Boring Nenapu...

By B Jayakishore

Let's take a little break from serious issues and discuss a funny film seriously! Yesterday I watched a Kannada movie Savi Savi Nenanapu...directed by Santhosh Rai Pathaje.

Well, film has got a great plot. But the way the script has been developed and the way the director had executed the film was very bad. I think this could have been a very good film if it contained some liveliness in it. I see this is the only reason, for a film Savi Savi Nenapu will be a great disaster as it fails at all levels despite having very good technical support from well known technicians like editor Suresh Urs, cinematographer K.S.Chandrashekar/Guruprashanth Rai.

Director Santhosh Rai Pathaje seems to have influenced by some of the English classic movies. Literally he tried to depict the story on the lines of these classics. But fails miserably in his attempt as most of the actors including Prem were 'Just Delivered' their dialogues without any smell of acting in it. Also Pathaje fails to extract the performances from most of the cast. However, Avinash and Tejaswini are impressive.

Well, film has a simple story woven around love and heart transplantation, but rather unconvincing in many aspects. Of course you can not expect scientific explanations or at least plausible narration from sandalwood movies! Prem, a doctor fails to keep his wife Preethi happy; due to his busy schedules of profession. But still Preethi is very cooperative and caring. Meanwhile Preethi dies in a car accident.

During the course of time Prem comes to know that Preethi's heart has been transplanted in Pallavi. Incidentally, Pallavi's husband Raj is a look alike of Prem! Some cinematic incidents make Prem to think that Raj is ill treating Pallavi. But story has a different angle to it. Under guilty conscious for not given attention to his wife Preethi when she was alive, Prem decides to pretend to be Raj when he goes to England on work, just to keep Pallavi happy as she has Preethi's 'Heart' in her!

Now, when Pallavi sees 'Raj'(Prem), once again she falls ill due to anxiety and is hospitalized. What happen next are remains to be seen on screen!

Technically, Savi Savi Nenapu is on par with any Bollywood film. The cinematography, Location, Editing and music are really impressive. Song Savi-savi-nenapu is a very melodious composition. Also the title music.

It seems that Santhosh Rai wanted to make this film in a different way. But he couldn't. Moreover, pace of the film doesn't suits the commercial format. But you can not figure out this film as a classic or serious as it is not convincing at some points. Simply, it lacks depth in treatment of subject. Director could have treated the characters with more lively sequences and of course with extracting natural performances!

I always wonder why our film makers are run behind subjects like heart transplantation; Uterus transplantation etc if they can't portray the story woven around such issues scientifically or convincingly. Frankly, high dose of melodrama and dull narration has completely ruined a beautiful film. I think that's why "Mungaru Male", without any such complications and with its natural treatment has made a mark in Sandalwood history.

Meet Mr.Abhay...

By B Jayakishore

Let me introduce my filmmaker friend Mr.AbhayaSimha to you. Graduate from FTII, talented, Bright and filmmaker of the future. Recently he had organized screening of some of his works in Badami House, Bangalore where they received good critical acclaim from audiences, senior journalists present there. Congrats Abhay!

Well, do you remember Dhoom pachak dhoom, an album from Euphoria group? This song became huge hit among youngsters in 1998. Since then they have released more than 15 albums. Rabjaane was their recent release to which my friend Abhay has directed the video. This was his first national level venture. This later went on becoming hit song in MTV, V channel music album charts.

Abhay's family stays in Mangalore. His Father Ashokavardhana is a famous bookseller there. Mother is a housewife. After completion of his graduation in English and Journalism from St.Aloysius College, he applied for a seat in Film and Television institute of India, Pune, a prestigious institute which gave Indian cinema talents like Nasiruddin shah, Girish kasaravalli to name a few. Abhay finally got a seat there after a tough competitive entrance examination.

After joining FTII Abhay’s perception about cinema has changed a lot, as he got the opportunity to watch best classic movies from all around the world. In his recent article he wrote about veteran Swedish director Ingmar burgman in Udayavani.

