Planet Vishal Bharadwaj

  <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Entertainment/Lets-talk-about-sex-Shahid/articleshow/4709139.cms">This article</a> says Vishal has penned lyrics for a song featuring Shahid Kapur & a social message:<br /><blockquote>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."<br /></blockquote><br /><br />The absence of this song <a href="http://vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com/2009/06/kaminey-track-listing.html">in the listing previously reported</a> 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.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-4938094175335175513?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Ramanand (noreply@blogger.com) on June 30, 2009 01:51 PM · permalink

  <a href="http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/audiolisting/13940/index.html">From Bollywood Hungama</a><br /><br /><blockquote><br />1. Dhan Te Nan (Sukhwinder Singh, Vishal Dadlani, Robert Bob Omulo)<br />2. Fatak (Sukhwinder Singh, Kailash Kher)<br />3. Go Charlie Go<br />4. Kaminey (Vishal Bhardwaj)<br />5. Raat Ke Dhai Baje (Suresh Wadkar, Rekha Bhardwaj, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala, Earl D'Souza)<br />6. Thode Bheege (Mohit Chauhan)<br /></blockquote><br /><br />Lyrics by Gulzar of course. <br /><br />The usual crop of Vishal favourites (even Suresh Wadkar) are here, with a couple of new features: <a href="http://vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com/search/label/vishal_dadlani">Vishal Dadlani</a> & Mohit Chauhan.<br /><br />The hard-to-name & boisterous "Dhan Te Nan" is out on radio stations, and <a href="http://desi-radio.com/album_Kaminey_year_2009.php">an online version can be heard here</a>. It's very catchy and the mukhDaa is very easy to fit into your head. The Big G seems in top form.<br /><br />Looks like the music will release soon.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-7888724770776069953?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Ramanand (noreply@blogger.com) on June 28, 2009 01:33 PM · permalink

  <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Hrithik-to-star-in-Vishals-romance/articleshow/4695307.cms">The Times of India reports</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote><br />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. <br /></blockquote><br /><br />Earlier, speculation was that <a href="http://vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com/2008/06/will-hamlet-be-third.html">such an alliance would be for Hamlet</a>, but hard to tell.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-6112238725831726668?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Ramanand (noreply@blogger.com) on June 24, 2009 02:04 PM · permalink

  The insurance company <a href="http://www.webnewswire.com/node/457194">Bajaj Allianz has a new ad campaign titled "Jiyo Befikar"</a>. 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.<br /><br />Here's one of the commercials:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iugMErktJZk&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iugMErktJZk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><i>Courtesy: <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gulzarfans/message/6466">this post on the Gulzarfans Y!group</a></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-3519608445600284730?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Ramanand (noreply@blogger.com) on June 22, 2009 02:11 PM · permalink

  A nice new angle to "Kaminey" is revealed <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bollywood/Kaminey-image-makeover-for-Bengali-mafia/articleshow/4667440.cms">in this article</a>:<br /><blockquote><br />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."<br /></blockquote><br /><br />Given that this is supposed <a href="http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/features/2009/kaminey-inspiration-180609.html">to partly be a 'caper' film</a>, one wonders if this is similar to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snatch_(film)">Hasidic Jew angle in Snatch</a>.<br /><br />August 14 is less than two months away.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-3421778460951507813?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Ramanand (noreply@blogger.com) on June 18, 2009 02:54 PM · permalink

  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.<p><br /><br />Sadly, this is gleaned from speculation from the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=65342980165&ref=mf">Kaminey Facebook group</a> - 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.<p><br /><br />Meanwhile, <a href="http://kaminey.utvnet.com/">this is the official UTV page for the film</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-2354729366696751980?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Ramanand (noreply@blogger.com) on June 14, 2009 12:36 PM · permalink

  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.<br /><br />Only half decent piece of info is that Kaminey seems to <a href="http://www.bollyspice.com/view.php/2855-vishal-bhardwaj-talks-a-bit-about-kaminey.html">have an official Facebook page</a> (I might be slow in catching this one as I still dont have a Facebook page. Yes, and I still live in a cave.)<br /><br />But that's not why I wanted to write this post. It mentions an Urdu verse Vishal has used (composed?)<br /><br /><i>“Raat din giley (Day and night I have complaints)<br />Meri aarzoo kamini (My wish is a worthless)<br />Mere khwab bhi kaminey (My dreams are a cheat)<br />dosti dil se thi (My friendship was from the heart)<br />Yeh hazoor bhi kaminey (But that you too were a rascal)" </i><br /><br />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 -<br />(Agree to the first 3 lines - I have complaints because my wishes and dreams are traitors)<br /><i>dosti dil se thi (My friendship was with the heart)<br />Yeh hazoor bhi kaminey (But the heart too was a rascal)" </i>.<br /><br />What say?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-325652857209375452?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Abhi (noreply@blogger.com) on June 14, 2009 12:26 PM · permalink

