Would you like to meet Meherjaan?

Instep Desk

Ther are films we wish we could see in Pakistan because they are controversial and are connected to our history. A hugely uncomfortable, contentious part  of it is when Pakistan broke into two and Bangladesh was created. 

Viewing the 1971 war through the eyes of a woman, director Rubaiyat Hossain sets her narrative in Bangladesh, where a young girl, Meherjaan, falls in love with a Pakistani (Balochi, as we are frequently reminded) soldier, played by Omar Rahim, who is a well-known Pakistani choreographer and dancer. The film boasts a cast of veterans, including Jaya Bachchan and Victor Banerjee (Shatranj Ke Khiladi), both of whom are highly selective about the films they do. Clearly, this is a film that hopes to understand the war through a pinhole, lending it dimensions not seen before. Hossain herself admits that the film is about transcendental love. However, Meherjaan has been banned in Bangladesh despite receiving critical acclaim.

The distributor of the film took it off the theatres in the face of an allegation that the film distorted the history of the country’s independence war and humiliated the freedom fighters and ‘Biranganas’ (Bangladeshi women who were raped by occupation Pakistani troops during the Liberation War), reports Outlook India. Shihab Ahmed Siraji, distributor of the film says, “We have decided to withdraw the movie from the two Dhaka theatre halls where it has been running considering the debate regarding the movie.”

Prior to the release of the film, Hossain had claimed she didn’t believe her creation made any room for controversy. “There is no question of distorting the history or humiliating the freedom fighters in the movie,” she had said.

The film is simply a love story, which is set against the backdrop of war.

“This young man and Meherjaan create a world of love and fantasy in the midst of war,” Hossain says of the Pakistani soldier and the Bengali girl. “However, this world collapses and Meherjaan loses most of her family in the devastation of war. Meherjaan is very much a story of 1971.”

Meherjaan herself is saved from suffering sexual assault because of her Pakistani beau, but her cousin Neela falls victim to rape and becomes pregnant with a girl whom she gives up for adoption. Sarah presents yet another take on the war through the eyes of a woman.

“Women usually appear as sacrificing characters,” Hossain explains. “They are often treated as part of the silent landscape - objectified, abused and raped. The purpose of Meherjaan is to break free of the typical male narrative and open up a conversation to explore other perspectives on the Liberation War. Meherjaan zooms in on three characters. Meher was rescued by a Baloch soldier in 1971. This soldier had denied the war. Meher’s cousin Neela had been raped by Pakistani soldiers, but instead of staying in the shadows she decides to retaliate against social stigma and joins the freedom movement.”

About her choice of the Indian artistes, Rubaiyat said: “I wanted a woman with an unmistakable Bengali look and a certain vulnerability, but a great deal of inner strength.”

Jaya Bachchan, Hossain’s choice to play an aged Meherjaan finds the film an intelligent effort. “Rubaiyat has cleverly worked out the script. Through her film, she is not talking to just one nation. She is actually talking to the world. It is truly an international film. And a film like this coming from Bangladesh is fantastic.”

Chances are this film would not get a Pakistan release either, but that’s no reason for us to not want to see it and judge for ourselves. Bengali films tend to be both gritty and artistic... think Satyajit Ray, Aparna Sen and Rituparno Ghosh.

BoxOffice
Monika Bartyzel

Moviefone

Last March, Michael Bay was on top of the world, said to have earned $125 million in 2009 — at least, according to Vanity Fair’s estimates. And now it’s time to see who’s on top for 2010, and while the economy might still be hurting, money is pouring into Hollywood.

Perhaps it’s spoilerish to jump right to the no. 1 spot, but the name should come as no surprise. James Cameron zips to the top with the super-high total of $257 million — an amount that’s more than the next three top earners combined. Writing, producing and directing the blockbuster ‘Avatar’ gave Cameron one hell of a paycheck, though it seems a bit more reasonable when you consider the fact that the film has made almost $3 billion.

A myriad of new names have hit the list this year, including Vin Diesel, who makes the list because of his fee for ‘Fast Five;’ Joel Silver hits the 25 spot for the blockbuster that was ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ and Jon Favreau may have been absent in 2009, but a year later, he’s in the Top 20 for his earnings with ‘Iron Man 2’ and fees for ‘Cowboys & Aliens.’

The women of Hollywood, unfortunately, fared even worse than last year. While 2009’s list boasted nine women out of 40 total, this year’s roster only has six. The usual suspects, from least to most: Reese Witherspoon, Katherine Heigl, Sandra Bullock, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston and Kristen Stewart. Only the last two broke the top 20, and though Angelina Jolie might be considered the go-to actress in Hollywood, her estimated earnings only place her at 21.

