New Sholay - Ram Gopal Varma

For someone as restless in spirit and body as Sushmita Sen, the deathly stillness of her character in Ram Gopal Varma’s Ramgopal Varma ki Aag was a revelation.

“I virtually had to tie myself down. It’s not that I don’t speak in the film. But, I say whatever I’ve to through my eyes. I’ve more still moments in this film than in any other cinema that I’ve done. It’s the quietest character I’ve ever played,” said Sushmita.

“It’s not that my character, Durga, doesn’t speak. It’s that inner tranquillity. And, hats off to Ramu for signing someone with a strong image like me to play someone like Durga … it requires guts and hindsight. Ramu has both,” she adds.

Sushmita rewinds to Jaya Bachchan who played Radha in Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay. “It was one of the most difficult roles in Sholay. Jayaji was fabulous. Very few people in our cinema understand the sounds of silence. But, let me tell you, she played Radha, I play Durga. She was very passive. I’m very aggressive,” the actress said.

The Bollywood diva is a huge fan of Malayalam superstar Mohanlal and is elated about sharing screen space with him. “I’ve stood in the same frame as Mohanlal. I’m honoured. To watch him perform is to watch a whole textbook on Indian cinema unfold in front of your eyes. He’s that brilliant.”

The film had to be renamed as Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag as Sasha Sippy, the grandson of G P Sippy who produced the 1970s hit, had problems with Varma releasing his film with the word Sholay in its title.

Sushmita is all praise for her co-star Prashant Raj. “He’s very good. In his very first film he has to stand next to stalwarts like Amitabh Bachchan, Mohanlal and Ajay Devgan. That isn’t easy.” Tell her she has a head-start of at least seven years over Prashant, and Sushmita laughs, “Trust me he looks really nice with me.”

However, she has no scenes with Amitabh Bachchan who plays dacoit Babban Singh in the film. “Not this time. But, we had lots of scenes together in two films we did earlier — Hindustan Ki Kasam and Aankhen. In Ramgopal Varma ki Aag, we don’t come face to face at all.”

As the buzz around Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag heats up, the latest promo of the film’s version of the legendary Mehbooba Mehbooba has been added to it. And if we were to believe Urmila, this song is totally original.

It’s the song everyone’s been waiting to watch. A contemporary version of the much-hummed classic. The Mehbooba song from Ram Gopal Verma Ke Aag has a different sound, with typical Ramu camera angles and of course, his magic formula, Urmila Matondkar. And as we know it, there’s very little of Abhishek Bachchan in the song, but expect to see sparks between the Big B and his Mehbooba.

“There’s loads of chemistry and I will be giving away most of the song If I say more. But the chemistry exists between Babban and his Mehbooba,” says Urmila Matondkar.

“There are bits of Big B saying kabhie kabhie mere dil mein bhi khayal aata hai,” says Choreographer Ganesh Hegde.

For Urmila, matching steps with the legendary Helen from the classic and competing with the oomph factor of Mallika Sherawat in Himesh’s new version may be a tough task. But she believes that both the composition as well as the choreography by Ganesh Hegde is so original, that the song stands out on its own.”

“The song has been done keeping in mind a classic, and we have tried to adapt it to something totally new that will atleast be on par with the original,” says Urmila.

We will be hoping that it does something like that, but as far as we can see, this one looks like yet another one of those item numbers rolled out of Ramu’s factory.

The scarcity of proper prints to honour Bollywood stars at international retrospectives has a come to light again. In 2005, Amitabh Bachchan had to abandon the idea of taking Sholay for a retrospective to the Lincoln Centre in New York.

Now it’s another Bollywood legend’s turn to get Sholay-fatigued. Last week Ramesh Sippy’s historic potboiler almost couldn’t make it to the retrospective of Hema Malini’s films at the Bangkok International Film Festival.

Now in Chennai, the marquee queen reveals, “They screened Sholay on a DVD and without subtitles. Nobody could get a hand on the print. So they just blew up the DVD print and projected it on the screen and that too without subtitles. Nowadays every Hindi film is immediately subtitled. I guess it wasn’t so easy back then. We need to do something about this right away.”

At the festival in Lincoln Centre, Mr Bachchan had refused to allow Sholay to be screened on a DVD.

