Ash-Abhi to resume shooting after Diwali
(Gullu Gupshup) Contact Reporter E-MAIL This Story PRINT This Story
Publication Date 23/10/2008 10:07:19 AM(IST)
After a break of three weeks, Abhishek Bachchan and his wife
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will resume shooting for Mani Ratnam'''s new
film, Ravan, after Diwali.
The couple will fly to Kerala -- where the shoot is taking place --
on October 29.
The shooting schedule of the young Bachchans went haywire when
Amitabh Bachchan had to be hospitalised on his 66th birthday, on
October 11. He was admitted in Mumbai's Lilavati hospital for six
days, and was treated for an abdominal problem.
Bachchan, who has been shooting for Leena Yadav's Teen Patti when he
fell ill, has been advised two weeks' rest. Incidentally, Leena Yadav
made her directorial debut with Ash in the big flop, Shabd.
http://www.mynews.in/fullstory.aspx?storyid=11765
Peter Hains joins Ravana
Baiju NT [October 23, 2008, 1:08:43 PM]
Peter Hains, the famous Hollywood stunt master who choreographed the
action scenes and special effects of big budget movies like Anniyan,
Sivaji - The Boss and Dhoom, has arrived at Chalakkudy, Kerala, to
join the shooting of ace director Mani Ratnam's latest film Ravana.
He will supervise the fight scenes of the film.
Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Vikram, Prithviraj and Vaiyapuri
are also on location for the film which is now being shot at
Malayatoor forest near Kochi. Ravana is the modern adaptation of the
epic Ramayana.
Unlike the epic, Ravana, the ruler of Lanka, who kidnapped Sita, is
the lead of this film. Sources say the film culminates with Sita
taking the side of Ravana, instead of Rama who suspects her chastity
after having spent so much time in Ravana's custody. It is said that
the memories of the poacher Veerappan will also be a highlight of the
film.
Mani Ratnam is making this film in Hindi and Tamil simultaneously. In
Hindi, Abhishek Bachchan will play Rama, while Vikram will be Ravana.
In Tamil, Vikram is Rama and Prithviraj is Ravana. Aishwarya Rai will
play Sita in both versions. However, Mani is yet to finalize an actor
who will play Lakshmana.
The shoot was temporarily halted by the Kerala Forest department
early in this month, when the forest officials found that the crew
had constructed huts inside the forest, which was against the terms
of sanction. However Mani, Ratnam was later given conditional
sanction to continue shooting in the forest.
http://hindi.galatta.com/entertainment/hindi/livewire/id/Peter_Hains_j
oins_Ravana_19468.html
This is just to inform you that I have granted moderator access to Nitish and Pretee.
They will now be incharge whenever I am unable to work on the board.
Thanks Nitish for the great home page, it looks fab! :) We are promoting Dostana this month!!!
Also, as Pretee pointed out, we would like it if you refrain from posting forwards on this group.
The mails you post should be related to Abhishek. You can have long discussions on his movies
and him as well. But forwards just for the sake of it is a big NO NO.
I have already blocked some people from posting emails without being moderated.
Pretee and Nitish will also be able to block / ban people who spam the group with uncessary mails.
We are constantly in touch with Abhishek's secretary with regards to a meeting. However, most likely it may not happen this year as he is on the move. We have decided to go drop the gift at the Jalsa office and talk to Barbara (Abhishek's Secretary) in Jan about a meeting in the next year. Pretee will organise to drop the card at the office in November.
It is our effort to try to get Abhishek to either meet us / chat with all of us. But there are constraints because of his non availability.
We only hope that 2009 would bring us some joy as we had in 2005!!!!
Take care guys and keep loving Abhishek! Neetu Group
Owner.
The 'D-Series' in Abhishek's career
October 20, 2008 6:08:37 PM IST
Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network
Well, we are not playing any guessing games here but simply talking
about the importance of three films in Aby's baby, Abhishek
Bachchan's career, all starting with the alphabet, D. The first of
the three was Goldie Behl's DRONA, which has already released and is
unfortunately on way to acquiring a disaster status. So, we will not
discuss that. We would rather focus on the two other very important
films on which rests the hope of reviving Abhishek Bachchan's
career.
