IN THE UK THERE ADVANCE SHOWING ON THURS 29.04.04 !!!!

SRK says 'Main Hoon Na' to Farah

By Taran Adarsh, April 27th, 2004 - 1130 hrs IST





If things continue to go as they are, there's a strong possibility that Farah Khan will direct Shah Rukh Khan's next home-production as well.

Farah, who makes her directorial debut with MAIN HOON NA, which is produced by SRK's wife Gauri Khan in association with the Jain brothers of Venus, has decided not to grab any assignments that come her way, post-MAIN HOON NA.

Reason? “Why do I need to look elsewhere for work when SRK is ready to back me?” she asks, “SRK's company is like a home-production for me. He has been a tremendous producer. In fact, not once did I feel that I was a rank newcomer.”

Though Farah hasn't decided on what to make next, she does confirm that Red Chillies Entertainments P. Ltd. [SRK's production outfit] will produce her next film as well.

Meanwhile, the advance booking window of the film opened in Surat [Gujarat] 10 days ago and in Mumbai on Monday. Within hours of the windows opening up, the weekend tickets at all theatres in Mumbai were sold out and at some theatres, the police was called in to manage the crowd.

In fact, serpentine queues at the advance booking windows were considered a thing of the past. But the trend of booking tickets in advance seems to have been revived with MAIN HOON NA.

Main Hoon Na

By Taran Adarsh

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Nasir Husain meets Karan Johar. That, in a nutshell, is MAIN HOON NA, which marks the directorial debut of accomplished choreographer Farah Khan.

Don't expect crossover, path-breaking or art cinema, in keeping with the changing times. MAIN HOON NA is not DIL CHAHTA HAI or KAL HO NAA HO either.

MAIN HOON NA is Bollywood hardcore commercial cinema at its best. It has just about everything for everyone -

* Songs to soothe your nerves.
* Emotions aplenty for the tender hearted.
* College campus romance holding tremendous appeal for the youth.
* Desi humour for the Hindustani janta to break into peals of laughter.
* Stunts to thrill those who feel Bollywood is incomplete without them.
* And yes, it also has the Indo-Pak friendship issue - so topical in today's times [there's no sermonizing or jingoism, thankfully!].

MAIN HOON NA has everything desi about it, except of course the packaging is very videshi. The soul is Indian, the exterior western.

MAIN HOON NA works and how!

Major Ram Sharma [Shah Rukh Khan] yearns to see the ambitious project Mission Milaap become a reality. A mission that will prove to be the dawn of a new tomorrow. Where long-standing enmity between two countries [India, Pakistan] will begin to see its end.

But some forces do not want that dawn to come. One of them is Raghavan [Suniel Shetty], who will do anything to prevent the strategic move. For this reason his devious shadow looms large over General Amarjeet Bakshi's daughter Sanjana [Amrita Rao], whose life is in danger.

But Ram will not allow dark actions to eclipse its bright future. To protect Sanjana, he goes to her college as a student. Here, fun and frolic conceal his real intent.

Will anyone here guess that he has just lit the funeral pyre of his martyr father Brigadier Shekhar Sharma [Naseeruddin Shah]? Ram also has to fulfil his father's last wish.

Strangely, the fulfilment of his wish also lies in this very college. Completing this mission will be no easy task, for it involves intense emotions and long-standing misunderstandings.

These two missions are now his life-blood. The weapon of one mission is gun and that of the other is love…

Loosely based on Alan Metter's BACK TO SCHOOL [1986], MAIN HOON NA is one roller coaster ride that brings back memories of the 1970s cinema, when non-stop entertainment was the mantra of accomplished film-makers like Nasir Husain and Manmohan Desai.

Farah Khan seems inspired by the cinema of yore. She has penned a story not targeting those who wear their thinking caps while watching a film, but those who enter a cinema hall for unadulterated, paisa vasool entertainment. Where logic takes a backseat and all that matters is three hours of non-stop entertainment.

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Her target audience is the hardcore masses and it shows at the very start of the film.

Farah Khan bares the three vital issues at the very start of the film: The Indo-Pak friendship issue and how the terrorists want to foil it, the father-son track and the estranged family [Naseeruddin Shah-SRK/Kiron Kher-Zayed Khan] and guarding a vulnerable teenager from the terrorists even if it means joining her college as a student [SRK-Amrita Rao].

