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Yearend News from Bombay
The year 2018 in Bollywood has seen a dearth of box-office blockbuster and the industry has been counting on Salma Khan's
latest, "Tiger Zinda Hai" (The tiger is still alive) a giant actioner co-starring his former girl friend Katrina Kaif. This is the follow up to his megahit "Tiger Hai" of 2012 also costarring zoftic curvy Katrina who, although only half Indian is the leading sex symbol of the Bollywood.
The story this time around centers on Tiger, a kind of Indian version of Hollywood's RAMBO, Coming out of retirement to rescue a bunch of Indian nurses trapped in Iraq in the crossfire between The Iraqi army and ISI terrorist. So far the film has been packing holiday audiences in.
Salman one of three megastar Khans (the others are Shah Rukh, and Seif Ali Khan) also had a big hit last year playing a muscular wrestler who rises from obscurity to stardom, title, "Sultan". Salman, noted as an iron pumper who always finds occasion in his films to doff his shirt in order to reveal his muscular torso, had a field day in Sultan, where in the wrestling scenes he appeared almost completely nude. Even at age fifty plus looking nearly fit ss a fiddle. But itbwas his acting innSuktan that eonnthe hearts of his followers and even some normally aloof critics.
Like him or not Salman Khan is practically an institution in India and a major pillar of the Bollywood Industry. Handsome in an old time Hollywood way and able to shke a readonable leg in required masala movie dance scenes he is also regarded as Bollywood's most eligible bachelor now that all kther Khan's are safely married off. The on-again off-again romance with actress Katrina Kaif continues to provide fodder for the drooling Indian gossip columns, as does his rivalry and open animosity with "king of Bollywood" Shahrukh Khan, often referred to simply as SRK.
I have never seen it mentioned before but it is clear from his filmography and muscular screen presence that Salman Khan is basically Bollywood s answer to Hollywood's Sylvester Stallone in his prime.
Nawab Seif Ali Khan who is now Salman and SRKs main rival in the actioner field, is married to the unofficial princess of Bollywood, Kareena Kapoor, granddaughter of legendary actor producer and shiwman Raj Kapoor, often called the Cecil B. DeMille of Hollywood. All the year end papers are full of pictures of the semi royal couple with their now one tear old son, Taimur Ali Khan Pataudi. Will this kid launch a fourth generation of Kapoor star actors when he grows up? The name Taimur puts one in the mind of Mongol conqueror Tamerlaine.
The other big news in Bollywood at year end is the controversy surrounding the new film by Sanjay Laila Bhansali, "Padmavati".
Bhansali is Bollywood's undisputed leading director since the death of Yash Chopra two years ago, the one helmer all stars would give anything to be cast in one of his films. Padmavati stars currently reining top female star and jaw dropping jbeauty, Deepika Padukone, but the release is being delayed in a hail of political storm. Details are snarmy yomsay the least but, basically:
New Delhi: "Padmavati" director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and censor board chief Prasoon Joshi were asked by a parliamentary committee to appear before it amid the controversy surrounding the movie which has been accused of distorting history by fringe groups.
Various Rajput groups and political leaders have accused Mr Bhansali of distorting history in the movie by using a romantic dream sequence between the Rajput queen Padmini and Alauddin Khilji, a claim repeatedly denied by the filmmaker.
What this is all about is hard to fathom unless one is entirely familiar with politics and prejudices in India plus a rising tide of Hindu Firstism and screw all other religious groups under the pressure of the fanatic wing of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)
which is super Hindu-centric with echoes of good old National socialism.
In short, Bhansali's new film is being subject to a Goebbels style spate of suppression and would be censorship that could pose a serious threat to continued freedom of cinema expression in a country that prides itself on being "The World's Biggest (and most corrupt) Democracy.
Sanjay Leela Bhandali, 54, is one if Bollywood's leading directors
PADMAVATY, music and direction by Sanhay Leela Bhansali, Bollywood's top director, stars Bollywood's tip top female star Deepika Padukone in the title role, but is running into heavy political opposition.
Set in medieval Rajasthan, Queen Padmavati is married to a noble king and they live in a prosperous fortress with their subjects until an ambitious Sultan hears of Padmavati's beauty and forms an obsessive love for the Queen of Mewar.
04.01.2018 | ALEX FARBA's blog Cat. : FILM
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