Box office Reports: continue bad response from three new releases

Box office Reports: continue bad response from three new releases: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, Phas Gaye Re Obama and Rakht Charitra - 2 - the three releases of last week couldn’t do much to fight the box office blues. As the year 2010 is mostly a year of flops, a lot depends on the December releases.

The biggest film of the week, Ashutosh Gowariker’s Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey disappointed its makers with collection of just Rs 3.50 crore approx from its first weekend. The collections on Saturday and Sunday were better but can’t help the movie from being a sure-shot dud.

Phas Gaye Re Obama, the best of the lot, also had a poor weekend of just Rs 1.25 crore approx. The film did pick up on Saturday, alas, it couldn’t continue its better run at the BO. It can be said that the masses are still not accepting small budget films in a big way.

Rakht Charitra 2 had weekend business of only Rs 2 crore approx. The film is said to be better than Rakta Charitra 1 but its collections are lower. The first was a flop and second is also on its way.

Now all eyes are set on Yashraj Films’ Band Baaja Baaraat which is an entertainer releasing on December 10 along with the madcap comedy No Problem.

Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek at KHJJS premiere

Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek at KHJJS premiere: Actor Abhishek Bachchan, along with his wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and director Ashutosh Gowarikar, attended a special screening of his recently-released film 'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey' (KHJJS) here on Sunday evening.

Prior to the screening, the cast interacted with winners of ITC Fiama Di Wills Facebook contest organized to promote the film.

Speaking to the media, Gowarikar said, "I am very much pleased to see the response here. My film is completely based on Manini Chatterjee's book 'Do or Die'.

"As to my imagination, Abhishek resembled the persona of Master Da (Surjyo Sen). We don't have any footage or pictures of Master Da. So I imagined his body language and matched it with Abhishek. And the outcome is in front of you all. In short, the core of this film is the young generation who took revolution to the zenith".

Junior Bachchan sounded very excited on his new on-screen avatar of a freedom fighter.

"Surjyo Sen is a natural hero. But such a great name has almost been forgotten. Sixty-four people showed resistance to the British rule, of which 55 were merely boys," said Abhishek.

"Master Da is an iconic figure and each and every one should know his fight to independence. So to me, Ashutosh Sir has completely done justice by making a film on such a legend. Now the whole of India, rather the whole world will come in terms to what he did for India's independence," he added.

The film is based on Chittagong Uprising of 1930.

Box Office Report: Currently New Releases get down

Box Office Report: Currently New Releases get down: The movie buff isn’t in the mood for an outing it seems. For all the three releases of this Friday, Rakht Charitra - 2, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey and Phas Gaye Re Obama have opened to very poor response at box office.

Many expectations were attached to Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Khelein Hum… starring Abhishek Bachchan and Deepika Padukone. But despite the film’s patriotic theme, it got 10 to 20 percent response on its opening day.

Ram Gopal Varma’s Rakht Charitra 2 is faring no better. The film introducing south star Suriya to Bollywood is doing dull business even at single screen theatres where it was expected to do well.

Director Subhash Kapoor’s black comedy Phas Gaye Re Obama is also doing very poor despite getting rave reviews from critics.
Verdict: the box office also seems to have mood swings.

'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey' challenge for Abhishek!

'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey' challenge for Abhishek!: If a character is a real historical figure and there’s hardly any material available on him, playing the character becomes all the more challenging.

That’s the challenge that Abhishek Bachchan faced while doing director Ashutosh Gowariker’s film Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey in which he plays the revolutionary Surjya Sen who was the central figure of the Chittagong uprising of the 1930s.

“Even in Indian history very little is known about the Chittagong uprising. When I got to know about it I felt it was a story worth telling,” Abhishek is quoted to have said.

But how did he work on his character when there was so little info available?

“It was difficult because there was no ready reference. There is no video footage, few photographs of Surjya Da are available that too post his arrest and the uprising. It was challenging for me to prepare for a man like him in terms of physicality,” Abhishek said.

Thankfully, director Ashutosh Gowariker had done extensive research on the subject.

The film is based on journalist Manini Chatterjee's book Do and Die: The Chittagong Uprising 1930-34. Both Abhishek, Deepika Padukone and other actors who play significant roles read the book before shooting for the film.

Abhishek said the film is a tribute to the freedom fighters.

“The film is an attempt to pay tribute to those involved in the Chittagong uprising. I did this film because I wanted to pay tribute to freedom fighters of our country,” Abhishek said.

The film has released today.

'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey' Trailer

'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey' Trailer: Director of films like Lagaan and Jodhaa Akbar, Ashutosh Gowariker has released the first promo of his film Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey which is based on India’s struggle for freedom during 1930s.

Abhishek Bachchan plays the lead character of Master da Surya Sen while Deepika Padukone is one of the revolutionaries who helps him to defeat the British invaders and get hold of Chittagong armoury. According to Ashutosh Gowariker, the most interesting fact for him was that 59 of the 64 revolutionaries involved in this famous 1930 uprising were teenagers.

“They were ready to give up their life for the country. It was the driving force for me during the making of KHJJS.”

Entirely shot in Goa, the movie’s look is simple and authentic.

Ashutosh said during the launch of first promo that he hasn’t tried to create his own version of the event in KHJJS; which, however, was not the case with his periodic film Lagaan. Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey is based on Manini Chatterjee’s book ‘Do And Die’.

The movie is releasing on December 3. Now watch first promo here:

Abhishek Bachchan in ‘Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey’ first look

Abhishek Bachchan in ‘Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey’ first look: He has mastered the art of making period films. After making movies like Lagaan and Jodhaa Akbar, director Ashutosh Gowariker is back with Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey which is based on a book by Manini Chaterjee on Chittagong Uprising of 1930. The tall, dark, handsome Abhishek Bachchan plays freedom fighter Masterda Surya Sen, and the beautiful Deepika Padukone plays his comrade Kalpana Datta.

On the fateful day of April 18, 1930, with barely 65 people and extremely limited resources, Surya Sen and his revolutionaries attempted the Chittagong armoury raid against a fully trained and equipped military machine of British invaders. The little group took on forces numbering several thousand at police armoury and hoisted there the Indian national flag.

The film is entirely shot in Goa and is scheduled for a worldwide release on 3 December 2010. The music of the movie is composed by Sohail Sen and lyrics are by Javed Akhtar.

Here is the first look and other stills from the film: