Nominations for Nokia 15th Annual Star Screen Awards 2008

Best Film
A Wednesday!
Ghajini
Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Jodhaa Akbar
Rock On!!
Sarkar Raj

Best Director
A. R. Murugadoss - Ghajini
Abbas Tyrewala - Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Abhishek Kapoor - Rock On!!
Ashutosh Gowarikar - Jodhaa Akbar
Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday!
Ram Gopal Varma - Sarkar Raj

Best Actor (Male)
Aamir Khan - Ghajini
Abhishek Bachchan - Dostana
Akshay Kumar - Singh Is Kinng
Amitabh Bachchan - Sarkar Raj
Hrithik Roshan - Jodhaa Akbar
Naseeruddin Shah - A Wednesday!
Ranbir Kapoor - Bachna Ae Haseeno
Shahrukh Khan - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Best Actor (Female)
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan - Jodhaa Akbar
Asin Thottumkal - Ghajini
Genelia D'souza - Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Kajol - U Me Aur Hum
Priyanka Chopra - Fashion

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male)
Aamir Bashir - A Wednesday!
Abhishek Bachchan - Sarkar Raj
Anupam Kher - A Wednesday!
Arjun Rampal - Rock On!!
Irrfan Khan - Mumbai Meri Jaan
Jimmy Sheirgill - A Wednesday!
Pankaj Kapur - Halla Bol

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female)
Bipasha Basu - Bachna Ae Haseeno
Ila Arun - Welcome TO Sajjanpur
Kangana Ranaut - Fashion
Mugdha Godse - Fashion
Ratna Pathak Shah - Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Shahana Goswami - Rock On!!

Best Actor in a Negative Role (Male/Female)
Akshaye Khanna - Race
Anil Kapoor - Tashan
Ashwini Kalsekar - Phoonk
Dilip Prabhawalkar - Sarkar Raj
Ila Arun - Jodhaa Akbar

Best Actor in a Comic Role (Male/Female)
Ashwini Kalsekar - Golmaal Returns
Mallika Sherawat - Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam
Rajpal Yadav - Krazzy 4
Shreyas Talpade - Welcome TO Sajjanpur
Tusshar Kapoor - Golmaal Returns

Best Background Music
Amar Mohile - Sarkar Raj
A. R. Rahman - Jodhaa Akbar
Bapi-Tutul - Phoonk
Salim-Sulaiman - Race
Sanjoy Chowdhury - A Wednesday!
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy - Rock On!!

Best Music
A. R. Rahman - Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na & Jodhaa Akbar
Pritam - Jannat & Singh Is Kinng
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy - Rock On!!
Vishal-Shekhar - Dostana & Bachna Ae Haseeno

Best Playback Singer (Male)
A. R. Rahman - Khwaja Mere Khwaja (Jodhaa Akbar)
Atif Aslam - Pehli Nazar (Race)
KK - Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno)
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan - Teri Ore (Singh Is Kinng)
Rashid Ali - Kabhi Kabhi Aditi (Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na)
Shankar Mahadevan - Desi Girl (Dostana)
Sukhwinder Singh - Haule Haule (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi)

Best Playback Singer (Female)
Dominique Cerejo - Yeh Tumhari Meri Baatein (Rock On!!)
Hardkaur & Anmol Malik - Talli Ho Gayi (Ugly Aur Pagli)
Monali Thakur - Zaraa Zaraa Touch Me (Race)
Shilpa Rao - Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno)
Shreya Ghoshal - Teri Ore (Singh Is Kinng)
Shruti Pathak - Mar Jaawa (Fashion)
Sunidhi Chauhan - Dance Pe Chance (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi)

Best Lyrics
Anvita Dutt Guptan - Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno)
Jaideep Shani - Haule Haule (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi)
Kashif - Khwaja Mere Khwaja (Jodhaa Akbar)
Mayur Puri - Teri Ore (Singh Is Kinng)
Sameer - Pehli Nazar (Race)
Sayeed Quadri - Bakhuda (Kismat Konnection)
Sayeed Quadri - Zara Si Dil Mein De Jagah (Jannat)

Best Story
Dibakar Banerjee - Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!
Haidar Ali - Jodhaa Akbar
Madhur Bhandarkar, Ajay Monga & Anuradha Tiwari - Fashion
Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday!
Shyam Benegal - Welcome To Sajjanpur

Best Screenplay
A. R. Murugadoss - Ghajini
Abhishek Kapoor & Pubali Chaudhary- Rock On!!
Ashok Mishra - Welcome To Sajjanpur
Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday!
Shiraz Ahmed - Race

Best Dialogue
Abbas Tyrewala - Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Anvita Dutt Guptan - Dostana & Bachna Ae Haseeno
Ashok Mishra - Welcome To Sajjanpur
Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday!

