Madhur Bhandarkar-Churns Reality on Screen

Madhur Bhandarkar began his career by assisting Ram Gopal Varma. After five years, he broke free and directed his first film, 'Trishakti' (1999), which was a complete flop. The film starred Milind Gunaji, Sharad Kapoor and Arshad Warsi.

Madhur decided to get more serious about his career. While bar hopping, he got the idea for his much-acclaimed, 'Chandni Bar', which put him into the limelight. Although it was produced by R. Mohan and featured Tabu in the lead role, the film didn't fare very well, but made him a talent to reckon with.

A relatively short career spanning 9 years or so, he has seen the heyday of many movies which have religiously broken out of the conventional streamline to catapult the multifarious shades of life in the crudest form as it can be. Exposing shams and dismantling the
facades, he has created a new idiom , a new language of cinema. So when the name Madhur Bhandarkar flashes across the screen what more can you ask for. Going against the tide and breaking the canons, he has time and again come up with a medley of movies, Chandni Bar, Satta, Page 3, Corporate, Traffic Signal and the latest talk of the town, Fashion.

Madhur moved on to make 'Satta', a political drama, with Raveena Tandon in the lead. . Despite his alleged link-ups, Madhur married his long-time girlfriend, Renu Namboodiri (an interior designer), on December 15, 2003, in Mumbai. It was a low-key wedding for relatives and select friends.

Bhandarkar then switched tracks from women-oriented subjects when producer Firoz Nadiadwala signed him for 'Aan: Men At Work', featuring Akshay Kumar, Shatrughan Sinha and Suniel Shetty . This one was a typical and expensive Firoz film, a cop drama with heavy-duty action and lavish item numbers. In fact, Madhur and Firoz even had a fall-out of sorts during the film's making when the latter would not stop his creative interference. Madhur was even supposed to direct a film for Subhash Ghai's banner, but the project did not take off on account of disagreements between Bhandarkar and the showman .



Bhandarkar has made a classic film 'Page 3', starring Konkona Sen Sharma, Tara Sharma, Bikram Saluja and newcomer, Jai Kalra. He's become infamous for the allegations hurled at him by starlet Preeti Jain. The latter claims that the director promised him roles in exchange of sexual favours. If this isn't a typical Page 3 story, what is?

His movies are cutting-edge in style, sharp witted, echoing of the spirit of the hour, experimental bearing the indelible directorial stamp and in the oddest of all combinations garnering commercial success at the box office. So what is the mantra and how does the the ice catch fire every time? The master craftsman has the answer, "I am an experimental filmmaker whose films do well commercially." A paradox it may seem is as apt as the adage that goes 'truth is stranger than fiction'. A closer look and what surfaces is unbelievably true. With movies made on a comparatively minimal budget save for the recent release Fashion and stories rooted in reality, miles away from fantasy, they are not the usual run-of-the-mill movies. But they are definitely not those serious in tone devoid of any entertainment.

Madhur Bhandarkar turns his wand and what spills forth is nothing short of magic. Incidents we encounter but tend to overlook in our routine lives or the other side of reality that we have never seen are imaged forth. But then they are not magic. The star of the show is invariably the open-endings. Once he has woven the tale, it is left to the discretion of the spectators to make their own conclusion, with the insinuations dropped here and there. So also the artists those who befit the roles, be it Tabu or Bipasha Basu, Konkona Sen Sharma or Priyanka Chopra.

If each movie has a uniquely real theme, then needless to say the research that has gone behind it is exhaustive. A sharp eye for details, costumes or accent or setting; you name it, he has it in the movie. A Page 3 socialite, bar dancer, corporate executive, vendor, politician or the model is never out of place. They are truly your characters next door, pause and observe, you may even spot yourself amidst them. It is the completeness of each character that is amazing.They may be your drivers, attenders, or any common man or woman. In spite of a lead character, each one has an integrity of its own. Not leaving behind contentious issues going by the latest trends and the gender equations, he has always presented strong women characters unwilling to be cowed down under any pressure.

Awards bestowed upon Madhur-

* National Film Awards

o 2002: Best Film on Other Social Issues: Chandni Bar
o 2005: Best Film: Page 3
o 2007: Best Direction: Traffic Signal

Contradiction that describes the bollywood director Madhur Bhandarkar is an understatement. Madhur enjoys David Dhawan's movies but churns out reality bites and his movies which are experimental have mostly set the cash counters ringing.

Sanjay Gupta- Thrillers-away from usual films

Sanjay Gupta is a Bollywood writer-director known for his dark and highly stylized films mostly thrillers that stand out from the usual Bollywood fare. Sanjay Gupta hails from an affluent business family of South Mumbai. He completed his studies at Palm Beach School at Napean Sea Road and Sydenham College at Churchgate in Mumbai.

