B.O. update: Another thanda week, tally of flops rises

Post RAAZ - THE MYSTERY CONTINUES and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, the business continues to go downhill. Last week's LUCK BY CHANCE and VICTORY opened to dull and dismal houses, respectively and this week's DEV D had a 25% - 35% start at select screens, while the opening was much lower at others. The reports are negative and a decline in business was noticed on Day 1 itself. The general feedback is that the film is not likely to sustain.

The other two releases, MERE KHWABON MEIN JO AAYE and CHAL CHALA CHAL, have opened to a disastrous response. The opening was 5%, at places even lower. It would be an achievement if these two films manage to complete an entire week's run.

Victory is for all cricket lovers

Film's Sri Lankan producer says it would be released all over the world

Bollywood film "Victory", based on cricket and featuring many cricketing greats, is expected to do well in South Asia where the game is a passion and an obsession, says a Sri Lankan producer.

Chandran Rutnam, who handled the Colombo leg of the shooting and is in-charge of marketing of the movie in Sri Lanka, told IANS: "We hope to get the main market of the South Asian region, where cricket is a passion, obsession and a religion."

He said the film would be released all over the world with English subtitles.

The film had its grand global premiere in Colombo on Friday, a day before the second one-day encounter between the visiting Indian and host Sri Lankan cricket teams.

"Victory", directed by Ajitpal Mangat, stars budding Bollywood actors Harman Baweja, Amrita Rao and Gulshan Grover. It was released at the Regal cinema hall, Colombo.

The film combines genuine on-field sporting action with international cricket stars.

"Shot in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Australia, the movie is aimed at all the cricket lovers in the world. It is about a young village boy who wants to be a cricketer and the travails, stimulations and the problems he faces to become a cricketer and after becoming a legend," Rutnam told IANS.

Rutnam described the film as a "nice fairly tale about a cricketer in India featuring over 40 international cricket stars, including Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Harbhajan Singh, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Kartik, Brett Lee, Mike Hussey, Graeme Smith and Shoaib Malik, to name a few".

The film, based on current happenings from the world of Indian cricket, portrays the challenges and dilemmas that almost every aspirant for the Indian cricket team faces and had to undergo.

A special screening is being held exclusively for the Indian and Sri Lankan cricketers who are in Colombo for the ongoing five ODI series, he said.

Harman reborn - Now as an actor

Harman Baweja has all the right reasons to be elated. After garnering mixed response for his performance in his debut film Love Story 2050, he has proven to be victorious at least in one department, that too the most crucial one, in his second release Victory i.e. 'acting'! Though the film may have taken a slow start at the box office, audience, industry folks as well critics have given a Thumbs Up to his portrayal of Vijay Singh Shekhawat, a simpleton who rises to be a superstar cricketer, only to see a fall and then rise from 'ashes to glory'.

Those present at the premiere of the film were unanimous in acknowledging Harman's superb act in the film with some going to the extent of calling it 'flawless'. Says a source who gave a first hand account of the appreciation coming Harman's way, "The most touching of them all was Ashutosh's (Gowarikar) spontaneous reaction to Harman's performance. The moment the film ended, he walked up to Harman and gave him a hug. He was emotional and gave Harman an elder brotherly treatment. He was glad that his What's Your Rashee actor had come of age in his very second film."

Apparently, Sushmita Sen commented that Harman Baweja was flawless in the film and could sense clear honesty and sincerity in his performance. Bigwigs like Ramesh Sippy and Tauranis too were convinced that Harman was there to stay and Love Story 2050 wasn't the last that one saw of the young actor. As per Sridevi, Harman managed to carry the entire film on his shoulders and was fabulous in his performance from the first till the last frame.

Says a friend close to Harman, "He is just cherishing all the positive response coming his way. He was disheartened when his debut film was panned by one and all. He was clueless about why he and his film were targeted. He was low for a while but then gave his all to his role in Victory. There is a limit to what an actor can do in his early days in the industry but Harman only exceeded his own efforts. He is happy that this time around audience has given him a Thumbs-Up. Now it has to be seen how the word of mouth carries the film ahead."

