On November 21, 2014, Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy, Azamgarh, completed 100 years of its life. Widely acknowledged by scholars of Asian neighbours, this academy of letters specializes in research on Islamic learning, medieval Indian history and oriental studies.
Moulded in the scholarly tradition of India’s ancient centre of learning, Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy in the old Azamgarh town has taken its place alongside some known modern research institutions. A well-equipped library and a well-organised publication department, putting out original works or the fruits of modern research in oriental philosophy, history and culture, make it envy of many institutions in the field.
Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy was conceived by Allama Shibli Nomani and established by his disciples headed by Maulana Hamiduddin Farahi on November 21, 1914, three days after his death with the main objectives to nurture and sustain a body of scholarly authors, provide a congenial environment for scholars to create, compile and translate literary works of high scholastic and historical value and undertake printing and publication of literary works of the Academy.
Chairman Istiyaq Ahmed Zilli said that it was aimed at effectively meeting increasing intellectual and ideological challenges faced by the Muslim community of the sub-continent after the collapse of their political authority and its replacement by British power.
The Academy continued to create scholarly works in the fields of Islamic history and literature. It had so far published more than 250 books, including significant ones like Sirat-un-Nabi and Al Faruq. The Academy had maintained an unbroken tradition of publication of its Urdu monthly journal ‘Maarif’ in uninterrupted circulation since July 1916. The Academy had nurtured a rare environment of single-minded and selfless devotion to academic pursuits.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Varanasi / by Binay Singh, TNN / November 29th, 2014
Once, these saris used to be woven by master craftsmen in Mysore. In the 17th century, Maharao Kishore Singh, a Mughal general campaigning for emperor Aurangzeb, took back with him some of these master weavers to reproduce these handcrafted, light and colourful saris in his town of Kota in Rajasthan. Over time, these saris came to be known as Kota Doria saris and the town itself became famous for this craftsmanship.
Centuries later, the Chennai youngster, so used to the heavier silk saris of the south, is taking a liking to these light saris. Catering to this demand, Noor Mohammed, 32, whose family has more than a hundred years of history in weaving Doria sarees, is bringing his wares to the city for the fourth time.
Noor Mohammed, who hails from Kaithoon village in Kota, says, where the weavers from Mysore came to between 1684 and 1695.
“This is the sole occupation of our village and we have more than 3,000 loom pits.”
Kaithoon is the biggest producer of Kota Doria in Kota. Mohammed primarily exhibits in Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai.
“A few years ago, our villagers were mazdooris (labourers) for businessmen who sold our sarees. Then, every family had an income of only Rs 4,500 a month. So we approached chief minister Vasundhara Raje and the government suggested that we weave and sell our own sarees. That’s when we formed our own weaving society, which has more than a hundred women. Now, the entire family weaves together.”
Mohammed says the family incomes have doubled now.
Kota Doria (Doria means thread) is made of cotton and silk threads in different combinations in warp and weft (vertical and horizontal weaving). The weaving produces square check patterns on the fabric known as ‘khat’. The skilfully made khat becomes transparent which is a unique characteristic of this fabric. An authentic Kota Doria is soft to touch with very little starch. Since the fabric is woven by hand on traditional pit looms, the edges on the side are slightly uneven.
“Contrary to the taste of south Indians, there is a separate crowd- mostly youngsters who go in for Kota because of its lightness,” says city based textile businessman C Balamurugan. “It weighs not more than a dupatta and it is particularly comfortable during summer.”
The exhibition will begin on December 20th at The Palace, T-23A, 7th Avenue, GOCHS Colony, Besant Nagar.
