A new Bollywood film on a shrewd businesswoman’s plan to build a power plant caught up in development politics is drawing comparisons with the controversy behind the failed Indian project of U.S. utilities giant Enron.
“Sarkar Raj,” starring Bollywood’s first family the Bachchans, has an uncanny resemblance to the real-life drama involving powerful politician Balasaheb Thackeray, whose party opposed a $2.8 billion power plant built by Enron in the 1990s.
The controversy surrounding the private power plant, India’s largest then, highlighted the politics of development and the difficulties of doing business in a country replete with corruption, political intimidation and red tape.
The grand premiere of Bollywood film ‘Woodstock Villa’, which marks the debut of Sikander Kher, the son of versatile actor Anupam Kher, and Debutant actress Neha Oberoi was held in Mumbai on Thursday.
Sanjay Gupta, Shobha Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt have produced the film, which is a musical thriller.
National award-winning director Hansal Mehta has directed the film.
Hansal Mehta’s film stars Arbaaz Khan, Gulshan Grover and Shakti Kapoor besides many others.
Woodstock Villa is a film about swiftly changing moralities in today’s world and breaks new ground with every twist.
Music of the film has been rendered by Anu Malik and Shibani Kashyap while the lyrics have been penned by trio Virag Mishra, The Aryans and Manoj Muntashir.
Speaking to the media during the premier of the movie was debutant actor Sikander Kher who said, I would like to say that we have really worked very hard for this film and whole life I have worked towards becoming an actor. I would request all the people to please go and watch this movie. It’s very important for me.
The film has also introduced another debutant actress Neha Oberoi who was very excited about working with Sikander Kher.
After being held in Yorkshire last year, 2008’s International Indian Film Awards (IIFAs) will take place in Bangkok, Thailand from June 6. Why Bangkok? Amitabh Bachchan, brand ambassador of the IIFAs explains: “The idea is to move to different parts of the universe, to try and make this a global effort; to build bridges rather than just make this another awards ceremony.”
Director Karan Johar will host the IIFAs award ceremony. Actors Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, and Govinda are confirmed to attend. The highlight will be the premiere of Sarkar Raj, the Godfather remake, which reunites all three Bachchans – Amitabh, his son Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – after their last screen appearance in Bunty aur Babli.
Bachchan is also excited about his upcoming Unforgettable World Tour which will be unveiled in Toronto from July 18. “We are going to Europe and America and the West Indies; Trinidad is one of the places.” In addition to the Bachchans, Akshay Kumar, Preity Zinta and Ritesh Deshmukh are confirmed to appear in the song and dance extravaganza. Madhuri Dixit, the leading actress of the 90s, will be joining the global show. Dixit confirms: “We are in talks.”
Bachchan, his son Abhishek, daughter-in-law Aishwarya started walking in the very early hours of Tuesday from their residence ‘Jalsa’ at around 2:00 am.
The street leading to the temple witnessed serpentine queues of fans who wanted to have a glimpse of their favourite stars.
Amitabh’s wife Jaya Bachchan joined them at the temple.
According to reports, the actor along with the team of ‘Sarkar Raj’ went to seek the blessings of the deity for the success of the film.
With India’s entertainment billionaires seemingly blessed with limitless pockets, Bollywood is flexing its movie muscle, taking on Hollywood in unexpected corners of the globe and buying up theatres worldwide.
“Bollywood now has the muscle and (Indian) corporates have big money,” prominent Indian filmmaker Jagmohan Mundra told AFP.
Mundra said Bollywood companies began the bid to buy into Hollywood cinemas and distribution networks after Indian films failed to get a wide showing in the West.
The slew of major entertainment deals announced this week at Cannes, the world’s biggest film market, underlined Indian cinema expansionism.
Reliance BIG Entertainment, for example, the entertainment branch of India’s mighty Anil Dhirubhai Ambani (ADA) Group, unveiled plans to spend one billion US dollars by the end of 2009.
ADA plans to use the cash to produce a slate of films in nine languages while ensuring the movies make it onto cinema screens outside India as well as on home video, online digital platforms, and television through the Internet (IPTV).
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