This time, the media has been much kinder though on the film. The majority of it may not have given the film best star rating but good words have been reserved for Harman across the globe, whether India or overseas. One of the critics has in fact questioned that 'Whether Harman Baweja should be considered as a first class cricketer or a first class actor?' Tell Harman about this and he says in an exhilarated tone, "That's true. It was a double role I had to play since I had to 'look' and not 'act' like a cricketer. The entire film would have fallen down had it ever appeared on screen that I was acting. It was hard work to be a cricketer as well as an actor and I am glad that effort has been noticed."

He is cued in to good reactions from the audience. "Yup, I am aware about the way the film has opened. Expectedly it is doing much better on the single screens and I am led to believe that it is only growing with every passing show. I am extremely excited and happy with the film and it is encouraging to hear positive reviews about your work."

Talking from Colombo where he was stationed for the premier of the film (with the Indian and Sri Lankan cricket teams), Harman adds, "I won't deny that last 7-8 months were especially tough. I had to gather myself and do something good that would help me win my audience. Along with the physical strain that I had to take for the role of a cricketer, there was a lot of mental stress as well. Thankfully, I had people close to me standing besides me throughout to help me keep focused on my job. The result is Victory!"

Victory has Sri Lankan premiere

Special Victory premiere tonight for Indian, Lankan cricketers playing there

Post Chandni Chowk to China's seven premieres around the globe, having an overseas premiere has become quite the rage. Keeping with the trend, director Ajit Pal Mangat is having a Victory premiere in Colombo (Sri Lanka) for the Indian and Sri Lankan cricketers.

Since the movie is based on cricket and on a cricketer's life, director Ajit Pal Mangat was keen to have a special premiere for the Indian team. Initially, it was supposed to have a premiere in Australia, but since the entire Indian cricket team is in Sri Lanka playing in the Wealthsurance Cup ODIs, Sri Lanka was an obvious choice."

A source reveals, "After the Mumbai premiere yesterday, the cast flew down to Sri Lanka early today morning for the premiere to be held tonight."

The source further adds, "A lot of cricketers from the Sri Lankan team like Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya feature in the movie. Indian cricketers like Praveen Kumar and Yusuf Pathan also feature in the movie and are also playing in the one-dayers in Sri Lanka.

Apart from the cricketers who have featured in the movie, Hurman especially wanted Sachin Tendulkar to watch the film. The cast will stay back for the Indian team's second one-dayer and pray for their victory."

Hurman says, "I am very excited as I will be watching Victory with the Indian and Sri Lankan cricketers; some have also featured in the movie. We will also be having Sachin Sir and Yuvraj Singh watching the movie."

B.O. update: 'Luck By Chance' & 'Victory' start slow

The two new releases, LUCK BY CHANCE and VICTORY, had a slow start on Friday in India. What comes as a surprise is the fact that the two films were well-publicized prior to their release. LUCK BY CHANCE started on a 25% - 30% note at plexes, while VICTORY was 10% to 20% at several screens.

LUCK BY CHANCE has an advantage of a strong word of mouth and glowing reviews by the English media in India, which should help the film consolidate its position over the weekend. The exhibitors are hopeful that the business should pick up from Friday evening onwards.

VICTORY isn't carrying positive reports and the word of mouth is strictly average/below average. Also, the reviews are far from flattering and that makes its survival chances remote, unless a miracle occurs.

Victory - Movie Review

By Taran Adarsh

LAGAAN and IQBAL are landmark films on cricket. The response to LAGAAN specifically was so electrifying [and emotional] that theatres turned into stadiums during the penultimate cricket match in the film.

VICTORY traverses a different route altogether: This one revolves around a cricketer, talks of the highs and lows in his life, how greed, arrogance and lust almost ruin his career, but how he regains his lost form and becomes a hero all over again.

The difference also lies in the fact that the sportsmen in the film aren't actors, pretending to be cricketers, but real-life cricketers. And that makes the goings-on identifiable.