For details call 9840012523.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / TNN / December 16th, 2014
Sites of Champaner. Photos: Mohit Goel and Aakash Mehrotra / by Special Arrangement
History has shaped Champaner as a fascinating city,
A few faint images cross your mind when you talk of Champaner: a strategic trade route, the capital of arguably the most influential sultanate, a graceful example of urban landscaping, mesmerizing Muslim and Jain architecture. But the loudest of all images is that of a ransacked, deserted city. In Champaner, history speaks in its ruins. A city which grew from a town of moderate importance to become the capital of an influential sultanate, flourished for decades only to be attacked, ransacked and left deserted and lost to wilderness, all in one century.
Champaner has everything of the old world charm; there are mosques, an old palace, a fort, a step-well and ancient streets you can walk on. Along with the hill fort and temple of Pavagarh it is now called the Champaner and Pavagadh Archaeological Park. An hour’s journey from Vadodara, brings you to this UNESCO World Heritage site.
Champaner has a fairytale history. It was founded by the Rajput king Vanraj Chavda of the Chavda Kingdom in the 8th Century. The neighbouring city Pavagadh worked as a buffer area between Mandu and Gujarat, and a key strategic point on trade routes emanating from Gujarat to whole of India. After flourishing for years under the Rajput rulers, Champaner was captured by Mahmud Begda in 1484. He renamed the city Mohammadabad and moved the capital from Ahmedabad to here. In 1535, the city was captured by Humayun, and since the Mughals had control over both Gujarat and Malwa then, the city no longer enjoyed the status of a strategic buffer area. This marked the start of decline of Champaner and rise of Ahmedabad. When it was rediscovered by British, only 500 people inhabited the city.
Twenty years under the reign of Mahmud Begda gave this city models of urban planning to speak of. Being a capital and a strategic center, the city has huge fortifications. We entered through stoned road with huge ramparts on both sides. These ramparts led to mosques that still stand sound, with some wounds of history. The mosques of that bygone era lied unassumingly in the middle of the ruins of the citadel. One such elegant piece is the Jami Masjid. The intricate carvings in the pillars, walls and the mehrabs can give rise to many an artist. . One interesting thing about the mosque is the eclectic mix of Persian and Hindu style of design in the walls and the frescos. An evident piece is the kalash, a Hindu religious symbol on the mehrabs.
Our next halt was the Shehar ki masjid, contrary to its name which indicates it been a civilian place, it was the mosque reserved for the royal family. A little plain in design, the mosque is constructed on a raised plinth and the central arched entrance is planked by two minarets. At some distance in a secluded corner are the Nagina Masjid and the Kamani Masjid. Kamani Mosque is different from other mosques of Champaner as it follows the arcuate style (column and arch) indicating that it was built towards the end of sultanate period in Gujarat when this style had started gaining popularity.
Uphill enroute holy Pavagarh trail, is the Pavagarh Fort, located on the summit of the abrupt hills. The wide fortification walls, which once ran upto six kilometers, now stand in ruins with remains of variable height extants. Between the southern and the northern Gate, one can still find the patterns of the urban planning. In these complexes, one can find streets, civil baths, town patterns and even rows of shops, all having lived through the vagaries of time. The whole area is now an excavation site and the ASI never misses finding some rare jewels here. There are also graveyards, mausoleums and even richly decorated temples in these ruins.
As one moves uphill, following the Patha (pilgrim’s route) leading to the ropeway to the Kalikamata temple, one comes across many architectural structures that were forerunners of the architectural styles adopted later. The elements indicate a fine import of Hindu design in the Muslim architectural ideology. Unlike the present mosques styles, some tombs are almost all square in plan, with a dome resting on columns.
Another elegant structure on the hills is the seven arches (saat kamaan) of which only the six arches remain. Built from yellow sandstone in arch form, this served as a military base. One thing that makes Champaner stands out among all its contemporaries is the adroit townsman-ship, which one can still trace in the ruins. Arranged in a circle with the Jami Masjid in the center, the water arteries run upto all nine gates of the city. Over hills there are evidences of large reservoirs and earthen beams which drained into these reservoirs to collect the rain water running downhill. This entire series of arteries and water reservoirs, eventually ended into the largest lake, the bada talao, on the plain below the city. The big mosques like the Jami masjid also had elaborate water harvesting structures in their compounds.