Like many other Bollywood films, much of his work is an interpretation of other films, both Hollywood and other international pieces, to the
point where some material is accused of being outright stolen or banal.

Gupta has been criticized for basing his films off of others and refutes these claims in an interview with rediff.com in 2002. News in the industry is that he is had paid dues to many actors and technicians. There is also severe rift between him and Sanjay Dutt which has resulted in the resignation of Sanjay Dutt from White Feather Films


He has frequently worked with Sanjay Dutt. The two started White Feather Films, a production company located in Mumbai, together. Both have earlier publicly admitted they consider each other real brothers and are very close friends.

Many critics have pointed out that with Zinda, Gupta created too close a remake of a popular Korean film. Those who have seen both will bear out that Zinda is a "scene for scene" copy of the Park Chan Wook blockbuster Oldboy.

Trace the cinematic voyage in Bollywood....



Acid factory(2008)...Producer
Pankh (2007)...Producer
Chamki Chameli (2007)...Producer
Woodstock Villa (2007)...
Producer Dus Kahaniyaan (2007)...Producer/Director
Alibaug (2007)...Writer/Director/Producer
Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007)...Producer
Zinda (2005)...Writer/Director
Musafir (2004)...Writer/Director
Plan (2004)...Writer/Producer
Kaante (2002)...Writer/Director
Jung (2002)...Writer/Director
Khauff (2000)...Writer/Director
Hamesha (1997)...Writer
Ram Shastra (1995)...Writer/Director
Aatish (1994)...Writer/Director

Vidhu Vinod Chopra- The Unconventional Director

Vidhu Vinod Chopra is an academy award- nominated Indian producer and filmmaker and was born on September 5, 1956. Chopra is considered to be one of the most talented and Indian filmakers. Chopra is the head of Vinod Chopra Productions. Chopra chose to study direction at the Film and Television Institute of India.

Chopra's first movie was shot in black-and-white which was Sazaaye-Maut. It was an edge of the seat thriller and was a great budgeted film. The film casted unknown actors Nasseeruddin Shah and technicians Radha Saluja, editor who were co-alumni of his from FTII, Pune and later they became flag-bearers in Indian Cinema. Chopra's film An Encounter with Faces was nominated for an Oscar in the short, non-fiction film category in the year 1979.

Vidhu directed many great films like Parinda, 1942: A Love Story, the Munna Bhai series, Parineeta and Eklavya: The Royal Guard.



Filmography:
Year Film Roles
2009 3 Idiots (Producer)
2007 Eklavya: The Royal Guard (Director, Producer, Writer)
2006 Lage Raho Munna Bhai (Producer, Screenplay Associate)
2005 Parineeta (Producer, Writer)
2003 Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (Producer,Writer)
2000 Mission Kashmir (Director, Producer, Writer)
1998 Kareeb (Director, Producer)
1993 1942: A Love Story (Director, Producer, Writer)
1989 Parinda (Director)
1985 Khamosh (Director, Producer, Writer)
1983 Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (Actor, Production Controller)
1981 Sazaye Maut (Director, Producer, Writer)
1978 An Encounter with Faces (Director)
1977 Murder At Monkey Hill (Director)


Vinod's conviction is founded on his love for cinema. Chopra has tremendous belief in his own ability, and Vinod is a legend for Indian Cinema.

Anurag Kashyap

Born September 10, 1972, Anurag Kashyap is a bollywood screenwriter and director who is critically acclaimed for his works in films like Black Friday (2004), a controversial and award-winning Hindi film about the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts, followed by No Smoking (2007), Dev D (2009) and Gulaal (2009).

Awards & Recognitions

As a screenwriter, he wrote the scripts for the Filmfare Award winning Satya (1998) and the Academy Award nominated Canadian film Water (2005). He is considered one of the most versatile and gifted filmmakers in contemporary Hindi cinema.

In 1999, Kashyap won the the Best Screenplay award for Satya at the Star Screen Awards . The next year, his short film Last Train to Mahakali won the Special Jury Award at the same awards.

Directorial Debut-

Anurag's feature film debut Black Friday, won the Grand Jury Prize at the 3rd Annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (2005) and was a nominee for the Golden Leopard (Best Film) at the 57th Locarno International Film Festival in 2004.

Early life and background

Birth Place
Anurag Kashyap was born in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, where his father worked for the state electricity board.

Education
He did his schooling first in Dehradun, and age eight onwards, at the Scindia School in Gwalior. He was fascinated with films right from childhood, and even at age five, would watch Hindi films like Kora Kaagaz and Aandhi at a nearby film club and open-air theater. This came to an end once he began his schooling.

