Monday, October 16, 2006
Sanjay Dutt is playing off-screen mamu to his little niece
Bollywood's own Sunjubaba - Sanjay Dutt is playing off-screen mamu to his little niece, sister Priya's daughter. He's been spending a lot of time at home playing with her, and most of all teaching her. He finds special joy in teaching her small words and hearing her do all the baby talk. Even Priya vouches that her little girl is obsessed with her uncle. Hope Sanju is not teaching her in such a tapori twang!
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Lage Raho Munnabhai makes Gandhi new pop icon
By Y.P. Rajesh
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A Bollywood comedy about a gangster's tryst with Mahatma Gandhi is proving a hit across the country, inspiring people to emulate his pacifist ideals, often with humourous results.
"Lage Raho Munnabhai", which was released last month, is the story of a lovable Mumbai goon who must dodge barbs from Gandhi to win his ladylove while battling a wicked businessman creating hurdles for his romance.
As Munna and Gandhi wrestle over their philosophies, they pit thuggery against passive resistance, lying against truth and drinking against prohibition, triggering a process of reforming the gangster in the name of love.
Within weeks, the slapstick comedy laced with streetside slang, has raced to become one of Bollywood's biggest hits of the year and triggered a renewed interest in Gandhi's ideals, nearly 59 years after he fell to the bullets of an assassin.
Such has been the popularity of "Lage Raho" that a senior leader of the ruling Congress party, of which Mahatma Gandhi was a member, asked all members of a key decision making unit to watch the film to refresh their memories.
The social wave created by "Lage Raho" is called "Gandhigiri" or the use of moral force to assert a point of view as the gangster does, as opposed to "dadagiri" or the use of brutal force.
"Gandhigiri" clubs are being set up in some cities to tame reckless drivers and corrupt officials by handing them flowers with a smile just as Munna and his followers do in "Lage Raho".
NEW INTEREST
Shops around the country have reported a sudden new interest in books and memorabilia relating to Gandhi as well as "khadi", the handspun fabric the leader made famous during his campaign against British colonial rule.
Last week, dozens of people including academics, doctors and lawyers in Lucknow marched to the office of the district administrator to give him roses after he reportedly criticised the "Gandhigiri" of some student protesters.
In Hyderabad, Shweta Polanki was reported to have dumped her boyfriend when he made hissing noises to catch the waiter's attention at a restaurant -- a sign of disrespect for a worker according to "Gandhigiri".
"Gandhigiri" also touched Babloo Srivastava, an alleged real-life mafia don, who decided to distribute dozens of roses and talk about love and peace at a Lucknow court where he was brought from jail for a hearing in one of the many cases that link him to murder, kidnapping and extortion.
Critics and sociologists said the "Lage Raho" phenomena could be attributed to the film simplifying Gandhi's lofty ideals had conveying it in contemporary, colloquial language.
Actor Sanjay Dutt, who plays gangster Munna in the film -- and is awaiting the verdict of a Mumbai court for his alleged role in the 1993 serial bomb blasts in the city -- said he had not expected "Gandhigiri" to sweep the country like it has.
"Gandhiji, looking down from heaven, must be happy to see a nation reawakened," he said in an interview published on Monday.
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A Bollywood comedy about a gangster's tryst with Mahatma Gandhi is proving a hit across the country, inspiring people to emulate his pacifist ideals, often with humourous results.
"Lage Raho Munnabhai", which was released last month, is the story of a lovable Mumbai goon who must dodge barbs from Gandhi to win his ladylove while battling a wicked businessman creating hurdles for his romance.
As Munna and Gandhi wrestle over their philosophies, they pit thuggery against passive resistance, lying against truth and drinking against prohibition, triggering a process of reforming the gangster in the name of love.
Within weeks, the slapstick comedy laced with streetside slang, has raced to become one of Bollywood's biggest hits of the year and triggered a renewed interest in Gandhi's ideals, nearly 59 years after he fell to the bullets of an assassin.
Such has been the popularity of "Lage Raho" that a senior leader of the ruling Congress party, of which Mahatma Gandhi was a member, asked all members of a key decision making unit to watch the film to refresh their memories.
The social wave created by "Lage Raho" is called "Gandhigiri" or the use of moral force to assert a point of view as the gangster does, as opposed to "dadagiri" or the use of brutal force.
"Gandhigiri" clubs are being set up in some cities to tame reckless drivers and corrupt officials by handing them flowers with a smile just as Munna and his followers do in "Lage Raho".
