Features

The Hindi film industry has been remaking films for eons. But plundering its own back catalogue of classic films and unleashing two remakes - "Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag" and "Victoria No. 203" - on the same day will be a first even for Bollywood. The much hyped "Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag" and "Victoria No. 203" are reportedly set to clash on the marquees on Friday. Varma's film has been much in news as the director has chosen to base his fable on Indian cinema's most widely appreciated film "Sholay".

Prisoner No.343 of Jodhpur central jail, Bollywood star Salman Khan, was afforded some cause to cheer Sunday when three of his near and dear ones were allowed to visit him and spend over 20 minutes with him. The celebrity prisoner, hero of countless films and a style icon who has been sentenced to five years in prison for hunting an endangered deer nine years ago in Rajasthan, surrendered himself to Rajasthan Police Saturday following an arrest warrant.

Salman Khan, one of Bollywood's top actors, Saturday became "prisoner no 343" at the Jodhpur Central Jail after he was arrested and jailed for five years for hunting an endangered chinkara deer in 1998. Salman, 41, looked subdued and was mostly quiet as policemen took him into custody on his arrival from Mumbai by a Jet Airways flight and rushed him in a police jeep to a courtroom before sending him to jail.

The Hindi film industry is relieved at the Supreme Court's decision to grant interim bail to star Sanjay Dutt. Here's what they said: Bipasha Basu: May god be kind to him. Hopefully, his turmoil now ends for good. I'm praying for him. I hope he remains strong through all this.

Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, freed after 23 nights in Mumbai and Pune prisons, reaffirmed his faith in law and thanked all for support as he addressed fans and media from his Pali Hill home here. "I have full faith in people and the law of this country. I respect the law and will abide by the law and whatever is the court decision," Dutt said in a reference to his interim bail granted by the Supreme Court.

Bollywood writer-director Prawal Raman, who shot into fame with the horror flick "Darna Mana Hai" (Fear is prohibited), has himself now a good reason for apprehension. His interview in an Indian daily has landed him in trouble with Charles Sobhraj, the crime maestro of yesteryear whose daring exploits, mastery over disguises and jail escapes have reportedly inspired the maverick director to work on a new film.

Title: "King of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan and the seductive world of Indian cinema"; Author: Anupama Chopra; Price: Rs.395.00; Publisher: Warner Books. It isn't clear in this lucid treat of a treatise on the life of a Bollywood superstar whether it is about the seductive world of Indian cinema or the indomitably seductive powers of Shah Rukh Khan.

After playing yuppie lover in several romantic films he got tagged as the best entertainer in the country. But Shah Rukh Khan has surprised everyone with his latest "Chak De! India" where his performance as a no-nonsense hockey coach establishes him as one of the finest actors in the Hindi film industry.

Indo-US co-production "Marigold" that released worldwide to mixed reviews may not be a wholly made-in-Hollywood Indian pot-boiler. Nonetheless, given its international cast, crew and financer it gives a taste of things to come as Hollywood studios race to bring out nearly half-a-dozen Bollywood flicks.

India is celebrating 60 years of independence and the film fraternity too has joined the celebrations. While young actors like Priyanka Chopra and Bipasha Basu rejoice as independence allows them to lead their lives the way they want to, seniors like Mahesh Bhatt and Victor Banerjee express their concerns over the chasm between the rich and the poor.

Shah Rukh Khan had initially resisted playing the lead in Aditya Chopra's "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge", the 1995 mega hit that created his screen persona of a yuppie romantic hero, says film critic Anupama Chopra in her biography on the Bollywood superstar. The actor enjoys stardom, but gets creative satisfaction from playing diverse, unconventional roles, Chopra says in "King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema" that was launched in New York last week.

It used to be a hub of activity as the most sought after destination of yesteryear Bollywood bigwigs like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Nargis. Today Mehboob Studio looks haunted and deserted. Who would believe now that it is the same place where Hindi cinema's landmark film "Mother India" was shot.