Career

Since Kashyap wanted to become a scientist, he went to Delhi for his higher studies and enrolled himself into a Zoology course at the Hansraj College (University of Delhi). He graduated in 1993. During his college days, he started watching films and also got involved with drugs and alcohol. He was confused and depressed, and had joined a street theater group, Jana Natya Manch; he ended up doing a lot of street plays.The same year, a couple of friends introduced him to world cinema; they urged [him] to catch a de Sica retrospective" at the International Film Festival of India.In ten days, he ended up seeing a total of 55 films at the festival and de Sica's "Bicycle Thieves" was the film that influenced him the most; watching it was an epiphany.

Personal Quotes
"Movies from all different perspectives and in a way you can say that these films changed my life and it’s meaning completely for me. Just
that one film festival and I decided that this is what I want to be a part of - in next five months I was in Mumbai."

He is the member of International Film And Television Club of Asian Academy Of Film & Television. Starting out as writer for television, in late 1990s, Anurag moved to cinema, with Ram Gopal Verma's acclaimed Satya (1998), followed it up with string of films for him, including Shool (1999), Kaun? (1999) and finally Yuva (2004), for which he wrote the dialogues. He made his debut with film Paanch, with Kay Kay Menon as the lead in 2000, the film ran into Censor Board troubles and didn't get released till 2003. He adapted Stephen King's 1978 short story Quitters, Inc. to No Smoking (2007), which despite being received well by critics, didn't do well at the box-office

In March 2009, while announcing steering away from screenwriting, after his current assignments to concentrate on direction, Anurag also announced two new film projects, Bombay Velvet, with John Abraham, a thriller based on real incidents in 1960s, to be followed by Doga, based Doga comics series .

Filmography

Director

* Last Train to Mahakali (1999) (short film/ tele film for the series Star Bestsellers)
* Paanch (2003) (unreleased)
* Black Friday (2004)
* No Smoking (2007)
* Hanuman Returns (2007)
* Dev D (2009)
* Gulaal (2009)
* Rajuben (2009) (TV series, Specials @ 10)
* Mumbai Cutting (segment "Pramod Bhai 23") (2009) (under production)

Writer

* Auto Narayan (1995) (docu-drama)
* Trikaal (TV series) (1996)
* Kabhie Kabhie (1997 TV series) (1997) (writer)
* Satya (1998)
* Kaun (1999)
* Shool (1999)
* Last Train to Mahakali (1999)
* Jung (2000)
* Yuva (dialogue)
* Nayak: The Real Hero (2001)
* Paanch (2003) (writer)
* Paisa Vasool (2004)
* Black Friday (2004) (screenplay)
* Deewaar (2004)
* Water (2005) (dialogue)
* Mixed Doubles (2006) (dialogue)
* Main Aisa Hi Hoon (2005)
* Shoonya (2006) (dialogue)
* Valley of Flowers (2006) (Hindi dialogue)
* Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007) (dialogue)
* Shaka Laka Boom Boom (2007)
* No Smoking (2007) (screenplay) (story)
* Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal (2007) (dialogue)
* Lajjo (2007)
* Meridian (2007)
* Hanuman Returns (2007) (writer)
* Dev D (2009) (writer)
* Gulaal (2009) (screenplay and dialogue) (story)

Creative Producer

* Aamir (2008)

Actor

* Black Friday (2004)
* Luck by Chance (2009)
* Dev.D (2009) Cameo appearance
* Gulaal (2009) Cameo appearance

Fate of Race Sequel – ‘Dizzy’

Reportedly, Kareena Kapoor replaced Katrina Kaif opposite Saif Ali Khan in the sequel of Race that was titled Race 2, while the remaining cast was yet to be finalized.

It was the directors duo-Abbas Mustan , who first hinted about options for a Race sequel. However, unable to come to a consensus, producer Ramesh Taurani of Tips and the directors are now rethinking their plans to make Race 2. The latest on the subject is that the producer is looking for other directors to make the sequel.

After the huge success of the multi starrer film in 2008, there were reports that Ramesh Taurani had asked the director duo to think of ways of taking the plot further. It is not clear why Abbas Mustan will not direct the sequel. It would have been the logical next step. The climax of Race was open ended and two of the main protagonists who supposedly get killed weren't actually shown dead on screen. Also, the relationship between the other two protagonists too was left open.

A source close to Ramesh Taurani said, “A final decision on the director for Race 2 has not yet been taken.”

Abbas Mustan and Ramesh Taurani haven’t yet confirmed the buzz.

Women Bollywood Directors

We are bringing to you some of the well-known Women directors of B-town.

