Emraan Hashmi signs Danis Tanović's next, Anurag Kashyap to co-produce

Da qualche giorno in India circola una notizia entusiasmante: Emraan Hashmi è stato scritturato da Danis Tanović per il suo prossimo lavoro. Vi segnalo l'articolo Emraan Hashmi signs Danis Tanović’s next, Anurag Kashyap to co-produce, di Prashant Singh, pubblicato da Hindustan Times il primo novembre 2012: 'Anurag [Kashyap], who is responsible for picking Emraan, says, “Kalki [Koechlin] told me how sincere and focused he was during Shanghai. (...) When I saw Shanghai, I loved him, after which I pitched a script to him. He said no, but explained why. I saw in him a person who had no delusions about himself. He knew what he wanted to do.” So, when Anurag got the Bosnian writer-director’s script, he approached Emraan again. “When I read the script, I strongly felt Emraan should do it. But the west doesn’t know him. We also didn’t know whether he would agree. But he said yes. Then we pitched him to Danis, who came to India and met him. Now we’re on,” adds Anurag. Vi ricordo che No man's land, diretto da Tanović, nel 2002 strappò a Lagaan l'Oscar per il miglior film straniero.

Aggiornamento del 27 luglio 2022: la pellicola in questione è Tigers, proiettata in prima mondiale al Toronto International Film Festival 2014. Nel cast anche Adil Hussain. Tigers non ha mai beneficiato di una regolare distribuzione nelle sale, sembra a causa dell'argomento trattato: la storia si ispira allo scandalo che coinvolse la Nestlé negli anni settanta del secolo scorso, scandalo riguardante la commercializzazione di latte in polvere nei Paesi economicamente disagiati. Nel 2018 è stato diffuso in streaming. Trailer. In Italia è stato proiettato al Trieste Film Festival 2015. Vi segnalo l'articolo Danis Tanović contro Big Pharma e Nestlé nel suo thriller etico "Tigers", di Paolo Russo, pubblicato da La Repubblica il 6 marzo 2015:

'[Danis Tanović] “Finché a Venezia incontrai Anurag Kashyap (...) e quando gli dissi della sceneggiatura (...) che però nessuno era tanto folle da produrre, lui mi indicò Guneet Monga (...) dicendo ‘se c’è una così pazza da farlo è lei’. E così ce l’abbiamo fatta”. 

Emraan Hashmi, da Bollywood all’impegno

Ne è venuta fuori una produzione anglo-franco-bosniaco-indiana di tutto rispetto. Girata in India, Germania e Inghilterra. (...) Ed ecco (...) la bella perché autentica colonna sonora di Pritam, (...) e la presenza nell’ottimo cast di Emraan Hashmi, giovane idolo di Bollywood al debutto in un ruolo impegnato, che ha saputo virare ottimamente il suo charme di “serial kisser”, così lo chiamano a casa, nelle facce ora grintose ora disperate, speranzose o distrutte di Ayan [il protagonista]. (...) Una storia complessa per un film altrettanto complesso, che nella sua struttura a scatole cinesi ne contiene altre mille. Una tragedia immane che Tanović accosta assai bene, però privilegiandola, alle vicende personali dei tanti personaggi coinvolti a partire da Ayan. (...) Del quale il film rivela la pur temporanea adesione alla militare aggressività di certa cultura aziendale in nome del proprio riscatto economico, il suo terrestre vacillare davanti alla mazzetta Nestlé, facendone così un uomo fallibile, salvato però da una solida, laica pietas, e non l’eroe che ci si poteva aspettare. E come resistere alla dolcezza della sua arcaica, adorabile famiglia che vede sempre uniti, a dispetto della tremenda situazione, il vecchio padre saggio, testardo e di solida, tenera umanità, la madre gioiosa e inesauribile, la giovane moglie, bella quanto coraggiosa e incorruttibile.

