal help for his film. Apparently, the film has been given an A certificate due to its heavy dose of violence.

Hmmm, doesn't bode well for the box office colections of the film, if Vishal accepts the censor board decision. Not sure what Vishal will do - in the world where Bollywood megastars are ready to make concessions and apologize at the drop of a tantrum in order to avoid suffering the slightest pecuniary repercussions, it's become much more acceptable to make compromises with your craft.

The question is - How far back (or forward) can you bend?

oil be damned!

2009-07-23T16:02:00.001-07:00

Why am I not surprised that someone named Ramnarain Sahu, a Samajwadi party MP, who happens to be the president of the Rashtriya Teli Rathore Chetna Mahasangh, has decided to nurse objections to the use of the word telii in Kaminey's catchiest song. First the naaiis and now the teliis. All Gulzar needs for a hat-trick is to tickle the ire of another occupational sect. I can't resist thinking of maaliis.

Vishal on writing and casting

2009-07-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

Nice interview with Vishal (from this article in The Times of India):

I was at the airport and a couple with their little boy recognised me and started talking to me. The boy asked me “Uncle, what is the name of your movie?” and the father immediately said, “I will tell you later. Not now.” I said, “Why will you tell him later? It’s not a maa-behan ki gaali.” And I told the boy that the name was Kaminey. That kid laughed aloud.

Plus more on his other films.

(H/T: Mohit Kataria on the Gulzar Fans group)

Vishal to remake The Departed?

2009-07-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

Subhash K Jha, writes about latest buzz that Vishal Bharadwaj is to remake "The Departed". He writes,

Apparently, a big production house has bought the copyright of Martin Scorsese’s 2002 American crime drama The Departed and has approached Vishal to direct it. Having directed dark gangster films like Omkara, Maqbool earlier, they have chosen Vishal to handle the desi Departed.

Considering that The Departed was a remake of Infernal Affairs, shouldn't they have brought the right from the makers of the original? Beats me.
Certainly, the Hindi version by Vishal would be something to look forward to. Wondering if Saif will be the vitriol spewing Det. Sgt. Dignam, played with a vile ferocity by Mark Walhberg. And will the censors allow Hindi versions of anything close to these dialogues?

The story behind Dhan Te Nan

2009-07-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

Dhan Te Nan (roughly translated in Marathi as Wealth is Flatbread) is definitely the best track for me in the album. Have heard all other tracks just once and none of them have really hit home (Marathi - मनात घर करणे).

Vishal provides insight about how the track came to being

“Dhan te nan was not especially designed for Kaminey. I had first used the catch phrase and tune in a telefilm also titled Dhan te nan in 1998. It is a phrase that belongs to our film and music culture. For us Indians, cinema is the biggest cultural entity. We often borrow illustrations and speech patterns from our films. Dhan te nan is used during bedtime stories for dramatic effect. Whenever I used to tell my son, Aasman, stories, I’d go ‘Dhan te nan’ to create drama. The phrase remained with me.”

For a listen, the track is here. (see JR's post for full track listings). ऐका

Burn while listening

2009-07-11T01:11:00.001-07:00

Raja Sen does a long incendiary review of Kaminey music. Rates it blazing hot.

Kaminey, Bhardwaj's latest, marks a departure from both Bard and bachchas for the auteur, which is phenomenal news for music lovers as it lets the man really get into an edgy, whimsical and inflammable space. For this is a soundtrack ticking like a bundle of dynamite.

He heaps superlative praise on the wordsmith, Gulzar.

Trust Gulzar to artfully craft a really long fuse for the Kaminey bomb, making sure the tracks stay afire long before and after they actually go boom.

Go read and then listen. Add to global warming.

Kaminey's music out

2009-07-06T09:57:00.001-07:00

I don't know if it is available in stores yet, but the music can be heard online here.

The music is different from Vishal albums of the past, with an emphasis on electronica and remixes. However, there a couple of ballad-like songs and the social message song is well orchestrated.

The poetry of some of the songs is very good, as you'd expect.

Don't go in looking for an Omkara or No Smoking, though.

Vishal the lyricist?