VICTORY may not be a true-life account of any one person, but you can't help but draw parallels with people who led a wild life off the field. Also, any sports-based film works if it arouses the right emotions and VICTORY does so towards the final moments. But there's a hitch. The film could've done with a shorter running time [instead of approx. 2.35 hours] and a tight script. More on that later!

Final words? A few interesting moments don't really help. This one tries to hit a boundary, but ends up taking a single.

VICTORY tells the story of Vijay Shekhawat [Hurman S. Baweja], who hails from Jaisalmer. Soon, he becomes India's latest world-class batting sensation and is catapulted to superstardom.

However, the glam and glitter makes the young, vulnerable Vijay stray from his true vocation of cricket. Unfortunately, this leads to a loss of focus and to a miserable drop in his performance. But by the time Vijay realizes his mistake, he finds himself thrown out of the Indian cricket team. Suddenly, the hero becomes a villain in everyone's eyes. His father [Anupam Kher] suffers a paralytic stroke.

This tragedy awakens Vijay's conscience. He wants to redeem himself in the eyes of his father and every Indian. Against great odds, he once again makes it back to the Indian team and gets to play in the finals of the Champion's Trophy against Australia, where he plays a stellar role in enabling India to win the Trophy.

Ajitpal Mangat chooses a difficult subject for his directorial debut. Placing immense trust on a newcomer [Hurman] and casting real-life characters could be tough and demanding, besides being expensive [cricketers' fees and paying for the various stadiums]. But Ajitpal achieves the required results.

The initial moments are very mediocre, but the pace picks up when Hurman goes astray, when he can't digest success, when he falls into wrong hands [Gulshan Grover]. The graph is erratic; sometime interesting, at times boring. However, what rescues the film from failing are the penultimate moments, especially the one when Hurman faces the final ball.

On the flip side, the writing isn't convincing at several points. The first 30 minutes of the enterprise makes you break into a yawn, frankly. Also, the film is stretched in the second hour for no reason and could've done with some tight editing. The songs in this hour are a big deterrent.

Ajitpal Mangat makes a confident debut as a director, but VICTORY would've made a stronger impact if the writing [screenplay: Ajitpal Mangat, Kannan Iyer] would've been watertight. Anu Malik's music is listless. Barring 'Balla Utha' and 'Money Money', the remaining songs are of the fast-forward type. Cinematography is excellent.

Hurman S. Baweja displays the required confidence. He gets the body language right, looks dapper when required and conveys the required emotions well. Only thing, he needs to control his expressions at times. Amrita Rao does very well, although this isn't her film actually. Anupam Kher gets it right yet again, especially towards the second hour when he suffers a paralytic stroke. Gulshan Grover is very effective.

On the whole, VICTORY is a strictly average fare. Barring a few moments in the second hour, there's not much that you carry home.

Harman adds fuel to rumour of affair with Amrita Rao

Adding fuel to rumours of an affair with Amrita Rao, actor Harman Baweja played the perfect escort to his "Victory" co-star at a promotional event at a jewellery shop in Mumbai.

"Where's Amrita? I need to escort her; otherwise she will get crammed with people," Harman told officials at the event.

The actors were at a jewellery showroom and fans were eagerly waiting for them outside the shop to get autographs. It was then that Harman caught hold of Amrita's hand and led her away from the crowd.

"One single mistake becomes a nightmare for Vijay Shekhawat" - Harman Baweja

His debut film Love Story 2050 may not have set the cash registers ringing but Harman Baweja is not one to sit and brood over the past. Instead the good looking actor is already gearing up for his next big release- Victory- which opens across cinema halls tomorrow (Jan 30th ). Harman was live on Bollywood Hungama's celeb chat where he interacted with his fans about his film Victory and much more. For all those missed the chat, we bring you an opportunity to check out the exclusive chat excerpts.

Harman Baweja: Hi All

Ganesh: hi Harman, how r u feeling excited or nervous?
Harman Baweja: Definitely very excited and looking forward to this Friday... need your best wishes and hoping you enjoy Victory.

