23 Years of Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani - Page 3

Originally posted by: Clochette

Thanx a lot, Vimal 😊 I recognized some remarks I'd read in Anupama's book.

So, it's a recent article, from 2020 (what's the source/magazine?).

Yes, Juhi also told me that they were heart-broken. But she also said that they founded Dreamz Unlimited to make this movie in which they believed.

Okay, you asked if the movie is "bad". No, it is not, absolutely not (despite some flaws).

It is an unusual movie in many ways - going from appearently superficial/over-the-top/silly-funny to more serious to dramatic to profound...with a matching leading pair (both at the same position)... with intelligent observations about media, capitalism and politics...with good songs...with a romantic plot and another kind of plot...with ironie, sarcasm and silly humour.

I could understand that - at that time (and with Hrithiks surprisingly successful yet uncomplicated movie still in the theatres) this movie did not sustain after a decent first week.

How do you know all these Bollywoodiyas being German?😕

If you know anyone looking for stories, please let me know. Seriously. I've got a couple which got rave reviews, including one from Kirkus.

SRK and Juhi were cute in it.

TRP race was relevant then and it’s more relevant today.
Songs are best. Abhijit’s voice suits srk the most.

HMR, I met Juhi in Francfort when she was there with Onir and Sanjay Suri for a special screening of I am. It was a little Onir-festival as he has lived and studied in Germany and many Germans have helped to produce the movie.

If you like writing stories to be the basis of a movie then why not try to send them to different production houses? However, I guess that it is better to live nearby to hand them over as manuscript or narrate them personally or look for connections.

No, I don't know anyone who asks for stories. I know that, e.g., SRK gets x-number of them (through RedChillies and handed over at the gate)...

Phir Bhi Dil Hain Hindustani performed very poorly at the box office, but it was not a bad film. It was clever and funny in highlighting the media TRP rat race. There was genuine warmth and patriotism asking people to search for truth independently. For whatever reason, it simply did not resonate with audiences at the time of release.

Originally posted by: return_to_hades

Phir Bhi Dil Hain Hindustani performed very poorly at the box office, but it was not a bad film. It was clever and funny in highlighting the media TRP rat race. There was genuine warmth and patriotism asking people to search for truth independently. For whatever reason, it simply did not resonate with audiences at the time of release.

Originally posted by: Maroonporsche

It came one week after KNPH. Maybe the audience was too transfixed with Hrithik

Yes. I think PBDHH was trying to capitalize on the patriotic sentiment with a Republic day release. SRK and Juhi were an established and beloved couple. They wouldn't have expected two newcomers to make a huge dent. But KNPH really ignited Hrithik mania. All my friends at the time were too busy swooning over Hrithik multiple times to pay attention to anything else.

Originally posted by: Clochette

If you like writing stories to be the basis of a movie then why not try to send them to different production houses? However, I guess that it is better to live nearby to hand them over as manuscript or narrate them personally or look for connections.

If you have connections, how do you politely ask them for assistance?

Not that I have anything now. But I have always wanted to write a screenplay. Someday when life isn't too chaotic, I want to take a screenwriting class and write something—just a long shot for time pass. Luckily I have a day job I'm satisfied with.

Originally posted by: return_to_hades

If you have connections, how do you politely ask them for assistance?

Not that I have anything now. But I have always wanted to write a screenplay. Someday when life isn't too chaotic, I want to take a screenwriting class and write something—just a long shot for time pass. Luckily I have a day job I'm satisfied with.

That's the thing. 😆 I don't have any connections. But if I did, i wouldn't know how to either. Asking Clochette is the closest I've come. And that was more a blurting without thinking.

Believing Wikipedia, the movie wasn't a complete failure as it"grossed ₹18.20 crore (US$2.3 million) in India and $1.67 million (₹7.26 crore) in other countries, for a worldwide total of ₹25.46 crore (US$3.2 million), against its ₹13 crore (US$1.6 million) budget. It had a worldwide opening weekend of ₹7.45 crore (US$930,000), and grossed ₹12.50 crore (US$1.6 million) in its first week.[2] It is the 13th-highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2000 worldwide.[7]" (Wikipedia/BOI).

The numbers here differ from the numbers written in the article, though.

Oh...connections...as I'm rather straight-forward/honest, I would tell, what I have and what I want...to everybody I can get a hold on in person (related to filmmaking)...so maybe I'm given the runaround but maybe, too, some pillar or some post might get interested...😉

That's why I think one has to be nearby the persons one wants to talk to. In my thinking, phone and mail are only further options.

And yes, it needs patience, perseverance...and luck.

If I had a filmscript (which I haven't), I certainly would contact Shibani Bathija because I had a lengthy talk with her in Berlin (when MNIK was the opening movie of the Berlinale) or I would try to meet Niranjan Iyengar who may also remember me from a lengthy talk I had with him.

So sometimes it's like "I know one who knows one who knows one whom I can contact/meet/talk to"