Un avvincente thriller etico 

Scritto con sagacia, girato per lo più in piani medi e americani, spesso addosso ai protagonisti, alternando inquadrature di gran pregio (su tutte la sequenza del matrimonio di Ayan) (...) ad altre anonime, brutali, montato con esemplari cambi di ritmo, capace di dare ugual profondità ai cattivi come ai buoni, Tigers è un avvincente thriller etico. Un documentario in noir nel quale investigazione e ricerca del colpevole scandiscono le tappe dell’estenuante catarsi di Ayan, (...) piccolo uomo con poche chance, della condanna senz’appello dei potenti occidentali e dei loro sicari pakistani. Addestrati, come si vede nel film, da un molto americano manager-marine ad aggredire mercato e concorrenti ruggendo come le tigri del titolo. Mostra, il film, con fermezza che basta a se stessa, la palude di corruzione e speculazione che della sciagura di tanti piccoli innocenti continua a fare la fortuna dei già fantascientifici bilanci di Big Pharma. (...) Malgrado i successi di critica, Tigers - vale ripeterlo: un magnifico film anche in senso squisitamente cinematografico - (...) [è] ancora in attesa, da noi per certo, probabilmente pure altrove, di un distributore. Perché il cinema, per esser fatto ma anche fatto vedere, ha bisogno di coraggio'.

Emraan Hashmi: Never thought I would end up where I am today

Vi segnalo l'intervista concessa da Emraan Hashmi a Sonil Dedhia, pubblicata da Rediff il 5 giugno 2012. Emraan: Never thought I would end up where I am today:

'Shanghai is one of the biggest movies of the year. What do you think of that?

It's a new time in our industry with the kind of films that are being made and Shanghai is one step in that direction. All these years our industry has functioned in a formulaic way where if something becomes a hit or works at the box office, it gets repeated again and again. Very few filmmakers step out of the crease and try to do something different and Dibakar Banerjee is one of them. I would like to work in more films like Shanghai which surprise audiences. I would like Shanghai to do the same kind of business that any other commercial film would do.

Director Dibakar Banerjee and you have explored the diverse sides of filmmaking. How has working with him benefited you?

The way Dibakar shoots the film is very different from the way I have worked in my films. He does a lot of research and I guess that can be seen when he starts making the film. He starts scripting the film a year before he shoots it and the post-production takes almost a year. That's commendable. He takes almost three years from the ideation to completion of a film. There is intent to make a brilliant film. I've always wanted to work with a director like Dibakar. He doesn't overlook minor details. He wants to do things out of the box and break the mould of how you would perceive an actor or a film and present it in a completely different way.

Were you on the same page as Dibakar since day one?

It was difficult for me to get into the process of how Dibakar functions. I work in a certain style. Generally, I read the script, learn the dialogues, go on the sets and give my shot. Dibakar wanted me to get into the skin of the character. He made me go through 10 workshops and then he started working on my physical appearance. I had to put on weight for my character. I started working on my character almost a month and a half in advance, which is unlike anything that I have done before. 

It's true that you look very different in this film from what we have seen before.

My character in the film is quite complex. I play a small-town journalist, who also shoots marriage videos. He is also a photographer and also shoots porn films. I've never played a character from a small town and so this role was very different for me, both in terms of getting into his psyche and changing my physicality. Let me tell you, before Shanghai I never attended any workshop to prepare for my character.

Did you, at any point of time, question Dibakar about your looks in the film?

No, but I asked him whether he could have made me look any worse and he replied, 'Give me one more film and I will make you look even worse.' 

You have admitted that you are not a good dancer but you managed to dance very freely in one of the songs.

It was very difficult for me to do the dance steps in Bharat Mata Ki Jai. I have issues when people give me dance steps when I am on the sets. Dibakar knew that and asked the choreographer to give me the steps well in advance. I also saw a lot of videos of processions and would rehearse a lot after watching them. In fact, the day we shot the song, Dibakar also did the steps to make me comfortable. (...)

You have never been in any controversies nor are you seen on the party circuit.

When I am not working on a film, I dissociate from films completely. I like to enjoy my space. I like to travel so I keep travelling. Also I have non-filmi friends so they don't talk about films. I like to keep it that way'.