Karthi: hi Harman, we heard that u are going to act in a Tamil remake Ghilli, is it true?
Harman Baweja: Well, i have seen the film and loved it... And i m currently doing a Hindi remake of Bomirallu with Genelia D'Souza & Anees and, I hope I can do the remake of Ghilli too.

Rai: hi Harman. Your favorite track from the movie!
Harman Baweja: "Tune Re" extremely soulful and perfect for V Day.

Sue: hi...who is your fav cricketer who acted in the film?
Harman Baweja: ..Sachin Tendulkar...Sachin Tendulkar...Sachin Tendulkar

Syanab: what are your upcoming films??
Harman Baweja: My upcoming movies are... It's My Life, What your Rashi (Priyanka Chopra).

Navd: hi Harman, how was it working with Amrita?
Harman Baweja: she is a pure, simple, sweet girl and her off screen image is identical... I look forward to work with her again..

susmo177: hi Harman….what's your role in the film?
Harman Baweja : I play the character of Vijay Shekhawat , a small town boy, who dreams to be a part of Team India, realizes his dreams. The real drama unfolds once he becomes a part of Team India, which becomes a nightmare because of one single mistake.

Sneha: hi sir, where did u learn dancing from?
Harman Baweja: Michael Jackson has been my trainer from past 10 years... I have been aping him by watching him on TV.

Bolly: hey Harman...who are your favorite actors and actresses in Bollywood? Wish you all the best in your career
Harman Baweja: Shahrukh Khan... Aamir Khan...

Singh: what part of India are you from?
Harman Baweja: I was born in Chandigarh, brought up in Mumbai and now playing Rajasthani...

Anwaar: hey Harman, how much you rate your acting out of 10??
Harman Baweja: rather than rating me my acting skill, i would leave it on my fans and producers... It's really hard to rate one own self.

Faizan: hi Harman, what are the chances do you see for ur film?
Harman Baweja: when you watch victory you will feel that it's close to the real story for the fact that 45 international players sharing the screen space, which makes it, look so real... but it's an inspired story.

Rocker cool: Harman, are you planning to work with Ajay Devgan?
Harman Baweja: i would love to work with Ajay Devgan, during my Asst Director i worked on 4 films with him... He is like elder brother to me.

Muni: hai Harman. What is fav cuisine?
Harman Baweja: I love Rajma Chawla.

Zora: What is your expectation form the film?
Harman Baweja: Whichever film i do... i give my 100%... I expect positive feedback from my film.

Sue: Who do you think is a best new comer?
Harman Baweja: Ranbir, Imran and Neil.

Harman Baweja: it was great chatting with you all and i look forward for my next interaction….do take out time and watch Victory... its an extremely passionate film.

"Harman has a great sense of humor" - Amrita Rao

By Joginder Tuteja

2008 was an eventful year for Amrita Rao. She started off with My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves which in spite of not doing well at the box office, at least helped showcase a different (read glam) side of hers. A special appearance in Shaurya followed but the role was so small that it went relatively unnoticed. However, she bounced back with Welcome To Sajjanpur where in her 'gaon ki gori' role, she went on to win hearts all over again. From a village setting, she graduated to playing a small time girl in Victory which is now finally getting ready to hit the screens this Friday.

Even though the film primarily belongs to Harman Baweja and the dozens of cricketers who have consented to be a part of the project, Victory does promise to have something meaty for Amrita Rao also to showcase her acting skills. The pretty girl with a characteristic laugh gets on a free wheeling chat with Joginder Tuteja as she talks about Victory being primarily a Harman Baweja film and how he was fully prepared for the role before facing the camera.

Amrita, first things first, there have been quite a few talks about real life references for Harman's character in the film. Yuvraj, Dhoni - number of names have been thrown around! Do you want to shed light on this? Also, were you too given any reference points when you read through the script?
Let me say that Victory is a Vijay Shekhawat story that could speak of every cricketer who hails from a small town and goes on to be a part of the Indian cricket team. The film talks about any aspiring cricketer who rises to the top. And no, even I didn't receive any reference points before the shoot. I play the character of a medical student from a small town who is a friend of this young boy who goes on to be a cricketer. However, in the process of getting rich and famous, he starts losing his bearings. I act as his conscience when he is down in the dumps.