It’s generally felt that the authorities need to get more alert over the ready availability of films for such retrospectives. Says Hema, “My brother handled the whole thing here while the embassy in Bangkok monitored everything from there. Our Indian ambassador Lata Reddy in Bangkok took very keen interest in my retrospective. It was very difficult to locate the prints of my films. Now that the Hindi film industry is becoming popular all over the world we need to have a bank of every artiste’s film ready for international events. The authorities should take every artiste into confidence and select 10 of his or her best films.”

The Thai papers are crammed with complimentary reports on Hema’s sojourn. “The reports were very flattering. All part of my past glory,” she laughs. “A retrospective means I’m part of the past, right? The Festival is on at a centrally located multiplex. But I left Bangkok after Sholay. Indians came from all over South Asia. And they seemed quite excited to see me. There were many big stars from Asian cinema all over the world.”

Now she’s back in Chennai. “I went to meet my daughter in Pondicherry where she’s shooting for a film called 123,” says the indulgent mother. “Now they want to hold my retrospective in Moscow in September. The Russians are very fond of my films like Alibaba Aur Chaalis Chor and Seeta Aur Geeta. I wonder if I’ll be able to get the prints!”

As the buzz around Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag heats up, the latest promo of the film’s version of the legendary Mehbooba Mehbooba has been added to it. And if we were to believe Urmila, this song is totally original.

It’s the song everyone’s been waiting to watch. A contemporary version of the much-hummed classic. The Mehbooba song from Ram Gopal Verma Ke Aag has a different sound, with typical Ramu camera angles and of course, his magic formula, Urmila Matondkar. And as we know it, there’s very little of Abhishek Bachchan in the song, but expect to see sparks between the Big B and his Mehbooba.

“There’s loads of chemistry and I will be giving away most of the song If I say more. But the chemistry exists between Babban and his Mehbooba,” says Urmila Matondkar.

“There are bits of Big B saying kabhie kabhie mere dil mein bhi khayal aata hai,” says Choreographer Ganesh Hegde.

For Urmila, matching steps with the legendary Helen from the classic and competing with the oomph factor of Mallika Sherawat in Himesh’s new version may be a tough task. But she believes that both the composition as well as the choreography by Ganesh Hegde is so original, that the song stands out on its own.”

For someone as restless in spirit and body as Sushmita Sen, the deathly stillness of her character in Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Sholay’ remake was a revelation.

‘I virtually had to tie myself down. It’s not that I don’t speak in ‘Sholay’. But I say whatever I’ve to through my eyes. I’ve more still moments in this film than in any other cinema that I’ve done. It’s the quietest character I’ve ever played,’ Sushmita told IANS.

‘It’s not that my character Durga doesn’t speak. It’s that inner tranquillity. And hats off to Ramu for signing someone with a strong image like me to play someone like Durga … it requires guts and hindsight. Ramu has both,’ she adds.

Sushmita rewinds to Jaya Bachchan who played Radha in Ramesh Sippy’s ‘Sholay’.

‘It was one of the most difficult roles in ‘Sholay’. Jayaji was fabulous. Very few people in our cinema understand the sounds of silences. But let me tell you, she played Radha. I play Durga. She was very passive. I’m very aggressive,’ the actress said.

The Bollywood diva is a huge fan of Malayalam superstar Mohanlal and is elated about sharing screen space with him.

‘I’ve stood in the same frame as Mohanlal. I’m honoured. To watch him perform is to watch a whole textbook on Indian cinema unfold in front of your eyes. He’s that brilliant.’

The ‘Sholay’ remake is called ‘Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag’ as Sasha Sippy, the grandson of G.P. Sippy who produced the 1970s hit, had problems with Varma releasing his film with the word ‘Sholay’ in its title.

Sushmita is all praise for her co-star Prashant Raj. ‘He’s very good. In his very first film he has to stand next to stalwarts like Amitabh Bachchan, Mohanlal and Ajay Devgan. That isn’t easy.’

Tell her she has a head-start of at least seven years over Prashant, and Sushmita laughs, ‘Trust me he looks really nice with me.’

However, she has no scenes with Amitabh Bachchan who plays dacoit Babban Singh in the film.

‘Not this time. But we had lots of scenes together in two films we did earlier - ‘Hindustan Ki Kasam’ and ‘Aankhen’. In ‘Sholay’ we don’t come face to face at all.’

She debuted in Bollywood with James and then slowly displaced oomph girl Urmila Matondkar from Ram Gopal Varma’s camp. Unfortunately, Nisha Kothari is still looking for a hold in tinsel town. Now, the actress is pinning her hopes on Aag, Varma’s remake of Sholay, in which she plays the character of Basanti.