We headed towards the bada talao, where another beautiful, dilapidated structure draped in bright orange of the dusk, was waiting for us. Even though only the walls remain of Khajuri mosque, this structure deserves a long stay.
With my feet tapped in the bada talao, I looked at the Pavagarh hill, and the mystery draped in the evening mist. I saw a small town spreading across the floor of valley and trailing up the bare hills, with a lake in the middle and ruins of a fort looking down at it as guardian; the setting seemed a miniature painting of a place inextricably caught in the web of history; tucked on the horizon.
The author is a blogger at handofcolors@wordpress.com
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Travel / by Aakash Mehrotra / December 14th, 2014
Pehnawa – The Oudh Fashion Summit-2014, was organized by CII-Yi, Lucknow Chapter, in the city recently.
Muzzafar Ali and Dimple Yadav
Muzzafar Ali, who was the guest of honour for the event, earned many wah-wahs for his lines on Lucknow: “Nazakat aur nafasat tujhe virasat mein mili hai, naaz hai humein tujhpe pe ae Lucknow.”
The chief guest on the occasion, MP Dimple Yadav took note of the suggestions made by panelists to improve the work conditions for craftsmen working in the fashion industry, and promised to bring them to her husband and UP CM Akhilesh Yadav’s notice. “Work has already started on courses to train workers in chikankari,” she said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Akash Wadhwa, TNN / December 14th, 2014
The Hindu Lit for Life 2015 – Poetry with Prakriti festival closes tonight with Delhi-based Hindustani classical musician Vidya Shah’s tribute to the music and poetry of the legendary singer Begum Akhtar in her centenary year. Excerpts from an interview with Vidya:
What drew you to Begum Akhtar and her work?
I learnt in the lineage of Begum Akhtar, taught by Shanti Hiranand, one of her senior-most disciples. So I grew up listening to vignettes about her life. Begum’s most important contribution to music was her singing of the ghazal, which is what drew me to her. Through this project, I’d hoped to highlight aspects of her life that reveal her greatness as a person, and the way in which she gave the ghazal a mainstream space in an otherwise hierarchical musical world. And since I’m presenting this at a poetry festival, I will look at the wonderful way in which she understood poetry, and the poets of her time, many of whom she had special relationships with. Her music was very much a part of that poetry, and it shaped her spirit and her singing.
Tell us about the process of creating this concert and its structure.
This concert is my understanding of Begum Akhtar, my perspective on her as a contemporary musician living in these times. I examine who Begum Akhtar was, her journey from being a bai to a begum, and in these journeys how she empowered herself with music and poetry. The performance is woven with a narrative that highlights interesting aspects of her life with anecdotes, some rare and others better known, which reveal how she could make such a fantastic impact on audiences even today. Choosing pieces from her vast repertoire was quite a difficult process. I was often overcome and overwhelmed with greed because I’d want to sing this song and that one too, because there are so many charming pieces she’s done. But ultimately, what I did choose are those that reasonably showcase the versatility of her singing, the richness in her choice of poetry and the journeys she made within her world of music.
What about Begum still resonates with audiences today?
It is musicians like Begum who paved the way for us. We don’t have the social baggage that they carried but we have the opportunities to present similar work. Begum was an assertive, independent feminist, who, despite the struggles in her life, was able to empower herself and others. For instance, in Hindustani classical music, the ritual of the ganda bandhan initiates one into a formal guru-shishya relationship. In her time, it was an entirely male practice. She was one of the first women to do it for her female students. So there was a lot of élan and strength to her as a person, and she found an amazing balance between her joie de vivre, and life’s struggles and sorrows. And that passion shows through in her music. Which is why she will remain relevant forever.
How has creating this project changed you?
