Supreme Court lifts Uttar Pradesh ban on 'Aarakshan'

The Supreme Court Friday "quashed and set aside" the two-month ban imposed by the Uttar Pradesh government on the screening of filmmaker Prakash Jha's " Aarakshan".

An apex court bench of Justice M. Sharma and Justice Anil R. Dave said the state government cannot seek deletion of certain potions of the film as this amounted to censorship.

The court said once the Central Board of Film Certification cleared the public screening of a film, no state government can raise objections on its content.

Referring to the Uttar Pradesh government's contention that reservation was a very delicate issue and certain scenes in "Aarakshan" had the potential of affecting the law and order situation, the court said it could not agree with this as the film is being shown all over the country, including in the states which are sensitive to reservation.

"Aarakshan", starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, deals with caste-based reservations in the Indian education system.

Aarakshan earns Rs 25 crore in four days

Bans, protests and a long weekend may have affected the business of director Prakash Jha's new offering Aarakshan, but despite all the problems, the movie about caste-based reservations in the Indian education system has managed to earn Rs 25 crore in four days. Trade analysts are hoping this will pick up in the second week.

Released on Friday, the film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Manoj Bajpayee and Deepika Padukone, is described as a well-crafted film on the need for education. The film was said to be made for Rs 42 crore.

"The occupancy stayed around 60-70 per cent. The film did not release in Uttar Pradesh. The response in Delhi was average. On Saturday-Sunday cops had stopped the screening of the film in Gurgaon due to security issues, so it did affect the business," said a source from PVR Cinemas.

Yogesh Raizada, corporate head (Cinemas) of Wave Cinemas, said: The response to the film was not as good as we expected. We were expecting that the occupancy would be 100 percent as it was a long weekend but the occupancy has been 70 to 80 per cent. It might be because most of the people went on vacation. The film is likely to pick up in the second week."

Prakash Jha had anticipated losses when the film was banned in three states -- Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh for fear of anti-Dalit comments in the movie.

Though the ban was lifted in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday and in Punjab on Monday, it is still on in Uttar Pradesh, which has the maximum Hindi speaking audience.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to file its reply by Thursday to filmmaker Prakash Jha's petition seeking a stay of the ban.

"The film did not release in Uttar Pradesh as a result there was a 50 per cent drop in our business," said Puneet Sahay, senior manager for programming and operations at Spice Cinemas, Noida.

"We were running old films and it's occupancy was also around 25 per cent. We were looking upto Aarakshan as it was a long weekend but due to the ban we have indeed suffered losses."

Ban lifted for 'Aarakshan' in Punjab

Theatres in Punjab will Monday screen Prakash Jha's "Aarakshan", which deals with the issue of caste-based reservations, after the government announced it was lifting the ban on the film.

"We have deleted the scenes and dialogues to which the state government committee had objections. These portions have been submitted to the state government and will not be shown. The rest of the film will be screened in theatres across Punjab," an official of a multiplex at Zirakpur, near Chandigarh, said Monday.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had Sunday cleared the file, revoking the ban on the film across the state, officials said.

The ban was revoked after Prakash Jha Productions agreed to delete the objectionable scenes and dialogues following a letter by Punjab's principal secretary (home).

A high-level committee set up by the Punjab government to preview the movie had Friday recommended revocation of the ban in the state if the film producer agreed to make certain changes.

The committee said the film contained some dialogues and scenes that could provoke the emotions of certain communities, especially those from the weaker sections of society.

"This may prove to be a disturbing factor in society, especially in Punjab where more than 31 percent of the 2.77 crore population belongs to the weaker sections, including the Scheduled Castes," the panel said.

The committee even listed the positive aspects of the film.

"The committee felt that the movie has depicted the educational backwardness of the Dalits, which can be addressed in a positive manner and the same is well brought out," its report said.

"The movie focuses on the bane of commercialisation of education. It has clearly brought out the message that the educational system needs to be improved for the uplift of the Dalits."

