The Making of Bollywood 2007

Shivangi Singh

Its that time of the year when we take a sneak peek at what made Bollywood 2007 so hot and happening. Witness ‘The Making of Bollywood 2007’, a real-life flick without script or story but with varied twists and turns. A drama created out of hilarious, mischievous and sometimes nonsensical events. A delicious masala mix of hot and sour happenings, Bollywood 2007 tells you that anything can happen in our filmland, be it the most scandalous split, nasty fights in the name of mum or a great comeback. The Tinsel Town creates real-life scripts far superior than reel-life drama… Leading Characters and Events Six-pack Khan He continued to be the Baadshah of Bollywood with two blockbusters in tow: Chak De India and Om Shanti Om. His female fans drooled over his fabulous six-pack abs and wondered at his inimitable knack of coming up with witty one-liners, even in the most uneasy situations. He courted trouble by illegal construction behind his house, smoking in public, using cricket match for promoting his film and mimicking Manoj Kumar. Most recently, rumour has it that a gangster demanded extortion money from him. But Shahrukh Khan manipulated controversies and set-backs to his favour – that’s why he deserves to be the undisputable king of our filmland. Chote Sarkar weds Queen of Hearts It was a dream wedding. Fairy tale princess got her prince charming. The most beautiful woman in the world Aishwarya Rai got married to the most eligible bachelor of filmdom – Abhishek Bachchan. Media went paranoid, tried to cover each and every proceeding of the strictly ‘private’ affair. But what media covered on the D-day was opening and closing of the ‘Prateeksha’ palace doors! Later, some snaps of the fairy-tale wedding were thrown for public consumption. How disappointing! Media frenzy once again mounted when Ash undertook ‘Karva Chauth’ for hubby Abhi. So sweet and romantic! Long live the couple. Big B’s small romances Perhaps only he could pull it off, so comfortably. It was interesting to see megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s heart being tugged by young damsels in Nishabd and Cheeni Kum. At 65, the baritone of Bachchan not only melted the heart of a new younger audience, but also found a new voice in these, to use a Bollywood cliché, ‘different’ films. Mallika’s dirty dancing New Year eve saw Mallika Sherawat’s semi-naked performance at J W Marriot Hotel in Mumbai. Decked up in diamonds, she flaunted her possessions daringly which provoked sighs and frowns. A 49-year-old businessman cum social activist Vinod Jain took things too much to his heart and sued Mallika for obscenity. Ms Sherawat protested saying she had worn a skin-suit for the performance but moral policemen were at her heels and chased her relentlessly. Kareena-Shahid: Jab they split saga Initially, everyone thought it was just a cheap promotional stunt for their upcoming film ‘Jab We Met’. People laughed at such a lame concoction, it was obvious that they wanted some hype created by planting the story of their split. But ‘truth became stranger than fiction’ when ‘Jab We Met’ story turned into ‘Jab We Split’ saga. The headstrong Kareena Kapoor and lover boy Shahid Kapoor broke off their over four-year long relationship. Bebo flaunted her new-found boy friend (Saif Ali Khan) and Shahid maintained a resolute silence briefly saying that ‘the split hurts’. Ironically, their real-life love story failed but reel-life ‘Jab We Met’ did wonders at the BO. Life is really strange. Big Brother and Miss Bollywood Last year it was Rakhi Sawant and Mika’s kiss that created a storm and this year it was Shilpa-Richard light peck which led to protests from moral-policemen throughout the country. Life was perfect for Ms Shetty. She became the cynosure of all eyes after winning the celebrity show – Big Brother in UK, where she behaved graciously inspite of facing racial abuse from Ms Jade Goody and supporters. Suddenly, this stunning actress’ declining career took an upswing and she was everywhere in news. But controversy came with Hollywood hunk Richard Gere’s peck on her cheek at a charity show. The kiss was meant to be a display of affection but it was seen by our moralists as an attack on ‘nation’s honour’. Gere had to apologise for his crime and nation’s honour was restored. The year ended with a Broadway and Royal Albert Hall performance of a musical ‘Miss Bollywood’ with Shilpa in it as protagonist. Much ado about Oscar All hell broke loose when the below mediocre ‘Eklavya’ was chosen as India’s nomination for Oscars. Bhavna Talwar raised a lot of hue and cry over the issue as her entry ‘Dharm’ was disregarded in favour of Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s ‘Eklavya’. It also brought much speculation related to lobbying and power-game in Bollywood. We still don’t know what is the ‘andar ki baat’! Munnabhai in jail Bollywood’s original gangster Sanjay Dutt aka Munnabhai had a bitter-sweet year. Munnabhai behind the bars presented a sorry sight. He faced the worst day of his life when he spent Diwali in jail. His fans and Bollywood stood by him in his difficult times. Happy news came when the special designated TADA court pronounced its verdict on the high profile case and he was exonerated from TADA Act. But difficult times loom ahead as he was found guilty of possessing illegal arms for which he has been sentenced to five-year imprisonment. Presently he is out on a bail. The best thing is that his tumultuous life leaves his popularity with friends and masses unscathed. He remains our much adorable Munnabhai. RGV ki watered-down Aag Our own Ram Gopla Varma tried to create ‘Aag’ out of ‘Sholay’ but it was he, who was burnt down to cinders. Don’t blame him for trying to be different; he has always been like that, refusing to take lessons even after giving one flop after another. But it teaches us a lesson – if you want to tamper with perfection, you meet disaster. Poor Nisha Kothari