So how did you go about approaching the role?
It was quite interesting because I could easily identify with Vijay's character here. In real life, I have some shades of him because I have gained reasonable popularity and hence have to watch every step that I take in my life. I come from a profession which is so challenging and demanding. The whole world judges you on every move of yours and I realize that how important it is to be surrounded by good company of real friends. There are chances of fake people around you who could be responsible for you being pulled down.

You sound emotional about the importance of real friends...
That's right, because there are only a few who could call one. These are the real friends who matter most to you because eventually they bring with them positive influences. How eventually you are going to transfer such positive influences in your work is something that is of utmost importance. In this sense, I am playing that other side in Vijay's life who tries to bring to him those positive influences. Since I could identify Vijay's situation very well and empathize with what he was going through, it became an interesting experience.

So what was that strong factor in Victory that made you sign the film?
Its script and the canvas. For the first time in Bollywood history, there is this film coming which literally has 45 international sportspeople coming together. In Manmohan Shetty, we have one of the biggest producers associated with the project. And then of course there is Harman. Clearly, Victory had number of reasons for me to go for the film.

You have worked in around 10 odd films while for Harman it was just his second film. Did you two have a mutual bond that allowed you to give him suggestions or point out areas of improvements due to your prior experience?
I didn't actually have to come up with suggestions since Harman himself comes from an industry background. He has assisted his father and wasn't a newcomer at all when he worked in Victory or for that matter Love Story 2050. He was very much aware about the whole operation and the works. He was fully prepared when he stepped in to shoot for Victory. This is why, never once did I feel that I had to interfere or help him.

You seem to be impressed with your co-star…
I truly am because he is so very good. I will give him 100% marks for his act in the film; he is just so correct there. I didn't once find him conscious or nervous. I have worked with so many established actors but even when I was working with him; it all seemed just the same. He is very energetic and has a great sense of humor. He keeps everyone laughing on the sets but once the director begins to call the shots, he knows when to get serious and perform.

Victory - First Look

Harman says V for Victory

Indians are crazy about two things - Bollywood and cricket. Bring them together and you have what one calls a winning formula. Films like Iqbal and Lagaan with cricket as the central theme are still fresh in our minds. Similarly who can forget the IPL extravaganza last year where Bollywood made its presence felt in large numbers on the cricket field?

It is this very winning formula of combining cricket and cinema that the makers of Victory seem to banking on. Starring Harman Baweja and Amrita Rao in lead roles along with Anupam Kher, Dilip Tahil and Gulshan Grover, Victory (directed by Ajit Pal) tells the story of a small town boy, who like millions of Indians, dreams of making it to the Indian cricket team. How he achieves this dream forms the crux of the story.

However, apart from the lead cast, it's the presence of the who's who of the cricketing world that forms the highlight of the film. So get ready to see superstars like Brett Lee, Mike Hussey, Simon Katich, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas, Muralitharan, Graema Smith sweat it out with Harman Baweja on the cricket field. As for all you Indian cricket fans, don't fret as yet because you have the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Dinesh Karthik, R.P.Singh, Yusuf Pathan and Praveen Kumar making an appearance in the film.

With the coming together of so many cricketers in one film, Harman surely must be hoping that this film starts his 'Victory' march in Bollywood sooner than later.

Priyanka to do a raunchy item song

They are in love and that is quite apparent during the public appearances they make. Their families too approve their relationship and looks like Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja (pictured left) are here to stay.

Harman's cricket-based film “Victory” was to release in November this year but has now been pushed to 2009.

It seems there is some trouble in finding buyers for the movie and one of its producers has put in a suggestion to make it a bit more saleable. He wants the director to include a hot item number in the movie.

And who better to feature in the item song than Harman's lady love Priyanka? And when it’s Harman, Priyanka just doesn’t say no, so not surprisingly she has agreed to do this song.