Posts Tagged ‘Amitabh Bachchan’
AB Corp plans to launch ‘Auro’ merchandise after the release of Paa
After the release of Paa, merchandise connected to the film’s young protagonist Auro played by the Big B, is being planned. For the first time his younger fans will have Big B merchandise including dolls to play with.
The producers, AB Corp Ltd, have planned an ‘Auro’ blitzkrieg to connect the character with children across the world.
While a series of Auro merchandise are planned post the film’s release, on Children’s Day, Mr. Bachchan as Auro will come on television with a very special message for children.
Confirms the director, ”We’re most definitely targeting Paa at children and parents alike. Mr Bachchan’s Auro is a special child suffering from an extremely rare age-hastening disease. Auro could’ve easily become lonely isolated or abandoned. Paa shows how special ‘special’ kids can be. It has a message on parenting rather than any disease. When your child is born with a special impairment, you need to make him feel special, not unwanted or isolated.”
In what could be the first campaign-oriented big-budget Bachchan starrer, Paa promises to bring into focus the parent-child relationship in a series of television campaigns.
There are now plans to do special shows of Paa to collect funds for the Progeria Research Foundation. Says Balki, ”We really had no concrete plans to tie up with the Progeria Foundation. Though our protagonist suffers from the disease, the film is not about Progeria. It’s about how special children can fill your life with special brightness. Not for a minute does my protagonist’s special condition qualify his relationship with his parents. That’s why we avoided pitching Paa as a Progeria project. However, we’d be more than happy if our film proves helpful to children who suffer from the rarest-of-rare diseases.”
A special show in aid of the Progeria Research Foundation is now being planned. Says Balki, ”We’re still to work out details since we hadn’t really planned any Progeria events Paa. We’re definitely holding a charity screening of which the proceeds will be given to the Progeria foundation in the US.
Movie Review – RANN – Amitabh Bachchan, Ritesh Deshmukh
Ramgopal Varma is itching to tell a new story in his movies. You may garland him for his efforts or loathe him if you feel letdown, but you need to hand it to him for picking up stories that defy stereotype.
This time, in RANN, the maverick film-maker does an expose on the games the heavyweights in the media play to further their interests. RGV goes into the newsrooms and also behind it and throws light on the politician-industrialist-media nexus. Also, it’s an insider’s account of how news channels that are greedy for ratings sensationalize stories to grab eyeballs.
On surface, you don’t want to know what goes behind the scenes and how, at times, news are ‘created’ by vested interests. But RANN scratches the surface and opens a can of worms. RANN also mirrors the fact that just like there are good and bad people in every field, there’re some rotten ones in the media too who succumb to temptations and create news to climb the ladder of success.
RANN is a serious film and RGV knows what he’s talking this time. It wouldn’t be erroneous to state that you recall RGV’s SARKAR while watching RANN, even though the two films are as diverse as chalk and cheese. You recall SARKAR because RANN is an equally powerful film that shows a world we’ve only seen from the exterior.
RANN is for those who enjoy serious cinema. It’s more for the intelligentsia, for the thinking viewer. Definitely not for those who seek refuge in frivolous masala capers.
Vijay Harshvardhan Malik [Amitabh Bachchan] is the founder of a private news channel, India 24/7. A hardcore upholder of journalistic ethics, his channel is battling for survival. Jay [Sudeep], his son, looks at his father’s news channel purely as a business enterprise that must make profits to justify its existence. He hates that his competition [Mohnish Bahl] is doing better than him.
The story takes a turn when a corrupt politician, Mohan Pandey [Paresh Rawal], decides to use the channel to his advantage by using Vijay’s son-in-law Navin [Rajat Kapoor]. Pandey aspires to be the Prime Minister and indulges in a vicious campaign against his political opponent.
Navin is the most insecure man on earth and won’t rest till he becomes the number one industrialist in the country. He, in turn, involves his brother-in-law Jay in Pandey’s game plan.
A film like RANN would fall into the pit if [i] its writing wouldn’t be razor-sharp and [ii] the choice of actors would be incompetent. RGV’s movies, generally, are embellished with competent actors who deliver super performances. In this film, every member of the cast shines in his/her role, the length of the role notwithstanding.
The writing is watertight and convincing. Besides, the subject matter has been presented in the most simplistic manner, which makes it easy to decipher. However, the episode showing Riteish’s investigation tends to get confusing at one point, but the climax compensates for the minor hiccups here and there.
Amit Roy’s cinematography is eye-catching. Dialogues are power-packed. In fact, one can identify with the well-penned dialogues. The background score plays a crucial role. It heightens the impact of various scenes.
Amitabh Bachchan is spectacular yet again, especially towards the finale. His speech and the way he delivers it are remarkable. Sudeep is terrific. To stand up to giants like Bachchan and Paresh Rawal is no mean achievement. Riteish is only getting better and better with every film. In fact, he surprises you constantly.
Paresh Rawal, seen in an RGV film after a long, long time, is at his vicious best. Rajat Kapoor is incredible. Mohnish Bahl gets the role of a lifetime and he sinks his teeth into it. This film should open new vistas for him. Gul Panag is natural and so easy on the eyes. Neetu Chandra does her part well. Suchitra Krishnamoorthy is too good. Rajpal Yadav contributes to some funny moments. Neena Kulkarni and Simone Singh are perfect for their parts.
On the whole, RANN is truly a well-made film. No two opinions on that. The film should be patronised by viewers of serious, sensible cinema. Recommended!