The second and most promising of the lot is Karan Johar's Tarun
Mansukhani directed romcom, DOSTANA, in which Abhi teams up with the
co–star of his first super–hit, DHOOM, John Abraham. Trade is upbeat
about the film as its promos have certainly managed to arouse the
expectations of the common cinegoer, especially the youth, at whom
DOSTANA is targeted. Handsome hunks John Abraham and Abhishek
Bachchan and not to forget, the junior Deol, Bobby (in a very
special appearance), along with the ravishing Priyanka Chopra, will
try to lure the audience to the theatres. Another plus point of the
film is its music by Vishal–Shekhar, which is already getting
popular. And naturally DOSTANA being a Karan Johar film there is no
doubt that it will be distributed and marketed and most importantly
hyped well!
The last of the 'D–Series' is going to be Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's
DILLI 6, which pairs Abhishek for the very first time with Anil
Kapoor's beautiful daughter, the SAWAARIYA girl, Sonam Kapoor. Once
again expectations are bountiful from DILLI 6 as this is Rakeysh's
next after the critically acclaimed super–hit, the iconic, RANG DE
BASANTI. The film looks good what with (additionally) veterans like
Waheeda Rahman and Rishi Kapoor present, as was evident from its
first looks of the Taj shoot.
So, lets hope that the remaining two films of the 'D–Series',
DOSTANA and DILLI 6, succeed in giving Abhishek's career the much
needed boost after the recent setbacks.
http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/08/oct/20-the-d-series-in-
abhisheks-career-100810.asp
`Shut up and dance' with Shilpa `sexy' Shetty in beach wear
Spicezee Bureau
Mumbai, Oct 22: Remember, those sensuous moves of Shilpa Shetty
in `Aila Re Ladki Mast-Mast', in which she showed off her curvaceous
body lithely, drawing sighs from men. The sexy lady is at it again,
in a sure-shot hit number in forthcoming film, `Dostana'. Shilpa
Shetty will be seen dancing on Miami Beach, wearing a revealing
beachwear, singing `Shut Up and Dance'.
Director Tarun Mansukhani, has left no stones unturned to present
Shilpa Shetty in all her glory. Shilpa looks as irresistible as she
was in `Chura Ke Dil Mera' days and she is sure to set the
temperatures go up. And dancing with her are the two hot-bod
and `gay' actors Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham, showing off
their skin as much as the lady. Now, who would like to miss out on
such an out-and-out sensuous number.
Composers Vishal and Shekhar are confident that they have a sure-
shot hit up their sleeve and they have another dance number ready to
be played on stage.
Thank you, i just had the mood to work on it so i did.. I'm glad you
liked it..
Love,
NiTiSH
--- In Abhishek-Online@..., pretee <pritiey4u@...> wrote:
>
> hey Nitish,
>
> The homepage is lokin uber KEWL!! its got a very fresh look....
>
> gr88 work....
>
> pretee
>
October 20, 2008 6:08:37 PM IST
Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network
download DOSTANA wallpapers
Well, we are not playing any guessing games here but simply talking
about the importance of three films in Aby's baby, Abhishek Bachchan's
career, all starting with the alphabet, D. The first of the three was
Goldie Behl's DRONA, which has already released and is unfortunately
on way to acquiring a disaster status. So, we will not discuss that.
We would rather focus on the two other very important films on which
rests the hope of reviving Abhishek Bachchan's career.
The second and most promising of the lot is Karan Johar's Tarun
Mansukhani directed romcom, DOSTANA, in which Abhi teams up with the
co–star of his first super–hit, DHOOM, John Abraham. Trade is upbeat
about the film as its promos have certainly managed to arouse the
expectations of the common cinegoer, especially the youth, at whom
DOSTANA is targeted. Handsome hunks John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan
and not to forget, the junior Deol, Bobby (in a very special
appearance), along with the ravishing Priyanka Chopra, will try to
lure the audience to the theatres. Another plus point of the film is
its music by Vishal–Shekhar, which is already getting popular. And
naturally DOSTANA being a Karan Johar film there is no doubt that it
will be distributed and marketed and most importantly hyped well!