Right at the start, I knew I could never reproduce or replicate Begum’s music. That would be impossible. The biggest advantage of her music, though, was the inherent quality that lets you imbibe it, absorb it, understand it, internalise it and make it your own. The project is now a year old and I’m still growing with it, still learning from it. It has given me a lot of humility and it’s been a humbling experience. It has also given me a lot of strength. I can now sense what must have been her greatness. And I’m excited to bring this now to Chennai, being a Tamilian myself, singing Urdu poetry here and sharing the life of a diva who wasn’t from here, but whose story still resonates here. I’m excited to be making that journey for myself.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Lit for Life / by Esther Elias / December 09th, 2014
UP Revenue Board chairman Javed Usmani’s Thursday visit paved the way for long pending project for replacing 195 years old Collectorate building by a multi-storied building.
For this already sanctioned project of Rs 17.47 crore, the first installment of Rs 3.5 crore will reach here within two days, said Usmani during a chat with reporters. District magistrate Pranjal Yadav said that with the arrival of first installment of sanctioned budget, the construction work will start in phases as demolishing the old buildings and court on the Collectorate premises together is not possible.
Built in 1820, the Collectorate building is now in a dilapidated state. Proposals to renovate and also replace the building have come up in the past and the building was declared unfit for use through a government order (no. 285/1-5-09-165/08 revenue section-5 issued on January 30, 2009).
The idea of replacement was floated during the last Samajwadi Party government when the building was found in a dilapidated state and then a government order was issued, declaring the building unfit for use. But, before the issuance of this GO, the then SP government had taken the decision to replace the old Collectorate building by a new one. In May 2006, the then officials had forwarded a proposal Rs 8.71 crore to the Revenue Board and state government in this regard. However, even after sanctioning of the project, its funds were diverted to west UP district by the then SP government.
In December 2010, another proposal was sent to the state government when the Revenue Board revised the budget of the project to Rs 7.25 crore. Instead of going with this proposal, the government initially engaged the construction and designing section (CNDS) of UP Jal Nigam to re-examine the project and prepare a new detailed project report (DPR) by keeping the actual requirements of the Collectorate in view.
After CNDS prepared new DPR of Rs 18.18 crore by proposing a multi-storied building, the Revenue Board decided to engage Rajkiya Nirman Nigam (RNN) to handle the project by revising the budget to Rs 17.47 crore.
After these developments, the RNN in 2011 decided for shifting the offices and courts from the Collectorate to the Cultural Complex to start construction work by demolishing all old buildings. But, before this process could be started, model code of conduct was promulgated in view of 2012 assembly election. After returning to power, the SP did not show interest in this project. The local authorities maintained correspondence with revenue board but officials did not show interest in ensuring that the project is seeing the light of the day.
But, the announcement of Usmani made it very clear that now this project will not linger. The DM said that “in the initial phase of construction, the offices and courts of ACMs will be demolished followed by pulling down of ADMs offices and court and also the Rifle Club”.
With the construction of new buildings at these places, the offices of the main Collectorate building would be shifted there, said Yadav adding, the new multi-storied Collectorate building will also have parking facility in its basement.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Varanasi / TNN / December 12th, 2014
A.R. Rahman won the award for his fight against polio — Photo. M. Moorthy / The Hindu
Rotary International presented the polio ambassador award to music director A.R. Rahman at a meeting held in Guindy on Saturday.
Accepting the award, Mr. Rahman spoke of helping fight polio through social media.
“I used to think Facebook was a waste of time. But when it was suggested that I open a Facebook page and upload videos of my rehearsals, it helped me reach out to a huge user base of 22 million. It was through this page I began sharing awareness messages on polio,” he said.
Pianist Anil Srinivasan played some of Mr. Rahman’s hits songs from Hindi and Tamil cinema and asked him questions based on them.
