barioLu

Hattrick hero naanu

bariolu — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 15:10:02 +0000

‘Nenapirali’ Prem is unhappy that people are not referring to him as hattrick hero. Nenapirali was a hit, Jote Joteyali was a bigger hit and Palakki just completed 100 days. That is the reasoning of Prem. But does he not know that Nenapirali became famous because of its songs long after the film was thrown out of the theatres? And that Palakki just about managed to complete 50 days in Menaka before being shunted out for poor collections. The film finished its 50 to 100 day run in Sapna the mini theatre where it was given two shows per day. On the same day his film completed a ‘combined’ 100 days in Sapna, Priya Hasan’s Jambada Hudugi which had cornored the other two shows in the theatre after being booted out of Aparna completed its 50 day run. Good company alwa?

Long Shot

bariolu — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 15:08:01 +0000

‘Long idiyoke barodu ibbarige maatra. Ondu Shivanna…” This is Darshan’s latest comments. Earlier he would swear on Shivarajkumar. Now he has elevated himself to Shivanna’s side. So anytime anyone from the media asks him about his sword and sickle films, he says, “long idiyoke barodu ibbarige maatra…

Cut Cut

bariolu — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 05:30:25 +0000

The producer, director and rest of the Savi Savi Nenapu gang had said they watched the film 25 times. But it was the reaction of the first day audience that made them decide to cut 12 minutes from the looooong boring scenes. So much for the judgement of the filmmakers. Audience still say that 48 more minutes of the film should be chopped. This is the least the director can give back in compensation for torturing the Kannada film goers with such a pathetic creation.

The first sight and the second thoughts

bariolu — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 06:51:29 +0000

She was the first person he noticed upon entering the classroom. She look up from her book and their eyes met for that fraction longer before the hulking figure of the lecturer came between them. The lecturer arched his eyebrows into a question mark.
“New admission, Sir: replied Arun. The lecturer waved him to an empty chair voicing his opinion “Everybody is new!”
That was true. The academic year was just 3 days old. The forty seven students were their two years of post-graduation in Geography.
The lecturer went on and on about the shape of earth and Arun’s eyes went on and on towards that girl. ‘Wow’ he realized ‘College is worthwhile… she must be the most beautiful girl in the world’. She drew his attention more than the lecturer could match and this did not go unnoticed by the lecturer.
“You” he grunted at Arun. “What are the directions?” Arun giggled at the lecturer’s little surprise. “You ask me about the directions when for the last three years I have been grinding all books on Geography” he said to himself and replied; “North, South, East and West Sir”.
“What?” asked the lecturer in surprise. Arun for a second, thaought the lecturer must be out of his mind. “You are now studying geography at this level and you cannot name the directions in order?” he shouted in full horror.
“Shit, he had to do this to me on the first day” mumbled Arun.
“Now you tell me” the lecturer turned to the girl. Arun realized why he had asked the question. “He will make a complete shame of me for peeking at her”.
The girl smiled and answered, “North, East, South and West”.
“Umm” responded the lecturer.
The lecturer continued.
* * * *
Is she looking at me? But I dare not turn.
Is she laughing at me? I must not notice.
Arun continued with his thoughts.
* * * *
As soon as the lecturer left the class room, Arun turned back to make acquaintance with others in the class. He tried to peek in between others to look at her face. Yes, she was looking at him! She smiled and Arun left the world spin around him!
“Whe gave that wonderful smile”.
“I knew the very minute I couldn’t live my life without you in int. And now I want the whole wide world to know”. He hummed the lines again and again until he forgot the tune.
“I’m in love” he wanted to shout.
He ate her thoughts for dinner, slept on her first sight and later dreamt of her.
* * * *
He was awake two hours early. Ready for college in a flash and reached college in lightning speed. But he was still late for the geography class.
* * * *
He entered the classroom searching for her, his chest pounding hard. She smiled at him. The world began to spin again. He made it to his eat and slumped down. “I’m going to speak to her today”.
“I want to know her name”.
He rehearsed his words for her “Hi, I’m Arun, your good name…..?”
“Be bold my boy, never be slow in love, slow and steady loses the race,” his mind encouraged him.
* * * *
This is the time, Arun told himself, as one by one the students left the classroom in the break. She was not budging from her seat. So he packed and unpacked and repacked his rucksack. “Good, good, at this rate only the two of us will be left in the classroom”. He winced in joy and it happened. Everyone had left the classroom and the two were left.
Arun turned to her, “she too wanted to talk to me, God is really great”
He gave her a big smile. She smiled back and stood up picking up a crutch. He saw her polio affected leg. He went out without asking her name. He never sneaked a glance at her!