Best Editor
Aarti Bajaj - Aamir
Deepa Bhatia - Rock On!!
Hussain Burmawala - Race
Nipun Gupta & Amit Parmar - Sarkar Raj
Shree Narayan Singh - A Wednesday!

Best Sound
Debashish Mishra - Sarkar Raj
Rakesh Ranjan - A Wednesday! & Race
Resul Pookutty - Ghajini
Sanjay Maurya & Allwyn Rego - Mumbai Meri Jaan

Best Cinematography
Alphonso Roy - Aamir
Amit Roy - Sarkar Raj
Ayananka Bose - Dostana
Jason West - Rock On!!
Ravi K. Chandran - Ghajini
Sunil Patel - Bachna Ae Haseeno

Best Special Effects
Biju D (B R Pix & Rrix) - Bhoothnath
David Bush - Drona
Pankaj Khandpur (Tata Elxsi) - Jodhaa Akbar
Merzin Tavaria (Prime Focus) - Ghajini & Love Story 2050

Best Art Direction
Nitin Desai - Jodhaa Akbar
Samir Chanda - Welcome TO Sajjanpur
Shashank Tare - Rock On!!
Sunil Babu - Ghajini
Sunil Nigvekar - A Wednesday!

Best Choreography
Ahmed Khan - Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno)
Bosco-Ceasar - Zaraa Zaraa Touch Me (Race)
Farah Khan - Desi Girl (Dostana)
Rajeev Surti - Kabhi Kabhi Aditi (Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na)
Raju Khan - Khwaja Mere Khwaja (Jodhaa Akbar)
Snoop Dogg Group - Title Song (Singh Is Kinng)
Vaibhavi Merchant - Haule Haule (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi)

Best Action
Allan Amin - Race
Javed & Ejaz Shaikh, Ravi Dewan - Mission Istaanbul
Peter Heins - Ghajini & Tashan
Ravi Dewan - Jodhaa Akbar

Most Promising Newcomer (Male)
Farhan Akhtar - Rock On!!
Harman Baweja - Love Story 2050
Imran Khan - Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Prateik Babbar - Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
Rajeev Khandelwal - Aamir
Sikandar Kher - Woodstock Villa

Most Promising Newcomer (Female)
Adah Sharma - 1920
Anushka Sharma - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Asin Thottumkal - Ghajini
Prachi Desai - Rock On!!

Most Promising Debut Director
A. R. Murugadoss - Ghajini
Abbas Tyrewala - Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na
Kunal Deshmukh - Jannat
Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday!
Nishikant Kamat - Mumbai Meri Jaan
Rajkumar Gupta - Aamir
Tarun Mansukhani - Dostana

Aishwarya's presence gets Abhishek excited!

The much awaited 25-27 crore Ram Gopal Varma directed SARKAR RAJ, the follow up to his highly successful SARKAR, hits the screens this Friday. Starring for the first time the three Bachchans, in full fledged roles, the film begins where SARKAR ended.

As per Aby's Baby, Abhishek Bachchan, the film has a new story and fresher problems for the Nagre family. He adds that the presence of his wife, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, in the garb of a business woman, really excites him! He discloses that in the movie Aishwarya puts forth a proposal for Subhash and Shankar Nagre (played by Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan), and later works along with the Nagre family.

Well, we are as excited as Abhishek, if not more, to check out SARKAR RAJ!

Is Ash pregnant

It’s not easy to be a celebrity. And so one can imagine how tough it is to be in a family which has only stars. Yes we are talking about the Bachchan family, which is one of the most respectable families of Bollywood.

And the one question that is on everyone’s mind is when will Aishwarya Rai Bachchan be pregnant? Never has a celebrity been exposed to such intense media scrutiny as much as Ash. The media went into a frenzy when she tied the knot to Abhishek and it looks like that this will now be extended to her pregnancy.

Last night the Bachchan trio came for the promotion of Ram Gopal Varma’s forthcoming film Sarkar Raj . This film brings the three Bachchans together once again after Bunty Aur Babli . More than that it’s the first film after Abhishek-Ash’s marriage, so it is obvious why the film is generating so much attention and hype.