Le prime dell'8 giugno 2012: Shanghai

Shanghai si preannuncia uno dei film più interessanti del 2012. Diretto dal talentuoso Dibakar Banerjee, è un thriller a sfondo politico, adattamento cinematografico di Z, romanzo del 1966 dello scrittore greco Vassilis Vassilikos. Dibakar ha lavorato per un anno e mezzo al progetto. I produttori hanno incontrato Vassilikos, il quale si è mostrato molto sorpreso ma soddisfatto della sceneggiatura. Il cast è di quelli da perderci il sonno. Abhay Deol, Kalki Koechlin, Emraan Hashmi e la superstar bengali Prosenjit Chatterjee, insieme sul grande schermo, costituiscono una golosità per veri appassionati di cinema indiano. Vishal-Shekhar firmano l'intrigante colonna sonora, che include anche un'item song, Imported Kamariya, visualizzata dalla modella britannica Scarlett Mellish Wilson. Il brano Bharat Mata Ki Jai vanta un testo redatto dallo stesso Banerjee, e in India ha suscitato un vespaio. Vi segnalo inoltre Khudaaya, Duaa, e Morcha. Trailer.

Aggiornamenti dell'8 giugno 2012:

- recensione di Raja Sen, Rediff, ****: 'At first glance, the irony is staggering. A country pretending to be another, brighter country, being shown up by a film that itself borrows form and content from another country. Yet so strident is Dibakar Banerjee's voice as a filmmaker that even this adaptation (...) is turned into a strikingly relevant story of our times and our crimes. (...) Banerjee's genius has always been most visible in his meticulous detailing, and this latest film is expectedly crammed with beautiful nuance. (...) The little touches are smashing, fleshing out most of the characters and making them into more than words and actors. Yet what words, what actors. Emraan Hashmi (...) delivers a knockout punch as he masters a complicated role. From his infuriatingly goofy laugh to poor attempts at making conversation, Hashmi proves himself the best of a very fine ensemble. (...) It's one of the best performances from one of our leading men in quite some time. (...) Bravo. (...) Banerjee must be lauded for not dumbing things down and creating a mature, serious film that engages, thrills and amuses. (...) Shanghai is all Dibakar, who we must lift on our shoulders with grateful pride. And we must exult in the fact that this D is never silent'.

- recensione di Mayank Shekhar: 'A picture that strikingly captures the chaos and curfews of middle India, (...) exposing the rule of the mob where democracy is merely centred on state-craft and elections, as against statesmanship or equality. (...) The first Indian mainstream film (...) to dig into the protocols and plotting that greases the wheels of Indian civil services. (...) We complain about the system quite often. Well, this is the system. Civil servants over time become minor mimics of the looting political masters they salute to. (...) A gritty drama, just as amusing as it is disturbing. Between artistry and analysis, Dibakar Bannerjee, without doubt the most exciting filmmaker around, chooses to entertain first. (...) Still, in its breathless pace, the narrative either skims over or completely overlooks several nuances and facets of Indian democracy that would play key roles in a high-profile case such as this. (...) Banerjee smartly finds in the book the compelling central conflict of rising India: displacement of poor locals versus development for richer millions; people’s empowerment versus nation’s economic growth. Neither side can be ignored. India, at present, houses the world’s largest number of people displaced for development projects. Not all of this movement could’ve been fair. (...) This is that important, universal story of modern India, interestingly told, enticingly captured. It must be watched, and relished, for sure'.

Aggiornamento del 12 giugno 2012 - Meet the spanking new Emraan Hashmi!, Shelly Walia, Rediff:

'"The film gives you a goodbye gift. One gets engaged and entertained while watching it, but in retrospect, you realise you are carrying with you a meaning, a message, a reality," says Banerjee. (...) "Abhay's role as a typical Tamilian bureaucrat did not come easy. The character is the voice of the establishment and has power, but is conservative. His character has shades of grey, which keep the audience guessing. To get the accent right, he had to undergo a month-long language workshop where he learnt to speak English and Hindi with a Tamil twang," says Banerjee. Deol also trained himself with the IAS [Indian Administrative Service] machinery to get the body language and the stern expression correct. "He plays a character much older than his real self. He needed to walk with a slight stoop, as someone who has led a sedentary life of working on the laptop for long hours," Banerjee adds.

