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June 30, 1998
BILLBOARD
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Bomb II?
The film had a lukewarm opening across the country. Though some feel Amitabh Bachchan himself gave a good performance, accepting the rebel of yore as a soldier was apparently very difficult. In Bombay, a major territory and one where he had major expectations, heavy rains put paid to hopes of a runaway hit. With the survival of his ABCL dependent on this film, Amitabh is fervently hoping this lull is just that -- a lull. Or else his ABCL's sunk.
Major fallout
He had great hopes from this film. So in case the film does not to well, he might just finish his other film as director, Ek Hindustani, starring Sunil Shetty, see how it goes, and if that too flubs, quietly return to acting. His Major Saab has apparently failed to evoke the same magic as his Kaalia, Shahenshah and even the experimental Mein Azaad Hoon. So quick has the industry been to reject the film that producer-director Mohan Kumar, who has made hits like Asha, Aap Ki Parichaiyan and Avtaar , whose nickname was Major Saab, wants to be called Colonel now. And one remembers how thrilled the man was just a few weeks ago about a film starring Amitabh Bachchan and sporting his nickname!
Aamir makes hay
If there is a downside, it is the disapprobation Majrooh-Sultanpuri expressed about the song at a public function. Caused some bad blood with the producers, it did. Now that the film is over, rumours of his off-screen affinity for the film's heroine Rani Mukherjee have subsided, especially since the Khan's work in the film suggest that his mind was on the job, not on his companion. Of course, wagging tongues insist that Aamir has this tendency to taking his roles so seriously that he thinks he's really in love with the heroines, and that he ditched Rani post-Ghulam. Aamir now has what the dago types would consider an enviable reputation. Juhi Chawla, Pooja Bhatt, Ayesha Jhulka, Mamta Kulkarni, Navneet Nishan... The list of his alleged paramours keeps growing, don't they? But going by the equanimity with which he dealt with some nasty elements on the Rediff Chat, we hazard that he can ignore such catty intrusions into his personal life.
Bong invasion
Rani has become hot property after Ghulam but there's Moon Moon Sen's daughter Riya Sen who is starring opposite Akshaye Khanna and Amitabh Nanda in Love you Hameshaa, Anushka De who is paired opposite Akshaye again in another film, Indrani Bannerjee opposite Dev Anand in Jaana Na Dil Se Door and Bipasha Basu opposite Abhishek Bachchan in J P Dutta's Aakhri Mughal. Five is a big number indeed. Not since Aparna Sen and Suchitra Sen came around the same time to Bombay has there been such an influx from the bhadralok. While that may bode well for Bollywood, but if this continues, things could get a bit tight for Bong movies, wot?
Is Sen settling?
That the NRI plumped for her after Aishwarya Rai refused could have something to do with it, of course. Ash told him she was booked for about two years. Vikram Bhatt, Sushmita and the producer had a three-hour discussion at the end of which the filmmaker had to leave dejected. Last heard, he's still seeking a sensational Indian face without prior engagements in the way.
Art be hanged
The man who initially teed off with that brilliant, brilliant film Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron in 1984 for which he awarded the Indira Gandhi Award had already moved away from his roots when he made the lightly romantic Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa with Shah Rukh Khan a decade later. And now he's doing three films with young love as the theme -- Kya Yehi Pyar Hai, Loveria and Hum to Mohabbat Karega. Clearly even a genius has accept reality.
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