Farah Khan



Farah made a modest beginning with an assitanta and then an independent choreographer in Bollywood and over the years has made the biggest of stars dance to her command (literally). However, even as she was choreographing hits such as Chaiyya Chaiyya, Dhol Bajne Laga, Woh Ladki Hai Kahan and several other numbers, there was always a filmmaker hidden inside of her. The choreographer has been an ardent movie-buff. At 21,she decided that she would one day direct a film. She fulfilled this long-time desire with the smash-hit Main Hoon Naa starring good friend Shah Rukh Khan in the lead. The two paired up once again to deliver one of the biggest hits ever - Om Shanti Om - and since then Farah has been a name to deem with. Considering she is the mother of triplets when one sees her manage it all with a smile on her face, it indeed makes us salute the lady.

Zoya Akhtar



Coming from a filmy family, films were a natural progression for Zoya Akhtar (daughter of veteran lyricist and writer Javed Akhtar and his ex-wife Honey Irani). So it came as no surprise that the young and talented girl decided to make films, her profession. She had been tending dreams of turning director since the age of 18 and her role-models include a diverse range of filmmakers from Mani Ratnam to Martin Scorcese and Satyajit Ray to Farah Khan. Zoya made an impressive debut with Luck By Chance this year.

The film gave an inside view of the happenings in the film industry and Zoya`s debut venture was praised by one and all. Indeed, if her debut flick is any indication of things to come, Zoya Akhtar certainly is one lady to watch out for in the future.

Meghna Gulzar



Meghna Gulzar is yet another woman who has made a name for herself in Bollywood. Daughter of veteran lyricist Gulzar, Meghna aka Bosky, made her directorial debut with the sensitive tale of surrogate motherhood - Filhaal. The movie won her critical acclaim but didn`t set the cash registers ringing. For her next venture, she chose a light romantic entertainer Just Married which had some wonderful performances from its lead cast of Fardeen Khan and Esha Deol. Meghna`s most recent flick was Dus Kahaniyaan where she directed one of the short stories.

Kalpana Lajmi



Kalpana Lajmi debuted as a costume director with Shyam Benegal`s Bhumika starring Smita Patil. She made her directorial debut with the Shabana Azmi- Naseeruddin Shah starrer Ek Pal. After a hiatus, Kalpana made a comeback with Rudaali which fetched its lead actress Dimple Kapadia the National Award for Best Actress. Few years later, history repeated itself again when Raveena Tandon also bagged the National Award for Best Actress for Kalpana`s socially relevant film Daman. This talented director certainly has a penchant for giving her leading ladies award winning roles.

Pooja Bhatt



Pooja Bhatt made an impressive debut as a teenager in father Mahesh Bhatt`s flick Daddy. After impressing one and all with her acting prowess in films like Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin, Sadak, Sir, Tamanna and Zakhm, Pooja took everyone by surprise when she decided to take an indefinite break from acting. However, just as Pooja the actor called it a day, Pooja the filmmaker was unleashed.

She first started out producing films like Dushman, Jism etc. and then took the giant leap to direct with the John Abraham- Udita Goswami starrer Paap. Her first two directorial ventures Paap and Holiday didn’t exactly set the box office on fire but her third venture Dhokha did fetch a lot of critical acclaim.

Now Pooja is busy directing the Himesh Reshammiya starrer Kajraa Re.

Reema Kagti



Reema Kagti decided to fulfill her ambitions of becoming a director through the conventional way. She first assisted Farhan Akhtar on Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya. Her work paid off when Farhan`s company Excel Entertainment offered her a chance to direct her first film Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. The story of six couples on a honeymoon to Goa struck a chord with the masses and the critics and Reema shot to fame. If the buzz is to be believed, Reema`s next will be a thriller. We can`t wait to watch it!

Nandita Das



The dusky beauty Nandita Das created a niche for herself in the world of parallel cinema through sensitive performances in films such as Fire, 1947: Earth, Bawandar, and Ramchand Pakistani. In fact Nandita is only the second Indian celebrity to be invited (after Aishwarya Rai in 2003) to be a part of the jury at the world famous Cannes International Film Festival in 2005. Having achieved a fair amount of acclaim for her acting prowess, Nandita decided to don the director`s hat with Firaaq - a story set one month after the ghastly Gujarat riots. While the film is yet to release in India, it has made the rounds at several prestigious international film festivals. In fact, those who have seen the film are convinced that Nandita is a promising director.

Besides the above mentioned names, there are a couple of more female directors who are slowly but surely creating a niche for themselves
namely, Shona Urvashi (Chupke Se, Saas Bahu Aur Sensex), Leena Yadav (Shabd, Teen Patti) and Madhureeta Anand ( Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye).

Here`s saluting these lovely ladies who have managed to hold their own in this male dominated industry.