The last of the 'D–Series' is going to be Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's
DILLI 6, which pairs Abhishek for the very first time with Anil
Kapoor's beautiful daughter, the SAWAARIYA girl, Sonam Kapoor. Once
again expectations are bountiful from DILLI 6 as this is Rakeysh's
next after the critically acclaimed super–hit, the iconic, RANG DE
BASANTI. The film looks good what with (additionally) veterans like
Waheeda Rahman and Rishi Kapoor present, as was evident from its first
looks of the Taj shoot.
So, lets hope that the remaining two films of the 'D–Series', DOSTANA
and DILLI 6, succeed in giving Abhishek's career the much needed boost
after the recent setbacks.
Hi all,
This is just to inform you that I have granted moderator access to
Nitish and Pretee.
They will now be incharge whenever I am unable to work on the board.
Thanks Nitish for the great home page, it looks fab! :)
We are promoting Dostana this month!!!
Also, as Pretee pointed out, we would like it if you refrain from
posting forwards on this group.
The mails you post should be related to Abhishek. You can have long
discussions on his movies and him as well. But forwards just for the
sake of it is a big NO NO.
I have already blocked some people from posting emails without being
moderated.
Pretee and Nitish will also be able to block / ban people who spam
the group with uncessary mails.
We are constantly in touch with Abhishek's secretary with regards to
a meeting. However, most likely it may not happen this year as he is
on the move. We have decided to go drop the gift at the Jalsa office
and talk to Barbara (Abhishek's Secretary) in Jan about a meeting in
the next year. Pretee will organise to drop the card at the office
in November.
It is our effort to try to get Abhishek to either meet us / chat
with all of us. But there are constraints because of his non
availability.
We only hope that 2009 would bring us some joy as we had in 2005!!!!
Take care guys and keep loving Abhishek!
Neetu
Group Owner.
Bombay Times turns 14 in style
Star couple Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at the 14th Bombay
Times birthday party
It is touted to be the party of the year and it sure lived up to its
name. The annual bash of The Bombay Times was fun-unlimited, as it
entered its 14th year. Celebrities and stars poured in to wish BT a
very happy 14th birthday.
The annual grand affair the city of Mumbai awaits for, The Bombay
Times celebrated its 14th birthday in its signature grand style with a
classy Hollywood-Bollywood mixed theme, and filmstars poured in to
join in the celebration.
Abhishek Bachchan said, "It is rolled by a wonderful publication from
the Times Group, which has been very kind to her (Aishwarya Rai) and
me. The association with the Jain family goes back to generations."
Superstar Arjun Rampal also was in all praises for the publication and
said, "Bombay Times is a close association for all of us. They always
support our films and the things that we do and they throw great parties."
The party saw celebrity couples from the film world dressed in their
best. There were also other movie stars who brought in their freinds
and family.
Actor Anil Kapoor said, "Whenever there is anything with the Times of
India Group, it has to have a certain kind of class as well as style."
His daughter Sonam Kapoor also looked forward to the grand party and
said, "I am looking forward to meeting all my celebrity friends and
meeting my reporter friends and all the people from the Times group."
Veteran cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar was also present amidst the
grandeur as he said, "Bombay Times parties are the best. I really
enjoy it and we meet so many people."
The Bombay Times annual bash did not just score on the glamour
quotient but everything from the decor to the music was as memorable
as ever.
Source:
http://www.timesnow.tv/Newsdtls.aspx?NewsID=18824
Mani accepts new conditions for shooting
Director Mani Ratnam has agreed to the fresh terms and conditions
stipulated by the Kerala State Forest Department to continue the
shooting of the multilingual film "Ravana" in the Malayatoor forest,
near Kochi, according to reports reaching Chennai.
