IS RAM GOPAL VARMA RENAMING THE TITLE OF HIS FILM SHOLAY TO RAM GOPAL VARMA KI AAG?

Has Bollywood director Ram Gopal Varma decided to release the remake of yesteryear's blockbuster Sholay by changing the much publicised title Ram Gopal Varma Ki Sholay?
A high drama was witnessed on the issue on Wednesday in the Delhi High Court as Sascha Sippy, who claims to be the owner of the film Sholay cited a news report that Varma has decided to release the movie on July 13 by not only changing the title, but also changing the names of popular characters like "Gabbar Singh" and "Basanti".
The title has been changed from Ram Gopal Varma Ki Sholay to Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag and the popular characters Gabbar Singh and Basanti have been renamed as "Babban Singh" and "Ghungroo", Sippy's counsel Pravin Anand contended, referring to a report on a website. He said Varma's interview in this regard was aired on Monday on a national channel.
Justice Gita Mittal before whom a petition of infringement of trade mark and copyright on Sholay was pending against Varma, said if the change of title and name of character was acceptable to Sippy, it would end the issue of release of the film in question.
However, senior advocate Rajiv Nayar and Amit Naik, counsel for Varma, expressed ignorance of the interview and said they did not have any idea of any such interview on any channel.
In view of the conflicting statements by the contesting parties, the court directed them to take instructions from their clients and inform it about the facts.
Amit Naik, after brief adjournment, informed the court that his client (Varma) had not given any such interview. He said the film cannot be released as it would require a lot of promotional activities.
Following which Sippy's counsel decided not to raise the issue and proceeded ahead with the routine arguments to establish that Varma's film could not be released by using the title Sholay.
The court, in an interim order in October last, had stayed the release of Varma's much hyped remake of the 1970s' blockbuster Sholay.
The court was hearing a suit filed by Sippy Films Pvt Ltd and Sholay Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, owned by Sascha Sippy and Shan Uttam Singh, to permanently restrain Varma from releasing the film Ram Gopal Varma Ki Sholay maintaining the use of the name Sholay by any other entity amounts to infringement of trade mark and copyright.
The roadblocks for the release of the film in which superstar Amitabh Bachchan has assumed the role of "Gabbar Singh" came on a lawsuit filed by the grandson of G P Sippy, who had produced Sholay.
Sippy had contended that they also have copyright on the use of character "Gabbar Singh" which was played by late Amjad Khan in Sholay.
Sascha Sippy, director of the Sippy Films, claimed that the late G P Sippy's son Ajit Sippy who reportedly sold the copyrights to Varma, had no such rights himself to transfer the same to others.
The suit was filed after it was reported that Verma had began shooting the film titled -- Ram Gopal Varma Ki Sholay.
The suit said the use of names -- Sholay and Gabbar Singh -- by Varma also amounts to infringement of moral right as there was threat to destruction of original work.
He submitted that the script and screenplay of Sholay are the original literary works, protected under Sections 14 and 51 of the Copyright Act of 1957.


LINDSAY LOHAN PROMISES SHE'LL LEAD A QUIETER LIFE

ASIN TALKS BIG, AND CAN'T STOP TALKING: WILL SOMEONE TELL HER TO SHUT UP AND PUT UP?

Asin, who has wowed the South Indian audiences with her mesmerising beauty and her acting talent, has been consistent in one thing: teaming up with all the top actors. She has acted with almost all of them in Telugu -- Balakrishna, Venkatesh, Nagarjuna, Pawan Kalyan, Ravi Teja -- you name the star and she has done films with them. Without exception. Maybe Mahesh Babu looks a little too young besides her, which is why he hadn't opted her in his films, and it will take some time for Chiranjeevi to realise her potential.

Not just Tollywood, she is even a name to reckon with in Kollywood -- the Tamily film industry. And now she is pairing opposite Aamir Khan and she is on cloud 9. And she can't help boasting. "Everyone has been saying that after Hema Malini and Sri Devi, I will be as popular in the country." It's a little too much Asin, without even finishing your first film in Bollywood. We know you have the talent and the looks, but they make a good combination when it is tempered with modesty.

Why only Bollywood, she throws around names like Hollywood too. "Wherever I go, whether it is Bollywood or Hollywood, I will still remain Asin," says she. But who wanted you change, Asin?

She also claims that she is not apprehensive about anyone stealing her position in the Telugu film industry. What position does she enjoy in the Telugu film industry today? None. Because the likes of Ileana have pushed her out of the scene long time back. And, as far as we know, no Tollywood filmmaker is planning to cast her against the top heroes her.

It is not difficult to fathom her big airs. Right now, she is doing Dasavataram with Kamal Hassan, apart from Aamir Khan, which explains her haughty talk.

Nagma & Rambha are making waves in the north!!

They made waves when they were acting in Tollywood. And they had a host of films in their kitty with the top heroes of the Telugu film industry -- Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, Balakrishna, Chiranjeevi and even Junior NTR. We are talking about the buxom Nagma and the bubbly Rambha. They faded into oblivion once they played their part. Or, rather after putting on those extra kilos round their weight, they were show the door. Although we see Rambha hanging around the industry, hoping against hope that some filmmaker would give her a chance, she is not putting all her eggs in the Tollywood basket. She has found new pastures in the north. And has been doing extremely well there. Following in the footsteps of Nagma, she has entered the Bhojpuri film industry, and both of them are today the queen bees of Bhojwood. Now, you must be asking me what Bhojwood is. I will offer you a little gyan. Bhojpuri is a dialect of Hindi spoken in the hinterlands of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. And Bhojpuri films are the major source of entertainment for the locals there. Not wanting to twiddle her thumbs after playing her innings in Tollywood, Nagma headed straight to Bhojwood and did some amazing films there. So much so that she is the most sought after heroine of Bhojpuri film industry. She has acted with almost all the top heroes there and has some stupendous hits to her credit. Especially Panditji Batai, one of her Bhojpuri films, was a runaway success. Later, she acted in another film called Ganga, which is topping the charts. Not just Nagma, even Hema Malini and Amitabh Bachchan too played guest roles in Ganga. Predictably, it is the most talked about film there today. Not to be left behind, her contemporary, Rambha, too who has entered Bhojwood recently, has become the darling of the masses with her debut film Banke Bihari MLA. And she is doing another film with one of the top heroes, Ravi Kissen, which Bhojwood observers say is going to be a smash hit. Given the glamour and oomph they exude on the screen, no wonder filmmakers are lining up to make them lucrative offers. And, for the moment, they are making the most of their glory. Why not?