For Hashmi's character, Banerjee needed an actor with whom the audience would connect. "Jogi is a street-smart cameraperson and part-time porn filmmaker. We researched quite a bit on porn filmmaking. The character had to appear dirty and sleazy, so we made him gain 10 kg. He had to have a paunch, blackened teeth and a darker complexion. He also took dancing lessons. Everything about him is in stark contrast to his earlier image," Banerjee says. (...)

Like Banerjee, Hashmi too steps into unexplored territory with Shanghai. A step away from the Mahesh Bhatt camp (most of his successful films have so far been with Bhatt) and in the midst of an offbeat cast, the actor outshines everybody else. But experts don't think this will do much to change his "lover boy" image. Hashmi today is the example of a successful actor with several box office hits, but one who has not been offered any brands to endorse. Brand strategy specialist Harish Bijoor says, "The movie will not help Hashmi in an image makeover, despite this being an out-of-the-box role for him. Brand advertisements are all related to happy stars." (...) John Abraham's happy-go-lucky image works well for him in the advertising space, though he is not as successful at the box office, Bijoor says. Brand expert Gullu Sen says that the Indian consumer is still very conservative. "It took Salman Khan years to rebuild his image. For Hashmi this must be a beginning, but there is a long way to go before he starts endorsing brands".'

Aggiornamento del 16 luglio 2012: ieri Shanghai è stato proiettato a Baghdad, alla presenza di Safia Taleb Ali al-Suhail, membro del parlamento iracheno, e del politico indiano Suresh Reddy. L'evento è stato organizzato a ridosso  della zona internazionale della città. La corrente elettrica è mancata un paio di volte, ma pare che il pubblico presente in sala - soldati compresi - abbia comunque apprezzato la pellicola. Shanghai è il primo film indiano proiettato in Iraq negli ultimi vent'anni.

Vedi anche:

- Abhay Deol e Emraan Hashmi nel nuovo film di Dibakar Banerjee: Shanghai

- Dibakar Banerjee: Emraan Hashmi wanted to look ugly

- Kalki Koechlin: Kissing on screen is not a big deal

- Emraan Hashmi: Never thought I would end up where I am today, 17 giugno 2012

- Dibakar Banerjee: I am anti-dumb, 23 giugno 2012

- The Dibakarian way of life, 18 aprile 2022

Emraan Hashmi: Meet the Coolio

Vi segnalo l'intervista concessa da Emraan Hashmi a Karishma Loynmoon, pubblicata da Filmfare il 2 maggio 2012. Meet the Coolio:

'Most of your films have done well at the box-office. Do you consider yourself lucky?

Till recently I was not much into trade figures and stuff. I’ve just woken up to them. Initially, figures spelt boredom for me. Because I had nothing to do, I became an actor. I never wanted to be one. I don’t watch too many Hindi films either. (...) I don’t get the time. I can’t remember the last Hindi film I watched. I still have to watch my own films. I’m probably the only actor who doesn’t watch Hindi films. (...)

Do you think the media has given you your due?

The industry or the media’s perception of me was right to a certain extent. Here was a guy who didn’t in any way fit into the conventional mould of a Hindi film hero. My looks are below average, I’m a terrible dancer, I kissed on screen, which was blasphemous for its time. I agreed to eroticism on screen, which again was blasphemous. Everyone must have thought, what the hell is this guy doing? He’s contaminating and corrupting Indian cinema. But tastes evolve. The paradigm doesn’t shift overnight. I came at a time when the audience was ready for bolder cinema. I started in 2003 and it took till 2012 for the audience to understand what I was doing. For the first five years, my films were ripped apart. Slowly, people started warming up to them. You heard random voices saying, ‘This is nice.’ So from ‘really bad’ it became ‘okay’ and ‘bearable’.

But shouldn’t you have defended yourself?

The audience comes to watch my film. They’ll come again if they like them. I don’t want to be intrusive. I am not desperate to get into someone else’s mind space. I don’t like too much media noise'.