The conditions imposed on Mani Ratnam are:
1. A daily fee of Rs. 10,000 would be charged (against Rs 1000 before)
2. Only 150 persons should participate in the shooting.
3. Not more than 15 vehicles would be allowed to enter the forest zone.
4. No big sets should be erected
5 .No loudspeakers, dynamites or detonators should be used.
6. Animals in the forest should not be disturbed.
7. The shooting timing would be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Forest department had last week ordered the film unit to stop the
shooting and leave the forest on grounds of violation of certain
conditions laid down by the department. After the shooting started,
the department reportedly found that the unit had put up a number of
huts and felled trees in the location. The shooting had started with
more than 300 artistes and junior artistes participating in it.
Besides stopping the shooting, the department has also filed a case
against Mani Ratnam's film company.
Mani Ratnam has made an appeal to the Kerala Government to reconsider
the ban and grant permission to continue the shooting in the
Malayatoor forest. On the directions of the Government, the resumption
of shooting has been permitted imposing stiff conditions on the film unit.
Mani Ratnam was reportedly seriously considering moving to Sri Lanka
if the Kerala Government turned down his appeal.
Ace director Mani Ratnam, the shooting of whose latest multilingual
film Ravana was stopped by the Kerala Forest department last week, has
been given conditional sanction on Tuesday to continue shooting in the
Malayatoor forest near Kochi. Earlier, shooting was stopped on Friday
and the forest officials asked the crew to pack up after they found
that the crew had constructed huts inside the forest, which was
against the terms of sanction.
According to new sanction, the crew numbers are restricted to 150.
Shooting is permitted between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. only. There should not
be any fight scenes in the location and no bushes or trees should be
destroyed. No plastic material can be used. Besides, the filmmakers
have been asked to remit a fee of Rs. 10,000 per day of shooting. The
number of vehicles allowed inside the forest has also been drastically
reduced. Reports said that the case registered by the forest
department will continue.
Prior to the violations, all what they were charged was a mere Rs.
1,000 for the entire duration of the shoot. Bollywood stars Abhishek
Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, who are part of the project, are expected
to arrive next week. Prominent stars like Vikram, Govinda, Prithviraj
and Priyamani will also participate. Reports indicate that the filming
inside the forest included a battle where over 500 people were to take
part.
Mani Ratnam is making this film in Hindi and Tamil simultaneously.
Vikram will play the villain while Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai
is the lead pair in Hindi; Vikram will play the lead opposite
Aishwarya in Tamil. The film is based on the grand epic Ramayana.
The leading and the innovative director Mani Ratnam is having an idea
for a biggest ever deal in South Indian cinema in which the film is to
be produced for three versions of languages like Hindi, Tamil and
Telugu. The sources from Mani Ratnam home production Madras Talkies is
nearing to take the final decision for a huge Rs.120 crore deal with
Anil Ambani Big Picture. The sources revealed that if this would
happen then it would be the biggest ever for any South Indian Film.
Mani Ratnam is keen working for a script since after the release of
the Super Hit Guru film in 2007. It was reported that Abhishek
Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai will lead the role in Hindi version with
Govinda in negative role. For Tamil and Telugu version Vikram will to
do the lead male role while aishwarya rai to act as heroine in all the
three languages in common. Once again Mani is going to join with his
photographer cum friend and partner of his earlier films PC Sriram and
his own invention in Tamil cinema the one & one music director
A.R.Rahman to compose music in all the three versions.
Hi guys,
how are all of you doin?
We see a dearth of mails on the groups as opposed to things way
back...
All us Abhi fans and well wishers would luv to see a smile on his
face
wen he visits this group(which I'm tryin to do)
So lets mak it lively...do post in ur views...participate on the
polls...get goin!!
Also,a humble request to all on the group to kindly post things
related to Abhishek Bachchan only!!!
This site is not meant for any other purpose.Members who refrain
from
this would have to be excluded!
So frndss...keep pourin in!!
Pretee
Am Abhified!!
Ever opined about the macho lads pairing up together? The style
icons that earlier rippled up sensations with Dhoom are back now.
