|
 Rani Mukherjee in Australia to promote Indian cinema
Bollywood star Rani Mukherjee said there is no politics involved in her ongoing visit here, which is purely to promote Indian cinema among Australians and the community that has been hit by series of violent attacks.
During an inaugural of the Indian Film Festival here, Mukherjee was quoted by The Australian as saying that her visit was purely to promote culture.
“No, from the way I look at it in my career and the way I’ve turned out in my life, I’ve kept away from all politics because in India it’s very easy to get (involved) with the political stuff,” she said.
The Indian Film Festival program, which will screen in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and New Zealand in coming weeks, kicks off in the backdrop of strained India and Australia relations. Over 100 incidents of attacks on Indians, including racial, have come to light since May last year in Australia.
21-year-old student Nitin Garg, who was stabbed to death here, was the first victim of such assaults this year.
“We are coming here to promote our movies culturally,” Mukherjee said.
“We are here for the larger number of Australians who love our cinema. We are (here) for the Indians and the Asian communities who watch our movies, so we are here for a greater cause” she said.
“Just a few people who believe in hatred — we can’t kowtow to them,” she added.
Echoing similar views, the festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange said the festival had “made a conscious attempt to be like a cultural bridge between the two countries“.
As the free screenings of Bollywood hits this week at Melbourne’s Federation Square, largely targeting Indian students, organisers are hoping thousands to attend.
“We are doing this so that... not only our Indian students but international students can bring their friends, bring their beanbags and just make a night of it and watch these great films under the stars,” she said.
Rajkumar Hirani, the director of 3 Idiots, said, “You can’t generalise and say that a country is against us.”
“The incidents are sad but one wouldn’t like to say that every person, every Australian, walking down the street is against Indians. These types of incidents happen in India also,” he said.
Cricket is a woman's game
Bollywood actress Rani Mukherjee who was last seen hitting boundary shots in 'Dil Bole Haddipa' says cricket is not a man's game. This is just an illusion under which people live.
'Since childhood, girls are always discouraged to play sports and are given certain guidelines as cricket is a man's game, which is just an illusion under which people live,' Rani told reporters here Thursday at the launch of a docu-drama 'Poor Cousins of Million Dollar Babies'.
'After being a part of it and knowing the nitty-gritty of it, what I have gathered is cricket is not a man's game - it is not about power but is all about technique.'
'Poor Cousins of Million Dollar Babies' is directed by Sunil Yash Kalra. The docu-drama focuses on the women's cricket team of India.
'The film is not just a tale of disparities among men and women in the cricketing arena, but a story of the triumph of women's cricket despite the disparities that prevail,' said Kalra.
Researched, scripted and filmed by Kalra, the docu-drama captures the camaraderie between former captain Anjum Chopra and current skipper Jhulan Goswami, and former vice-captain Rumeli Dhar and present vice-captain Amita Sharma.
The 27-minute film was shot over a span of four years in South Africa, Australia, England, West Indies and India and includes footage from various matches as well as even from the girls' changing room.
Rani, however, expressed her disappointment regarding the title of the film.
'The concept, the ideology comes across very positively but the name is disappointing. The tag of 'Poor Cousins' brings a negative vibe along with it. It could have been 'Better Half of Million Dollar Babies'.
The official poster of the film was unveiled by 'Chak De' writer Jaideep Sahni, Rani Mukherjee and former captain Anjum Chopra along with director Sunil Kalra and producer Bava Mahdood.
|
 Bollywood Stars
|
