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Rape As A Formula In Bollywood Films
Rape is a social evil that needs to be spotlighted . But the depiction must not be exploitative . Here are Bollywood films that showed graphic gratuitous rape sequences:
1. Insaaf Ka Tarazu: Based on the sexploitative erotic border-line porn drama Lipstick this film directed by B R Chopra, known to produce socially relevant films, went overboard with two graphic gruesome rape sequences, the first featuring Zeenat Aman and the second, even more nauseating, rape featured the under-age Padmini Kolhapure. ‘Rapist’ Raj Babbar who was new at that time says he was petrified of all the violence, albeit fake that he was required to perpetrate on screen.We were appalled by the film’s lengthy titillating rape romp
2. Zakhmi Aurat: India’s own version of the nauseating American rape spree in I Spit On Your Grave, Zakhmi Aurat directed by Avtar Bhogal featured Dimple Kapadia as a gangrape victim who goes on a castration spree. The film is infamously recalled for Ms Kapadia’s rape sequence where her jeans was yanked off and thrown on to the ceiling fan. Yuck! Though the film was a success Dimple had later confessed it was a mistake to have done this film. We agree.
3. Grahan: Shashilal Nair’s film about the abduction and repeated rape of a girl by a politician was deliberately made as harrowing to watch as the experience must have been for the victim. Manisha Koirala gave a heartrending performance as the rape victim who loses her mind after the attack. Shashilal Nair brought out the horror of rape without sensationalizing it.
4. Bandit Queen: Phoolan Devi’s repeated rape by the provincial politician Govind Namdeo was shot like a graphic uninterrupted nightmare , a nightmare without the comfort of knowing the victim would walk out of it. The rape sequences were raw graphic and horrific. Director Shekhar Kapoor stripped the act of rape of all titillation. All we saw was the humiliation and horror. There was another rape sequence where Seema Biswas was shown bring ravaged under a massive grotesque dacoit. We only saw the dacoit’s ugly posterior in the act. Shekhar said that by showing unattractive male nudity he wanted to strip the act of rape of all titillation. This film showed rape in the most non-provocative repulsive light.
5. Satyakam: Actor Manmohan was regarded as the rape specialist in our films. Any film with him around meant an attempted rape scene with the heroine.But in this sensitive film Manmohan actually succeeded in raping the heroine Sharmila Tagore. Hrishikesh Mukherjee shot the rape reflected in a series of mirror images on the wall, almost like a grotesque parody of Madhubala’s sheesh-mahal act in Mughal-eAzam. The film showed the raped woman’s pregnancy and the idealistic hero Dharmendra’s determined bid to give the ostracized woman a name home and normal life.
6. Benaam Badshah: Anil Kapoor was the lout who rapes Juhi Chawla and then marries her to give her a normal life. We now hear of some real-life cases of rapists marrying their victims. But honestly , how can a woman be comfortable with the man who has violated her. How could Anil and Juhi do this regressive take on rape?
7. Prem Granth: Rajiv Kapoor’s one and only directorial venture showed Madhuri Dixit being raped in a dirty pool of water by Govind Namdeo and gang. In a particularly disgusting display of brute force Namdeo was seen forcing an unclothed Madhuri out of the water by pulling her ear rings upwards until the pain of her wounded bleeding ears forces her out of the water. Despicable gratuitous violence and not the least necessary.
8. Aaj Ki Awaaz: Charles Bronson’s rape-and-revenge saga Death Wish gets a desi spin in this film directed by B R Chopra’s son Ravi Chopra. The rape sequence showed Raj Babbar being forced to watch his sister being raped. This sets the mood for the vigilante’s orgy that follows. The film was a hit. But did we really want an issue as grim as rape to be a sounding-board for a vendetta spree?
9. Dushman: Tanuja Chandra’s chilling story of a serial rapist-killer ,played with terrifying directness by Ashutosh Rana, got its unbearably tragic resonance from Kajol’s performance as twin sisters, one of whom is raped and murdered. Jagit Singh’s song Chitthi na koi sandes…kahan tum chale gaye expressed the agony that a rape victim’s family goes through.
10. Ghar: A happy housewife Rekha is raped while returning with her husband from a film. This is a rare film to show the aftermath of rape in a normal well-to-do working-class atmosphere. But the incredibly beautiful songs composed by R D Burman furnished a softness to the proceedings that seemed out of place.
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Jamuna Had A Love-Hate Relationship With Bollywood