Yup! Duo combo of Abhishek Bacchan-John Abraham are back now with
Dostana directed by debutant Tarun Manuskhani, once an assistant of
Karan Johar. Wrapping up the film's 45 days of shooting, Dostana is
slated to hit screens on November 14. So, what is so exciting about
the storyline and what these guys got to do here? Zippo indeed: they
play straight guys who are romantically interested in Priyanka
Chopra, but one simple lie makes affairs perplexed. Well, the most
interesting lie is that both these men pretend to be gay for hopping
across various situations: renting an apartment or immigration
issues.
Dostana, a $2 million venture is the first ever flick to be filmed
entirely in Miami. So, those who were fascinated by exotic locations
of this foreign land in famous TV series CSI – Miami, will have
something more scenic. It's a youth oriented film!!
Guys watch out for this flick...its gonna hit the movie halls on
14th november...
Be Abhified...!!
Pretee.
Enter your vote today! A new poll has been created for the
Abhishek-Online group:
Which is your favorite song from Dostana?
o Jaane Kyon
o Desi Girl
o Maa Da Laadla
To vote, please visit the following web page:
http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/Abhishek-Online/surveys?id=12829891
Note: Please do not reply to this message. Poll votes are
not collected via email. To vote, you must go to the Yahoo! Groups
web site listed above.
Thanks!
As you can see, I’m not at all health conscious,” says Abhishek Bachchan, as he gleefully bites into a deep-fried snack with not a moment’s hesitation. Guess so – after all, he’d unapologetically said some time ago that he had managed to get by with a one-pack ab in Bollywood all this while.
“But I’ve multiplied it. It’s two packs now!” Two down, four to go? “No. I’m happy. This (pointing to his head) is the more important pack.”
Isn’t there pressure amidst all the rippled bodies? “No, I’ve never conformed to the stereotype. But I’ve conformed to the demands of the characters I’ve played. For instance, I did Guru, in which they asked me to put on 12 kilos. I did it because I needed to be true to the character... And this whole new trend of being very body conscious is primarily reflective of the demands of the scripts being written today.”
So if your character were to demand it, you’d get into similar shape? “Absolutely. Actors today are willing to completely surrender themselves and compromise their ‘image’ for a film.” What is your image? “My endeavour has been to have no image.” That’s a good thing for an actor? “Certainly.” Really? “Yes, I’ve made efforts to not be typecast. I take pride in the fact that in one year, I can start with a KANK , then do an Umrao Jaan , then a month later do a Dhoom 2 and a month later, Guru. That, to me, is exciting.”
Why is it that after so many years, Abhishek the individual, in public perception, is little understood? Surely there can’t be an endeavour to have “no image” there?
“It’s simply that I don’t think people are interested in it. I firmly believe that when it comes to filmstars, at the end of the day, what you’re selling on screen is the most important thing. It is because of
that that they want to know what you eat, what you wear, where you travel, your friends, your enemies... the origin is that. So I tell myself, do your shot properly. Because that is the sole reason why people would want to know about me.”
So you’re happy wearing the mask of your onscreen persona all the time? Isn’t that a handicap in some way?
“Not necessarily. My belief is that one of the greatest reasons why KBC worked is that for the first time, after maybe 25 to 30 years, Amitabh Bachchan stepped into your living room. On a daily basis, he spent an hour with your family. And guess what, he was a really nice guy! But that was the first time they got to meet him. Till then, their entire image of him was what was portrayed through his work... So if the audience often don’t know us beyond the screen, maybe they don’t want to know. I remember – when I was very young, and I was travelling somewhere, there was a Hollywood actor on the same flight. And I saw that person, ragged hair, torn dress, this, that, and I said, this is the guy? I’d much rather remember him for being the person I saw on screen. You don’t want to break that image! So I think people often don’t want to know about stars because they’re possibly scared of breaking the image they have in their own
minds.”
People may have got to know Amitabh only after KBC, but for someone who calls him dad, what is dad’s guiding funda? “My dad teaches me this – when you’re confused, cut the fat, just go back to the basics.” And what are your basics?