The First Date

bariolu — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 06:49:50 +0000

“Nothing” I answered to my mother’s enquiry about my overdrawn chore before the mirror. I would tell her in all circumstances that I would be going to a movie. But not, when for the first time I would be going with a girl. It would not have made any difference except; she would not have believed a boy who so often shyed away from females at home or away could really have a girl friend who agreed to a date! And not to mention any questioning that might have followed. Dad not knowing about it was more than enough I could ask for!
“It’s good to have a cinema hall so near the college”, I told myself, not wanting to know her reaction if I spoke aloud. “ What do they speak with girls anyway?” A new experience is always intimidating.
I would have turned around, run away, leaving her behind, not see her face again, and forget about going out with girls again. But enduring this new experience with a girl was more attractive than the brickbats from friends laughing at my timidity.
So putting on a brave face, sloughing through the crowd, clutching her hand, I moved on towards the ticket counter. The Sold-out board was thrust before my face by the uncaring guard. Not even a sorry while the board made a cut on my nose. Before I could pick up a quarrel with him, she lamented, “Oh we just about lost it by a whisker”. She was more worried about not getting the tickets than my bruised nose!
A hundred bucks in the black, and the film’s already running its eighth week! (Kannada SinemanE!) I should have worked out an emergency-funding programme for this date!
“Hundred bucks each to sit in these broken seats”, I murmured as we passed the dark balcony rows. “Ssh” came the reply.
The reviewers were right, the movie was enjoyable. I settled beside her but my mind wandered around her. How I wished to hold her hand and whisper into her ears. I slid my hand on hers resting on the aisle sides. She let out a terrified gasp and withdrew her hands. Boy this is not going as I planned! A little while later I made the next move as I put my arm across her seat. As a reflex she lurched forward in her seat. No, this could happen only to me.
Soon the best part of any movie intervened. The interval. After picking up two overpriced soft drink cans, I turned around towards her and froze as I saw the unmistakable presence of my dad, chewing on a snack. “Was he at home this morning? Yeah? No! Why did he come to his movie? Cool down, poor soul”
Before I could find any answers I was standing next to him. I tried to look indignant and truculent but succeeded in looking stupid.
“You have come alone?” he asked, even after noticing her besides me!
“No!…. here she is, my friend” I answered and introduced her to him.
The film had apparently started and everyone was trying to move inside fast. She moved first.
“Want some money?” my dad asked to my surprise.
“No”.
“Don’t miss classes regularly”,
“Yes”
As I lurched back into my seat I turned around to see where he sat. I was aghast, he was right behind me.
Phew! I was all wet with perspiration. My heart was pounding loudly. I felt like it was jumping right out of my chest…. Slowly I relaxed and came into reality. I looked at my girl. She pressed my palm and smiled at me – the most understanding smile of the season.
Glad to have a father who has behaved as a real friend at the time of conceived crisis.

Cheluvana Chittranna

bariolu — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 12:42:22 +0000

“I am not big enough to choose the films I work in. I will work in whatever roles that come my way,” said Ganesh after working in S Narayan’s remake ‘Cheluvina Chittara,’ (CC). And who chose him for ‘Cheluvina Chittara,’ is also a matter for aproximately 16 rumours in
Gandhinagar. How the ‘Kala Samrat’ who specialises in 8 departments of his films from preparing ‘chittranna’ to directing them managed to rope in Ganesh for ‘CC’ is the source for another 16 rumours.