A spokesperson of the committee said: "Since the overall message of the movie is positive, the committee feels that the movie may be released in Punjab after making the amendments as suggested."

The government imposed a ban on the film Thursday following intelligence reports that it could lead to social disturbance.

"Aarakshan" stars Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone.

Movie Review of Aarakshan Movie

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Prateik Babbar, Manoj Bajpai

Director: Prakash Jha

Rating: ** 1/2

Choose an explosive title for your movie, hire a clever PR agent and then pick up some controversies along the way.

At a time, when politicians and the rest of our moral brigade are just waiting for the slightest opportunity to shout themselves hoarse if they find something or someone 'offending' their sensibilities, there couldn't have been a better way of getting a movie wanted as well as unwanted attention.

When Jha made films like Mrityudand and Gangajal, you could sense a genuine intention behind them. With Aarakshan, I am not so sure.

Do I even need to mention that Aarakshan deals with, or is supposed to deal with, reservation for Dalits and other 'pichchde jaati ke log'? Everyone in India (even those who aren't Bollywood buffs) knows by now what all the noise has been about.

But here comes the twist ”while you go in expecting an explosive movie on the issue of caste-based reservation, you end up listening to a lambi bhashan on the commercialisation of education!

Deepak Kumar (Saif Ali Khan) doesn't use his second name, so you have to assume he belongs to the Dalit community, and Dr. Prabhakar Anand (Amitabh Bachchan) dotes on him and his brilliance. Anand is the principal of the college and is a strict disciplinarian with rigid rules against corruption.

Some of the trustees aren't too happy with the stubborn principal. Anand, saviour of the downtrodden, gets into trouble when some people take advantage of his generosity.

Anand's daughter Purbi (Deepika Padukone) is in love with Deepak, but breaks all ties with him when he has an argument with her dad. Sushant (Prateik Babbar) is Purbi's college mate and he wants to fight against reservation in education.

This film, which deals with education more than reservation, holds your interest in the first half, but meanders aimlessly in the second half. Some of the scenes, especially the climax, are unwittingly hilarious.

But I must make a mention of a few rare scenes and dialogues that are likeable. Like the scene between Anand and his wife (Tanvi Azmi), when she presents her layman view on reservation.

As for the performances, Amitabh Bachchan is more than excellent. His transition from a person in authority to a helpless teacher shines above everything and anyone.

One can't really imagine anyone else doing that role as well as Mr Bachchan. Saif has made a sincere attempt and is more or less convincing, but his character is sketchy.

Deepika is pretty good, but I wish she didn't deliver dialogues like she has just mugged them up in her dad's classroom. Prateik is a huge disappointment. This guy needs better direction. Manoj Bajpai's mediocre performance as a greedy and power- hungry teacher comes as a surprise.

Given how extensively the film talks about the commercialisation of education, I think someone should take up the cause of commercialisation of inflammatory issues.

While Jha has succeeded in garnering enough attention for Aarakshan as a result, he has failed to give this sensitive issue its due. That, in my opinion, is not a good thing either.

Sorry, the box office is reserved

Almost 12 months before the release of his next, "Don 2", on January 5, Farhan Akhtar announced on the internet that the movie will arrive in cinemas on December 23, 2011.

The announcement was probably made not just for the benefit of his fans, but also for his Bollywood contemporaries. After all, if he's considering optimising the most revenue generating weekend of the year, he might as well give a heads-up to those considering a release date around that time.

But Farhan's not the only one. Shah Rukh Khan is reportedly contemplating a Diwali weekend release for his ambitious sci-fi production "RA.One", while Salman Khan is looking at the Eid weekend for the release of "Bodyguard", starring Kareena Kapoor. And director Madhur Bhandarkar did quite the flip-flop while deciding on a date for the release of "Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji". He shifted the date from January 28 to January 26 to capitalise on the holiday's advantage, but then shifted it again to the 28th.