Dibakar Banerjee: Emraan Hashmi wanted to look ugly

Emraan Hashmi in Shanghai

Chi avrebbe mai immaginato che un giorno Emraan Hashmi, il serial kisser di Bollywood, sarebbe stato scritturato nientemeno che da Dibakar Banerjee? Eppure per Shanghai è successo. Vi segnalo Emraan wanted to look ugly: Dibakar Banerjee, una divertente intervista concessa dal duo a Priyanka Jain, pubblicata oggi da Hindustan Times:

'What do you like about each other's brand of cinema?

Emraan: When I saw Khosla Ka Ghosla, I was impressed. Later, I came to know this strong and conceptually brilliant film was made on a miniscule budget. When Dibakar first messaged me, saying he wanted to meet to discuss a possible film, I had already decided to say yes. I had to work with him. He makes unique films that others would shy away from, and yet manage to strike a chord with the audience. Shanghai, though different from his usual films, does have his stamp on it. It’s a thriller, a whodunit and entertaining as well. The film is profound but it’s not preachy.

Dibakar: I have liked Emraan since his debut film Footpath (2003). He had little to do in that film, but he stood out from the rest. Despite the glam-heavy films he has done, you can see how his eyes speak a lot. I love how they can emote so much. Emraan always clicks with the audience instantly. He is so relatable in the films he has done that your heart goes out for the character.

So far, both of you have explored diverse sides of filmmaking. How has working together benefited both of you? Also, tell us more about each other's contributions to the film.

Emraan: There is a certain way in which Dibakar envisions characters in his films, a quality that is very unique to him. I haven’t seen things like that before in the films I have done so far. There is a certain subtext to every performance and role. He goes into the complexities of what each character is thinking - where it’s coming from, where it’s going and what it’s going through. That means even more hard work for the actor. He does a lot of prep work.

Dibakar: It is a winning formula for both of us. We were diametrically opposite, but what is more important is the coming together of Abhay Deol and Emraan Hashmi on screen. That is the odd, unique combination; people don’t know what to expect. A lot of people told me I had gone mad casting these two together and warned me against it. But I enjoy going against the grain.

Emraan, will being in a Dibakar film help you shed the serial kisser tag and let people take you seriously? And Dibakar, will Emraan’s mass appeal help you get eyeballs for your films?

Emraan: I don’t sign films with directors simply because their previous ventures had a Rs 50 crore opening. I don’t do south remakes just because it’s the trend now. I don’t jump onto those bandwagons. I like people like Dibakar Banerjee, Raj Kumar Gupta who are make interesting and unique cinema. I want to be part of their films. It’s not the need to shed a tag but the desire to do more. I take my films pretty seriously, be it Jannat 2 or Shanghai.

Dibakar: Of course. Emraan has a pull with his audience. However, we aren’t totally counting on that because we have cast Emraan in a non-sensual role. In fact, Emraan was excited when we told him: ‘You won’t look hot on screen!’. He jumped up and down in excitement when I said :‘We will make you look ugly.’ In this film, you will see a very repulsive and grotesque Emraan as Jogi Parmar.

Emraan, was it challenging to work with a director known for his strong subject-oriented films and maverick style of filming? Dibakar, was it daunting to cast Emraan in a non-glam avatar?

Emraan: I had to go through ten workshops with Dibakar’s team. It breaks you as an actor! He hurled me into the fire with this one. Jogi is not even five percent close to who I am. The character is someone I don’t understand at all. The whole shooting experience has been a discovery of sorts for me.

Dibakar: The audience is in for a surprise from Emraan in this film. He was initially uncomfortable and nervous about becoming Jogi. But he has put in a lot of hard work. Which other established actors would go through acting workshops to get into character? The first day when he came to the sets after the workshop, the crew was abuzz about how they saw Jogi in him and not Emraan!'.