  Rekha Bharadwaj <a href="http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2009/apr/13sd1-rekha-bhardwaj-on-music-and-more.htm">speaks about</a> her background, her singing career and of course, the other Bharadwaj.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-291787781333215089?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Abhi (noreply@blogger.com) on June 14, 2009 12:26 PM · permalink

  <a href="http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/entertainment/arshad-sports-a-dark-look-in-ishqiya_100177770.html">Thaindian</a> reports that in Ishqiya, Arshad sports a dark look.<br /><br />"<span style="font-style:italic;">Whenever Arshad arrives on the film’s sets every morning, hours are spent painting Arshad Warsi’s torso black</span>". <br /><br />Why, you ask? Do <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0062597/quotes">you people</a></span> not get it. To win awards, maan, samman etc. etc. - why should every other actor get the Padmashri?<br /><br />I wonder why they are painting just the torso black. There is no mention of the rest of the body. Hmmmm.<br /><br />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.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-4572116246995081674?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Abhi (noreply@blogger.com) on April 13, 2009 07:32 PM · permalink

  Amongst other things, HT has a significant scoop on Kaminey - <a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePage&id=3e30c927-fc47-433a-bb01-8615c640b950&Headline=EMKahani+yeh+hai+ki...%2fEM">the story kernel</a><br /><br /><blockquote>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.</blockquote><br /><br />It says the movie was shot in <span style="font-style:italic;">real life locations like VT Railway station, Dharavi and Gateway of India.</span><br /><br />and I guess, Mahalaxmi Race Course as well, considering the horse racing bit.<br /><br />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.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-8843912682367584923?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Abhi (noreply@blogger.com) on April 05, 2009 02:13 PM · permalink

  Why, you stand up abruptly and shout out in garbled English before he can get away!<br /><br />Last week, I attended a seminar on <b>Cinema and Literature</b> jointly organised by the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune and the Film Writers Association. <a href="http://quatrainman.blogspot.com/2009/03/show-and-tell-notes-from-seminar-on.html">Here's the precursor post about that</a>.<br /><br />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 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U._R._Ananthamurthy">Prof. U.R.Ananthamurthy</a>, and didn't even want to look in the direction of his 'gardener' <a href="http://quatrainman.blogspot.com/search/label/gulzar">Gulzar</a>. 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).<br /><br />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 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makdee">Makdee</a> (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 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throne_of_Blood">Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood"</a> and Alaap Mazgaonkar (who plays 'Mughal-e-Azam' in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makdee">Makdee</a>) had given him a book of stories containing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth">Macbeth</a>. 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />There was also a reference to an earlier FWA seminar where Javed Akhtar said: "In Maqbool, Shakespeare failed you; in Omkara, you failed Shakespeare" (<a href="http://desitrain.com/2006/08/23/when-the-gods-of-screenwriting-met-part-1/">according to this account, JA and others had torn into Omkara</a>). 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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"?).<br /><br />And that was that.<br /><br /><i><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/A-film-should-be-faithful-to-the-mother-text-Elkunchwar/articleshow/4311640.cms">A Times of India interview on the sidelines</a>.</i><br /><br /><b>Update: 5 Apr 2009</b><br /><a href="http://chavannichap.blogspot.com/">Ajay Bhramatmaj</a> has <a href="http://chavannichap.blogspot.com/2009/04/blog-post.html">a transcript of Vishal's speech here</a> (the previous link is in Devanaagarii, <a href="http://passionforcinema.com/paudha-mali-ke-saamne-itraaye-bhi-to-kaise-vishal-bhardwaj/">here's a Roman script version</a>).<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-2354693274222565311?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Ramanand (noreply@blogger.com) on April 05, 2009 02:12 PM · permalink