Speaking about the influences behind Jai Ho, Mr. Rahman said, “I just wanted to approach the song like an anthem, uniting the musical influences of various cultures: Chinese, Japanese, Spanish. The song has all these influences.”
On working with Mani Ratnam, he said he was given the space to experiment beyond what the script required. “There have been occasions when I have tried something out for myself, even if it seemed outside the scope of the film in the beginning. Sometimes, Mani included them in his film. Deivam thanda poove was one such song,” he said.
Having just landed in Chennai from Berlin, Mr. Rahman was in no mood to sing. But the audience was in no mood to let him go without a song. The maestro left with a promise to sing the next time.
Singer Naresh Iyer entertained the audience afterwards.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – December 14th, 2014
Ajmal Ameer is honest that way. He resists from painting a rosy picture as far as his acting career is concerned. Ajmal, whose performance in Mysskin’s Anjathey vaulted him to limelight, doesn’t have any qualms about accepting that his journey in filmdom hasn’t been hunky dory and that there have been a few disaster roles.
Ajmal is currently straddling three industries—Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam—with Ula (Tamil), Tanu Monne Vellipoyindi (Telugu) and Mazhaneerthullikal (Malayalam). While he is keen on widening his horizons in filmdom, his main focus is Tamil cinema. “I am now focusing on good commercial films in Tamil. I want to act in flicks that are entertaining, meaningful and consequentially, successful. Fortunately, the Tamil industry is in a state that has enough and more scope for such films. It looks like I am in the right place now,” he says.
Ula, a thriller penned by Rajan Madhav, has an ensemble cast; apart from Ajmal, it stars Ashok, Vidharth and Radhika Apte. With 70 per cent of the film completed, it is a much-awaited film for the actor, who has slowly but steadily begun establishing himself as a lead actor. Mazhaneerthulikal is a revenge-drama film directed by V K Prakash, starring Meera Jasmine and Narein, while Tanu Monne, his 25th film, is an important milestone for the actor. The film is being helmed by renowned filmmaker Vamsi Krishna.
As Kiruba in Anjathey, Ajmal garnered a lot of attention and awards. Following the success, he was swamped by several offers for similar roles. But the actor didn’t want to get pigeonholed. “Anjathey triggered a number of offers for rustic villager roles. I was looking for a project that helped me prove my versatility as an actor. That is when romcom Thiru Thiru Thuru Thuru by JS Nandini happened,” he says.
With a string of releases like Taxi and Ko, a project that was later shelved and Karuppampatti that turned out to be a box office debacle, Ajmal’s film route has been a bitter-sweet symphony. And, he says he has learnt a lot from the failures in the course of finding his feet in the industry.
After carving out a niche in the industry with supporting roles in some prominent flicks, Ajmal is now determined to make a mark as the lead actor. “I am now only signing projects that cast me as the lead. But more importantly, it is the content of the film and my role that will determine the choice of project,” he adds.
Ajmal says he wants to be an actor with a vision—someone who does films which have a message for society. “Doing a flick like Vetriselvan was a big step in that direction. It was about how three underdogs can bring about a revolution. It is the genre of film that appeals to my sensibilities as an actor,” he says.
Admitting that the formula of Vetriselvan didn’t appeal to the audience, he says, he has realised that the commercial aspect of a film is equally important for a film to click. “By the end of the day, the product has to appeal to the masses, I have to be content with my role, and my producers have to get returns. This is going to be the mantra for my career for a while now,” he adds.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Tamil / by Janani Sampath / December 14th, 2014
Arbaaz Khan , 47, has always taken all major decisions of his life based on his own gut without consulting anyone, be it the decision to debut as a villain at 29, get married to Malaika at 30 or turn director for ‘Dabangg 2’ at 43. Only time will tell whether his latest decision to release his production ‘Dolly Ki Doli’ with the Akshay Kumar-starrer ‘Baby’ was good or bad, but for now, Arbaaz seems happy and confident. Over a quick coffee, we grill the good-looking producer on his latest decision. He doesn’t duck any of our questions. Excerpts:
So far, smaller films have chosen to avoid coming on dates when big star films are coming. Yet, you have chosen to come with Akshay Kumar’s Baby.
