Film 'Rab Ne...' tests India-Pakistan relations
The three-day siege of Mumbai, for which India blames a Pakistani extremist group, has derailed plans for increasing economic ties between the countries, says The New York Times, Monday, November 2008.“Four years of sincere and bold initiatives from both sides have been put on pause mode, The momentum is badly affected,” said Jairam Ramesh, India’s junior minister for commerce. Latest Bollywood movie 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' featuring India's top film star Shah Rukh Khan has become the latest victim of the Indo-Pak tensions. Read more »
Sir Ben Kingsley and Danny Boyle pay tribute to Mumbai as ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ wins top British award
London-"It's a city with a big heart that's been wounded this week, but it will recover," said Danny Boyle, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ director, referring to the terrorists attacks that killed about 200 people in Mumbai last week. "It is weird to win this at the end of what's been a terrible week," added Boyle as his film, set in Mumbai, won Best Film prize at the British Independent Film Awards, Sunday, November 30, 2008.The film is tipped to win 'Best Movie' Oscar at the forthcoming Academy Awards. Read more »
'Ban all Indian movies in Pakistan'
LAHORE: Bollywood movie 'Dostana' has been banned in Pakistan and now the Lahore High Court of Pakistan is hearing a petition which says exhibition of all Indian films be declared unlawful, illegal and against the current Film Rules of Pakistan. Read more »
Roadside Romeo: Walt Disney’s First Hindi Animation
MUMBAI - For the first time Walt Disney has made a film in Hindi. The release of ‘Roadside Romeo,’ the animation tale of a dog finding true love after being abandoned in a Mumbai slum, Friday, October 24, 2008, has hit international headlines. Made in co-production with Yashraj Films, ‘Roadside Romeo’ casts Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Javed Jaffrey. Like a typical Bollywood film, it has songs and dances. Read more »
Shah Rukh Khan knighted in Malaysia amid controversy
What started as an attempt to promote Malaysian tourism among Indians has turned into a national controversy in Malaysia. The country, home to about 2.6 million people of Indian origin, bestowed one of Malaysia's prestigious titles 'Datuk' on India's most bankable film star Shah Rukh Khan. But the opposition leader has questioned the decision. Malaysian honour 'Datuk' is almost equivalent of the British knight 'Sir'. The news has amused press ranging from The Washington Times to 'The Variety'. Read more »
'Gomorra'- Italian entry for Foreign Language Oscar wins top prizes at the 2008 European Film Awards
COLOGNE, Germany- The Italian crime mosaic Gomorra (Gomorrah) was the big winner at the 2008 European Film Awards (EFAs). Debuted in Cannes, where it won the Grand Prix, 'Gomorro' is Italy's nominee for the 2009 foreign-language film Oscar, competing against India's 'Taare Zamin Par' and many others. Read more »
New Germany and France film fund of $376,000 from 2009
Germany and France are considered to be the best friends in the EU community. Now they are going to launch a $376,000 (Euros 300,000) co-development fund from 2009. The news was announced at this year's Franco-German Film Rendez-Vous in Hamburg. 300 German and French producers, distributors and film funders attended the three-day annual event which alternates between France and Germany Read more »
Dholakia's controversial film 'Lamha' on Kashmir in serious trouble
Srinagar (Kashmir)- The shooting of a controversial film on Indian Kashmir has led to a slanging match among Indian authorities, separatists and filmmakers. The trouble started after Bollywood filmmaker Rahul Dholakia's admission that his forthcoming movie "Lamha" would depict the pain and suffering of Kashmir even though it was essentially a love story. Bollywood's 'sex bomb' Bipasha Basu is portraying the character of an Islamic separatist (woman), Asiya. Read more »
UK Minister and top Bollywood stars celebrate historic agreement
An era of closer collaboration between Indian and UK film-makers began as Britain's film Minister Barbara Follett launched a historic film co-production on the set of major Bollywood movie London Dreams, Wednesday, October 22, 2008. Now, any Indian filmmaker who wants to collaborate with a British producer under the treaty will have access to a range of benefits including tax breaks, sources of funding and practical support. Read more »
'Baarah Aana' indicts India's affluent people
'Barah Aana' (2008), based on Aravind Adiga's debut novel 'The White Tiger', shortlisted for Man Booker 2008 and directed by Raja Menon, exposes the hypocrisy of Indian's upper and middle class, and its atrocities committed against poor people. Featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Tannishtha Chaterjee, Violante Placido Vijay Raz, Benjamin Gilani and Barry John film has been a subject of intense debate in the Western press as India emerges to become a super power. Read more »