Where big ticket movies are concerned, filmmakers try to 'book' one of the five most profitable weekends of the year for their movie's release almost four-five months in advance. Says Tanuj Garg, CEO of Balaji Motion Pictures, "When producers come with big-budget movies, they like to take advantage of one of the five most important weekends of the year - Republic Day, Independence Day, Eid, Diwali and Christmas. And once they tentatively decide on the dates, they make announcements, at least in the trade, for a heads-up to the others. The truth is that everyone, especially the big stars, are always battling for these dates as soon as their movies are decided."

Malamaal weekly
The math is simple, say directors. These weekends mean an additional holiday, which means more people heading to theatres. Says director Vipul Shah, whose "Action Replayy" released on the Diwali weekend in 2010, "These days are helpful, even though one doesn't particularly finish work to ensure a release on one of these four-five big days. But yes, if your movie does finish around this time, the dates give you a 20-25% increase in revenue." Those in the trade agree. Says Anant Varma of DT Cinemas, "The revenue depends on whether these dates fall on a weekday or weekend, but they are always more important than others. Of all the dates, Christmas is the biggest week, and Aamir Khan has always done something special for it, and almost has a monopoly over it."

Santa clause?
But those in the industry do not acknowledge any such monopoly. Director Farah Khan, who released her "Tees Maar Khan" on Christmas weekend last year, says she never checked with Aamir if she could release the film on that date, contrary to stories. Even Vikas Bahl of UTV, who produced the movie, says, "It's no one's weekend but Santa's. Perhaps Santa goes to Aamir's chimney more often around that time, but it's always open to others too. "TMK" did good business."

Irrespective of the superstar, the Christmas weekend has great potential, says Kamal Gyanchandnani of PVR Pictures. He explains, "Yes, the numbers speak louder in Aamir's case, but the weekend is such that it generates more revenue. Christmas is a pure holiday and you don't have any social obligations. During Diwali, people are busy distributing gifts and don't have so much time for entertainment. In terms of pecking order, Christmas is the most important and January 26 the least."

The release date for Prakash Jha's " Aarakshan" was decided months in advance, and the director has been quoted as saying, "One has to do deep thinking for tapping the film business. I had decided on Aug 12 as the release date of "Aarakshan" even before I started shooting it. By releasing it that day, we are getting Rakhi, Independence Day (August 15) and a week or so later, Janmashtami (August 22) too. With so many holidays and festivals, we hope to get a lot of footfall in cinema halls."

War of the weekends
Republic Day week (January 28):
Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji
Eid week (August 30): Bodyguard
Diwali (Mid October): RA.One
Christmas (December 23): Don 2

No love triangle in Aarakshan: Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone isn't surprised certain people have certain issues with her upcoming film Aarakshan that talks about the sensitive issue of reservations in our country. In an exclusive conversation with Gaurav Malani , she speaks about everything from her take on reservations to who would she want to reserve from the industry for herself.

How much scope do you have in a male-dominated political drama like Aarakshan?
Well I believe that the character that I play of Purbi Anand has a very strong and important voice in the film. She's a girl who is torn between her father and boyfriend when the issue of Aarakshan flares up. She idolizes her father, loves her boyfriend but at the same time understands the situation and where both of them are coming from. The decision that she makes thereon is important.

What is your personal take on reservations?
It's an issue that I've always been very aware of. But having done the film, it's very difficult for me to tell whether I am for it or against it because I know both sides of the story now. I know the implications and the complications that it has and I don't even know what the solution to it is.

Does the film take any stance towards reservations?
The film doesn't talk about pro or anti reservations. What it does is states facts and reality like it is in our country today.

Aarakshan is facing a lot of opposition for its theme...
Since it is such a sensitive issue, I am not surprised that certain people have certain issues with the film. Having said that, being a part of the film, I believe it is unfair for people to react at a stage when they haven't seen the film. Ok, the promos are suggesting certain things but you still don't know what the entire film is about. So I feel until you have seen the entire film, one shouldn't really judge it.