“My basics are, I wake up in the morning, and I act in front of the camera. And the greatest thing is, I love it. I get to live my dream. What more can I ask for? My basic is, go and give it your best shot, and if you can make even one person smile or cry or laugh in that dark cinema hall, you’ve achieved what you set out to do. It’s the one thing that kept me going through difficult times. I’ll illustrate this with something that happened some years ago... My films were doing really badly at that point. I had no work. People were actually replacing me in films. You know, the world out there can be really harsh. I remember, at that point, a film of mine called Shararat had come out; in fact, that release had been delayed by a year, it had a very small release. It was a wonderful, wonderful film with a very nice message – and it was a disaster. I went to GT Galaxy in Mumbai, like I go to watch all my movies with the audience. The
hall was empty. There were about 15 people in a 900 seater hall.” That couldn’t have been a nice feeling? “Well, I wasn’t disheartened even by that, because, at that point of time, I’d actually gotten used to this sort of thing,” Abhishek laughs.
“Anyway, I was standing there outside during the interval and this old lady walked up to me. And for a moment I stepped back – because, you know, not too long before that I’d actually been slapped by a lady in the audience, so I was apprehensive.”
Did we get that right? “Yes. I think it was during the release of Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai . I think that lady was having a bad day. She got very upset. She walked up and said to me, ‘Who do you think you are? You think you can just go out there and make films and that’s it, you’re not responsible for anything beyond that?’ And she actually slapped me!” What was the issue with the film? “I don’t think there was an issue, but obviously, she didn’t agree with it!” Guess not.
“So now this old lady is walking up to me and I’m saying to myself, not again, and I’m sort of leaning back in anticipation of another slap – and she just came, she put her hand on my head, and she had tears in her eyes, she said, bless you, bless you for making this film. And I was, like – wow! After that, I had many more flops, but that lady kept me going. I don’t know who she is. But just knowing that I made a difference to that
one person, that I managed to put a smile on her face... that mattered. There’s that famous quote – people will forget what you did, they’ll forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel. That’s so true. I can’t remember exactly what she said, what she did, but I remember how she made me feel, and I haven’t met her since, but I want to say thank you to her even today. That one person was enough for me to carry on. If we manage to make a difference to even one person’s life, how many people have that power – no, power’s the wrong word – how many people have that opportunity?”
What was the whole near-miss thing on the night of the blasts in Delhi recently? “I was scheduled to attend a function in the evening. I had some time to spare and so, as I often do when I’m in Delhi, I decided to go to CP to visit the showroom of the watch brand that I endorse. Traffic was slow and when I was about five minutes from Connaught Place, I realised that I was getting late for the function, so I impulsively decided to turn around. When I reached back, I got to know that the bombs had gone off in CP a few minutes after I turned back. So, yes, divine intervention maybe...”
Abhishek will be playing a superhero in his next release, Drona, something he’s not done so far in his career. Which superhero was his favourite in childhood? “Superman, of course!” he exults, “Man of steel.” So tell us, Abhishek, what will the star who likes the man of steel and plays this magnificent steel sword-wielding character do
when he meets the big bully, currently going by the name of Raj Thackeray? “If I meet Raj, I’ll walk up to him and say hello. Simple.” No hard feelings?
“At the end of the day, I don’t allow much to get to me. People have their compulsions. Life’s too short to hold grudges. Forgive and forget. Live and let live. Move on... but while you’re there, give it your best shot.”
We've never felt this before. There's a fabulous never-experienced feel to this fantasia.As though it was long –awaited . But it took so long to make its appearance in our cinema because no one thought of it, or wanted to.
Goldie Behl dares to dream. He's back after a 7-year hiatus to let us know that Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai was not where his khwab ended. As matter of fact the dream begins now.
Drona is a feeling not quite overpowering but purposely underplayed and designed to bring the till-now-barred –in-Bollywood Lord Of The Rings genre to our table.