Date of release of a film is just as important as the quality of the film. So everyone looks for an ideal release date. As far as I am concerned, I am still learning on what is a good time and what is not, but there are 4 holidays in a year when there is a certain spike in the collections. These dates can absorb 2-3 films. Realistically, there are only 52 weeks and thus, given the number of films we make, the chances of having a solo release might become more and more difficult. ‘Dolly Ki Doli’ is a fun, young film, substantially different from Neeraj Pandey’s ‘Baby’. It has enough commercial value for the single screens, and the aesthetics and freshness for the multiplex audience.
Also, given that December and January are great months for weddings, the film should do better in this period. Post the first weekend, Monday determines the final box-office numbers for a film, based on how the film holds on Monday. Given that Republic Day (January 26) this time is coming on a Monday, the film gets an automatic boost, improving the chances of it doing well. Had my film been the same genre as ‘Baby’, it would have led to a divide, but given that we are looking at only approximately 1,200 screens and ‘Baby’, about 2,500 screens, there is space for both to come healthily. If films of two big stars come together or if two similar films are coming together, they will eat into each other’s box office, as there is only that much box office to capture, but ‘Dolly Ki Doli’ and ‘Baby’ are very different films. We have also seen in many cases that a solo release also does not guarantee a box office. Only time will tell whether coming with Baby was a good decision or not, but weighing the pros and cons, we felt we should come.
Baby seems to be another outstanding film of Neeraj Pandey. Why do you feel that the audience should choose to see Dolly Ki Doli?
You should see both the films if both are good films.
Given the expensive ticket prices today, which one film would you recommend?
I can’t shove biryani down your throat if you like chola bhatura. ‘Baby’ and ‘Dolly Ki Doli’ are very different films and you should see what you would like to. ‘Dolly Ki Doli’ is very fresh and entertaining.
Your first two films Dabangg as a producer and Dabangg 2 as a producer-director were both with Salman Khan. Why did you choose to make a smaller film this time?
I did not have a film that I could have taken to Salman or any other big star. Amongst the few scripts that I heard, ‘Dolly Ki Doli’ got me excited despite it being a smaller film without a big star, but also that it is a woman-centric film. But I believe in mainstream cinema and even though ‘Dolly Ki Doli’ may not be a ‘Dabangg’, it has a mainstream approach. It may have taken much more effort to bring it to the silver screen, but I am pretty happy and confident about it.
Do you take a second opinion from anyone in your family before you take your decisions?
No. I have always gone by my gut for my major decisions in my life. Abbas- Mustan had initially offered me Akshay’s role in ‘Khiladi’ as my debut film, but since I was pre-committed to another film which did not finally happen, I could not do ‘Khiladi’. A few years later, I met Abbas-Mustan in the middle of the road while driving my car and they literally stopped me and said, ‘Ek picture hai. Tum second half mein aata hai. Tumhara negative role hai. An edge-of-the-seat thriller, karoge?’ And I immediately said, ‘Karoonga.’ That was the only narration I got from them for my role in ‘Daraar’. By that time, I was frustrated and was looking for work. Now I was debuting in a negative role, but it was my decision. Had I gone back home and asked daddy and Salman, I may have got confused. Like Sohail did once. He woke up in the middle of the night and said, ‘Daddy, this is the girl I am marrying.’ And daddy said, ‘Okay beta.’ So sometimes, you have to take the decision and say, ‘This is my girlfriend, this is my wife, this is the movie I have signed, this is the director.’ If you engage with too many people for your decision, it only confuses your head, especially when it is people whom you love. For the very, very important decisions in my life, I don’t allow people to take that for me.
Which were the most important decisions of your life that you took yourself?