Veteran Telugu actress Jamuna who passed away on Friday, shared an uneasy relationship with the Hindi film industry.She did eleven Hindi films including the iconic Milan in 1967 where Jamuna agreed to play the second lead, or the supporting role if you will, to Nutan.
Jamuna as Gauri was the Other Woman who craved for the hero Sunil Dutt’s attention whereas he had eyes and devotion only for Nutan. In later years Aruna Irani played a similar role in Caravan.
In Milan Jamuna was not keen to do a supporting role. Producer L V Prasad tempted her with three chartbusting songs. Besides, Jamuna had played the same role in Mooga Manasulu, the Telugu original of Milan. But it was the songs composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal which convinced Jamuna to take up the second lead in Milan.
While Nutan had no solo songs in Milan, she did have the chartbuster duet Sawan ka mahina . Jamuna on the other hand, had two splendid Lata Mangeshkar solos: Tohey saawariya naahin khabariya and the magnificent Ghazal Aaj dil pe koi zor chalta nahin.Not only these, Jamuna also had a hit duet with Mukesh based on her character Gauri: Bol Gauri bol tera kaun piya.
But then, fate intervened. After the film released one of Jamuna’s solos, the poignant and memorable Aaj dil pe koi zor chalta nahin was snipped out of the film.
Here is what happened: the Ghazal , one of Lataji’s all-time greats, was very much a part of Milan when it released on 17 March 1967. But then it was seen to hamper the flow of the film and edited out. The beautiful song occurred right after intermission. Producer Prasad, a shrewd filmmaker, got to know that audiences prolonged their loo breaks as there was a song after the break. Hence the sacrifice of a seriously sonorous melody.
Jamuna hardly did Hindi films after Milan. Her last Bollywood appearance was in Raj Kumar Kohli’s Raj Tilak where she was lost in a multistarrer as the royal queen.
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Karan Johar Moves Alia Song From Switzerland To Kashmir

The romantic duet in Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani which was to be shot in Switzerland and which was delayed due to the film’s leading lady Alia Bhatt’s motherhood, is now being relocated to Kashmir.
Purely out of the love for new mom Alia.
Says a source in the know, “Karan loves Alia like his own daughter. He would do anything for her. He postponed the release of Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani as the love duet could not be shot before Alia’s maternity leave. Karan had decided to shoot the song in Switzerland after Alia’s maternity love. But now he has relocated the song to Kashmir as Alia doesn’t want to leave her baby girl behind for long stretches.”
And as Karan Johar argued, snow is snow. How does it matter whether it is Switzerland or Kashmir?
This song would be Karan Johar’s tribute to his idol Yash Chopra. Alia would be dressed in chiffon sarees while Ranveer, for a change, would be seen in formals.
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Bobby Deol’s Switchover To Villainous Roles

After Prakash Jha’s webseries Ashram where Bobby played a sleazy godman, and Love Hostel where he was a ruthless assassin, he is playing the villain to Ranbir Kapoor in Sandeep Vanga’s Animal.
Bobby says it is not conscious career decision to play negative characters but a conscious decision to play interesting characters. “ I don’t look at characters as positive or negative.When I watch films there is always one character that stays with you. I want to play that character.”
Prakash Jha’s Ashram proved a gamechanger for Bobby. He admits finding challenging roles is tough. “I am trying. I am doing Sandeep Vanga’s Animal with Ranbir Kapoor , Parineeti Chopra. Then I am doing the family film Apne 2 which I am very excited about.”
In an earlier interview with this writer Bobby spoke about his long absence from screen before Prakash Jha’s Ashram. “My fans would ask why I wasn’t being seen on the screen.And I couldn’t tell them it was because I wasn’t getting good roles. But my fans stood by me. They gave me the strength to keep looking for the right roles. Thankfully I found the roles I liked. My new films have given me some new fans. I am thankful I am still here. Yeah , I am in a good space right now.”
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Pathaan Collects 55 crore nett in India On Day 1

YRF’s Pathaan has apparently wiped out all previous records as it collected 55 crore nett in India and recorded the biggest ever Day 1 for a Hindi film. The total collections of Pathaan on Day One is 57 crore nett (Hindi – 55 crore and dubbed versions 2 crore).
It is the widest Hindi release of all time in India and also the highest grossing 1st Day for a Hindi film.It is also the highest grosser on the first first for a non-holiday release. Pathhan is also the highest opener for Shah Rukh Khan.
Akshaye Widhani, CEO of Yash Raj Films, says, “It is a historic day for Indian cinema and we are humbled to see the love and appreciation that is flowing for Pathaan globally. For Pathaan to shatter records in this fashion on a non holiday, just proves that the theatrical business is here to stay, provided we make films that entice people to come to the cinemas to witness a never seen before experience that entertains them thoroughly.“
He adds, “We, at YRF, are thrilled with the start that the film has got across India and we are hopeful that Pathaan brings joy to cine-goers globally in the days to come! Pathaan is the fourth film of our YRF Spy Universe and we are thrilled that we have been able to elevate the cinematic experience of audiences with each film from this franchise. We humbly share this moment with all the stake-holders of the film who have given their blood, sweat and tears to give people a movie-going experience like never before.”
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