2009-06-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

This article says Vishal has penned lyrics for a song featuring Shahid Kapur & a social message:

The entire song sequence talks about the importance of using condoms, and playing it safe. Our source said, “Sukhwinder Singh lent his voice to this song and the lyrics go: Bhawra aaya aayaa re, gun gun karta aayaa re ... Yeh ishq nahih aasan, AIDS ka khatra hai ... pathwar pehen kar jaana- yeh aag ka dariya hai."

The absence of this song in the listing previously reported may well mean this could just be a little aside in the film. If this is yet another film hat of Vishal's, then he's on his way to opening a hat boutique.

Kaminey - track listing

2009-06-28T06:24:00.000-07:00

From Bollywood Hungama

1. Dhan Te Nan (Sukhwinder Singh, Vishal Dadlani, Robert Bob Omulo)
2. Fatak (Sukhwinder Singh, Kailash Kher)
3. Go Charlie Go
4. Kaminey (Vishal Bhardwaj)
5. Raat Ke Dhai Baje (Suresh Wadkar, Rekha Bhardwaj, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala, Earl D'Souza)
6. Thode Bheege (Mohit Chauhan)

Lyrics by Gulzar of course.

The usual crop of Vishal favourites (even Suresh Wadkar) are here, with a couple of new features: Vishal Dadlani & Mohit Chauhan.

The hard-to-name & boisterous "Dhan Te Nan" is out on radio stations, and an online version can be heard here. It's very catchy and the mukhDaa is very easy to fit into your head. The Big G seems in top form.

Looks like the music will release soon.

The Vishal-Hrithik Roshan project

2009-06-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

The Times of India reports:

Hrithik will star in Bharadwaj's next. The project in question is a deeply emotional romantic film, which will have two heroines. None of the leading ladies has been finalised.

Earlier, speculation was that such an alliance would be for Hamlet, but hard to tell.

{Vishal, Gulzar, Sukhwinder}'s Bajaj Allianz ad

2009-06-22T07:05:00.000-07:00

The insurance company Bajaj Allianz has a new ad campaign titled "Jiyo Befikar". The ad features lyrics by Gulzar, music by Vishal Bhardwaj, and is sung by Sukhwinder. I do not know if Vishal has composed music for ads before, so until I'm informed otherwise, this seems to be a first.

Here's one of the commercials:

Courtesy: this post on the Gulzarfans Y!group

A Bangla mafioso is called "Dada"?

2009-06-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

A nice new angle to "Kaminey" is revealed in this article:

Supratik Sen, one of the writers of the film and also Bhardwaj’s associate director, says, :At the outset, there wasn’t any specific reason for using Bengali characters in the film. We just wanted colourful characters, not your trademark Maharashtrian dons who were the staple of standard Hindi fare. Debu Mukerji, Rajatava Dutta and Chandan Sanyal play three Bengali book-keepers, involved in shady businesses with a screwball streak to them."

Given that this is supposed to partly be a 'caper' film, one wonders if this is similar to the Hasidic Jew angle in Snatch.

August 14 is less than two months away.

Kaminey's possible release date: 14 August

2009-06-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

With the massive pile-up of Hindi film releases getting cleared in an orderly fashion after the recently concluded producers' strike, Kaminey is likely to see the light of day on the 14th of August. There's no word on the music yet, but one would expect it to be about a month in advance.

Sadly, this is gleaned from speculation from the Kaminey Facebook group - UTV needs to realise that creating social network spaces for promotion isn't enough - got to keep communicate to maintain the buzz & momentum around their product on the said space.

Meanwhile, this is the official UTV page for the film.

Dreams, wishes, and meanings.

2009-05-29T06:08:00.000-07:00

With the multiplex owners flexing their muscles and nixing new releases, our film fixes have become few and far between. There is a clear knock on effect on movie news; with no reel news, same old crap gets regurgitated in newspapers and film portals over and over again.

Only half decent piece of info is that Kaminey seems to have an official Facebook page (I might be slow in catching this one as I still dont have a Facebook page. Yes, and I still live in a cave.)

But that's not why I wanted to write this post. It mentions an Urdu verse Vishal has used (composed?)