But more than the plot of Sarkar Raj , everybody was interested to know when would Ash and Abhishek be in the family way. When Amitabh Bachchan was asked when will he become a grandfather, a rather restrained reply came as, “I am already a grandfather. I have two grandchildren.”

Reacting to his answer another journalist clarified the question and asked, when he will be grandfather of Ash and Abhishek’s child. Now Abhi and Ash were totally amazed and wanted to see the person who asked this question.

While not reacting much on it Big B said, “ Achcha!! Ab mein dada kab banunga yeh baat mujhse poochne ke bajay (pointed at Abhi-Ash) inse pooche to behtar hota! mein aasha karta hu aap film se jude sawaal pooche!”

The scribe was not put off by the rebuff, He then looked asked Ash whether she is pregnant or not? As she was about to say no...Big B interrupted and said its better the media sticks to questions related to Sarkar Raaj.

Celebrities in India pay a heavy price for their stardom by losing their privacy. And nobody knows it better that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Theatrical trailer of 'Contract' with 'Sarkar Raj'

There is not much that has been shown in the first look of Contract so far, other than the pigeons flying the skyline of Mumbai. Still, even those few seconds with a haunting background score have immediately worked in the film gaining attention by the followers of Ram Gopal Varma's cinema.

So, are we going to see something more than 'just pigeons' over the next few weeks en route to the film's release?

Ramu says after a hearty laugh, "Don't worry, the film is not about pigeons. We wanted to create some excitement about the film coming after Satya and Company, and hence, we refrained from showing anything more than that in the first look. However, you would know more about Contract as the film's full length theatrical trailer would be out along with the release of Sarkar Raj."

With the film being less than week away, it should be double the excitement for cine goers, who would now also catch a glimpse of Contract that mainly stars relative newcomers. Stated to be third in the trilogy of his underworld films, Contract also explores the angle around what happens when underworld meets terrorism.

Promising to be another gritty affair, Contract marks the return of Prasad Purandare, who had enacted the role of 'Don Zameer' in Shimit 'Chak De India' Amin's Ab Tak Chhappan. In the film, he was quite a revelation as a don who shared a unique love-hate relationship with the 'encounter cop' played by Nana Patekar.

Surprisingly, he wasn't seen in any other film in the years gone by. Now after a gap of 4 years, Prasad is returning to the big screen Contract which also stars Sakshi Gulati, Vineet Sharma, Sadia Siddiqui, Saurabh Mahajan and Amruta Khanvilkar (from Mumbai Salsa).

Produced by PVR Cinema and Ace Movie Company, Contract is looking at a 18th July release. The film has music by Amar Mohile, Bapi-Tutul and Sana Kotwal, with action by Allan Amin.

Launch of the background music of Sarkar Raj

Sarkar Raj to release its background score

It is the first feature film in India to release its background score.

Mumbai: Sarkar Raj becomes the first feature film in India to release its background score.

Power of Sound, the background score album has 32 tracks featuring moods and situations from the film. Amar Mohile has composed the background score.

Film director Ram Gopal Varma said on Thursday night that internationally, there are no song and dance routines like in India, and thus background score for special event films like James Bond and Harry Potter series are released.

He said apart from the background score album, the film has a regular music CD containing 12 tracks.

The film’s lead cast Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan released the album. Amitabh spoke on the importance of background score and how often it is ignored.

When the megastar heard a strange sound coming from the background music being played on stage, he said, “The score reflects my mood for the evening. I have come here after penning a page of my blog only to see the broadband connection going away with my thoughts.”

When Aishwarya was asked how was it to work with Abhishek in the film when they are not paired opposite each other, Abhishek asked, “Do you mean we lack chemistry?” To which Varma said, “This is what happens after marriage.”

The filmmaker refused to entertain questions whether Tanisha, the actress paired opposite Abhishek dies in the film to make Ash and Abhishek come together.

As part of the promotion of Sarkar Raj, a yatra is being planned across five cities from June 13. Varma said the yatra is an exact replication of a scene from the film, where a procession travels from one destination to another.

The three Bachchans will participate in the road show. The film releases on June 6 and will be premiered at the IIFA weekend in Bangkok.

