Ramya in a rush
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Catch up with what Ramya's doing on a visit to Bangalore and take a peek at how Aishwarya, the "original remake" is doing
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PHOTO: BHAGYA PRAKASH K.
FLYING VISIT Ramya is quite the globe-trotter
"I wonder why God is being so kind to me," said Ramya who looks pencil thin and in need of a good meal. She's on a short visit to Bangalore, yes literally. She's been shooting for a Tamil film in London for the past month and a half. Arasu was offered to her out of the blue when she was abroad, and she accepted it without batting an eyelid.
"It's like returning coming home," she says about working for the banner that launched her. She worries about the size of her bindi, sitting in a van on the busy Sankey Road with fans struggling to get a glimpse. There's a virtual traffic jam with Puneet and Ramya shooting at a bus stop. "She's my favourite actress," says director Mahesh. When a female aspirant calls him seeking a role, Ramya snatches the phone and says in mock-seriousness that it's his wife speaking, forcing the girl to hang up.
Ramya was the star attraction at Akka in Baltimore too. "It was sweet. The fans there are as enthusiastic as they are here. They'd watched all my films. The rule is that everybody speaks Kannada. I could spend only one day though," says the actress.
She'll be back in London but will return for a short period before leaving for Australia for Arasu. Her pet Brandy is sashaying around wearing things from Harrods. The best actress award for Amruthadhaare would have been the icing on the cake, but she missed it by a whisker. "It's pure politics," says the actress who's being praised for her performance in Jotey Joteyali.
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Indrajit Lankesh's much-touted Aishwarya had an unprecedented opening, which was predictable, thanks to the massive publicity. Uppi's new look and Deepika Padukone's debut have also caused ripples. Critics have run out of adjectives in praise of the film, making one wonder if it's an original or a remake.
Well, it's an "original remake" in the sense that the director bought the remake rights of the Telugu hit Manmathudu and decided to intertwine a good, interesting portion of Ghajini. When you lack creativity, the least you can do is be faithful to the original. The result is a directionless plot.
Upendra looks confused while Deepika with her luminous eyes has the makings of a sensitive actress. All she needs is a good director.
Daisy Bopanna struggles to match Asin's effortless performance in Ghajini. "You can fool audiences anywhere but not in Bangalore," says a theatre manager screening the film. "The collections have fallen by 50% during week days." The one thing going for the film is that technically, it rises well above the ordinary. The shocking thing is the total lack of constructive criticism where this film is concerned, especially since it's not an original work. They owe it to the paying public.
S. SHIVA KUMAR
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