“Raat din giley (Day and night I have complaints)
Meri aarzoo kamini (My wish is a worthless)
Mere khwab bhi kaminey (My dreams are a cheat)
dosti dil se thi (My friendship was from the heart)
Yeh hazoor bhi kaminey (But that you too were a rascal)"

I cant access the page, so don't know if the translation is embedded on the page or is thanks to Bollyspice, but I read it thus -
(Agree to the first 3 lines - I have complaints because my wishes and dreams are traitors)
dosti dil se thi (My friendship was with the heart)
Yeh hazoor bhi kaminey (But the heart too was a rascal)" .

What say?

Vishal talk

2009-04-16T00:24:00.000-07:00

Rekha Bharadwaj speaks about her background, her singing career and of course, the other Bharadwaj.

Arshad does a Kirk Lazarus

2009-04-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

Thaindian reports that in Ishqiya, Arshad sports a dark look.

"Whenever Arshad arrives on the film’s sets every morning, hours are spent painting Arshad Warsi’s torso black".

Why, you ask? Do you people not get it. To win awards, maan, samman etc. etc. - why should every other actor get the Padmashri?

I wonder why they are painting just the torso black. There is no mention of the rest of the body. Hmmmm.

The film is slated to release late 2009. That would be two movies closely associated with Vishal Bharadwaj - Kaminey which he directs and Ishqiya which he produces. Lets all collectively rub our hands in glee.

Lambi race ka ghoda?

2009-03-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

Amongst other things, HT has a significant scoop on Kaminey - the story kernel

In the film Kaminay Shahid plays a double role — Charlie and Guddu. The role of their childhood sweetheart is enacted by Priyanka Chopra. Three of them grow up in Dharavi, with dreams of making it big in life. Guddu aims to make it big in the right way, while Charlie is hooked [on to do all bad boys’ things] to betting horse race. But both shall pass a crossroad to reach their destination.

It says the movie was shot in real life locations like VT Railway station, Dharavi and Gateway of India.

and I guess, Mahalaxmi Race Course as well, considering the horse racing bit.

One thing I won't be betting on - VB's films releasing here in the UK. Unless they have SRK. Won't bet on that either.

"Kaminey" release notes

2009-03-27T22:08:00.000-07:00

(All the upcoming info in one post as we lead up to the release of the music and later the film itself)

* (24 Mar) Kaminey is scheduled to release on 5th June says this news item.

*(23 Mar) Vishal says Kaminey is a caper film and confirms that he has sung for the film.

How to ask Vishal Bhardwaj a question

2009-03-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

Why, you stand up abruptly and shout out in garbled English before he can get away!

Last week, I attended a seminar on Cinema and Literature jointly organised by the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune and the Film Writers Association. Here's the precursor post about that.

Which brings us back to the titular figure of this post. The last time I'd seen Vishal, he was much less celebrated as a film-maker and chose to remain silent. Here, he began with expressing his trepidation at speaking in front of legends such as Mani Kaul and Prof. U.R.Ananthamurthy, and didn't even want to look in the direction of his 'gardener' Gulzar. He then proceeded to shake off his nervousness with a couple of 'shers' and spoke of how Maqbool came about. He began by describing the days before Maachis in the land where 'mediocrity is worshipped', and how he tried gaining producers' attention by trying to pass of his original songs as copies of Pakistani songs (incredulous laughter sweeps the auditorium).

Heeding Gulzar's prophesy that Vishal would be a film-maker someday, he decided to try his hand at making films, partly with a view to employing himself as a music director (since his career seemed to be ending!). After Makdee (a story that was partly inspired from childhood memories of Enid Blyton), he wanted to make a film on the underworld ("because I like guns, crimes, and chases"), but felt most films ended in a gangwar, and lacked depth. Plus, what do you do that Ram Gopal Varma hadn't? Serendipitously, Anurag Kashyap had pointed him to Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood" and Alaap Mazgaonkar (who plays 'Mughal-e-Azam' in Makdee) had given him a book of stories containing Macbeth. Until then, he subscribed to the common view that 'literature' was high-brow and had no pulp or entertainment to offer. But here was a drama that gripped him.