Mahesh Bhatt: Emraan doesn't need me anymore

Singolare carriera quella del clan dei Bhatt, parallela alla Bollywood che conta. Nel corso degli anni, i Bhatt hanno diretto e prodotto film incuranti degli argomenti trattati - spesso volutamente pruriginosi - e ignorando le onerose superstar. I titoli della Vishesh Films hanno conquistato una fetta considerevole di mercato. Sono pellicole perlopiù di intrattenimento puro, contraddistinte da colonne sonore molto accattivanti e da sequenze audaci per gli standard indiani. Ma il clan ha anche il merito di aver creato una star ormai di prima grandezza - Emraan Hashmi, componente della stessa famiglia -, e di aver prodotto Gangster, il miglior lavoro, ad oggi, di Anurag Basu. Vi segnalo l'intervista Emraan doesn't need me anymore, concessa da Mahesh Bhatt (proprietario della Vishesh Films in società col fratello Mukesh) a Sonil Dedhia e pubblicata ieri da Rediff. Di seguito un estratto:

'The trigger for Jannat 2 is quite interesting. Tell us about it.

I was sitting in my old office at Juhu when a young man came and told the receptionist that he wanted to meet me. When she refused to let him in, he took out a country-made pistol from his bag and fired one shot at one of the doors. This is something we enact on the sets and enhance it for cinematic experience, but it was happening in real life! Then, the writer of the film, Shagufta Rafique, was a victim of illegal arms. Her brother-in-law Brij Sadanah (who directed the film Victoria No. 203) got drunk one day, killed his wife and daughter, and ultimately shot himself dead. These incidents became the trigger.

The character and the plot are different from Jannat so why call the film Jannat 2?

We had earlier called this film Informer. That got an ice cold response from the media. It was not generating the kind of anxiety amongst the audience. The truth is that the blockbuster mentality has taken over. We have the same mentality as Hollywood. The opening weekend has become very important. A franchise gives a sense of security to everyone - the director, producers, exhibitors and even the audience feels that they are watching something close to the first part. (...) We tasted success with Murder 2 and Raaz 2. As soon as we changed the name of our film from Informer to Jannat 2, the pre-release buzz has been astounding. People are eager to see the film. (...)

So that's just succumbing to public demand?

I think that is uncharitable. We have never succumbed to a star system and we have stood alone and made films on our own terms. We use our own brand that we have created to our advantage in these times when everybody is obsessed with brands. (...) In our case the star of our film is the brand we build. (...)

Do you feel in a safe zone when you are casting Emraan Hashmi in your film?

After Murder 2, Emraan may look like a very safe proposition, but (...) having created this monster we won't let this monster devour us. What's the point of saying that you won't work with stars and you wait for your own in-house star to dictate the terms? He has other people to work with which would make him richer and just because he is the flesh of our flesh, blood of our blood, we have agreed. Emraan doesn't have to work only with us. That's why Kunal Khemu is one of our major assets. We are going to invest in him. Randeep Hooda is another great actor whose potential hasn't been tapped by the industry. We won't lean only on Emraan Hashmi; we will move away from the safety of even an Emraan Hashmi if it cripples us. (...) The world is not a static place. People change, evolve. I am not the same and neither is he. I have never felt that he should limit his flight to my understanding. I was wrong when I advised him that it would be suicidal to play the role of Dawood Ibrahim in Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai. My protective parental instinct said that it would be bad for him to play the role of the most demonised terrorist in India but he had the guts to say no to me and he did it. (...) Today he is a force to reckon with. He isn't my destination neither am I his destination. Today, Kunal Khemu needs me more than Emraan Hashmi. And if you ask me, between Kunal Khemu and Emraan Hashmi whom do I support, I'll say Kunal Khemu, as Emraan is already a star.

Vishesh Films is known for launching new talent. But was it a deliberate decision to not launch your own (...) daughter? (...)

Alia is lucky to get a break with Karan Johar. He is an A-grade filmmaker who has passion and who has the platform and makes the kind of movies that the masses like. She is a young girl, just 18 years old, just out of school, and that's the right kind of vehicle for her. She didn't have to work towards it; it just happened'.

Jannat 2: locandina

Ecco la prima immagine di Jannat 2, sequel di Jannat, film di successo del 2008 che racconta la rapida scalata di un ragazzo ambizioso in cerca di denaro facile attraverso  le scommesse sportive. Confermati per il secondo capitolo il regista (Kunal Deshmukh),  l'attore protagonista (Emraan Hashmi) e l'autore della colonna sonora (Pritam). Si uniscono al cast il fascinoso Randeep Hooda e la debuttante Esha Gupta. Prodotto da Mahesh Bhatt.