These days all top filmmakers work in partnership with other banners. The new trend has more advantages than disadvantages.  Creatively there is more variety and a lot of giving and take, financially there are lesser setbacks because they share the profits and the losses. The best thing about these partnerships is that the work becomes an excuse to make new friends. So Karan Johar becomes friends with Rajamouli and Akshay Kumar befriends Neeraj Pandey.

Rohit Shetty recently released Simmba in partnership with Dharma Productions and now to add spice to his persona he has roped in choreographer and filmmaker, Farah Khan to direct Rohit Shetty Pictures next and Farah is super excited about the project. She says, “Sometimes the universe conspires to offer you what you never imagined. I love Rohit as my brother and have high regards for his work ethics. Together we are going to make a mother of all entertainers, honestly, I can’t ant wait to say “Roll Camera” for this one!!”

With a track record of hits over a decade Rohit Shetty has ambitious plans for the banner which includes digital content including animated content like Little Singham on Discovery kids.

@bhawanasomaaya

 The performances are done, well most of them and the children are all felicitated. The temple closes at 8pm sharp and before that we have wound up the show and also finished all formalities. The authorities have launched the book and many have purchased the book. This has been the most magical experience for me and Madhuparna Kumar Research & Dance Academy.

We look forward to many more such performances and blessings from the deity.

@bhawanasomaaya

The little girls are all squatted on the floor and some of us older ones are standing. The temple felicitates all of us with flowers and prasadam. With blessings of the Lord, we are all set to continue with our performances, some solo dances and some group performances.

I have been trained by my guru to perform Shabdam today, Shabdam is a dance dedicated to Lord Krishna’s childhood where he harassed the gopikas and they complained to mother Yashoda. It is about Yashoda wanting to punish her child but getting surprised by his magical powers.

The first time I performed Shabdam I asked my teacher so who am I? Am I Krishna/ Gopika/ Yashoda and she said you are all of them and also the narrator.

To be continued…

 @bhawanasomaaya

The aarti time of any temple is sacrosanct and cannot be disturbed. Devotees of Srinathji come day after day at the allotted time to participate in the aarti. It is the most precious moment of the day and the purest. The pundit lights a galaxy of lamps and offers it to all the deities clanging the bell simultaneously.

Post the aarti is again darshan time and today they do a special gesture for me and my book Keshava A Magnificent Obsession. The book is offered to Srinathji amidst sacred chanting and then released from a silken cover. As the author of the book, I am garlanded and asked to say a few words. I am speechless when I wrote the book I had never in my wildest imagination dreamt that I would get to be so close to Srinathji idol. This is indeed a special day.

To be continued…

@bhawanasomaaya

The idea was to start in between darshan time so as the devotees settle down in their chairs, the organizers make the announcements and the sound engineers test the pen drive. The dancers are all lined up behind the barricade and teacher Madhuparna Kumar is giving last-minute instructions to her students.

The music begins, the little girls are set in a line and the audience is riveted to the show. After the little children, comes the second song performed by teenagers followed by older girls. Every song has a different mood and different emotions and the large marble floor of the temple is filled with color and fragrance. The emotion is the same, all the dances are addressed to Lord Krishna but the narrator changes from song to song.

To be continued…

@bhawanasomaaya

I had heard that Vallabh Haveli on 10^th Road Juhu hosted a variety of performances for Janmashtami as part of Krishnotsav Festival and had applied on behalf of my guru Madhuparna Research & Dance Academy.  Nothing happened that time but then out of the blue our request came through and our performance date was confirmed not on the second-floor auditorium but inside the temple in front of Srinathji.

As the day drew closer so did our excitement. Guru Madhuparna believes in arriving at the venue fully dressed and that is how she has trained her students. All of them arrive at the venue half hour in advance and assemble at the backside of the temple. The regulars at the temple are curious about the dancers and stare at us while walking up and down but the dancers are all in their own world. Some re-remembering their steps, some are pacing up and down anxiously and some sit quietly for the show to begin.

To be continued…

 @bhawanasomaaya

Release:  01^st February, 2019

Director: Shelly Chopra Dhar

Writer: Gazal Dhaliwal, Shelly Chopra Dhar

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Rajkumar Rao, Juhi Chawla

There are many ways to define Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Ton Aisa Laga, you can call it a story of love, of family, of society, of loneliness and quest for happiness. The first half of the film concentrates on establishing Balveer Chaudhary/ Anil Kapoor and his family. Balveer Chaudhary referred to as Mukesh Ambani of Moga, Punjab is the owner of garment factories but his heart is forever in the kitchen. He wanted to be a chef but was not allowed to and so remains passionate about collecting recipes and cooking.

Balveer’s mother, Biji is a super savvy and super confident woman who is passionate about Hindi films and Hindi film heroes, celebrates her birthday with a DJ and cuts a cake which has pictures of Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar. The domestic staff of the family is passionate about betting. Every small and big thing that happens in the household is a matter of making some fast buck for the staff.

The elder son of the family is passionate about keeping an eye on his younger sister and the sister Sweety/ Sonam Kapoor is passionate about Kuhu. Writer Raj Kumar Rao falls in love with Sweety at first glance but Sweety explains to him that romance without siyappa/obstacles cannot have any ‘true feeling’ in the love story.

The problem with Ek Ladki Ko Dekha… is that there are too many obstacles/ siyapas: The narrative is un-engaging and the climax we have seen many times before. The characters are predictable, the pace too slow and the performances lack-luster. It is misleading whether Veerji knows the truth or not and if he does, why he took so long to come to the point?

It is unconvincing that Sweety can discuss her education plans with her rather friendly father but cannot share her other problems with him? Daddyji/ Anil Kapoor  is so simple that he summons the entire family to the office chamber so that he can discuss Sweety’s boyfriend  in private but when it comes to a more sensitive issue in the climax, the family is far from discreet and would rather debate it in front of a large audience with band baja, why??

Juhi Chawla and Sonam Kapoor don’t make an impact so it is left to the ever dependable Anil Kapoor to hold the fort, ably supported by Biji and Seema Pahwa. Unfortunately, the film never picks up. There are beautiful mustard fields, large mansions, picturesque Gurudwara, dance drama, food and a pinch of romance but nothing touches the heart!

If I have to say it in Sweety’s language ‘dil touch karne wali baat nahi banti’. In 1994 Anil Kapoor’s sang praises to Monisha Koiral in 1942 A Love Story and evoked many emotions. In 2019 the same song leaves you untouched.

I rate Ek Ladki Ko Deha Toh Aisa Laga with 2 stars.

Bhawana Somaaya

The museum may be about Raj Kapoor but it has a bigger vision and includes other superstars from other eras as well so there is Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Waheeda Rehman, and Sharmila Tagore to name a few. And since the museum is based in Pune there is a section devoted to Marathi cinema as well and the statues include the stalwarts from Dada Phadke to from Dada Kondke and the heroines from Jayshri Gadkar to Smita Patil.

Not all the molds are well sculpted and easily recognizable but this is not a problem because there is a framed picture of the actors on the walls for guidance. Superbly preserved and maintained like a shrine, the museum is squeaky clean and open for the public without an entrance fee.

Lit up in sparkling chandeliers there is a sound track of popular songs and dialogues from RK movies as you walk down the never ending lanes inside the museum.

The RK cottage where the showman stayed when in Loni is adjoining the museum. The entrance to this cottage resembles the entrance to their home in Chembur. Come inside and you are struck by the high ceiling and the sprawling rooms exactly like in RK films.

To be continued…

@bhawanasomaaya