Ganesh, after stumbling upon the golden tag post ‘Mungaaru Male,’ never demanded more than Rs 63 lakhs per film. But S Narayan who specialises in ‘social engineering’ managed to get him to act in CC for a pittance. That in spite of the demand for Ganesh’s call-sheet by
producers willing to do the 69 with him err pay the Rs 63 lakh.

Did the ‘powerful friend’ of S Narayan help in getting Ganesh act in the film? That is the strongest and most believable rumour. The ‘friend’ also helped in getting CC released by appearing in an advertisement that falsely claimed that all remake films have been granted entertainment tax relief.

This ‘friend’ of S Narayan also has another ‘friend’ in the film industry. That ‘friend’ is now producing a film and no prizes for guessing who will star in it. Ganesh of course. Rockline Venkatesh who has Ganesh’s call-sheet for August has had to relinquish it in favour of the
friend of the friend of S Narayan.

This August Golden Star Ganesh will be busy acting in a film produced by none other than Radhika.

Why #73 did not work?

bariolu — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:22:18 +0000

Many people have analysed why Sudeep’s #73 Shanti Nivasa failed at the box office. Here is what a senior director and actor in the industry felt.

“It is an old film. What normally happens in one scene in today’s movies happens in 10 scenes in this film. In such a situation, the director becomes very important. He needs to make each and every scene relevant and compelling. That has not happened.
“The main character of the ‘cook’ does no cooking in the story. He only cooks stories not food. If you present him as a cook, you should at least show him cooking. There is only one scene where he is chopping vegetables.
“Then there is the unnecessary build-up about the treasure box. He (the cook) is shown glancing at it every time he visits the old man. Finally it becomes irrelevant to the story.
“Every character in the film is confined to his own room. Things happen to them separately. In such a big house there should be a common place that all these characters meet and ‘incidents’ should have happened there.”

But Sudeep knows everything or thinks he knows everything. He knows how to get good reviews for his films. But good responses from the audience? You need to make a film they want to watch. There is no other option.

Pay up or stay in the cans

bariolu — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:24:55 +0000

As if Ravichandran staying away from promoting the film was not enough, there is fresh trouble for Ganesh and Praveen, the producers of ‘Ugadi’. The release of the film has been stayed by the courts. The film is a remake of Telugu hit ‘Santosham’. After promising Rs 12 lakhs for the remake rights, they had paid Rs 2 lakhs as advance. ‘Ugadi’ is ready for release now but the producers are unwilling to pay the balance Rs 10 lakhs to the producers of ‘Santosham’.
The Telugu original starred Nagarjuna and Prabhudeva. In the Kannada film, Telugu actor Srikanth is playing the second male lead. Jennifer Kotwal and Kamna Jethmalani are playing the female leads.

Cooking up a remake

bariolu — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 12:26:43 +0000

Sudeep does not hide the fact that his second film as director ’73, Shanti Nivasa,’ is a remake. The 1972 Hrishikesh Mukherjee classic ‘Bawarchi’ starring Rajesh Khanna is the inspiration. Going by his debut ‘My Autograph’ can we expect a frame-by-frame copy? Does not seem unlikely. The fun part however is that ‘Bawarch’ has already been copied in Kannada. Shashikumar acted in ‘Sakalakala Vallabha,’ an unauthorised copy of the
Hindi original in the early 90s. As an actor Sudeep acted in more remakes than originals. Now he has a cent per cent record of remakes as a director. Great going…

It happens every time

bariolu — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 05:38:37 +0000

What if ‘Hudugaata’ is a frame-by-frame copy of ‘Dil Hai Ke Maanta Nahin’. The Hindi film itself was a colour imprint of the Hollywood classic ‘It Happened One Night.’ Here is a list of movies inspired and copied from the original. Hope we can hit a century?

1. The Bride Came C.O.D.
2. Eve Knew Her Apples
3. White Christmas
4. You Can’t Run Away From It
5. Gluckskinder
6. His Girl Friday
7. Desk Set
8. Bringing Up Baby
9. Adam’s Rib
10. My Man Godfrey
11. The Philadelphia Story
12. Dinner at Eight
13. Ninotchka
14. Something Wild

Hindi
15. Chori Chori
16. Dil Hai Ke Maanta Nahin