Apart from the decision of my debut film, the decision of my marriage to Malaika and the decision to turn director in ‘Dabangg 2’. I had met Malaika on an ad shoot. We started dating and had a courtship of about 5 years before we got married. She was anxious and so, unfortunately, she didn’t allow me to pop the question to her. She asked me when we will get married and I immediately told her, ‘You decide the date and place and I will be there.’ I was 30 and she was 23 then. Even when it came to the decision to direct ‘Dabangg 2’, I had been involved in the first Dabangg in every aspect of the film. So when Abhinav decided to opt out of Dabangg 2, after considering so many big directors as options to direct it, I realised that I knew the film as well as anyone else could and took the decision to direct it.
Is Dabangg 3 a part of your future plan?
There are commitments Salman needs to honour to other films that he has signed for. So while there is no hurry, ‘Dabangg 3’ will definitely happen. It is a brand and a character both Salman and I respect and we will make it once we know what we want to do with the character.
How was your experience working with Sonam Kapoor?
She was excited about doing the film and has given it her all. She is hassle- free, down to earth and does not have any star tantrums. For instance, there is no protocol to her. You can speak to her directly, without neccesarily going through her managers. Some stars want that, but she does not give that impression. On a tightly-budgeted film like Dolly Ki Doli that does not have the luxury of extending shooting days due to costs, it was imperative for Sonam to come on time as the entire shoot was dependent on her. There were days when she needed to shoot long hours and she did that without any stress. She would always come on time and there was not even one occasion when the unit had to wait for her. Women take time to get ready and on top of that, she was dressed as a dulhan, that needed more time. So, if she would come late and take time to dress up with limited shooting hours, we would have a lot of pressure, but nothing of that kind happened. There were times when she had a viewpoint on the film, but unlike some other stars, she would put it across very beautifully and say, ‘I don’t feel comfortable about it. What do you think?’ And not like ‘I won’t do it.’
How important is the success of this film for you?
It’s extremely important. Much as people like to think that now you prove yourself without Salman, the fact is that a lot of people have failed despite having big stars. It’s not that I have not contributed to Dabangg and Dabangg 2, but people are watching to see, ‘Ab dekhte hain that Arbaaz kya karta hai.’ Many people have had opportunities to work with big stars, but not all have made Dabanggs. It’s easier to do it with a star and this might be tougher, but the success of this film determines my life as a producer in the future. The success will allow me to make films without big stars or directors.
What would be Salman’s point of view?
Salman will be happy that I have been able to deliver a movie minus him. Salman has been an elder brother, an inspirational factor and a guiding force in our life and he wishes well. Whether he is there or not, his support is always there. He feels that he has done so well for himself and wishes well for his siblings. He saw the first look and called me to say how he loved it. Dolly Ki Doli’s success will also give me a sense of confidence and respect in my ability to make a movie on my own. It will allow my production to grow and allow me to tell stories that I want to tell, without being dependent on very big stars. And I am pretty confident that it will happen.
Which of the factors made you choose Malaika to do an item song in your film — that she is your wife or your lucky charm or just the best dancer?
A bit of all, the least her being my wife, except for the fact that it just makes it easier for me to get her to do this. But the most important reason was that she is the best person for the item song.
Do you feel possessive when your wife is so glamorous?
Not really. You ask anyone in college, how would you like your wife or girlfriend to be? No one wants the ugliest girl in the world who no one wants to look at. Out of 100 people, all 100 will say that I want the most beautiful woman in the world. Somebody that everybody desires, somebody who loves me and is with me. And I have this woman. After that, if you get possessive, then it’s not on. You wanted the most desirable and beautiful woman, you wanted everyone to say how lucky you are and I wish I had a woman like that and when you do, then why would you worry yourself sick about it.
Watch: Dolly Ki Doli
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Hindi> Bollywood / by Priya Gupta, TNN / December 13th, 2014