He then read the full Macbeth ("Shakespeare language ek taraf, English duusri taraf") cover to cover. He and Abbas Tyrewala began to write, not encumbered by convention of what was allowed and what wasn't ("we were blessed with ignorance"). Making the witches into cops or turning Lady Macbeth into Abbaji's mistress happened. Naseeruddin Shah loved the script and gave him the confidence this would work, volunteering to play one of the cops instead of Abbaji as originally intended.

There was also a reference to an earlier FWA seminar where Javed Akhtar said: "In Maqbool, Shakespeare failed you; in Omkara, you failed Shakespeare" (according to this account, JA and others had torn into Omkara). Vishal ended by quoting Prof. U.R.Ananthamurthy's speech on the 1st day where the Jnanpith awardee talked about the difference in adapting just the 'structure' as opposed to 'texture'. Vishal said he had been paying more attention to structure than texture (though this blogger finds texture and ambience to be Vishal's key strength) and now had the confidence to write his own originals.

After reciting a parting couplet, he sat down. Govind Nihalani, chairing the session, said Vishal was off to catch a flight, so may be we had time for just one question. No one stirred (most sessions had gone question-less, a pity), so he was about to wish Vishal goodbye, when I decided to shoot my hand up.

There were many things to ask (that after disregarding Yasho's suggestion to yell "Kaminey!" out loud) but I settled for one on Vishal's other main writing source. "Could you tell us a little about your work with Ruskin Bond, and we've heard you're working with him again". Nihalani was about to brush me off for being a tad too late, but Vishal was kind enough to answer. He spoke of how he liked the story for The Blue Umbrella, but couldn't see how it would make a film of more than 30 minutes. He then hit upon the idea of the red umbrella, met Ruskin Bond who seemed to like the idea, and made the film. And yes, he was working on a few ideas with Bond (he mentioned a couple of names, but sadly, I couldn't quite figure them out - did he say "A Season of Ghosts"?).

And that was that.

A Times of India interview on the sidelines.

Update: 5 Apr 2009
Ajay Bhramatmaj has a transcript of Vishal's speech here (the previous link is in Devanaagarii, here's a Roman script version).

Fa-fever, Double Dose, and The Big G

2009-03-17T05:31:00.000-07:00

George has been digging around for Kaminey news for the last week or so and has dug out the juicy tidbit that the other Vishal (Dadlani, do not confuse like IMDB) sings under this Vishal's baton and puts to rest speculation about who the lyricist is (by pointing to Gulzar-saab's oblique confirmation).

And to underftand why he replafes the phoneme "f" by "f" (;-)), you'll juft have to read thif, won't you?

Update
Abhishek Toraskar points to more evidence of Gulzar's association with the film in this link.

Kaminey - of speech therapists and release dates

2009-03-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

Usually the accoutrement of slapstick sidekicks, Kaminey features speech defects in a central form. As this article reveals, great pains were taken by director and actor to try and get the 'flaws' right.

While this article says the film is going to release only in June. That's a long way off.

Ishqiyaa updates

2009-03-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

(Link sent in by reader VanDee2008:)

Tehelka offers this little tidbit about Ishqiyaa, produced by Vishal and featuring the debut as director of his close associate Abhishek Chaubey:

THE RETURNING GOOD GIRL

We had kind of given up on Vidya Balan. Always a mistake. The moment you wash your hands off someone in Bollywood they embarrass you by making a brilliant recovery. Balan, for instance, is finally doing something human. She will be seen next in Vishal Bharadwaj’s Ishqiyaan in which she reportedly plays a woman in rural UP. Her character seduces an uncle (Naseeruddin Shah) and nephew (Arshad Warsi) pair and is generally rumoured to be juicy. Here is to hoping that the girl finds her second wind in villainy. The good girl number hasn’t got her very far.

A similar article here.

Other stories related to this film here.

(As with Kaminey, the exact/preferred transliteration of the title is unclear.)

"Kaminey" peeks out

2009-02-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

Screenings of Delhi 6 have been accompanied by a 'first look' at Vishal's upcoming release Kaminey (thanks to reader 'VanDee2008' for pointing out the news).

According to PhoenixNu, a PFC author:

KAMINEY (promo)…..looks KILLER!!!!! The Master is back and its dhan tarang dhan tarang…..coming FOON….how FOON ??? the wait begins!!