Abhay had a great opportunity to visit International film school in Cogne in Germany while he was studying at FTII. It was a talent exchange programme, where he directed a short documentary 'Solo singer and the Blue city'.

Well, Till today Abhay has directed more than ten documentaries, Short video films. I liked his short film "Watch out' a comedy non-talkie video running for about 20 minutes.

'Though Mumbai has got more opportunities than Kannada film industry, I prefer to work for sandalwood. I love my language, my soil. I admire Girish kasaravalli immensely. He is also my role model' concludes Abhay.

All the Best Abhay!

Jashn-E-Azadi:Story of freedom in Kashmir

By B Jayakishore

On Friday it was a pleasant chat with Sanjay Kak, film maker from Shrinagar, Kashmir. He was in Bangalore for screening of his film 'Jashn-E-Azadi', a two hours and 19 minutes film which raises disturbing questions about freedom in Kashmir, while exploring the past and present situations at valley.

'Most of us believe that Kashmir issue has become only reason for 'India-Pak' rivalry over these years. But very few know that the reality is different than it was portrayed in media. In fact, Issue is not only related to the people of Kashmir, but also to the people of whole country. Heart breaking incidents, bloody struggle in the name of freedom (Azadi) is really alarming. Shockingly, on the day of independence i.e., on 15th August, nobody in the valley comes out of their home! It really incited me to find out reason for such silent protest. Also this is the question I have raised in my film ‘Jashn-E-Azadi'’says Sanjay Kak.

'Basically, Iam a Kashmiri. We have a home in Shrinagr. But I had left the place on 1980. After a long break, that is on 2003, when I went back to my home in Shrinagar, I was strucked to see the empty streets of Shrinagar on August 15th which happens to be our independence day!'

'I never saw a single celebration in anywhere in the valley, other than government flag hoisting ceremony which completes at around 9.30am. It haunted me like any thing that people here are protesting silently for some reason. Later I understood that they have all decided to not to participate in Independence Day celebrations until the permanent solution for the Kashmir issue is sorted out'

'I found it Interesting. Whole world knows Kashmir issue as mere Indo-Pak conflict. But in real it is much more than that. My film is an attempt to understand the silence'

'I started shooting for the film in 2003 and completed it in 2007. Obviously, I faced some problems while shooting in the valley as there is no much freedom for media. Nobody dares to tell you truth there. Instead you encounter questions like 'Who are you? Why should I tell you the truth...' says Sanjay.

'Also you are not allowed to shoot ‘ALL’ there. But ultimately the freedom lies with you to tell the truth, which you have understood with what is available to shoot' he adds.

'First screening of my film was held at Delhi. After that it was at Shrinagr. The response was awesome. Some people had tears in their eyes! Which really gave me immense satisfaction over my work as a film maker'

'After Shrinagar, screenings were held at Patna, Shillong, Guvahati, Nasik and other places. Media also gave good support because of which my film reached the audience who are really concerned about the issue. I have even created a blog called www.jashneazadifilm.com, which went on receiving as many as 20 thousand hits! I have a plan to make it as a full fledged website, through which interested can buy DVD's of my works. I think such measures are important nowadays to make these type of ventures self supportive rather than writing for grants'

Sanjay Kak has been making documentaries since 1983. 'Kinor ke log' was his first documentary. The film ‘Words on water’, on Narmada issue was screened at Brazil environmental festival.

'Today with technology has become 'Handy', Producing a documentary film is not a cumbersome task. Within one and a half lakhs you can have good digital camera. Post production works can be done in desktop computers'

'Well, nowadays there are several funding agencies which give post production grants for your work. Only thing you need to do is to send a DVD with rough cut of your work. I have received grant from Jan-vrijnan fund, Holland. They even screen your film in International Documentary film festival (IDFA) which is held at Amsterdam in every November'

Its Rajani...Rajani everywhere...!!

By B Jayakishore

Let’s take a break from serious issues. From past one week world around us is not in serious mood! It’s the 'Rajani mania' everywhere. As I too a diehard fan of Rajani, it thrills me to be a part of the madness he created all over!