Anurag Basu - Passionate for 'Dark Cinema'

Among the new lot of Indian film directors and script-writers, known for directing films with themes of dark passion and adultery - Anurag Basu is a renowned name. Basu's films like Life in a... Metro, Gangster and Murder have all been dark and portray realistic cinema.

Personal Life

He was diagnosed with acute leukemia in 2004 and underwent chemotherapy thereafter. Actress Kangana Ranaut who made her debut with his film Gangster was his discovery.



Beginning

TV Career

Television was the platform for showcasing the talent of Anurag Basu initially. He started his career in the television industry, directing 'Tara', one of earliest and longest running daily soap of the 90's. He was in his mid-twenties when he started, and went on to direct 70 episodes. He went ahead to direct more television serials and tried a hand at different genres ranging from daily soaps to thrillers like Saturday Suspense and horror X-Zone.

His most succesful work during this period was Balaji Telefilms daily soap "Koshish ...ek aashaa' in 1998, which went on to become one of the top shows on Zee TV.

In 2002, Basu directed the TV series Miit , which was based on the novel Noukadubi , written by the great Indian poet and writer Rabindranath Tagore. In 2007, he returned to the television circuit to produce and direct the college-drama Love Story for SAB TV.

Awards

Basu was nominated in the Best Director category at the 53rd Filmfare Awards for Life in a... Metro (2007). He received the Filmfare for Best Screenplay for Life in a Metro (2007)

Career

Film Career

Anurag Basu made his directorial debut in 2003 with the slasher film Kucch To Hai, co-directing with Anil V. Kumar and starring Tusshar Kapoor, Esha Deol and newcomer Anita Hassanandani. It was produced by Ekta Kapoor, with whom Basu had earlier worked on Koshish ...ek aashaa. Although the film was well promoted and had a decent opening at the box office, it failed commercially as well as critically.

After the failure of his first film, Basu went and joined hands with Mahesh Bhatt's production company Vishesh Films, where he directed his next four films.

The first was a mystery-drama Saaya starring John Abraham and Tara Sharma. It was inspired by the Kevin Costner starrer 2002 thriller Dragonfly, but it failed to register any cash at the box office and was critically panned by the critics for a loose screenplay.

Basu's third film Murder in 2004, which was inspired by Adrian Lyne's 2002 film Unfaithful was the benchmark in his career. The film dealt with adultery, and had one of the boldest scenes ever in the historyof Indian cinema. Despite, getting an A-certificate from the CBFC, the film became Basu's first hit. It was well-received by the critics too, appreciating the performaces by Mallika Sherawat, Emraan Hashmi. The music in the film by composer Anu Malik was also a hit, with chart busters like Kaho Naa Kaho and Bheeghey Hont Tere. The film gave Mallika Sherawat and Emraan Hashmi the star status instantly, and Murder, till date, remains one of the few commercially successful adult-certified films in India.

Filmography

As Director:



Kites (2009)
Directed by: Anurag Basu
Main Cast: Barbara Mori, Kangana Ranaut, Hrithik Roshan, ..
Synopsis: A triangular love story set in US.



Life in a Metro (2007)
Directed by: Anurag Basu
Main Cast: Shiney Ahuja, Shilpa Shetty, Dharmendra, ..
Synopsis: Intertwined 4 love stories, set in the fast paced maddening
city of Mumbai. All characters ar..



Gangster (2006)
Directed by: Anurag Basu
Main Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Shiney Ahuja, Kangana Ranaut, ..
Synopsis: On the run from the police, gangster Daya seeks shelter in a
bar dancer, Simran’s, place. T..



Murder (2004)
Directed by: Anurag Basu
Main Cast: Ashmit Patel, Mallika Sherawat, Emraan Hashmi, ..



Tumsa Nahin Dekha (2004)
Directed by: Anurag Basu
Main Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Diya Mirza, Anupam Kher, ..



Kucch To Hai (2003)
Directed by: Anil Kumar, Anurag Basu
Main Cast: Ashay Chitre, Esha Deol, Vrajesh Hirjee, ..


Director Anurag Basu has wrapped up the shooting for Kites starring Hrithik Roshan, Kangana Ranaut and Barbara Mori, recently on 10th March. The film will move into post production after this. Kites has been extensively shot in Las Vegas, Mauritius and Mumbai. The film will be simultaneously released in English and Hindi. And for both Hrithik Roshan and Anurag Basu, along with the film’s producer, Rakesh Roshan (Filmkraft Productions), there is a lot riding at stake. The movie will be released by Reliance BIG Pictures.

Bollywood Directors On TV

Well… there are not judging a Reality Show or making a special appearance on TV. This is novel and serious stuff that we are talking.For the first time on the Indian television, Bollywood’s four celebrated movie makers, Madhur Bhandarkar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Vikram Bhatt and Anurag Kashyap, are presenting short films especially made for the small screen viewers.