  <i>(All the upcoming info in one post as we lead up to the release of the music and later the film itself)</i><br /><br />* (24 Mar) Kaminey is scheduled to release on 5th June <a href="http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/news/2009/kaminey-shahid-priyanka-release-240309.html">says this news item</a>.<br /><br />*(23 Mar) <a href="http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/shakespeare-in-love/437839/">Vishal says</a> Kaminey is a caper film and confirms that he has sung for the film.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-705720844377651726?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Ramanand (noreply@blogger.com) on March 28, 2009 05:16 AM · permalink

  George has been digging around for Kaminey news for the last week or so and has dug out the juicy tidbit that the <a href="http://georgethomas.blogspot.com/2009/02/deux-and-deux.html">other Vishal</a> (Dadlani, <a href="http://vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com/2008/06/perils-of-being-named-vishal.html">do not confuse like IMDB</a>) sings under this Vishal's baton and puts to rest speculation about who the lyricist is (<a href="http://georgethomas.blogspot.com/2009/03/big-g-it-is.html">by pointing to Gulzar-saab's oblique confirmation</a>).<br /><br />And to underftand why he replafes the phoneme "f" by "f" (;-)), <a href="http://georgethomas.blogspot.com/2009/02/kaminey-firft-glimpfe.html">you'll juft have to read thif</a>, won't you?<br /><br /><i>Update</i><br />Abhishek Toraskar points to more evidence of Gulzar's association with the film in <a href="http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/30/20090317200903170213312042e5d3230/Disadvantage-Gulzar.html?pageno=1">this link</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-5658357723052155638?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Ramanand (noreply@blogger.com) on March 17, 2009 01:30 PM · permalink

  Usually the accoutrement of slapstick sidekicks, Kaminey features speech defects in a central form. <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Shahids-speech-therapy/articleshow/4248817.cms">As this article reveals</a>, great pains were taken by director and actor to try and get the 'flaws' right. <p><br /><br />While this article says the film is going to <a href="http://movies.iexplorehere.com/news/1998/Kaminey-trailer-causes-ripples.html">release only in June</a>. That's a long way off.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-787318118356638323?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Ramanand (noreply@blogger.com) on March 14, 2009 03:18 PM · permalink

  (Link sent in by reader VanDee2008:)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tehelka.com/story_main41.asp?filename=hub210309vanityfair.asp">Tehelka offers this little tidbit about Ishqiyaa</a>, produced by Vishal and featuring the debut as director of his close associate Abhishek Chaubey:<br /><br /><blockquote><br /><b>THE RETURNING GOOD GIRL</b><br /><br /><i>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.</i><br /></blockquote><br /><br /><a href="http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/gupshup/2009/vidya-arshad-intinate-scenes-090309.html">A similar article here</a>.<br /><br />Other stories related to <a href="http://vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com/search/label/ishqiya">this film here</a>.<br /><br />(As with <a href="http://vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com/search/label/kaminey">Kaminey</a>, the exact/preferred transliteration of the title is unclear.)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-1779201500741965539?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Ramanand (noreply@blogger.com) on March 14, 2009 03:13 PM · permalink

  Screenings of <a href="http://www.delhi6.co.in/">Delhi 6</a> have been accompanied by a 'first look' at Vishal's upcoming release <a href="http://vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com/search/label/kaminay">Kaminey</a> (thanks to reader 'VanDee2008' for <a href="http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/news/2009/delhi-6-kaminay-agyat-170209.html">pointing out the news</a>).<br /><br />According to <a href="http://passionforcinema.com/delhi-6-kala-bandar-in-colourful-collage/">PhoenixNu, a PFC author</a>:<br /><blockquote><br /><i>KAMINEY (promo)…..looks KILLER!!!!! The Master is back and its dhan tarang dhan tarang…..coming FOON….how FOON ??? the wait begins!!</i><br /></blockquote><br /><br />The "coming FOON" is because the characters played by Shahid Kapur have speech defects.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-7888876838646156244?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Ramanand (noreply@blogger.com) on March 07, 2009 11:54 AM · permalink