But the actual fun begins when the protagonist joins the college and the sequences that follow. Though a number of college campus fares have been attempted post-KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI, you could hardly count the films that really stayed with you even after the show concluded.

MAIN HOON NA has some thoroughly enjoyable moments in the first half. There's a college principal with a weak memory [Boman Irani], there's a professor who can't get her pronunciations right [Bindu], there's another professor who spits every time he opens his mouth [Satish Shah] and of course, there's a new chemistry teacher who would give any Bollywood actress a run for her money [Sushmita Sen].

Besides, the narrative is laced with incidents that are clapworthy. Like the sequence when SRK rescues Zayed from falling off the roof or the MATRIX-like effect when Satish Shah confronts SRK in the professors' room.

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If the first half has its share of fun and frolic, Farah Khan changes gears in the post-interval portions, when the focus shifts to the terrorists and their mission. Though the second half has several thrilling moments, the pace drops slightly because soon after the interval, the story stagnates but picks up with gusto when the terrorist [Suniel Shetty] enters the premises as the new professor.

The pace further gathers momentum when the estranged family [Kiron Kher, Zayed Khan] learns of SRK's true identity. Even the climax, though prolonged, is brilliantly executed, especially the violent confrontation between SRK and Shetty.

Farah Khan makes a sensational debut. Of course, she always knew the technicalities of film-making right, but her abilities come to the fore while filming the emotional moments. The sequences between Kiron Kher and SRK were akin to an examination for Farah because in moments like those the focal point is the emotional quotient and whether it strikes a chord or not. These moments clearly indicate that Farah knows her job well and if, in future, she attempts an emotional saga, she would be adept in handling that genre as well.

Another factor that needs to be illustrated is the fact that every actor, irrespective of his/her box-office status, has been given prominence in this enterprise, in keeping with his/her character. Although the super-star has produced this project, Farah doesn't go overboard in making him loom large in every frame.

Sequences like Zayed's emotional outburst - when the youngster does all the talking, while SRK remains a mute spectator or the violent confrontation between SRK and Shetty in the climax - when Shetty overpowers SRK, clearly indicates that the director knows where to draw the line. She hasn't gone fanatical in projecting SRK as a larger-than-life persona!

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Farah also deserves marks for keeping the audience interest alive, courtesy her screenplay, where she shares the credit with Rajesh Sathi and Abbas Tyrewala. There are no loose ends in the film, barring the one reel soon after the interval, when the pace slackens slightly.

Anu Malik's music is a major asset. And the icing on the cake is that every song has been filmed amazingly. The pick of the lot is 'Tumse Milke Dil Ka' [filmed on Zayed-Amrita; a small portion on SRK-Sushmita], which in fact is one amongst the best songs of the year. The orchestration of this number is magical and Sonu Nigam's rendition is first-rate. The title track as well as 'Gori Gori' and 'Chale Jaise Hawayein' are three more gems, in terms of tune as well as execution.

Cinematography [V. Manikandan] is top class. Not only has the lensman made the characters look fabulous, every frame of the enterprise has been given a glossy look. Dialogues [Abbas Tyrewala] are fantastic. In fact, the writer is in form yet again, after MUNNABHAI M.B.B.S. Stunts [Allan Amin] can easily match international quality and the usage of effects only enhances the outcome. Editing [Shirish Kunder] is perfect. Effects [Rajtaru] are outstanding.

Now to the performances!

MAIN HOON NA reinforces your confidence in SRK, the actor, the star. Portraying a mass-appealing character, the actor gives his best shot and delivers yet another power-packed performance. The role not only does full justice to his status as the country's super-star, but also as a performer. Besides, the two stunts in the film [his introduction and towards the finale] will silence his hardcore critics who felt that the actor was more comfortable handling the D.D.L.J., KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI and KAL HO NAA HO kind of roles.

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Another performance that stands out is that of Zayed Khan. The actor, who seemed awkward in his debut film, is in full form in his second film. With this performance, Zayed takes a giant leap as a performer. Besides, his scenes with SRK depict his growth as an actor.

Sushmita Sen looks like a million bucks and her on-screen chemistry with SRK is fantastic. In fact, one wonders why the two hadn't been paired earlier! As for her performance, her role doesn't really demand histrionics, but she carries it off stylishly.

Amrita Rao is another revelation. After a miniscule role in MASTI, the actress comes into form in MAIN HOON NA. She gets ample scope to display a wide variety of emotions and she more than lives up to the occasion.