This format, known as ‘mini-series’ is popular in the West and has never been tried on the Indian television before. The treatment of these stories has been in the form of short films, which would be finished in 12 weeks . Sanjay Upadhyay, Creative Head (Fiction), Sony Entertainment Television (SET) informed that this 12-week series will be telecast on Sony TV from Monday to Thursday at 10 pm. The series had been named ‘Specials @ 10′ and is on air from March 2.

While three of the directors Bhandarkar, Kashyap and Bhatt - are involved in three separate 12-part stories , Manjrekar is involved with a series of twelve different stories. The concept of the series is not the regular TV stuff. In the heart of all the stories, lies the pain of women. But they are more close to the real Indian women and breaks all taboos.

The show will be in complete contrast from regular television content, and this will break the clutter and bring in new-age content for our
viewers.

The Legendary Yash Chopra

Yash Raj Chopra was born 27 September 1932 to Vilayati Raj Chopra in Lahore (now in Pakistan) in a Hindu, Punjabi family. He was the youngest of the eight children. This Indian filmmaker,screenwriter, and producer of Bollywood movies in India is a creative mind par excellence. Waqt, Deewar, Lamhe, Darr, Dil To Pagal Hai and Veer-Zaara are some of the highly successful movies which Yash Chopra made. He is also the founder of Yash Raj Films, India's largest film production company.

Yash initially worked as an assistant to I. S. Johar, and then for his director-producer brother, B.R. Chopra. Baldev Raj gave him his first directorial opportunity in Dhool Ka Phool.

Dag (1973) was Yash's first movie under Yash Raj banner. His string of hits with Amitabh made him one of the golden directors who had a special working relationship with Amitabh Bachchan ( Ramesh Sippy , Prakash Mehra, Manmohan Desai, and Hrishikesh Mukherjee being the other four).

Yash and his beloved better half, ,Pamela have two sons: Aditya Chopra and Uday Chopra. Aditya is a film director and manages most of Yash Rāj Production House. Uday is an actor; he received his first break in Aditya's Mohabbatein



Filmography

As Director

1. 1959 Dhool Ka Phool Rajendra Kumar, Mala Sinha & Ashok Kumar
2 1961 Dharma Putra Ashok KUmar, Maha Sinha & Rehman
3 1965 Waqt Raj Kumar, Sunil Dutt & Sadhana
4 1969 Aadmi aur Insan Dharmendra & Saira Banu
5 1969 Ittefaq Nanda & Rajesh Khanna
6 1973 Daag Rajesh Khanna, Sharmila Tagore & Rakhee
7 1975 Deewar Amitab Bachhan Parveen Babi & Sashi Kapoor
8 1976 Kabhi Kabhi Amitab Bachhan, Rakhee & Sashi Kapoor
9 1978 Trishul Amitab Bachhan, Rakhee & Sanjeev Kumar
10 1979 Kaala Pathar Amitab Bachhan, Rakhee & Sashi Kapoor
11 1982 Silsila Amitab Bachhan, Sashi Kapoor & Jaya Bachhan
12 1984 Mashaal Dilip Kumar, Anil Kumar & Rati Agnihotri
13 1985 Faasle Rekha, Sunil Dutt and Farah
14 1988 Vijay Anil Kaoor, Rishi Kapor and Meenakshi Seshadri
15 1989 Chandini Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor & Sridevi
16 1991 Lamhe Sridevi & Anil Kapoor
17 1992 Parampara Sunil Durr, Vinod Khanna & Amir Khan
18 1993 Darr Sunny Deol, Juhi Chawla & Shahrukh Khan
19 1997 Dil To Pagal Hai Shahrukh Khan, Karishma Kapoor & Madhuri Dixit
20 2004 Veer Zaara Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherjee



Producer

* Daag (1973)
* Kabhi Kabhie(1976)
* Doosra Aadmi(1977)
* Noorie(1979)
* Kaala Pathar(1979)
* Silsila (1981)
* Nakhuda(1981)
* Sawaal (1982)
* Mashaal (1984)
* Faasle (1985)
* Vijay (1988)
* Chandni (1989)
* Lamhe (1991)
* Darr (1993)
* Aaina (1993)
* Yeh Dillagi (1994)
* Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)
* Humko Ishq Ne Maara (Telefilm) (1997)
* Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)
* Mohabbatein (2000)
* Mujhse Dosti Karoge!(2002)
* Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002)
* Saathiya (2002)
* Hum Tum (2004)
* Dhoom (2004)
* Veer-Zaara (2004)
* Bunty Aur Babli (2005)
* Salaam Namaste (2005)
* Neal N Nikki ((2005)
* Fanaa (2006)
* Dhoom 2(2006)
* Kabul Express (2006)
* Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007)
* Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (2007)
* Chak De India (2007)
* Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (2007)
* Aaja Nachle (2007)
* Tashan (2008)
* Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic (2008)
* Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008)
* Roadside Romeo (2008)
* Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008)
* Anurag Singh's Next (2009)
* New York (2009)