On the storyboard Drona must have sounded incredibly impossibly outrageously ambitious. It's a film that starts in the US, moves to the deserts of Rajsathan and makes an exit run into a never-never land where blue flower-petals shower down on the screen creating an area of enchantment and incandescence without letting the spectacle dominate the characters.
As far as super-heroes go, the one that Abhishek plays in Drona is somewhat unique. Seething scowling wounded and wanting, Abhishek plays a knight in a shining 'amour'…a romantic at heart and a warrior only by force, he glides across the screen doing some of the most gently persuasive old-world stunts conceived on this side Lord Of The Rings. The action often involves the leading lady. And Priyanka is dynamite.
Goldie Behl with unaccentuated but relentlessly persuasive support from cinematographer Samir Arya builds a visual mindscape manifested in moving pictures that suggest a deep bond between the imagination and our traditional cultural representations of abstract art, from desert-based monuments to esoteric weapons that swirl across the breeze and kill only the evil.
First ten minutes into this voyage to the realm of our Chandmama-Chandrakanta genre of fantasy literature, and we're hooked. From the point when Priyanka, styled like our first full-blown Lara Croft and dressed and madeup to kill(in more ways than 'won') enters the frame the film takes off with an emphatic élan that just stops short of selfcongratulation.
Equally arresting is the sequence where our desi dude-ka-dude superhero Drona meets the arch-villain Riz for the first time. The chaos that breaks out and the ensuing chase across the narrow cobbled streets of an unknown foreign country(Prague?) are handled with a delightful eye for comicbook bravura that never careens into the caricatural.
All through the telling of this tall and stately tale, Behl displays a restrain that goes a long way in giving the product the feel of a fantasy well-conceived but never over-drawn.
The technique carries the characters fearlessly and fluently. Besides Samir Arya's cinematography which lends the colours of the imagination a hue of the home-grown, the art direction and the sound design suggest paces of a grace long-forgotten in our cinema where now, rapidfire storytelling is almost always equated with an entertaining cinema.Here the frames are designed to create a harmony between the protagonist's wandering soul , and Nature which looks down impartially at a world gone to the dogs.
The dramatic conflict converges on Abhishek and KayKay Menon. The one silent calm from outside and torn and troubled from within. The other ultra-flamboyant and theatrical, doing what can be called a reincarnation of Mogambo from Mr India an indigenous version of Jack Nicholson's Joker from Batman .
The thetarics that underscore the narrative's calm surface don't always work. KayKay's character goes way over-the-top into an atmosphere of irredeemable grotesquerie. Fine actor that he is, KayKay gives the flamboyant villainy his best shot.
Abhishek displays a wounded pride and a lacerated soul through his eyes. He is also immensely adept at handling the action scenes and goes many steps ahead from his earlier films to under-perform the scenes with heartwarming sincerity.
Priyanka Chopra's styling and body language suggest a smouldering restless sensuality . But the drama converges on the hero and the villain as they battle it out by the most traditional definition of cinematic dada-giri.
By the time we approach the climax Drona has established its claim at taking a confident stab at a genre never done before. What it fails to do is to take that genre into the highest realm of creativity where the characters would have instinctively become children rather than casualties of the mythology and fantasy that Goldie Behl embraces with ample affection but not enough of that quality of connectivity with the audience that superheroes have always achieved with the audience.
At the end you feel an empathy for the sword-wielding Drona who can't fly through the air.
And that's what makes this super-hero so vulnerable and human.
Watch Drona for Abhishek's reined-in performance as a reluctant hero, and his crackling hissing but ambivalent chemistry with Priyanka. And for the use of special-effects not to overpower but nourish the plot that strides across two continents and cultures with confident steps.
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As far as super-heroes go, the one that Abhishek plays in Drona is somewhat unique. Seething scowling wounded and wanting, Abhishek plays a knight in a shining 'amour'…a romantic at heart and a warrior only by force, he glides across the screen doing some of the most gently persuasive old-world stunts conceived on this side Lord Of The Rings. The action often involves the leading lady. And Priyanka is dynamite.