Abhishek’s death in the climax scares distributors

Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar Raj releases next month. The film, a sequel to his 2005 release Sarkar, will also be Abhishek and Aishwarya’s first release after their marriage.

A source who attended one of the private screenings reveals that the climax of the film has given distributors cold feet. “In the climax of the film, Abhishek Bachchan is shot dead.

There is a huge build-up to the scene. Abhishek’s character Shankar Nagre who joins his father in politics wants to make changes and create a revolution.

His death is quite unexpected and is bound to give a big jolt to the viewers. Everyone expects one of the supporting characters, who protects Bachchan Jr, to die. But in the end, Abhishek is gunned down.”

The industry is abuzz with rumours that distributors are worried that Abhishek’s death won’t go down too well with the audience. “Abhishek’s death was always a part of the initial script, but the way it’s shot is quite gory. Also, once he dies, the film takes a dark turn and becomes really depressing.”

Says a industrywalla, “If Abhishek dies, Sarkar becomes an Amitabh movie. And the last memory of Amitabh and Ramu together is Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, and that’s gives distributors sleepless nights.”

It is believed that Amitabh wanted Sarkar Raj to be the first big release of 2008, but had to change that due to Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar, which released early this year.

When contacted, Ramu denied that Abhishek dies at the end, while Bachchan replied, “See the film.”

Ash's character could have been played by a man in Sarkar Raj" - RGV

Much has been said about Sarkar Raj being a package deal, considering the fact that it stars the entire Bachchan family comprising of Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. However, as always, Ram Gopal Varma, the man behind Sarkar Raj, chooses to laugh away the insinuation.

"Believe me Sarkar Raj would have been all the same even if the character played by Aishwarya Rai would instead have been a man. Not a single word of the basic plot of the film would have changed if I had taken a male protagonist instead", declares Ramu who is caught at his cheerful best.

In the film's prequel, Sarkar, Abhishek Bachchan turned out to be a surprise element. Though all eyes were (rightly) focused on Amitabh Bachchan, who did come up with one of his best performances in last few years, Abhishek did manage to stand on his own and came up with a delightful performance. Considering the fact that it is a given the two Bachchans would come up with yet another powerhouse performance again, what's the surprise element to look for in Sarkar Raj?

"Aishwarya Rai", says Ramu promptly, "As Anita Rajan, she enters the lives of Subhash (Big B) and Shankar Nagare (Abhishesk) and her character grows over a period of time. She is an element which connects audience with the Nagare family."

He continues to add though that Ash plays a very strong character in the film even though there is absolutely no scope of any romance built up in Sarkar Raj.

"Don't even look for a romantic drama in Sarkar Raj since there isn't scope of any. Just because a film stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai doesn't mean that they start romancing with each other. And let's not forget that Abhishek's character is already married to Tanisha (Mukherjee) in the film", jokes Ramu.

Also starring Ravi Kale, Govind Namdeo, Victor Banerjee, Supriya Pathak, Sayaji Shinde, Dilip Prabhawalkar and Upyendra Limaye in principal roles, Sarkar Raj is confirmed for a 6th June release and is the most anticipated film arriving this summer.

Ash back to the fore

At first, she may come across as yet another actress who’s back in the limelight with her first post-marriage film. But when the name’s Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, there’s more than what meets the eye. For those of you haven’t yet realized thanks to the ‘pre and post Bachchan wedding mania’ that ensured regular doses of Ash’s marital glow across our TV screens and glossy prints, last year saw Ash delivering only one Bollywood flick ‘Guru’.

But after a year of honeymooning, embarking on pilgrimages, arriving hand-in-hand with beau at premiere nights and basking in the glory of her recent success ‘Jodhaa Akbar’, Aishwarya is set to take Bollywood by storm once more. India’s highest paid actress who’s back in Mumbai after celebrating her first wedding anniversary in Miami last month, Aishwarya’s all geared up for her next big project ‘Sarkar Raj’.

Sequel to RGV’s ‘Sarkar’, this one’s releasing on June,6 and will see the Bachchan trio back together once more after the brief ‘Kajra Re’ sequence which took the entire nation by storm. But for those of you who are thinking that Aishwarya’s fate in the film will be similar to RGV’s previous heroines who succumb to playing sex objects, read on...