The Biography & Filmography: Vikram Bhatt

Vikram Bhatt is the son of cinematographer Pravin Bhattand he always knew he wanted to be a director and he made this belief a reality with his directorial debut Jaanam, a film which also marked the beginning of a long affiliation with the Vishesh Films. A disaster at the box office, Jaaanam made Vikram even more hungry to prove that he was a proficient director and storyteller, which he ably did with the super-hit film Ghulam, in which he convinced actor of stature of Aamir Khan to sing for the first time ever in his career, that gave birth to a rage not a song, "Aati Kya Khandala' Ghulam , the first commercial hit of Vikram's career, also marked Rani Mukherji's first mainstream commercial Bollywood hit post her debut in Raja Ki Aayegi Barat.

Vikram then went on to launch several new faces in the industry including Lisa Ray in Kasoor and Miss Universe Sushmita Sen in Dastak, as well as serial kisser Emran Hashmi in Footpath.

Filmography

1920 ( Adah Sharma, Rajneesh Duggal)
Speed ( Zayed Khan, Aftab Shivdasani, Urmila Matondkar, Sanjay Suri, Tanushree Dutta, Amrita Arora, Ashish Choudhary)
Life Mein Kabhie Kabhiee ( Aftab Shivdasani, Dino Morea, Nauheed Cyrusi, Sammir Dattani, Anjori Alagh)
Red ( Aftab Shivdasani, Celina Jaitley, Amrita Arora)
Ankahee ( Aftab Shivdasani, Amisha Patel, Esha Deol)
Deewane Hue Pagal ( Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Rimi Sen, Shahid Kapur, Paresh Rawal)
Jurm ( Bobby Deol, Lara Dutta, Milind Soman, Gul Panag)
Elaan ( Arjun Rampal, John Abraham, Rahul Khanna, Amisha Patel, Lara Dutta)
Aitbaar ( Amitabh Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, John Abraham)
Footpath ( Aftab Shivdasani, Rahul Dev)
Awara Paagal Deewana ( Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Aftab Shivdasani)
Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage ( Hrithik Roshan, Amisha Patel)
Raaz ( Dino Morea, Bipasha Basu)

Whether a success at the box office or not, Vikram's films have always been entertainers for the mass audiences and Vikram clearly makes films with the single objective that is entertainment.

The Abbas-Mustan: Weaves Magic On Screen

Abbas and Mustan Burmawalla are a Hindi Bollywood director duo. They are known for directing films in the thriller and action genres. They have frequently cast Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna in their films. Since Khiladi, the brothers have cast Johnny Lever in every single one of their movies except Naqaab.

Strugglers have always owed a lot to director duo Abbas-Mustan. The men in white have resurrected and revitalised many a Bollywood actor’s career, and here's a look at some stars benefiting from their blockbuster touch:

Akshay Kumar
Today's most bankable action superstar, Kumar owes his life's first major success to the directorial duo as they showed immense faith by casting him in the young thriller, Khiladi. The film was a huge success, and the star went on to cash in on its title by making a string of unrelated action movies with Khiladi in their title.

Shah Rukh Khan
Khan had made a splash on television with Fauji, but while his early films like Chamatkar and Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman were getting him noticed, it took a charismatic bad-guy act in Baazigar to make him a star. The rest, as they say, is history.

Bobby Deol
Dharmendra's younger son lost out when his super-hyped debut film, Barsaat, brutally bit the dust. Things didn't look good despite experimenting with a roster of interesting directors and seemingly-reliable remakes till he joined forces with Abbas-Mustan in their Humraaz.

Bipasha Basu
You might remember her steaming it up on the beach in Jism, but the dusky siren lucked out way before that. Her debut, Ajnabee, directed by Abbas-Mustan, threw her into a then-scandalous wife-swapping thriller starring big guns like Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor.

Upen Patel
Okay, he might not have even come close to actually 'making it' in Bollywood, but there's no denying that 36 China Town's stammered A...A... Aashiqui song got Upen serious visibility across the music channels. Okay, so maybe it's fair to give the credit for this one to Himesh Reshammiya, then.