The "coming FOON" is because the characters played by Shahid Kapur have speech defects.

vishal's next?: and now it's aishwarya rai (bachchan)

2009-02-11T22:08:00.000-08:00

In 2002, Vishal had adapted a novel called Pas de Quatre by Australian writer I.A.R. Wylie into a screenplay called Timbuktu (or Timbuctoo according to Stephen Alter's book). His choice for the leads were Vivek (now Viveik, if you will) and Aishwarya Rai with Pankaj Kapur in a "key role." Vishal acquired the filming rights, Abbas Tyrewala worked on the screenplay; Pankaj Kapoor reportedly noted some discrepancies; Robin Bhatt was roped in for a rewrite, but things failed to proceed beyond this. Kyun!... Ho Gaya Na killed the love for the real-life love birds at the box office, Vishal moved on to make The Blue Umbrella, Vivek Oberoi returned to strum Wonder in Omkara and Ms. Rai became a Bachchan.

Now, about 7 years later (aka saat saal baad), Rai-Bachchan and Vishal seem all set to team up on what appears to be the same project. Mrs. Rai-Bachchan notes that they had wanted to work with each other "ever since he was the music composer on a project that got shelved." One wonders if this was Hum Panchi Ek Daal Ke starring Sunil Shetty and Ashutosh Rana (in which Vishal reportedly gave KK his first solo song).

There's more about what happened all those years ago here.

'Blood Brothers' - a short film by Vishal

2009-02-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

Blood Brothers is one of four films made for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the AIDS Jaago project on the subject of AIDS awareness. Directed by that unheralded master, Vishal Bhardwaj, this short film of less than 20 minutes is a marvelous piece of drama. Featuring a top cast of Siddharth, Pavan Malhotra, Ayesha Takia, and the peerless Pankaj Kapur (with whom Vishal seems to have a special 'setting' - such is the charm of his cameo), the film has some excellent story-writing.

Without ever tresspassing on 'preach'-ery, the film works both as a piece of socially relevant material as well as pure story-telling. If all this wasn't enough, perhaps you may be interested in the facts that the film was shot by Guillermo Navarro (Pan's Labyrinth among others) and is based (partly) on a story idea by screenwriter Matthew Robbins.

The film can be viewed online. While you are at it, have a look at the others in this pack of four (Mira Nair, Farhan Akhtar and Santosh Sivan completing the quadruple).

Routine news updates - Dec 2008

2008-12-30T05:39:00.000-08:00

In what is certain to be the last post on this blog this year, some minor tidbits about Vishal that have appeared online:

Kaminey apparently progresses, though there's not much to report, if you discount the tabloid press's fascination with the lead actor's mysterious hair-style (sorry about that). On a more serious note, the crew were shooting on the day of the Mumbai terror attacks close to some of the assault sites and had to pack up in haste.
***
Ruskin Bond, whose The Blue Umbrella" was adapted on screen by Vishal, is apparently "workin on two scripts" for the director.
***
And finally, the gossip-vine has it that Vishal got involved in a fracas with Shah Rukh Khan. Yikes. The things we have to discuss when there are no new movies or music to talk about.

Taking stock

2008-10-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been much to report on Vishal's upcoming films Kaminey or Ishqiya, unless you consider news items like Vishal drives Vidya crazy, or Shahid Kapur's six injuries.

The only salvage-able bits of interest are that Kaminey is reportedly being shot in and around Pune, and that once again, Naseeruddin Shah is conducting a workshop before a Vishal film. With that kind of preparation, hopefully, the results will be like in Maqbool (ok, with that fan-gush, we'll end this post).

The (already forgotten) music of Haal-e-Dil

2008-06-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the fates that govern the musical birthchart of Vishal Bhardwaj ordain that several of his works are intended to be criminally under-heard. A more earthly reason for hardly anyone noticing the music of "Haal-e-Dil" could be attributed to it being an under-promoted film featuring a bunch of not-so interesting newcomers in an average script. This album is also one of those multi-composer efforts, featuring Raghav Sachar, Pritam, and Anand Raj Anand in addition to Vishal.

(I'll restrict myself to Vishal's double-header in this post, but a brief review of the album can be seen at Karthik's MilliBlog.)