Suniel Shetty is fantastic as the terrorist. His get-up and performance both add to the sinister intentions of the character. Kiron Kher is fantastic yet again. This is another performance [after DEVDAS] that is sure to win her plaudits. Naseeruddin Shah is alright in a small, but significant role. Kabir Bedi is equally commendable.

Boman Irani's role is simply lovable, confirming the fact that he's an actor with an amazing range. Satish Shah is superb. He is sure to bring the house down with his brand of humour. Bindu is a pleasure to watch after a hiatus. Murli Sharma [Khan] is another actor who stands out in a brief role.

On the whole, MAIN HOON NA reinforces your faith in Bollywood commercial cinema. The film is a wholesome entertainer that has something for everyone. At the box-office, this keenly anticipated fare is sure to set new records in days to come, confirming the super-star status of SRK yet again and heralding the arrival of another talented director - Farah Khan.

Rating:- * * * *.

does anyone know if there is a DTS track for the theaters since the i max does not know

How long is 'Main Hoon Na'?
By Abid ©2004 Bollyvista.com

Tech-savvy Shah Rukh Khan carries his film wherever he goes so that he can see it on his laptop. "I have seen it many times," he says. The version he has with him is more than 3 hours long, whereas the final cut version of the film, which will be screened in the cinema, has a running time of 2 hours and 58 minutes and not 3 hours and 2 minutes as some ill-informed sources had said.


** U will MISS 4 minutes BACHA?

Hopefully not the parts where Ms Sen is in

Yes Jag, hopefully not, i dont wana miss a SEC/BLINK of that LOL

The main spoken language in this work is Hindi.
The BBFC has placed this work in the DRAMA genre(s).


When submitted to the BBFC the work had a running time of 179m 23s.
The running time of this film was calculated from the measured length of 16144+5 ( feet + frames ).


This work was passed with no cuts made.




At the time of classification Eros Multimedia (Europe) Ltd was the distributor of this film.

Directed by Farah Khan Producer(s) Gauri Khan


The cast for this work includes: Shah Rukh Khan, Suniel Shetty, Jushmita Jen, Zayed Khan, Amrita Rao.

Jushmita Jen???

Well, the tickets for this at a local theater are a whopping $10, up from the whopping $8

http://www.indiafm.com/broadband/04/apr ... ndex.shtml

First day First show reactions to Main Hoon Na

By IndiaFM News Bureau, April 30th, 2004 - 1930 hrs IST


The only noble outcome of the recent lull phase in Bollywood was that it had put to rest black-marketing of tickets outside cinema-halls. But with Main Hoon Na, black is back with ticket rates going as high as 300 bucks outside Eros cinema in Mumbai. The first week is completely sold out and the case is same in majority of theatres screening the film.

Houseful boards resurface outside cinema-halls almost after four months (the last consistent houseful boards were for Munnabhai MBBS and Kal Ho Naa Ho). The audiences coming out appear contented and the ones going in seem excited.

Needless to say Shahrukh was the center of attraction. Romance, action, emotion, humor, music, dance and even the Indo-Pak theme – the film has it all. “poori masala picture hai” gushes a viewer. “Suniel is good in the negative role but has overdone it a bit”, says another.

And no, the response was not 100% positive. There were some who didn’t approve of the larger than life image of the film. But then as they say it’s not an intelligent film, it’s just an entertaining flick. Popcorn picture as they say!

At the end, we met a 50 plus woman who was like totally bowled over by the film and especially Shahrukh. A self-confessed hardcore Shahrukh fan, she shows us her snaps with Shahrukh and how Shahrukh terms her as his biggest fan. Not to forget, she has booked tickets of the same movie for the next five consecutive days. For Shahrukh’s appeal, age is no bar! Thanks to many other fans like her, the fate of Main Hoon Na looks promising at the box-office.

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For Video cliop of Audience reaction follow Indiafm link

Unabashed entertainment, 1970s style

Sukanya Verma | April 30, 2004 19:20 IST


army, politics, india, pakistan, assassination, saviour, extramarital affair, good father, bad father, paratha-feeding mother, ideal son, stepson, distant daughter, tomboy, funny friends, oddball teachers, sexy teachers, countless clichés, makeovers, love, couples, school, college, superman, classrooms, romance, colours, prom nights, violins, saxophones, dream songs, midriffs, cleavage, dream girls, deewar, sholay, mard, gabbar, rickshaws named dhanno, r d burman, grease, kuch kuch hota hai, action, jerry bruckheimer, matrix, mission, impossible, electric guitar, blue-eyed villain, terrorist, bullets, guns, bombs, helicopter, ram, laxman, ramayan, rona dhona, hasna khelna, grease, happy ending, main, hoon, na

Hmm, that's about it, I think — keywords to three hours of non-stop entertainment.