‘Sarkar Raj’ will see Aishwarya doing what very few women have managed to do in Bollywood. After impressing her fans as a staunch Rajput princess, Ms. Bachchan is now set to wow them with her ‘corporate’ avatar. Apparently, her character in the film is inspired by real life personality Rebecca Mark Jusbache, Head of the Enron International Division. Needless to say, with a well-defined and powerful character sketch as this one, Aishwarya’s sure to emerge as an equal rocker as hubby Abhishek and dad-in-law Amitabh if not outwit them!

Aishwarya’s corporate look!

Everyone who has been watching the promos of Sarkar Raj... have been admiring the look that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is supporting in the film.

Since she plays the head honcho of a power plant that plans to set up in India, she sports a very cool hair bun, solitaires, intimate jewellery with some serious business suits.

Says an insider, “Since this was the first film that AbhiAsh were going to appear on celluloid after marriage, it was obvious she wanted to look her best.

And she wanted to work on all aspects of her look – whether it was make up, hair or dress. More importantly she had seen Sarkar and knew that the Ramu liked understated power.

So she wanted her look should be very subtle but very powerful. She wanted the designer to model her look on international head honchos and CEOs." We must admit that all her efforts have worked... and she really looking very nice, truly corporate in real sense!

Ash in Sarkar Raj v/s Bips in Corporate

Is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan still ruing the fact that she missed out on working with Madhur Bhandarkar for Corporate? Is that the reason why there is a stark similarity in the wardrobe of Ash in Ram Gopal Varma's Sarkar Raj and that of Bipasha Basu from Corporate?

Bollywood followers may remember that when Corporate was being planned, Madhur Bhandarkar had first approached Aishwarya Rai to play the role of film's central protagonist Nishigandha. Since the film required someone with grace coupled with glamour to be enacting the key role, Aishwarya seemed to be just the right choice. However, due to date problems, Aishwarya couldn't be a part of the film and Bipasha Basu was roped in pronto as a replacement.

Says an industry insider on condition of anonymity, "It appears that Ash always carried a secret desire of doing a role where she could play a corporate woman. This is why when Ram Gopal Varma approached her for Sarkar Raj, she was all for it. However, though this could very much be a coincidence, it is pretty apparent that Aishwarya's wardrobe and look pretty much seems to be based on the one that Bipasha carried in Corporate.

On being told about the similarities, Ram Gopal Varma is hardly amused and instead replies nonchalantly, "In a corporate world, you do dress up in a certain way. You can't walk in like a dolled up heroine or straight from a marriage procession. Anyone familiar with the corporate world knows that it is mandated for senior professionals to be wearing smart business casuals. This is what Aishwarya Rai also wears since she plays a personnel who represents the top management. What else could she have been shown wearing?"

With trademark Ramu humor, the maverick director goes on to conclude, "Whether it is Bipasha Basu, Ash or anyone before or after them, each of them would be seen in a similar attire in a role like this. I don't see any reason why something as trivial as this should be a matter of gossip for anyone? In any case none of us filmmakers have invented the corporate look per se, isn't it?"

Coming back to Sarkar Raj, the film is carrying an all around positive buzz and is all set to release on June 6. With the entire Bachchan family coming together, a hit prequel behind it, vintage Ramu touch to the frames and some well cut promos and stills, Sarkar Raj appears to be a shot in the arm for the filmmaker who has long forgotten his ill fated Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag!

Joginder Tuteja

Ramu on the buzz about Ash’s character in Sarkar Raj and more

Ram Gopal Varma doesn’t know who Rebecca Mark is or what Enron is. Rebbeca had resigned from Enron in 2000 after a series of failed infrastructure investments that eventually cost the company more than $2 billion.

Enron’s Dabhol project in Maharashtra was the centre of a major controversy and grabbed headlines.

In a chat with Ramu we catch up on what Rebecca Mark means to Ramu and why Ash stunned the filmmaker:

The buzz is that Aishwarya’s character in Sarkar Raj is based on Rebecca Mark of Enron.

I have no idea what Enron is. I thought it made pens, because my knowledge of such things is limited. I have no idea what Rebbeca was doing.

Just because Rebecca is a woman in some project it’s simpler to put her as some character in Sarkar Raj. In the film we are dealing with a family that deals with politics and rules the state.

Obviously there are going to be strong references to issues that the government deals with like industries, projects, slums — so whatever it is there is bond to be some reference there.

The story is fictional and has nothing to do with anything happening now or what has happened before.

