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

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.)

Ishqiya sequel and Sabrina Dhawan on Two States

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.

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

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)

"dil sa koi kamiinaa nahii"

"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

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

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

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

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

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?

Ishqiya - trailer

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.

Arshad does a Kirk Lazarus

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.

Ishqiyaa updates

(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.)

Taking stock

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).

Arshad Warsi and Vishal Bhardwaj

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.

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

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.