and Urmila Matondkar tried to bring much ‘oomph’ in the film, but they ended up looking like some cheap third rate actresses. Wonder what made Big B took up that ‘thanda’ role in ‘Aag’? Sanjay-Farah’s verbal duel Their film-dates clashed, then they clashed and then their films clashed. It was hilarious listening to the bitchy-bickerings, which the genius Bhansali and the entertainer Farah hurled at each other. One usually doesn’t expect such things from prominent filmmakers. But I guess petty tendencies like jealousy affects even the wisest of all. No complaints Sanjay-Farah, carry on your cockfight, its far more entertaining than your flicks. Sallu’s ups and downs Ash’s ex Salman Khan made the headlines too for the right and wrong reasons. His ‘Partner’ did well at the BO and he excelled in his new-found avatar as a painter. But the `murdered` Black Buck came to haunt him. He was proved guilty of illegal poaching and hunting and was sentenced to five-year imprisonment. He made a public surrender. Now, grapevine has it that he has agreed to stand alongside his ex-sweetheart Aishwarya, Big B and SRK at Madame Tussaud’s. Saif ‘Casanova’ Khan He grabbed attention for his ‘heart’, connection, literally and metaphorically. He was rushed to Leelavati hospital after he suffered from a minor heart attack (due to excessive smoking) and then he grabbed headlines because of his alleged ‘hearty’ link-ups with sensuous Bips and then, newly-split Bebo. John-Bipasha’s hot-cold romance Their relationship was clearly on a roller-coaster ride. Sometimes there was news of their split and then reunion. That she loves football became evident not only in her latest flick but also when soccer star Ronaldo locked lips with her at the New 7 Wonders ceremony. Then Bips was spotted with Saif ‘Casanova’ Khan, which led to rumours about her alleged break-up with John. And again they were spotted together, sportingly promoting their ‘Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal’. It has left everyone wondering…what’s going on? Chak De girls Yash Raj productions wooed them from all parts of India. Some were professional players, while others held a hockey stick for the first time. The bunch of odd newcomers created an unprecedented magic with SRK in Chak De India. The movie saw them together braving the odds and beating rivals but ‘behind the screen’ eavesdroppers kept informing us about the bitter rivalry amongst the girls, as some of the girls tried to hog all the limelight. But apart from this hit, the Yash Raj show was a dry affair. By the production house`s own admission, Yash Raj Films has earned a return of just 10 per cent from five blockbusters this year. Debuts and comebacks Ranbir ‘Raj’ Kapoor He did not let down the legacy he shoulders. His chocolaty looks, innocent ways and that sensuous ‘towel song sequence’ in debut film Saawariya made him the new hottie in filmdom. This fourth-generation Kapoor has had a great debut and although the film bombed at the BO, he created an enviable niche for himself. Thumbs up for this sweet lad! Dard-e-Deepika Deepika Padukone has been the cause of much heart-ache. She lit the screen on fire with her ravishing looks and startling screen presence in OSO. This model-turned actress remained in news for all the right reasons. She was linked with hunks like captain Dhoni, Yuvraj and Ranbir. She was chosen as the brand ambassador for leading companies like Kingfisher, Levi Strauss and Tissot. Now, she has also deposited prominent films and ad assignments in her kitty. As they say some people have all the luck…! Sultry Sonam Her waif like presence brought some forgotten poetry and age-old romance in mind. Waheeda Rehman identified with her. Sanjay Leela Bhansali had the nicest things to say about her. Sonam Kapoor surely made a mark with her lovely looks and good acting skills. Maashaallah! Reshammiya’s suroor They say that even the dead rise from their graves when he sings in that inimitable nasal voice of his. But what about his acting skills? This was the million-dollar question which everyone asked from those who went to watch Himesh Reshammiya’s debut Aap ka Suroor. The answer was a shudder and a sigh. No, Mehbooba Mallika’s item number did not work this time. Wonder how the below-mediocre film was hailed as a ‘superhit’. Sometimes it is better to leave things untold… Return of Dhak Dhak Dixit No, she has not lost her magic. No, age has not harmed her. No, she has not been broken by the cold response that met her comeback flick ‘Aaja Nachle’ and the political stir it created due to objectionable casteist lines in the lead song. She is still the very same gorgeous, spirited and talented Madhuri Dixit, who left us a few years back. Oh, we just can’t get enough of this gorgeous lady and her million dollar smile. Yeh dil maange more! Aamir’s ‘starry’ directorial The ‘perfectionist’ did it again. His directorial debut in ‘Taare Zameen Par’ displayed his rare cinematic talent. He took up an off-beat script revolving around a dyslexic child, and managed to spin a sensitive, moving, yet a popular and engrossing tale out of it. Last heard that the movie is receiving rave reviews from all quarters. Good work Mr Versatile! The year rounded up with ten-day IFFI in Goa, SRK inaugurated the event. IFFI celebrated small movies, big movies and more movies, each internationally acclaimed, and a masterpiece in its own way. Now, it’s time to bid good bye to fun-filled Bollywood 2007 and welcome the making of Bollywood 2008. Can’t wait to witness the real-life script being created for 2008! Excitement is mounting up… Biggest Hits • Guru (Release – Jan 12) • Namaste London (Release – March 23) • Partner (Release – July 20) • Chak De! India (Release – Aug 10) • Heyy Babyy (Release – Aug 24) • Bhool Bhulaiyaa (Release – Oct 12) • Jab We Met (Release – Oct 26) • Om Shanti Om (Release – Nov 2007) • Taare Zameen Par (Release – Dec 21) Critically Acclaimed Films • Life In A... Metro • Gandhi, My Father