Among the three Bachchans who is the best in the film?
I take both Amitabh and Abhishek for granted so for me, Aishwarya came as a complete shock. I never thought she was a good or bad actress. Her beauty comes so much in the forefront that you don’t tend to see beyond it.

I needed someone with her looks for the role and I was sure I could make her act. But I was completely taken aback when I saw her on the sets. She completely fit into the rugged, raw realism of the character, almost like a fish takes to water. I am personally most impressed with her.

Sarkar was based on Godfather. Is SR based on Godfather 2?
No. Sarkar Raj has got nothing to do with Godfather 2. The original Sarkar was definitely influenced by Godfather. Sarkar Raj is about how a man like that, over a period of time, becomes part of so many complex situations.

It’s also about incidents that happen and how he deals with them. I would call it the further adventures of the Nagre family. It’s like watching an Ekta Kapoor serial where you don’t compare episodes — once you get hooked on to the characters you flow with them. The scale of SR is much larger and not so simplistic as the first plot.

Are you nervous about Sarkar Raj?
I never get nervous or excited about any film that I make. My job as a filmmaker is to do it the best way I can. If you keep being sensitive to what all everyone’s saying, then it’s very difficult to survive or exist. The moment the mixing of the film is over, I don’t think about that film — no matter what!

Upala KBR

Sarkar Raj promotions advanced

The promotions of the much awaited film of the year Sarkar Raj have been advanced and will now start from 4th May. They were scheduled to start on 11th May. With Tashan crashing at the box office and multiplexes not screening the film, Z Picture Company, who own the marketing and distribution rights of Sarkar Raj are pushing it to fill the yawning gap.

Varma says that Sarkar Raj is a bigger film than its prequel because it doesn’t carry the old story forward, but takes a look at another episode in the Nagare family’s life. Abhishek Bachchan who is currently in Miami for the shooting of Dostana will be returning on 23rd May for the film’s promotional activities.

Sarkar Raj will be premiered at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) to be held in Bangkok. The director of the film Ram Gopal Verma and Amitabh Bachchaan are already in Bangkok for the press conference that will be held on 30th April. Ram Gopal Verma had unveiled the first look of Sarkar Raj on 20th April which was the first wedding anniversary of the lead pair, Abhishek and Aishwarya.

The film is set to hit the big screens on 6th June.

Pankaj Sabnani

SARKAR RAJ - The most awaited film this summer

SARKAR RAJ is indeed turning out to be the most awaited film this summer. And that too by leaps and bounds.

Unlike Ram Gopal Varma's last few films which were marred by an all around negative energy (RAM GOPAL VARMA KI AAG, DARLING, SHIVA, NISHABD), response to SARKAR RAJ has been widely positive till date which gives a very positive signal to this mega film coming from the risk taker film maker.

The teasers which have been aired so far have met with tremendous applause all over while coming together of the Bachchan family is an event by itself. Also, Ram Gopal Varma's vintage touch is more than just visible in SARKAR RAJ as the film certainly appears to be moving a few steps ahead in the right direction.

The film is now all set to arrive on 6th June, the first weekend after the IPL Finals would have been played. Though BHOOTNATH, JANNAT and WOODSTOCK VILLA are the three prominent movies releasing in next few weeks, it is SARKAR RAJ which should pave the way for many more money spinners to follow after its release.

No wonder, SARKAR RAJ is all set to take a phenomenal opening across the country with Mumbai certainly being the best. And remember, you read it first here!

Joginder Tuteja

Ramu’s not too happy

The focus on AbhiAsh’s first shaadi ki saalgirah rather than the Sarkar sequel leaves him miffed

Ram Gopal Varma may not express his displeasure verbally but the truth is the director wasn’t too thrilled with the way the Sarkar Raj event was conducted on Sunday night.

Ramu sent out invites to unveil the first look of his film starring the Bachchans (Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya). He, however, was miffed when complete attention was given to AbhiAsh’s first wedding anniversary on the same day.

Ramu hadn’t really figured that the evening would be restricted to the celebrations without really talking much about his film.

A source present at the venue reveals, “Ramu had his people tell the media that they should restrict questions related to the wedding anniversary and talk more about Sarkar Raj.

However, that didn’t happen, as most of the questions fielded were about Abhishek and Aishwarya’s anniversary. Even though Ash and Big B spoke about the movie, the focus was still on the anniversary.”

