Pazhhassi Raja' to hit 525 screens on Ramazan

Hariharan's magnum opus 'Pazhassi Raja' would have a global release on Ramzan, when the film would be simultaneously released in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu on 525 screens across the world.

The film is believed to be the costliest ever production in the history of Malayalam cinema with the budget having exceeded a staggering twenty six crores. 

Veteran script writer M T Vasudevan Nair who has penned the script, has relied on several authentic resources including the Malabar Manual for reliable facts that made up the brave warrior's life.

The rerecording done by musical maestro Illayaraja has the Hungarian symphony lending that magical touch to the whole affair. Oscar winner Resul Pookkutty who has done the Sound designing has spent months on recreating those yester years. 

The film has a mammoth cast led by none other than Mammootty in the title role, and supported by Sharath Kumar, Kaniha, Padmapriya, Linda Arsenio, Manoj K Jayan, Suresh Krishna, Jagathy Sreekumar and several other prominent Indian and foreign actors.

With Ramazan round the corner, the long wait for the film that took about two and a half years to complete is finally drawing to a close.

Synopsis

The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 is considered to be the first organized revolt against British rule and as the first step in India's struggle for independence. But more than half a century prior to that, Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja of the Padinjare Kovilakom of the Kottayam family, irked by the unpopular revenue policy followed by the East India Company in Malabar, threatened to cut down all the pepper vines if the Company persisted in revenue collection. A determined but futile attempt was made by the British to capture the Raja in his own palace at Pazhassi in April 1796. 

Subsequently a proclamation was issued forbidding people from supporting the Raja, threatening confiscation of their property if they did so. In January 1797 the Raja's men launched daring attack on the security personnel stationed at Pazhassi, exterminating the entire party save one. In pitched battles fought over three days, the Raja's men using swords, spears, bows and arrows, overpowered the British forces armed with muskets. The British had to sign a temporary truce.

When the occupying forces broke the terms of the truce, the Raja revolted again, but by then the British had control over most of the south. The Raja, accompanied by his wife and immediate attendants, took refuge in the jungles. In 1804 the Raja's properties were confiscated and a reward was proclaimed for his head. Towards the end of 1805, the Raja was surrounded and shot dead by the side of a stream.

Resul Pookutty signs up for 'Pazhassi Raja'

After winning an Oscar for Danny Boyle's  "Slumdog Millionaire", Kerala-born sound maestro Resul Pookutty is coming full circle, as he will design sound for his first Malayalam movie "Pazhaasi Raja".

Resul is doing 'Pazhassi Raja', which will be his first film in his mother tongue as well as the first in south India. He will be doing the post-sound work for the film and is very excited about the project as it is an amazing film. It is also one of the very big-budget films in Malayalam cinema.

The 39-year-old started his career in Bollywood in 1995 with Rajat Kapur's "Private Detective: Two Plus Two Plus One" that never saw the light of day. He then went on to design sounds for films like "Black" (2005), "Traffic Signal" (2007), "Saawariya" (2007) and "Ghajini" (2008) before bagging an Oscar for "Slumdog Millionaire".

Pookutty has his reasons for taking up the regional project.

"Resul took up the project because Pazhassi Raja is a very well known figure down south and has a history like that of Mangal Pandey, as both were martyrs in our struggle against the British. He really respects the freedom fighters and has deep feelings for the country," Baiju said.

Known as the 'Lion of Kerala', Pazhassi Raja was the ruler of the kingdom of Kottayam in northern Kerala. He is chronicled as one of the first freedom fighters in the country. He achieved the title 'Veera' when he died fighting the British occupation in a guerrilla war Nov 30, 1805.

Directed by Hariharan, the biopic is a magnum opus historical with screenplay written by renowned writer and poet M.T. Vasudevan Nair and music by Ilaiyaraaja.

It stars southern superstars Mamootty and Sarath Kumar and actresses Kanihaa and Padmapriya in the lead. The film will be released in five languages - Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, English and Hindi.

Not many know that a part of of the movie will also be re-shot, as per a special demand by Pookutty.