Speaking of ‘Twilight,’ this could be one of the last times we see Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart on the list. Both have been primarily indie actors caught in the blockbuster whirlwind of vampires, and Stewart, for one, is shying away from further big productions. The Top 40 does, however, show the different trajectory wolfy Taylor Lautner is taking. With ‘Abduction’ added to the mix, he zipped right past his otherworldly co-stars and into the Top 10.

And finally, Tyler Perry grabbed the 17 spot with $25 million. While not exactly James Cameron, it’s certainly enough for Kenan Thompson to keep showering himself in money.

StarBytes
Angelina Jolie caused
rift between Brad Pitt and George Clooney

This woman, as beautiful as she may be, is really becoming a pain in the neck for everyone, including Brad Pitt. Amongst rumours of her psychotic and insecure behaviour with Brad because of Jennifer Aniston, Jolie is now being accused of causing trouble between two best buds: George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

Apparently, the Pitt-Clooney friendship started to deteriorate when Angelina decided to limit the two friends spent together. Jolie found Clooney to be a bad influence on Pitt, because of his bad boy ways. A source added, “Angelina has always considered George to be a hard-drinking, skirt-chasing bad influence on Brad. She hates the whole boy’s club mentality, and when Brad was working on Ocean’s Thirteen in Vegas, she was afraid George and his mischief makers would lead her man astray.”

Now recently the Pitt-Clooney friendship has gotten worse because of Brangelina’s disrespectful kids. Apparently, Clooney invited them all to have dinner in his Italian mansion and he was pretty ticked off at the chaos the kids created.

 “George was furious when he discovered the kids created mayhem in his lavishly furnished home — trashing the house, moving his furniture and tampering with his clothes,” a source told The National Enquirer.

So Clooney hates Pitt’s kids! No wonder their friendship is fading. Also, funnily enough, the only reason he can semi-stand Jolie is cause of the social work she does, but he doesn’t really like her. At all.

Sonakshi Sinha to lose more weight!

Bollywood is so obsessed with the size zero, it just doesn’t make sense. The real women of India are actually pretty full figured. Then this whole rat race about who is the skinniest of them all sometimes becomes irritating.

Like in this case. Sonakshi Sinha was specially trained by Salman Khan himself for Dabangg. Apparently, he helped her lose a lot of weight and put her on a really strict diet. Only recently was she seen on the cover for Prevention magazine, which is a fitness magazine in India.

Then why the need to lose even more weight? For an upcoming movie of course for a super-glammed up role! So Sonakshi is set to lose even more weight. Guess which movie requires her to do this? Abbas-Mustan’s upcoming flick Race 2! Remember the movie, with these unbelievably hot women who looked super dressed up and gorgeous even when they were being chased by a murderer who wanted to run them over with his pick-up truck? Yes, that movie. She’s replacing Bipasha Basu, so imagine the pressure to look as hot as she did in the first part.

“First, I had to lose weight for my debut in Dabangg. Now I’ve to get into even better shape for ‘Joker’ and ‘Race 2?. “For the last two years that’s all I seem to be doing. Losing weight. But I am fine with that. Because it’s important for me to look good.” Of course it’s important, you’ll lose your job if you don’t!

Prateik wants to be like Saif

Prateik Babbar, son of Smita Patil and Raj Babbar, has been anointed the Next Big Thing in Bollywood. The 24-year-old star of Dhobi Ghat will go up against fellow young actors Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan for all the romantic comedies currently being written for the teenybopper audience. But Prateik has been saying he’s looking for more. He’s completed My Friend Pinto produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and begins filming Prakash Jha’s Arakshan next in Bhopal, where he’s excited about spending time with co-star Saif Ali Khan.

A fan of Saif since his school years when he first watched Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Prateik befriended the Chhote Nawab recently when he bumped into him at their common gym. Saif happily offered words of wisdom to the young actor:  “Stay relaxed, don’t stress. Listen to yourself over others.” Keen on charting a career similar to Saif’s, Prateik seems to be seeking out films that are likely to appeal to an audience with an urban sensibility. Like Saif, he also wants to grow into something of a musician someday. While Saif is a trained guitar player who jams with professional bands like Parikrama occasionally, Prateik is still learning how to strum.

On Sunday, at a charity fashion show organised by Shabana Azmi, Prateik allegedly snubbed Karan Johar who complimented him on his performance in Dhobi Ghat. Fifteen minutes later, he bumped into the director again, and asked him what he thought of his work in the film. Bewildered, the filmmaker is believed to have reminded him that he’d praised him only minutes ago. A spaced-out Prateik muttered an “Oh…ummm…okay,” before taking off in the opposite direction, leaving Johar confused again.