Filmography

Director

• Mr Fraud (2008) (Under Production)
• Race ( 2008) (Released)
• Naqaab (2007) (Released)
• 36 China Town (May 5, 2006) (Released)
• Aitraaz (November 12, 2004) (Released)
• Taarzan: The Wonder Car (August 6, 2004) (Released)
• Humraaz (July 5, 2002) (Released)
• Ajnabee(September 22, 2001) (Released)
• Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (March 9, 2001) (Released)
• Baadshah (August 27, 1999) (Released)
• Soldier (November 20, 1998) (Released)
• Daraar (July 5, 1996) (Released)
• Baazigar (November 12, 1993) (Released)
• Khiladi (January 5, 1992) (Released)
• Agnikaal (October 19, 1990) (Released)

Producer

• Evano Oruvan (December 7, 2007)

Man Mohan Desai - The Father of Masala Movies in Bollywood!!!

Manmohan Desai, the true father of the Hindi masala movie, was born on February 26, 1936 and died on March 1, 1994. Born into a family which had strong links with the Hindi film industry – his father directed a film in the 1930s and was the owner of Paramount Studios, Desai received his first break as director when his brother Subhash became a producer.

Debut

Together, they made Chhalia (1960), which starred Raj Kapoor and Nutan. Desai's younger brother went on to produce many more films for him like Bluffmaster, Dharam Veer, Amar Akbar Anthony and Desh Premee.

Desai was only 23 when he directed Chhalia. Despite the presence of Raj Kapoor and Nutan the film did not do very well, but its music which was composed by Kalyanji Anandji, did exceptionally well.

The director then tried hard to establish himself with films like Bluffmaster and Budtameez, starring his good friend Shammi Kapoor. However, success continued to elude him. One of the films that he had penned, the 1964 costume drama Rajkumar, however did go on to do very well.

Breakthrough

But it was the year 1970 that saw Desai come into his own. He delivered the hit Saccha Jhoota, which starred the then-reigning superstar Rajesh Khanna in a double role. It was the first time that he used his formula to success—the film had a lost-and-found brother-sister track which really drew in the audiences. This formula was repeated in later years with even more success. But in the meantime he continued with tear-jerkers like Aa Gale Lag Ja (1973, starring Sharmila Tagore and Shashi Kapoor). He continued to collaborate successfully with actors like Rajesh Khanna (Saccha Jhoota & Roti), Jeetendra (Bhai Ho To Aisa & Dharam Veer), Randhir Kapoor(Rampur Ka Laxman) and Dharamendra (Chacha Bhatija & Dharam Veer), but once Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) happened, he never really looked at any other hero but Amitabh Bachchan.

Connection with Amitabh Bachchan would be no exaggeration to say that Manmohan Desai rightly shares some of the credit for the creation of the phenomenon that is the Big B. The other directors who had a hand in cementing Bachchan's position were Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Yash Chopra,Prakash Mehra and Ramesh Sippy.

In Bachchan, Desai found an ideal actor who could deliver emotions and still be at complete ease with the flights of fantasy that the director cooked up, which were in turn, lapped up by the public. The duo delivered a string of hits in the period between the 70s and the early 80s, like Parvarish, Amar Akbar Anthony, Suhaag, Naseeb, Desh Premee, Coolie, Mard and Ganga Jamuna Saraswati. All except the last were super-duper hits. The film also starred other heroes like Rishi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Vinod Khanna and Mithun Chakraborty, but the emphasis was always on Bachchan alone.

Amar Akbar Anthony One film which truly defines Manmohan Desai or "Man," as he was affectionately called by friends, was Amar Akbar Anthony. The lost and found plot; the blind mother Nirupa Roy regaining her eyesight due to a miracle wrought by Shirdi Sai Baba; her lost son singing the quawaali, unaware that his devotion is actually saving his mother, of whose existence too he is unaware; as also the manner in which she is saved from the villains by the sudden appearance of a snake -- there is hardly any other filmmaker under the sun who can get away with so much unrealistic melo-drama with such flair and panache as he did. Of course, the public lapped this up and Man's masala worked wonders at the box office. His films were pure entertainment like no other. Of the 20 films that Manmohan Desai directed in a 29 year-long career, as many 13 were super hits.

Downslide

Post 1983, the downward slide began for the maverick filmmaker, when Desh Premee failed to click at the box office. He bounced back with Coolie and Mard, but things were never the same as Ganga Jamuna Saraswati failed to click. Times had changed. His son, Ketan, who is married to Kanchan, Shammi Kapoor and Geeta Bali's daughter, also tasted failure with his directorial ventures, Allah Rakha and Toofan, both starring Bachchan. Desai's slide from fame was matched by Bachchan's fall as well.

Tragic Death

This man, who brought smiles to million faces with his brand of comedy; a man whose films always provided hope to many, ended his life on March 1, 1994. Just before his death, he is believed to have got engaged to actress Nanda. She continues to live out her life as a recluse. Very little is known of Manmohan Desai's death, except that he was said to be suffering from a chronic back problem. He was only 58 years old.