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan re-appears in a Vishal song after that superbly rendered cautionary ode to love in "Omkara". "Haal-e-dil" begins with what sounded to my untrained ears as the digderidoo (perhaps just some electronic consort), and fits into the category of songs usually classified as "soulful". Also featuring the backing vocals of Shreya Ghoshal, the song is melodious and measured, with a hint of a Sufi influence. Typically for Vishal, the arrangements are interesting with a couple of eclectic interludes (is that a mandolin we hear in the middle, or just a guitar?). With Rahat leading the way, the elements of the song come together wonderfully.

The other Vishal credit on this album is a reprise of the title song, by Rekha Bhardwaj. It's a more modern, rock-ish version, rendered in characteristic fashion by the talented missus who can zig-zag the registers nicely. It does come in second to the Rahat version, but these Munna Dhiman lyrics (also a variation of the other song) are perhaps a touch better here ("tere kohre me.n dhuup ban ke kho jaau.n"). And there's some nice guitar backing all through.

In all, a cameo by Vishal and gang which, though it won't set any cash registers or weekly top 10s ringing, is worth a devoting a quiet moment or two if you can catch it.

Crossposted here.

The Perils of being named Vishal

2008-06-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Since 'De Taali' is a comedy and its cast comprises youngsters, the movie's music director duo Vishal-Bhardwaj has provided the music while keeping these in mind.

so says this music review.

Being confused with the more mainstream Vishal-Shekhar is common, but I've never seen it take such a hyphenated form before. IMDB and Wikipedia used to have lots of cross-references between Vishal Dadlani and Vishal Bhardwaj, but these seem to have gone away now.

Amol Gupte in Kaminey

2008-06-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

Abhishek Toraskar writes in to point out reports that Amole Gupte (currently, more famous for having created "Taare Zameen Par") is to make his film acting debut playing the villain in Kaminay" (still don't know the official spelling). The film, Vishal's directorial next, seems to have a MaraaThii flavour, making Gupte's choice seemingly apt. First plus points for the casting, because we're still a little worried about the stars in the film. Unless Vishal can pull off what he did with a similar cast of stars in Omkara.

Vishal wins National Award #3

2008-06-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

Vishal Bhardwaj won a Special Jury Award for his film "Omkara" in the 54th annual National Awards announced today. The awards are running about 2 years late, which explains why a 2006 film is being feted now.

This takes his personal tally to three, the list being:
1999 - Best Music Direction - "Godmother"
2005 - Best Children's Film - "The Blue Umbrella"
2007 - Special Jury Award - "Omkara"

Konkona Sen Sharma also won Best Supporting Actress for the same film. These awards keep intact Vishal's record of having at least one National Award associated with each movie he's directed so far. Recall that Pankaj Kapur won Best Supporting Actor for Vishal's "Maqbool", while Shweta Prasad won Best Child Actor for his debut "Makdee".

will Hamlet be the third?

2008-06-04T18:48:00.001-07:00

Rumours offered two possible works as sources for Vishal's next edition in his adaptation of the Bard's works, King Lear and Julius Caesar. Yet, a recent news bit suggests that it might be Hamlet starring none other than Hrithik Roshan. Is it to be or not to be? Ay, there's the rub.

shahid kapoor, priyanka chopra in "Kamine"

2008-05-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

Is it Kamine or is it Kaminay? Shahid Kapur has reportedly been signed on by Vishal B for this film to play a double role. Priyanka Chopra's been roped in for this "romantic musical," that she describes as "being more of a romantic-comedy [that] also has lots of action." Shooting begins in August 2008. As the days go by, one awaits more tidbits on what might well be Vishal's first film that has nothing to do either with children or the Bard.

Arshad Warsi and Vishal Bhardwaj

2008-05-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

An April 16, 2008 interview with Arshad Warsi beats about the Krazzy 4 bush for the most part and ends with an interesting note: Up next are Golmaal Returns, Shortcut, Munnabhai Chale Amreeca and a film with Vishal Bhardwaj. An April 20, 2008 TOI scrap has another tidbit: The Vishal Bhardwaj film that I'm a part of is a bit strange in terms of language and behaviour.. The only film that seems to match right now is Ishqiya and that has VB as a producer with his long-time associate Abhishek Chaubey making his directorial début.