Q: How different is the character Ghungroo from the original Basanti?
A: Ghungroo is a totally versatile character and her facial expressions change with every scene. She is the tapori type who does not care about anyone and is highly impressed by superhero Rajnikant. She loves Laila, the autorickshaw that she drives and is addicted to bidis.

You can say that Basanti and Ghungroo have the same flavour, but their attitudes and looks are very different. The viewers will not say that my character is similar to Basanti.

Q: Do you feel Ghungroo will be as popular as Basanti?
A: That can be known only after the movie’s release. For example, Samba was a small character in Sholay but he has become immortal. I have done my best in Aag, now the viewers will decide.

Q: How was the experience of working with so many actors?
A: I have learnt a lot from all the actors in this film. It has helped me grow as a person.

Q: Any interesting incident on the sets that you can recall?
A: I have a bad memory, so I cannot recall any such incident.

Q: Another film of yours, Go, is finally ready for release…
A: I know it has taken a long time, but I’m relieved that it is finally ready for release. I’m waiting eagerly for this film. I had started shooting for this film when I did James.

Q: Can you tell us a little about Go?
A: It’s a fun-filled romantic film of the 70s. I have been cast opposite newcomer Gautam. I cannot tell you anything else about this film since I have been asked not to divulge details.

Q: Why did it take so long to complete the film?
A: It is all depends on destiny. Some films take less time to complete, while others take a longer time. Actually, Ramu did not like a few sequences which had to re-shot.

Q: Do you want to work with any other film-maker besides Ram Gopal Varma?
A : I had got a lot of offers after my first film but I did not like them. I want to get things right. Unfortunately, I still have not got any role which really attracts me.

The Malayalam maverick Mohanlal has a new fan. “I’ve stood in the same frame as Mohanlal.I’m honoured. To watch him perform is to watch a whole textbook on Indian cinema unfold in front of your eyes. He’s THAT brilliant.”

Keeping still was the big challenge for Sushmita in Sholay. For an individual who’s as restless in spirit and body as Sushmita Sen, the deathly stillness of her character in Ram Gopal Varma’s Sholay was a revelation.

“I virtually had to tie myself down. It’s not that I don’t speak in Sholay. But I say whatever I’ve to through my eyes.I’ve more still moments in this film than in any other cinema that I’ve done. It’s the quietest character I’ve ever played.

It’s not that my character Durga doesn’t speak. It’s that inner tranquility. And hats of to Ramu for signing someone with a strong image like me to play someone like Durga…It requires guts and hindsight. Ramu has both.”

Sushmita rewinds to Jaya Bachchan who played Radha in Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay. “It was one of the most difficult roles in Sholay. Jayaji was fabulous. Very few people in our cinema understand the sounds of silences. But let me tell you, she played Radha. I play Durga. She was very passive. I’m very aggressive.”

Sushmita is all praise for her Sholay co-star Prashant Raj. “He’s very good. In his very first film he has to stand next to stalwarts like Amitabh Bachchan, Mohanlal and Ajay Devgan. That isn’t easy. ”

Tell her she has a head-start of at least seven years over of her Sholay co-star, and Sushmita laughs, “Trust me he looks really nice with me.”

Sushmita has no scenes with Mr Bachchan in Sholay. “Not this time. But we had lots of scenes together in the two films we did earlier Hindustan Ki Kasam and Aankhen. In Sholay we don’t come face-to-face at all.”

It’s finally here for all of us to see and to judge: the new Mehbooba song from Ramgopal Varma’s Sholay remake, now titled Ramgopal Varma Ki Aag.

The song has been filmed on Urmila Matondkar and although it does have a brand new set of lyrics, it does borrow its beats from the original R D Burman song.

The difference between Helen’s dancing in the original Sholay and Urmila’s performance in the new version is that Helen is actually dancing, she’s got grace in her movements and the emphasis is not so much on her body as it is on her dancing.

The Urmila number, while it is shot beautifully, is still not magnificent dancing and the emphasis is clearly on the fact that she’s looking hot in that itty-bitty costume.

Compare the new Urmila version of Mehbooba and the original song in the voice of R D Burman himself, and featuring the original dancing queen, Helen.

It must be said though that Urmila Matondkar looks very delicious in the Mehbooba song from Ramgopal Varma Ki Aag, which also features Amitabh Bachchan, who plays Babban Singh.

