FIR filed against 'Kaminey' director, producer

FIR filed against 'Kaminey' director, producer

Bhubaneswar, Aug 24 (IANS) A first information report (FIR) was filed Monday against the director and producer of "Kaminey" for allegedly denigrating Lord Jagannath in the film.

The FIR has been filed by Jagannath Sena Sangathan at a police station in Puri alleging that Lord Jagannath has been shown in poor light in the just released movie, which is directed by Vishal Bharadwaj and produced by UTV Motion Pictures Ltd.

"Jagannath has been shown in poor light in the movie. In a scene, it has been written 'Apna Hath Jagannath' in the toilet with a semi-clad model under the writing. It has hurt the sentiments of Jagannath devotees," said Somnath Khuntia, a member of the Sangathan.

The Sangathan also protested in Puri and submitted a memorandum before the state governor through the district collector.

"An FIR has been filed in the police station saying that some scenes in 'Kaminey' have hurt religious sentiments. We have lodged a case and investigating the matter," said Sudhakar Sahu, incharge of Puri town police station.

The objectionable portion has reportedly been edited out from the prints released in the state.  

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I thought Kaminey offer was a crank call: Amol Gupte

I thought 'Kaminey' offer was a crank call: Amol Gupte
By Subhash K. Jha

Mumbai, Aug 24 (IANS) Amol Gupte has received praise for his performance as a Maharashtrian mafioso in Vishal Bharadwaj's recently released dark thriller "Kaminey", but when the writer-director was first approached for the role he thought someone was playing a prank on him.

"I thought it was a crank call. A man named Honey introduced himself as Vishal Bharadwaj's casting director and offered me a very important role, in the same space and zone as Langda Tyagi in 'Omkara'. I banged the phone down not believing a word of what he said," Gupte, who scripted the much-acclaimed "Taare Zameen Par", told IANS.

But Honey showed up in Gupte's office.

"He had my resume as an actor right from the time in 1981 when I did my first diploma film as an actor. Honey was aware of all my 108 films as an actor in student films, also Ketan Mehta's 'Holi' and Dayal Nihalani's 'Gurudakshina'. They convinced me I was an actor. Finally, I had to meet Vishal. My wife Deepa and I knew Vishal and his wife Rekha from the time I was doing dubbing direction for Kamal Haasan's 'Chachi 420'. And I love his films," he said.

"I could've made a career in acting in Mumbai. But I was wedded to the camera and the lens not as an actor but on much broader level. For 10 years, I shifted to painting and lived the life of a painter."

Gupte says acting is an ongoing process.

"From the moment the promos (of 'Kaminey') started, I've been flooded with calls about the film and my look. Acting is an ongoing process. All day long we're acting in one way or another. So I was never away from it. And in 'Taare Zameen Par' I lived every character from little Ishaan (Darsheel Safary) to the English and Hindi teachers - Mr. Sen and Mr. Tiwari," he said.

Gupte is willing to take on more acting assignments. "If it helps me to fund my film projects. But it has to touch me in some way. Otherwise I'd have become a permanent actor after 'Holi' 22 years ago."

He is also readying to direct a film called "Sapno Ko Ginte Ginte". And like the much-acclaimed "Taare Zameen Par", "Sapno..." is also about the life and psychology of children.

"It took me so long to start another film after 'Taare Zameen Par' because I needed to tighten my script. The kids are the star of 'Sapno Ko Ginte Ginte'. But I do need a big brand to make the audience to come watch my film. However the star shouldn't feel he is doing the film and the children a favour by being part of the film," said Gupte.

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Kaminey takes Indian cinema beyond Tarantino says Shekhar Kapur

'Kaminey' takes Indian cinema beyond Tarantino, says Shekhar Kapur

New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS) Internationally acclaimed Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur is quite impressed with Vishal Bharadwaj's "Kaminey" and says the film "catapults Indian cinema in modernity beyond (Quentin) Tarantino".

"The greatest thing about Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Kaminey' is that you cannot work out why it is working. You cannot work out why you are laughing amidst the ugliness of violence in perhaps India's first real dark comedy. And why in the final moments of the film with the brilliant background song by Vishal himself, you finally get the point of the film," Kapur posted on his blog www.shekharkapur.com.

"With violence all around you, you sense innocence caught in the crossfire of unnecessary violence. And finally you come away with a great sense of the pointlessness of it all. It's terrific... Vishal better think hard about how to surpass this one," he added.

A thoughtful director himself, Kapur further praised the technical aspects of the film that has Shahid Kapoor in a double role.

"The cinematography (by Tassaduq Hussain) is great as are some of the performances, the script and the editing. It is ultimately a director's brilliant vision of the world that is playing through," he said.

The 63-year-old, however, didn't seem to be too impressed with Bharadwaj's idea of making the lead characters lisp and stammer in the film.

"Did Vishal have to use the idea of stuttering and stammering with the main character though? It was a little over done and the only thing that harked to a more traditional form of comedy in Indian films. The film could have done with a little less of that," he wrote.

"Kaminey" is Bharadwaj's first commercial hit. It earned about Rs.330 million in its first weekend at the box office.

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