What is the one thing you learnt from Amitabh Bachchan?
I can't say I learnt one thing from Amitabh Bachchan. It has been an overall learning experience - watching him interact with people, the way he is on the sets, the way he performs in front of the camera. The minute he walks in the room, he has this certain energy and aura about him. He made me feel very comfortable, instilled a lot of confidence in me and he's also fun to work with.

Don't you think Saif is too suave and sophisticated to play a Dalit?
I think this is where the fact that he is a good actor comes into play. A lot of people felt that because of, say maybe, his personal lineage or the fact that he has played only certain kind of roles that he can't play certain other kind of roles. But I think what he did in Omkara was a classic example of that. He took people by surprise and won awards and acclaim for that film.

Is there a love triangle between Saif, Prateik and you in the film?
No there isn't a love triangle. The conflict for me is of three different kinds. One is with my father whom I worship and idolize and look up to. The issues I have with my friend (Prateik) and my love (Saif) are separate.

Which was the most difficult part of working in Aarakshan?
I think to hold my own amongst so many male characters within the film was really challenging for me.

Finally, given a chance, which actor/director would you want to reserve for yourself?
I think I would want to reserve an entire classroom so that I can have many actors and directors in that. It's a never-ending list!

Shabana condemns protests against 'Aarakshan'

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi has condemned the protests against Prakash Jha's forthcoming film " Aarakshan" as "shameful". 


"Vandalism against 'Aakarshan' must be condemned in the strongest terms possible. As always, those protesting have not even seen the film. Shameful," Shabana wrote on microblogging site Twitter. "Am outraged that inspite of censor certificate, different groups are trying to prevent its release. 

Of what use is the Censor Board if after it certifies a film, different groups can prevent it from being released without even watching it!" she added. "Aarakshan", starring Amitabh Bachchan, Manoj Bajpayee, Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan, is based on caste-based reservation in the Indian education system. Prakash Jha's house and office in Mumbai were attacked Saturday by activists of the Republican Party of India (RPI). The film is scheduled to be released Aug 12.

'Aarakshan' is not dergatory to Scheduled Castes in any way

Filmmaker Prakash Jha wants to have a discussion and dispel the doubts of the National Commission of Scheduled Castes (NCSC), which has sought to see his film "Aarakshan" even before the censor board watches it. The panel wants to confirm that the film has not misinterpreted the constitutional provision for reservations of the socially backward classes. Jha said, having high regard for the commission, he is ready to have a linear discussion to dispel their doubts before arriving at any decision on their demand. "I have heard that they have some doubts. We want to know what doubt they have for which they want to see the film even before the censor board, before the release of the film." "It's a very honorable commission, who are working for human rights and the socially backward classes. I'd like to dispel any suspicions or doubts that they may have. First we should sit together and discuss their doubt, then only I would be able to take any decision," Jha told. Releasing Aug 12, "Aarakshan" is a high voltage socio-political drama based on the most controversial policies of caste-based reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Manoj Bajpai, Deepika Padukone, Pratieik Babbar and Tanvi Azmi play pivotal roles in the film.

Saif strikes the right chord in Bhopal

While shooting in Bhopal for Prakash Jha's next " Aarakshan", Saif Ali Khan goes out of his way to oblige his fans who come to the sets to catch a glimpse of their favourite star.

Saif also takes time out to interact with his fans while working out by the poolside of the hotel he's staying at.

"A huge crowd of over a hundred people gathers almost everyday to watch Saif while he works out by the poolside of the hotel in Bhopal... Saif's a pretty relaxed guy and minus starry airs talks to his fans in between his workouts," a source said in a statement.

When the star is in a jovial mood, he also strums a couple of songs on his guitar for them, said the source.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan and actress Deepika Padukone are also shooting with Saif in Bhopal.