  In what is certain to be the last post on this blog this year, some minor tidbits about Vishal that have appeared online:<br /><br /><i>Kaminey</i> apparently progresses, though there's not much to report, if you discount the tabloid press's fascination with <a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1213969">the lead actor's mysterious hair-style</a> (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 <a href="http://bollywood.nkut.com/bollywood-news/vishal-bhardwaj-shahid-kapoor-stall-%E2%80%98kaminay%E2%80%99-shoot.html">had to pack up in haste</a>.<br /><center>***</center><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruskin_Bond">Ruskin Bond</a>, whose <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457802/">The Blue Umbrella</a>"</b> was adapted on screen by Vishal, is apparently <a href="http://www.screenindia.com/news/I--d-act-but-only-if-it-is-a-comic-role--Ruskin-Bond/401131/"><i>"workin on two scripts"</i></a> for the director.<br /><center>***</center><br />And finally, the gossip-vine has it that <A href="http://www.zeenews.com/Entertainment/2008-12-30/494802news.html">Vishal got involved in a fracas with Shah Rukh Khan</a>. Yikes. The things we have to discuss when there are no new movies or music to talk about.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-624927383965644673?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Ramanand (noreply@blogger.com) on March 07, 2009 11:54 AM · permalink

  <div>There hasn't been much to report on Vishal's upcoming films <b>Kaminey</b> or <b>Ishqiya</b>, unless you consider news items like <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Entertainment/India_Buzz/Vishal_drives_Vidya_crazy/articleshow/3552445.cms&amp;cid=0&amp;sig2=mXiEn3CWlxp5DjglIdKXeQ&amp;usg=AFQjCNEkgkgJ2NtZfpSSFBB4HtNMhL6zVg"><i>Vishal drives Vidya crazy</i></a>, <a href="http://movies.ndtv.com/newstory.asp%3Fsection%3DMovies%26Slug%3DPriyanka%2bloses%2bher%2bvoice%26Id%3DENTEN20080067314%26keywords%3Dbollywood&amp;cid=1252859179&amp;sig2=yiWdsQb1W-Sjt0D3lTY0XA&amp;usg=AFQjCNGTrNcX5VTYkO3FlQIUgsalqhr0EA"><i></i></a> or Shahid Kapur's <a href="http://indiapost.com/article/bollywood/3921/&amp;cid=0&amp;sig2=SRcEGo2T2EgwIhdOE-AHdQ&amp;usg=AFQjCNHoyLTZRGR2bDissghsVlgbGgtOkQ"><i>six injuries</i></a>.<p></div><div><br /></div><div>The only salvage-able bits of interest are that <b>Kaminey</b> 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 <b>Maqbool</b> (ok, with that fan-gush, we'll end this post).</div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-6025658354186020645?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Ramanand (noreply@blogger.com) on March 07, 2009 11:54 AM · permalink

  <a href="http://abhishrek.blogspot.com/">Abhishek Toraskar</a> writes in to point out reports that Amole Gupte (currently, more famous for having created "Taare Zameen Par") <a href="http://www.tarakash.com/josh/Bollywood-Reporter/Amol-Gupte-to-start-acting.html">is to make his film acting debut</a> playing the villain in <i>Kaminay</i>" (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 <i>Omkara</i>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-2808708734427443777?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by Ramanand (noreply@blogger.com) on March 07, 2009 11:54 AM · permalink

  In 2002, Vishal had adapted a novel called <em>Pas de Quatre</em> by Australian writer I.A.R. Wylie into a screenplay called <em>Timbuktu</em> (or <em>Timbuctoo</em> according to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0156030845?ie=UTF8&tag=bewoftheblo-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0156030845">Stephen Alter's book</a>). 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. <em>Kyun!... Ho Gaya Na</em> killed the love for the real-life love birds at the box office, Vishal moved on to make <em>The Blue Umbrella</em>, Vivek Oberoi returned to strum Wonder in <em>Omkara</em> and Ms. Rai became a Bachchan.<br /><p>Now, about 7 years later (aka <em>saat saal baad</em>), Rai-Bachchan and Vishal seem <a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePage&id=ae7a8572-aa17-462e-b16e-5746178f6ca8&&Headline=Vishal+Bharadwaj+signs+Ash+for+his+next+film">all set</a> to team up on <a href="http://www.theinsider.com/news/1621313_Vishal_Bhardwaj_And_Aishwarya_Rai_Team_Up">what appears to be</a> 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 <em>Hum Panchi Ek Daal Ke</em> starring Sunil Shetty and Ashutosh Rana (in which Vishal reportedly gave KK his first solo song).<br /><p>There's more about what happened all those years ago <a href="http://www.aishwarya-forever.com/news/archives/oct2004/oct-26.html">here</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7589143400156454119-8896429243932883801?l=vishalbardwatch.blogspot.com'/></div>

Posted by George (noreply@blogger.com) on February 12, 2009 06:12 AM · permalink