"Half of the film has already been shot but Resul asked the (producers) to reshoot a few scenes, as he wants to shoot them with live sound. And considering it is his first film in Malayalam and also his first project down south, they have compromised and agreed to do the same," Baiju said.

Earlier slated for an August 15 release, the film is now touted to hit the screens around the harvest season of Onam in September due to the the "reworking", Baiju said.

Apart from "Pazhaasi Raja", Pookutty's other projects include "Blue", "Prince", "Rectangular Love Story", "Pappu Can't Dance Saala", "Rangeen In Love", "Mocktale", "Hawai Dada", "The 19th Step", three Hollywood projects and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's next.

Rahman and Shekhar Kapur join hands for short film Passage

After working together in Elizabeth- The Golden Age, music maestro A R Rahman and internationally acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, have once again joined hands for Kapur's first ever short film Passage. 

A special screening of the film was held over the weekend on the island of La Giudecca. The charming I Granai della Republica was transformed into a magical space that played host to a soiree of glamorous stars. Shekhar Kapur, A R Rahman, Haley Bennett and Nadja Swarovski were among the celebrities who were seen enjoying Venetian cocktails and canapés. 

The guests who viewed Passage at a private screening of the short film, were enthralled by a live orchestral performance by India's Kavita Baliga who sang a number from the soundtrack composed by the Academy Award Winner. 

Passage, directed by Kapur and produced by Curious Pictures Production and Swarovski Entertainment, stars Julia Stiles (Cry Of The Owl, The Bourne Ultimatum), Lily Cole and Haley Benett (Marley and Me, Music and Lyrics). The film revolves around the lives of three young women. Together with A R Rahman's score, Kapur's graceful images merge into a highly emotional and enigmatic passage that leads from despair and loss to reconciliation. The camera itself acts as a kaleidoscope exploring a non-linear time-frame leaving it ultimately for the viewer to interpret the meaning of the enchanting and dream-like film. 

 

Bombay Velvet

Danny Boyle ropes in SRK and Aamir for new film

Talk about an unbelievable casting coup - two of the biggest Bollywood honchos in existence would in all probability appear together on screen for Danny Boyle's new film!

In case you're Hollywood-challenged, Danny Boyle is the director of Slumdog Millionaire, which took home a busload of Oscars, including one for AR Rahaman. And it gets better - Boyle will act as producer for the new film, titled 'Bombay Velvet' which will be directed by maverick filmmaker Anurag Kashyap!

Boyle has already confirmed that Aamir is signed up for the film, he is now in talks with Shahrukh Khan for a lead role in Bombay Velvet. If all goes well, the film, with SRK and Aamir begins shooting in February 2010 and will hit screens in Q1 2011. Bombay Velvet is quite like Slumdog Millioanire, but is a period piece, set in the year 1940. The film is reportedly based on real incidents, but Boyle has taken creative liberties in the script to make it more interesting and entertaining.

Bombay Velvet has been written by Kashyap from a treatment by John Hodge who earlier wrote Boyle's 'Shallow Grave', 'Trainspotting' and 'A life less ordinary'. Bombay Velvet may well be an adaptation of the novel Maximum City by Suketu Mehta; back in March Boyle was attached to make film an adaptation of the book and had approached Aamir Khan for the lead role. Maximum City explores the lead character's return to Mumbai after a gap of two decades; he experiences the politics of today's Mumbai, meeting murderous gangsters as well as Bal Thackeray along the way. The book gives socio-political analysis of the history and people of Mumbai. 

However, the book is set in modern times yet Bombay Velvet is set in the 1940s. Boyle wanted to cast SRK as the host of Kaun Banega Crorepati in Slumdog Millioanire. SRK had turned down the role, an act which the star now regrets. Supposedly, Bombay Velvet will be split into three acts, and a different actor will play the lead in each act. Shahrukh will feature in the first, a new actor in the second while Aamir will snap up the third. The film marks the second collboration between Anurag Kashyap and Danny Boyle, the latter had given some creative inputs for Dev D.