Haal-e-dil

2008-05-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

This may well turn out to be the year with the most Vishal music releases. After "U, Me, Aur Hum", up for the shelves is "Haal-e-Dil". It's not a surprise that behind the (as yet) low-profile film is Kumar Mangat, with the film primarily designed as a launch pad for his daughter Amita's acting career. IIRC, a year or so ago, Mangat and the star he's closely associated with, Ajay Devgan (Mangat is or used to be Devgan's secretary) were involved in a contest to select the male lead for this film .

The film has the lyrics of Munna Dhiman. Now interestingly, the film was initially slated to have music by Anand Raj Anand and Raghav Sachar, so it's not clear how much of the soundtrack is by Vishal. Anyway, the brief trailers on air feature a Vishal song. The film is not expected to be any great shakes, so write this off for friendship.

Casting the net for Vishal's next and "Ishqiya"

2008-04-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

Film websites are almost certain that Vishal Bhardwaj's next directorial venture will feature the likes of Shahid Kapur and Priyanka Chopra. This may raise a few eyebrows among Vishal's fans (), but one will give him the benefit of the doubt, considering the same happened with "Omkara" when the unlikely casting of Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, and Ajay Devgan was announced.
Source article: Bollyspice.com

Ishqiya
More certain is that Vishal, in addition to Shantaram, also has another music score being written. This time, it's for long-time associate Abhishek Chaubey, who has been with Vishal since "Makdee" and also co-wrote "Omkara". Billed as a crime-thriller, Vishal is also co-producing the film, while Gulzar will pen the lyrics.
Source article: Mid-Day.

'Shantaram' - music watch

2008-04-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

There's been a dearth of reliable information about what Vishal really is upto next, but if this Rediff article is anything to go by, at least Mira Nair's Shantaram has finally been spotted on the radar.

If you leave aside the typically silly Rediff headline-grabbing speculation, this line from Vishal is promising:

"We will have two Sufi songs and one item number in Shantaram."

Vishal has had success with both these styles in Hindi films (remember "tu mere ruubaruu" (Maqbool) and the chart-ripping "biiDii jalaile" (Omkara) of course). One doesn't really care if Johnny Depp is doing a number or not!

'Does Vishal know about this?' department

2008-03-03T06:04:00.000-08:00

Well, if news reports are to be believed, Vishal Bhardwaj is making a lot of movies this year. This time, a vague news report about a likely casting of Kareena Kapoor and Aamir Khan, which probably is just recycled news from the days of the shelved 'Mr. Mehta and Mrs. Singh'. It was Shahid Kapur a few days ago, but as Vishal says in this interview: "The markets make my films way before I do".

We wish we had the services of a wee birdie who could tell us what those two scripts he alludes to are about. Anything to keep the speculators away. It doesn't help that Vishal's been part of quite a few shelved projects.

Personal thoughts on the music of "U, Me, aur Hum"

2008-02-23T07:02:00.000-08:00

I'll admit that I would not have ordinarily looked forward to the music of a film with an orthographically-challenged title such as "U, Me, aur Hum". But with Vishal helming the baton, here is what I thought.

This film is the most 'urban' of Vishal's output. Though not spectacular in any way, it presents enough points of interest to merit a couple of repeats through the playlist. The lyricist isn't a certain stiff-kurta'd maestro here, but Munna Dhiman steps in to produce a couple of interesting poetic fragments. His highest point is the clever "Saiyaan", where Vishal graciously steps into the background to let the lyrics shine. With "nai dilli me.n bareilly jaisaa saiyaa.n" and "saara din afvaaho.n saa phirtaa udtaa-phirtaa hai galii-galii", this is a great track. Vishal adds the right amount of musical embellishments and gets Sunidhi Chauhan to do the same. Though I didn't like this the first time I heard it, it "chipkoo"-ed on from the next one.

Adnan Sami features on 3 tracks as the male voice. Shreya Ghosal and he combine for "Jii Le", a peppy Spanish number with the usual kind of arrangements (Spanish guitars et al.) that make it so. It's a very nice melody, especially the opening piece. I also liked the guitar riffs and the use of the accordions here. Decent track.

