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Big sister cares

Manisha Koirala

You know how Bollywood is always described as where everyone looks after himself, and let the relatives and friends go hang? Well, that isn't always true. There are many examples of altruism within the filmi clans. And the latest bit of proof is that of Manisha Koirala aiding the cause of brother Siddharth.

Manisha stepped in because the chap's first film as a hero, Ashiq Hai to Dilbur ko Pehchaan is yet to see the light of day. Another film he bagged, after Manisha's then boyfriend Nana Patekar spoke on his behalf, is nowhere off the mark yet.

Now you know how superstitious the filmi crowd is about bad omens and suchlike. So when the producers saw two films associated with him disappearing like that they concluded he might just be bad luck. It was, for Siddharth at least. For when producers see him now, they cross themselves, look around shiftily and head off in any direction but the one leading to him.

Finally, Manisha had enough of this rot, who was confident since none of that bad luck had rubbed off on her anyway. And now she's pooled in some money and is getting the director, Munna Rizvi, to complete the first film.

The film should be out in a month. And how it does should tell us if Siddharth can be a bad omen for big sister too.

Sale sense

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan has finally wised up. He knows his limitations now and has begun living with them.

One reason why his Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is being distributed by Shringar Films. The film is to be released next month. This is the second time Amitabh is relying on Shringar Films, the first time being with Major Saab.

Of course, that shows the man is canny. For even offbeat film-makers, when it comes to sell their films for the Bombay territory, rely on Shringar Films.

Check out how the company shrewdly exploited films like Bandit Queen, Kamasutra, Divine Lovers and Aastha and the recently released Hyderabad Blues.

Even Deepa Mehta is relying on the company to help release her controversial film, Fire in Bombay. So, hopes Bachchan, a commercial venture should have it easier.

Possible of course, unless it is another Major Saab.

A story of misunderstandings

More on incidents involving Amitabh but ones in which he himself wasn't involved.

There was this director, Vikraman, who made the super hit Suryavamsham in Tamil and who is -- rather, was -- remaking it in Hindi as Suryavansh, starring Amitabh and Soundarya.

Did I give the game away when I said 'was'? Maybe I did. For the man has indeed walked out of the film in high dudgeon. While Vikraman's name remains in the credits, the rest of the Hindi version is being directed by ace Telugu director E V V Satyanarayana.

No one know what piqued Vikraman in the first place. But we do know that bringing Amitabh in was his idea.

The story did you ask? Well, Amitabh plays a double role, dad and son. The son is one misunderstood fella, having family and friends decide he's done things he hasn't and what not. But all ends well in the story. In contrast to the film, if you see what I mean...

A song for China Gate

Urmila Matondkar

There won't be one song in this film, promised the director. There will be, said the producer. And guess who won?

So China Gate finally found a song stuffed into its gritty innards after director Raj Kumar Santoshi finally gave in to the wishes of producer Bharat Shah who felt there couldn't be a movie that ran without a dance.

And it is essentially for the countdown shows and the trailers that it's been added. Don't ask us who composed the song -- will be informed in time, we guess -- but Urmila Matondkar will certainly be dancing for it. Well that's what she told us when we asked her whether she was doing so.

"I've been approached to do that song, but let us see what Santoshi finally does," she said when we asked her.

Considering the final cost of China Gate will exceed that of the film that set the previous record for a big budget, Jeans, he would have no complaint if the song helped the film.

A set of an entire small township was designed and built at a cost of Rs 15 million. Shot largely in locales near Hampi, Karnataka, the production team comprised 800 unit members from Bombay, 250 unit hands, 70 horses with 150 stunt men.

The story's about ten old men with a glorious past, dark present and no future. And with the film slated to cost more than Jeans, the question is does China Gate have a future?

Well, time will tell.

Awaiting clearance

Ahmed Khan, husband of actress and singer Salma Agha, and cousin of Pakistani squash ace Jahangir Khan is planning to enter Bollywood in a big way, directing a film starring Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.

Both men agreed to do it if Ahmed Khan talked to Sena chief Bal Thackeray and secured his permission.

But since Thackeray had even opposed the other Pakistani squash ace, Jansher Khan, from playing in Bombay, it should take some persuasion to get that film rolling...

New outfits

Sunil Shetty

It's been some time since actors got into production in a big way. But it's slowly getting to be fashionable among actors again.

Long ago there was Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, Vijay Anand, Manoj Kumar, Feroz Khan, Sunil Dutt, Sanjay Khan, Rajendra Kumar Jeetendra and Dev Anand. And later, Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna and Anupam Kher...

Recently Jackie Shroff and Chunkey Pandey too got onto the bandwagon, with talk of Sunil Shetty coming up with one soon. But Vivek Mushran and Vikas Bhalla? Well, yes, them too.

Ajay Devgan and Salman Khan too have started theirs. Also, a Shah Rukh Khan-Juhi Chawla combine film is slated to roll in January 1999.

My, aren't the kids growing up?

Slick Jack

-- V S Srinivasan