NEW INTEREST
Shops around the country have reported a sudden new interest in books and memorabilia relating to Gandhi as well as "khadi", the handspun fabric the leader made famous during his campaign against British colonial rule.
Last week, dozens of people including academics, doctors and lawyers in Lucknow marched to the office of the district administrator to give him roses after he reportedly criticised the "Gandhigiri" of some student protesters.
In Hyderabad, Shweta Polanki was reported to have dumped her boyfriend when he made hissing noises to catch the waiter's attention at a restaurant -- a sign of disrespect for a worker according to "Gandhigiri".
"Gandhigiri" also touched Babloo Srivastava, an alleged real-life mafia don, who decided to distribute dozens of roses and talk about love and peace at a Lucknow court where he was brought from jail for a hearing in one of the many cases that link him to murder, kidnapping and extortion.
Critics and sociologists said the "Lage Raho" phenomena could be attributed to the film simplifying Gandhi's lofty ideals had conveying it in contemporary, colloquial language.
Actor Sanjay Dutt, who plays gangster Munna in the film -- and is awaiting the verdict of a Mumbai court for his alleged role in the 1993 serial bomb blasts in the city -- said he had not expected "Gandhigiri" to sweep the country like it has.
"Gandhiji, looking down from heaven, must be happy to see a nation reawakened," he said in an interview published on Monday.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Two more feathers in the cap of 'Lage Raho Munnabhai'
The Sanjay Dutt – Vidya Balan – Arshad Warsi starrer Lage Raho Munnabhai has added two more feathers to its already glowing and glittering cap.
According to official sources in Mumbai, Maharashtra government has decided to exempt 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' from entertainment tax for its delineation of relevance of Gandhian values.
The decision to make the screening of the movie entertainment tax-free was taken by the Revenue Ministry, the sources said.
A delegation of state Congress met Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and congratulated him on the decision, saying this was essential as the film propagated Gandhian values, a party release said in Mumbai.
"The younger generation is now waking up to Gandhian values because of the movie," the release added.
'Lage Raho Munnabhai' has already been declared tax-free in Delhi and Chhattisgarh.
And in Varanasi, inspired by the theme of 'Lage Raho Munnabhai', which depicts relevance of Mahatma Gandhi's principles in social life, Shiv Sena activists on Friday presented flowers to the police, as a mark of complaint over the 'inaction' of police officials in curbing anti-social activities in the city.
"Today, getting inspiration from the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, we have expressed our displeasure before the police by presenting them roses with a hope that if we can offer them flower to relay the sustenance of our suffering, they would also try to solve our problems," said Gulshan Kapur, Shiv Sena district chief.
In fact, the police officials also welcomed the move, and praised the way of protest by the activists.
"The way of protest has become a trend these days. They have complained against the police. We will definitely take notice to their complaints and try to improve the police department. It is better than any other violent way of protest and it really impresses officials," said Lalit Singh, Superintendent of Police, Varanasi.
Source :Apunkachoice
According to official sources in Mumbai, Maharashtra government has decided to exempt 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' from entertainment tax for its delineation of relevance of Gandhian values.
The decision to make the screening of the movie entertainment tax-free was taken by the Revenue Ministry, the sources said.
A delegation of state Congress met Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and congratulated him on the decision, saying this was essential as the film propagated Gandhian values, a party release said in Mumbai.
"The younger generation is now waking up to Gandhian values because of the movie," the release added.
'Lage Raho Munnabhai' has already been declared tax-free in Delhi and Chhattisgarh.
And in Varanasi, inspired by the theme of 'Lage Raho Munnabhai', which depicts relevance of Mahatma Gandhi's principles in social life, Shiv Sena activists on Friday presented flowers to the police, as a mark of complaint over the 'inaction' of police officials in curbing anti-social activities in the city.
"Today, getting inspiration from the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, we have expressed our displeasure before the police by presenting them roses with a hope that if we can offer them flower to relay the sustenance of our suffering, they would also try to solve our problems," said Gulshan Kapur, Shiv Sena district chief.
In fact, the police officials also welcomed the move, and praised the way of protest by the activists.
"The way of protest has become a trend these days. They have complained against the police. We will definitely take notice to their complaints and try to improve the police department. It is better than any other violent way of protest and it really impresses officials," said Lalit Singh, Superintendent of Police, Varanasi.
Source :Apunkachoice
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