The source adds that after the event Ramu was heard contemplating another event exclusively for the movie. “He is very proud of Sarkar Raj and wanted to showcase it.

He thought that having the entire Bachchan family at one place to talk about it would be a unique opportunity. However, it didn’t work out the way it was planned.”

Ramu prefers to laugh off the buzz. He says, “I am not planning to have any more events till the film’s release date.”

First Look - Sarkar Raj

Sarkar Raj v/s C Kkompany clash averted

6th June is fast turning out to be the most favorite Friday for Bollywood releases this season. Reason is simple. With IPL making its presence loud and clear, majority of films are avoiding arriving in the month of May and would only start lining up once IPL gets over on 1st June. This is why for the moment, the release calendar is looking at as many as 7 films showing their interest in arriving on 6th June - Sarkar Raj, Mere Baap Pehle Aap, C Kkompany, Heroes, Humsey Hai Jahaan, Mehbooba and Right Ya Wrong.

However, one film which has now decided to walk out of the race, hence making the Friday relatively light weight, is C Kkompany. The comedy stars Tusshar Kapoor, Anupam Kher and Rajpal Yadav in the lead roles with Raima Sen as the leading lady, Mithun Chakraborty in an exciting role and horde of actors/celebrities like Mahesh Bhatt, Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor, Dilip Prabhawalkar and Sakshi Tanwar making a special appearance.

Why the shift to a later date? States Tusshar Kapoor, "Since Sarkar Raj has been confirmed for 6th June, there is no point in us bringing C Kkompany on the same day since Balaji Motion Pictures has stakes in both the films. We have the worldwide distribution rights of Sarkar Raj whereas C Kkompany is our home production. It wouldn't have made for a sound decision to bring both our films on the same day."

Are all the problems pertaining to the film's eventual release finally solved? "Yes, there isn't any hitch around Sarkar Raj anymore", says Tusshar affirmatively.

So which day is C Kkompany looking at arriving now? "We are tentatively sighting 20th June though the plans are yet to be confirmed", says Tusshar, "We should be having the film's promos on air around 1st week of May."

But won't it be too crowded on 20th June considering Hijack and De Taali have already been confirmed? "Well, we will look at all the possibilities and then take the final call though what we are sure is that 6th June is definitely out", signs off Tusshar.

Joginder Tuteja

RGV introduces Sarkar Raj, the Big B loved it!

It was a wonderful idea well-implemented; the unveiling of the first look of Sarkar Raj to the media and selected guests on Sunday evening.

Unfortunately, though not surprisingly, the focus of the event shifted somewhat from the film to the couple of the evening Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan who celebrated their first wedding anniversary the same evening and were on video-conference from Miami talking to the press.

Naturally media persons got more interested in the couple's anniversary plans than their take on the film. In fact, Aishwarya was quizzed as much about Shankar's Robot and Karan Johar's Dostana as Sarkar Raj. But Ramu didn't seem to mind. He was just thrilled to be the first filmmaker to bring his film's stars to the media via satellite. "In fact," joked Ramu, "this could set a new precedent. Stars could now refuse to show up for film events and just speak to the media from home."

Mr Bachchan seemed extremely pleased with the outcome. "The event was just so enthralling. The film, the promo and most of all the children (Abhishek and Aishwarya) live from Miami with us on this a very auspicious day, their anniversary. It was a personal moment and yet so public."

Subash K. Jha

‘Sarkar Raj isn’t on Godfather 2 or about the Thackerays’

Abhishek-Aishwarya, Jaya Bachchan’s guest appearance, Narmada controversy. Director Ram Gopal Varma clears the hoopla around his big sequel

Why have a media circus today to unveil Sarkar Raj? Is that a sign of your insecurity after Darling, Aag and Go, the three fiascos of last year?
(Sarcastically) Oh yes, I’m so frightened I can hardly breathe. But seriously, this isn’t the first media event for my film. We had a launch event for the first Sarkar film also. We’ll be showing a show-reel and formally announcing the release for June 6 and also introducing the media to the theme.

Is Sarkar Raj more crucial than your other recent films?
Every film works on its own merits. I don’t think I made Darling or Aag thinking they won’t be liked. People watch a movie or don’t watch it for their own reasons. For me, Sarkar Raj isn’t that career-changing event that it’s being made out to be.