Spell the three magic words — Main Hoon Na — and brace yourself for unlimited action.

How do I describe Main Hoon Na? Let's see. It begins like a Jerry Bruckheimer action flick. It transforms into a Kuch Kuch Hota Hai kind of campus caper. It develops into an emotional Deewar. It goes back into the Bruckheimer mould only to end like the musical Grease.

Offscreen: You are still adjusting your creaky chair ensuring that the popcorn doesn't slip out of your hands.

Onscreen: A television show is taken over by a bunch of terrorists, their leader Raghavan shoots Major Shekhar Sharma (Naseeruddin Shah) when the latter tries to protect General Bakshi (Kabir Bedi). His son, also a major, Ram Prasad (Shah Rukh Khan), makes an Ethan Hunt-style entry amidst a lot of gunshots, firing, mid-air diving, the works.

Bottom line: Bang! Bang! Bang! The plot unfolds at a bullet's pace.

Cut to chase! Cut to St Paul's School, Darjeeling! Cut to railway platform!

Cut! Cut! Cut! One thing at a time.

Flashback: Shekhar Sharma's life is an extension of Shekhar Kapur's Masoom. He has a son (that's Shah Rukh) out of an extramarital affair. Only his wife is no Shabana Azmi. She is Kirron Kher, actually. Unlike Azmi, Kher doesn't accept him and leaves the house with baby Laxman (that's a secret). Now, Sharma's last wish is to see his family reunited again.

General Bakshi's daughter Sanjana (Amrita Rao) — whose life is threatened by the terrorists — studies in the same school as Laxman. So Ram has double duty on his hands. One, be a watchdog to Sanjana. Two, finish his personal Ramayan on a happy note, a la Valmiki.

Enter St Paul's School in ravishing Darjeeling.

Is it a school? Is it a college? No, it's a fancy dress institution.

Confused? Don't worry, main hoon na. See, it's very simple. It's all of these. It's called a school, but functions like a college and all its students dress up like junk food. Seriously, Britney and Eminem could borrow fashion tips from Darjeeling teenagers.

Like one of the character's mom says, "Arre beta, yeh haathon mein kutton ka patta kyun bandh rakha hai?" [Why are you wearing a dog collar on your wrist, son?]

Ram arrives at St Paul's as an undercover student. His first day at school is a disaster. 'Uncle, Budha, Buzurk' is how the students refer to him.

One guy in particular is constantly pestering him. Let's introduce him. He has failed three times. He sleeps during the lectures and parties all night. He forgets to pay the electricity bills. He smokes. He loves to arm-wrestle. He dresses in torn tee-shirts and jeans. His hairstyle resembles a lion's mane. He is Lucky (played by Zayed Khan).

But Ram knows the secret recipe to winning everyone's heart. He rescues Lucky, leading a student to cry out, "Arre yeh Ram toh Rambo nikla." He also works overtime playing agony aunt to Sanjana, who nurses a crush on Lucky. For once it's not just the tomboy heroine getting a salwar-kameez makeover. Ram makes Lucky go through the whole cut-your-hair-wear-kurta grind, or 'sata savitra', as the latter calls it.

But the real funny moments involve Ram:

* Ram's encounters with the utterly forgetful principal (Boman Irani), who reads Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix and wears ties with Superman or The Seven Dwarfs designed on them. Here's how a regular conversation between the two goes:

Ram: Main yahan kuch aur der rukna chahta hoon, Sir.
Principal: Haan haan, zaroor, magar lunch khakar jaana.
Ram: Mera matlab main school main aur dinon tak rehna chahta hoon, Sir.
Principal: Haan haan, zaroor, graduation karke jaana.

* Ram hiding his face every time he sees his physics teacher Rasai (Satish Shah). Rasai is a walking-talking 'thook' specialist. The man spits without discrimination on every member of the cast from SRK to Sushmita Sen to Amrita Rao to Zayed Khan to Boman Irani.