There are two version of the title song. Shreya Ghosal does the female solo, while Vishal himself steps up to the mikes for the male version. The tune has all the trappings of a soothing romantic tune and the English pop-lyrics don't distract as in some other songs. With all due respect to the composer, I really think Vishal ought not to sing. His version, in some places, sounds like a scratch track. Music directors are given the benefit of doubt as long as they have something distinctive to offer. However, as yet, Vishal's voice does not have the earnestness of A.R.Rahman, the zaniness of R D Burman, or the folkishness of S D Burman or Ilaiyaraja. He sounds very flat as well as heavy, especially with a female version to compare against. Nice lyrics again.

I didn't like the heavy Punjjaabbee numbers, especially the very noisy (to me) "Phatte". "Dil Dhakda" is slightly better, again with Dhiman's somewhat offbeat takes. However, on the whole, I haven't bothered to come back to these two.

At the end, I'm still playing four of these tracks, especially "Saiyaan", so that's not too bad for a digression on to the mainstream for someone who hasn't always been given his due in that part of public consciousness.

Update: Lyrics can be found at the Gulzarfans egroup.

Also posted on my personal blog.

Shahid Kapur? Really?

2008-02-19T02:31:00.000-08:00

So this news item that came in through RSS feeds says that Vishal Bharadwaj has signed on Shahid Kapur in a "a virtual stamp of approval of Shahid's capabilities". Um, OK. My money says this one's made up.

"U, Me Aur Hum" - Music reviews

2008-02-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

The music of "U, Me Aur Hum" has finally hit the stands. A collection of music reviews, most of whom seem to like it without necessarily raving about the songs. Until we manage to get our hands on the album and give it a good listen, listen to it online and read some of these early reviews:

Rediff, Milliblog, Sify, Ramanand.

"Julia" on hold?

2008-01-03T06:06:00.000-08:00

News is that "Julia", Vishal Bhardwaj's next planned venture, is in some trouble. The news report could not pinpoint what the problem is, which is variousy attributed to problems with UTV or with dates of some of the leads. The film, rumoured to be based on yesteryear star "Fearless" Nadia was also to star Franka Potente.

"Julia" would have been a change for Vishal, whose 4 directorial features have been children's films or Shakespearean adaptations. We'll watch this item in the coming days.

Previously on "Julia": George's post on the announcements.

Update - 3 Jan 08
Sudarshan points to this Rediff page which suggests that the film's production may be stretched, but there's no mention of shelving the film, which is good news.

Update - 8 Jan 08
Put the shelf back up again. This article says Julia is not happening, talks (rather scarily of an Omkara prequel), and says Vishal is in Pune to write. (I could go find out if someone knows where he is.)

Vishal's next film soundtrack: "U, Me Aur Hum"

2007-12-31T05:50:00.000-08:00

Vishal Bhardwaj's next film soundtrack will be for the film (with the English grammar-teacher unfriendly title of) U, Me Aur Hum, scheduled to release early next year. This should mark his return to mainstream commercial filmdom (discounting his own directorial works) since perhaps Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega, which was 7 years ago.

The film also marks Ajay Devgan's directorial debut, which explains the choice of Vishal, after the success and friendship of Omkara.

"Blood Brothers"

2007-12-20T07:07:00.001-08:00

Vishal's short film "Blood Brothers" was reportedly aired earlier this month on NDTV 24x7 on the occasion of World Aids Day. If anyone has seen this, please do leave a comment - most interested in knowing how it turned out.

Watching Vishal

2007-12-13T02:45:00.000-08:00

Vishal Bhardwaj is one of the leading young filmmakers of India, but unlike others in the industry, he doesn't quite have a website or blog tracking his every move, which is probably a good thing. However, sometimes, this lack of media spotlight can make it difficult to follow his works even for the most ardent of fans, which is why this blog aims to collect news and views about this immensely talented man, and perhaps even shed some light on some of his past achievements.

To explain the url of this blog: apart from the Shakespeare connection, Vishal can be called a bit of a bard himself, what with his wonderful music compositions and his writing talents!