Then there is Himesh Reshammiya’s version of Mehbooba, which is featured in his own film, Aap Kaa Suroor. This one’s a duet between Himesh and Asha Bhonsle, and it’s been filmed on Mallika Sherawat.

As far as I’m concerned, old is gold. Nobody shakes a leg quite like Helen does. You take your pick, tell us which of the three Mehbooba versions you like best.

The maverick filmmaker says his movie ‘Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag’ will be very different from the original ‘Sholay’ made in 1975.

Thirty-two years after the release of Ramesh Sippy’s ‘Sholay’ , Ram Gopal Varma is giving his own interpretation to the film that is regarded as the Bible of Hindi cinema. And true to his nature, Ramu doesn’t cease to surprise. He says he has changed many things in his modern version of ‘Sholay’.

Let us start with the names. The movie title is different. After a legal tussle, it will now be called ‘Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag’ and the names of some characters have been changed too. But that may be because of the court case by Sasha Sippy, who is claiming the rights to the title of the film and the names of the characters.

If you are looking for ‘Thakur’ in the latest version, brace it, he is now become ‘Narsimha’ in Ramu’s movie. ‘Radha’ has become ‘Durga’, ‘Basanti’ has become ‘Ghungroo’ and ‘Veeru’ has become ‘Heeru’. And of course Gabbar Singh will be called Babban Singh.

Ramu assures that changes in his film are not just superficial. Apart from the names, the characters themselves would be different. Babban Singh (Gabbar), for instance, will have much larger footage in the film. Also, he would be more vengeful, almost like a psychopath. The role is played by Amitabh Bachchan .

We hear that, Babban will not be speaking that ‘Yeh haath mujhe de de Thakur’. Not just because of the change in names, but because he will be chopping of Narsimha’s fingers instead of hands in Ramu’s film. Narsimha is played by Mohanlal.

Durga (Radha) in Ramu’s film has a muted aggression in her character. She is clad in black, and has suppressed anger within. The role is played by Sushmita Sen . Since the movie is set in Mumbai, Ghungroo (Basanti) drives an autorickshaw and not a tonga. Nisha Kothari plays the part. Even the roles played by Ajay Devgan and Prashant Raj are different.

In Ramu’s words, his film only takes the basic structure from the original. The backdrop is different. The Mumbai underworld forms the background in his film. But Ramu says his version of ‘Sholay’ is neither a gangster film nor a dacoit drama. He says his movie is a masala entertainer with one slammer of a scene after another.

It’s the battle of the dancing divas, and surprisingly, Urmila seems to be losing ground to Mallika Sherawat. Helen, Mallika and now Urmila, three lovely ladies, one cult song, it should be a great combination. Unfortunately in Urmila’s case it hasn’t turned out that way. While Helen simply lit up the screen when she grooved to Mehbooba, and Mallika managed to hold her own, Urmila’s version has been a phenomenal disappointment.

After much anticipation Ram Gopal Verma’s version of the Sholay classic ‘Mehbooba Mehbooba’ is finally out, and if this video is anything to go by it sure looks like Urmila Matondkar is well past her prime. Gone is the hip-shaker we are so used to seeing in her hey day. Not only does Urmila’s make-up leave a lot to be desired, we can’t say much of her moves on the dance floor either, and it was hard not to notice that Urmila isn’t half as fit as she needs to be to carry off the outfit in the video. It’s a song that had a cult following, what with the then sexy screen siren Helen gyrating provocatively, Asha Bhonsle’s seductive vocals and the musical magic of RD Burman. Such was the magic of ‘Mehbooba Mehbooba’, that even today filmamkers our inspired by it.

After Mallika Sherawat did her bit in Himesh Reshammiya’s ‘Aap Ka Surroor’, it’s now the turn of the Rangeela girl Urmila Matondkar to step into Helen’s shoes, while Urmila sure has the moves, it remains to be seen whether her version can hold its own against Helen’s classic.

Forget about bring compared to the screen siren Helen, Urmila pales in comparison even to Mallika Sherawat’s gyrations in Aap Ka Suroor. Mallika for sure was easier on the eye, and surprsingly a lot more graceful. With Mehbooba Mehbooba it certainly seems like old school is often best, while there was a glimmer of hope that Urmila may just have been able to recreate some of Helen’s magic, Helen even after all these years simply cannot be touched.

But the real battle is between the two sensuous ladies Mallika and Urmila, both dancing divas in their own right. Will Urmila’s ‘Mehbooba Mehbooba’ be a song and dance above Mallika’s version, after all Urmila is the original item girl.