As you know and already read the latest from style king, ‘Shivaji-the boss’ is the rage ‘n’ craze everywhere now. I often wonder why our people go so much 'Mad' over mere a film! Even this question has continuously haunted me several times. After doing some psycho analysis, I found an answer but not convinced. If you have more appealing answers, you are most welcome to post it. Let’s chat. Come Let’s have fun time!!

I have seen many people sitting around me while watching a movie, so much obsessed about the hero or involved in the plot such that, when their Idol or ‘On screen hero’ gives a punch to a villain, the hands and body of the person also moves here and there automatically! Some times he never cares for others! But some times when came to know about this he him self becomes embarrassed! Frankly, even I have experienced these happening with me without my knowledge at all!! Similarly I've seen our men and women crying when on screen hero or heroin cries, whistling when they come out of their 'On screen trouble'!!

Basically, we idealise someone in our hearts. It’s natural and instant to get ‘mad’ for whatever our ‘Idol’ is doing, though it is on screen! We see ourselves in an onscreen hero. We expect him to do the things at least on screen, which we can't do in our real life. Then obviously, the larger than life characters, the way they portray the characters in 'reel world' really fascinates us. It makes us to forget our day-to-day miseries of life for a moment at least.

When this happens, the hero instantly becomes an Idol in people’s mind, to which they are even ready to offer worship! When these kinds of several people gather in a place, the mass hysteria begins. The Madness begins! Some times this even goes up to an extent that people kill themselves when their hero dies an on screen death. Interestingly, some times they simply follow whatever their onscreen hero does. Added to this is the media hype!

Leave the madness. Interestingly, 'Shivaji', 100th film for Souths only style icon, is the film ever made in the history of Indian cinema with a huge budget of whopping 100plus crores!! What a coincidence! 100crores for 100th film! It is expected that the film will earn back all its investment within 10days! Rajani was paid whopping 40 crores as remuneration which is highest ever paid remuneration for any hero in the history of Indian cinema! Even more than Jackie Chan! Oops!

Shivaji-The Boss-A technological Wonder

Technically speaking, Shivaji equals a Hollywood film in every manner! It has used 4K resolution technology for the first time ever in Indian film industry, which is mostly used on big-budget Hollywood movies!

In India, 2K resolution was the set standard for Digital Intermediate-DI. (Digital intermediate, often abbreviated as DI, is the process of digitizing a motion picture and manipulating colour and other image characteristics to change the look, and is usually the final creative adjustment to a movie before its release) In 4K scanning requires much bigger memory space (almost 4times 2K) than 2K system. Added to this technology is very costly affair. For these reasons technology was never used in India.

For instance, to add special effect to the movie each frame of the film should be scanned. Now, if each frame scanned in a 2K system takes 12mb memory, 4K takes 48mb space! I think now you can imagine how costly and how cumbersome the job is!

The Advantage is that in 4K , you'll get much more high resolution pictures to manipulate as you want. In effect whatever manipulations or special effects you add to each frame, it looks more real! Even colour grading (Colour grading-is the process of altering and enhancing the color of a motion picture or television image, either electronically, photo-chemically or digitally. The photo-chemical process is also referred to as color timing and is typically performed at a photographic laboratory, generally done digitally) also looks so natural in screen. That’s why you can see the ‘Real-Reel Special effects’ in Shivaji!

Saturdays Media reports say that 'Shivaji' is the real treat to watch. However, as one of my friend has said, nobody can dare to write on 'Shivaji's flaws. As both media and Shivaji mutually need each other to lure us!!

However, it’s good to hear that this time Rajani left smoking! Instead he opted for eating bajjis and chewing gums in Rajani style! Added to this is tossing a coin!!

Well, I don't have tickets to watch the film now. Yesterday I only watched Madness of the crowd over ‘Shivaji’ across the Bangalore to write a report. Is anybody having tickets?

Jai Shivaji...from my side!!!