So much speculation on it. One website wrote Mrs Jaya Bachchan makes a secret appearance in the film.
So secret even I don’t know about it. I told them it’s not true. They still sms-ed Amitji for a confirmation and in fact, told him that I had confirmed she’s in the film. What do I do?

The film might be a casualty of over-expectation.
First of all, I don’t know what the expectations are. I do my work. I don’t even watch TV. Audiences know Sarkar Raj is a drama. Once I got into that family’s life, I was curious to know where it went from there.
However, the second part does NOT take off from where the first part left. You can call it another episode in the adventures of Sarkar. When you’re dealing with the life of a political gangster — for want of a better term — you can’t resort to a linear narration.

Is Sarkar Raj bigger?
The sequel’s scale is much larger. I feel the plot in the first part was fairly simplistic, firstly because it was inspired by The Godfather — the Mafioso father and two sons — done dozens of times. Sarkar Raj is much more complex. It’s certainly not Godfather 2. There’s absolutely no reference to Godfather in Sarkar Raj. It’s much more original and connected to the Indian socio-political reality.

It’s said to be inspired by the Thackeray family.
Let me say this once and for all. Sarkar Raj has no bearing to any real-life politics or politicians, at least not directly. There’s much speculation about the film being inspired by the Narmada project. I don’t know anything about the Narmada.
I know nothing about politics. I’m completely ignorant of what happens outside the film world. If people are comparing the plot of my film to Narmada because they both involve a degree of social protest, then all I can say is that protest is an essential part of any drama that goes beyond entertainment.

But Sarkar Raj does have political references.
I don’t know what politics is. When I made films about the underworld, I only understood its workings in as far as they served as a backdrop to my drama. What interests me as a filmmaker are conflicts that arise out of situations where characters are faced with a moral dilemma.
The political scenario in Sarkar Raj isn’t researched in any depth. It’s politics as understood by a common man. I’m interested in the psychological and emotional dynamics behind politics.

You’ve pitched Abhishek and Aishwarya against one another?
First of all, they’re pitted against one another only in a specific ideological situation. Sarkar Raj isn’t formatted as a typical commercial film. So there’s no question of pitching characters against one another.

Aishwarya says she’s relatively marginal to the conflict.
She’s more an observer in the drama that unfolds in Shankar’s (Abhishek) family, and how she gets converted by Shankar’s ideology is the graph her character follows. When I first approached Aishwarya, I didn’t even know there was marriage between Abhishek and her on the cards. I wanted her to play the character because of her dignity and elegance. Even though her beauty is overpowering, I was surprised by her restrained performance in Sarkar Raj. Many people feel heavy dialogue-baazi and rona-dhona is a good performance. I think a good performance is more about reacting. I was stunned by Aishwarya.

So is Sarkar Raj better than Sarkar?
It’s like asking Francis Coppola if Godfather 2 was better. Not that I’m comparing myself to Coppola. But yes, Sarkar Raj has situations that are more complex and require more layered performances than Sarkar.

Finally, after all your differences with T Series, Sarkar Raj’s music is being released on their label!
Yes, we sorted out our differences. At the moment, we’re coming together for the soundtrack of Sarkar Raj. We shall see after that.

Subash K. Jha

A Sneak Peek at Sarkar Raj

Ram Gopal Varma's Sarkar Raj is one of the most anticipated films of this year. And why not? After all, the first part, Sarkar, was a huge hit, bringing together the powerful father-son jodi of Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan. This time the expectations will only multiply as bahu Aishwarya Rai also joins the cast of Sarkar Raj and will be seen for the first time in a film with hubby dearest after their marriage last year. We brings you a sneak peek of the film. Apparently, Abhishek plays Shankar Nagre who has now taken charge of the empire which his father Subhash Nagre (Big B) had built while Aishwarya would be seen in the role of a shrewd businesswoman.

The film is expected to release sometime in June but this Sunday (April 20) is the day when the makers have decided to unveil the first look of the film. Incidentally, the day also marks the first wedding anniversary of Abhishek and Aishwarya. While Big B would be gracing the event, Abhi-Ash would be making their presence felt in a virtual way. As Abhishek and Aishwarya are currently in Miami, (where Abhishek is shooting for Dharma Productions' Dostana) Papa Bachchan decided to have them present at the function in Mumbai via video-conferencing. Big B is even going through all the last minute details to see that everything is in order on the D-Day… Must say, first through blogging and now video-conferencing, Amitabh is surely becoming more and more tech savvy