* Ram getting dancing lessons from the entire school, including the principal.

* Ram breaking into an R D Burman song, accompanied by men on saxophones and violins, every time his chemistry teacher Chandni (Sushmita Sen) makes an appearance. This exchange of dialogue will give you a feel of the intensity of Ram's affection.

Chandni: Itna bade hokar student? How disgusting!
Ram: Itni chhoti hokar teacher? How amazing!

Farah Khan makes a well-choreographed debut. She shows a knack for filmmaking. Her grip on the subject, which changes its tone every 10 minutes, is consistently maintained. Her brand of filmmaking comes across as very MTVish, very spoofish, albeit on a very lavish (read Rs 24 crore) scale. Whether a character echoes Amitabh Bachchan's dialogue, "Mard ko dard nahi hota", or Shah Rukh takes on the bad guys on a rickshaw named Dhanno, a sense of spoof looms. I don't know if that is intentional.

V Manikandan's cinematography in Kuch Naa Kaho was impressive. Here too he shows his skill with the camera and comes up with cool angles.

Though the music of Main Hoon Na is nothing extraordinary, it fits in with the mood of the film. But action director Allan Amin needs to get over the whole Matrix-Mission Impossible hangover. His action is getting very repetitive.

But I must admit, it's good fun to see Shah Rukh Khan doing so much action. He is Shah Rukh Khan here too. No change there. But that's what Main Hoon Na needs — the superstar Shah Rukh Khan who can win hearts. So his Ram walks about the college grounds like a lost little boy with big brown eyes charming everyone with his dimpled smile and Godbrother-like aura. He bonds warmly with Zayed Khan on screen. Though he looks awkward in some scenes, Zayed shows considerable improvement since his debut, Chura Liya Hai Tumne.

Suniel Shetty in a fierce-looking get-up plays with restraint a terrorist who opposes Indo-Pak peace. There is a hint of ruthlessness in his otherwise gentle disposition when he says, "It's a personal war. It always is."

Sushmita Sen is magic. She looks beautiful. Chandni is Ram's dream woman in the film. Sushmita transforms into a dream for Main Hoon Na. Amrita Rao has a telling screen presence. She doesn't look awed by any of her co-stars.

Main Hoon Na is a fun film. It doesn't preach. It doesn't go by logic. It isn't realistic. But it's shamelessly entertaining. So if you are looking for 1970s-style entertainment, Main Hoon Na is what I recommend. Enjoy!


*** TICKET HIKES by EROS..I WONT WATCH, BAD DVD BY EROS, I WONT BUY!

BTW, MHN is releasing with only 325 prints in India and a whopping, never heard of before for an Indian Film, 175 prints Overseas.

So, expect more than double collections from Overseas as compared to all of India. $ 1 = Rs 50.

http://www.boxofficeindia.com/

LATEST BOXOFFICE-29th April 19.00 IST

Main Hoon Na is set to release on around 500 prints worldwide with 325 in India tommorow.Although many in the trade expected a record first week gross but with 325 prints a record total is going to be a tough ask.But if the film can hold on all week it may cross the likes of LOC Kargil and Khakee due to record figures likely to be set in multiplexes.Considering the excellent advance booking a 10 crore+ total (from India alone) is almost guaranteed.

Rana

Tabu and Karan Johar in Main Hoon Na


http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullst ... n~Hoon~Na~

Now this may just add to your exhilaration for checking out Main Hoon Na! And the surprise pack is that actress Tabu and director Karan Johar also appear in the Shahrukh starrer. Close buddies of Farah Khan, both Tabu and Karan Johar appear at different instances in the film. However, both have just blink-it-and-disappear bits in the films. Nevertheless who minds additional items as far as they are complimentary?

Karan Johar appears in the end-credits of the film with a board in his hand, as a 'costume designer of Shahrukh Khan'. Likewise, all other members of the cast and crew of the film self-introduce themselves in the end-credits. So be alert enough to catch them on screen before you miss them out between the munch of your popcorn.

Meanwhile, in between all the numerous special screenings of the film happening in the city pre-release, one screening is organized on Friday, which is indeed special. And that's because it's particularly held for underprivileged children. The star cast of the movie will also be present for the screening, thus giving the children a chance to interact with the stars of movie. Indiafm

We all know you will be the first one with the screenshots

Arsh didn't say, "Won't Rent".

Rana