Kolkata Metro wants Vidya's push scene in 'Kahaani' scene withdrawn

Kolkata: Vidya Balan starrer 'Kahaani' has run into a controversy with the Kolkata Metro Railway authorities objecting to a scene in the upcoming film where the actress is shown as being pushed perilously before a speeding train.

Metro spokesperson Protyush Ghosh told PTI that the Metro authorities had asked producers of the film to remove the particular clip from their trailers as well as from the film, which releases next Friday.

"We had a meeting with the director recently where he told us that there is nothing objectionable in the film at all. He will submit us a video of the complete scene in a day or two after which we will take the final decision," he said.

The film's trailer shows a pregnant Vidya waiting on the platform to board a train at the Kalighat station. As soon as the train arrives, she is dangerously pushed onto the tracks by a man standing close to her.

A source close to the film said the shot was part of a dream sequence and had been shot using CGI (computer-generated imagery) technique.

The Metro authorities had allowed the film unit to shoot for four days last year at the busy Tollygunj and Kalighat stations, where the controversial scene was filmed.

Frequent suicides on tracks has been a major headache for the Kolkata Metro, which commenced operations from 1984, and there has been around 234 suicide attempts since then.

"We are opposed to the scene as we are very concerned about the rate of suicides on the Metro tracks. We know how people get ideas for committing suicide and for other criminal activities," Kolkata Metro's General Manager P B Murti said.

The Railway authorities wrote to the film's producer claiming that the scene would not only harm the image of the Metro but also leave a negative impact on the audience.

Producer-director Sujoy Ghosh brushed it off as a minor issue.

"I am a Bengali and I know the city like the back of my hand. The scene is not meant to remind people of suicides. Anyways if anybody has to commit suicide, he will not do it because of my film. As a filmmaker I need to show all sides of a city, including the darker aspects," he said.

Lead actress Vidya, too, isn't complaining.

"The Metro officials have been very supportive of us during shooting. We are really thankful to them," said 'The Dirty Picture' star hoping that the issue would be sorted out soon.

'Kahaani' has the 34-year-old actress play a pregnant woman who comes to Kolkata from London in search of her husband. With nothing to rely on except fragments from her memories about him, it is the story of a seven-months pregnant woman's relentless struggle in an unknown city.

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Nathalia Kaur will star opposite Rana Daggubati in 'Department'

Mumbai: Director Ram Gopal Varma says that his new found discovery Nathalia Kaur will star opposite Rana Daggubati in his upcoming movie 'Department'.

Earlier, it was said that Indo-Brazilian girl will only do an item number for the movie. It was also said that the filmmaker recently got choreographer Ganesh Acharya to shoot the 'Dan Dan' number with her.

"The report of me signing Nathalia is absolute nonsense and most of what is written in that article is absolute crap. In the film I am doing with Nathalia she is starring opposite Rana Daggubati...whoever wrote should least check with me," he said.

In 'Department', Daggubati will be seen as a grungy policeman - a role that was earlier reserved for Abhishek Bachchan.

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Never seen a beautiful woman than Nathalia | Ram Gopal Varma

New Delhi: Ram Gopal Varma admits he approached Indian Canadian star Sunny Leone for an item song in 'Department', but things didn't work out and the song went to Nathalia Kaur. The filmmaker is in awe of the Brazilian model of Indian descent.

"I never ever hid the fact that I am a devotee of a woman's beauty. But not only in my entire career, but never even ever since I have consciously come of a mental and a physical age to perceive and admire the beauty of a woman, have I seen a woman more beautiful than Nathalia," he said.

"Her beauty is truly electrifying and it just sparks out from every nook and curve of both her face and her body. Her face looks so classically beautiful and her body literally looks like the perfect embodiment of an ultimate female figure.

"This combined with her ability on cue to give any expression that is asked of her is what I think will happen in only once in a decade and in this decade I think Nathalia is that girl," he added.

Nathalia will shake a leg on item song 'Dan dan' in the film, which also stars Rana Daggubati and Sanjay Dutt.

Earlier Sunny was expected to do the song.

"We were trying for Sunny Leone but by God's grace it didn't work out or else we would have lost out on someone as divine as Nathalia and I thank God for that," Varma wrote on his Twitter page.

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Paoli Dam's poster earns Rs 10 cr for 'Hate Story'

Mumbai: Looks like the 'shock value' of the bare back poster of Vikram Bhatt's forthcoming production 'Hate Story' is working. The film, which is said to be earlier struggling to get its territories sold, is now fetching a good price, thanks to the 'well-exposed' poster.

Well-placed trade sources reveal that the Vivek Agnihotri directed film featuring Nikhil Dwivedi and Bengali actress Paoli Dam has fetched over Rs 10 crore for all India theatrical rights. Incidentally the shooting for the erotic thriller penned by Bhatt is still under way and is scheduled to be wrapped up in another week.

"Our focus was to complete the film first. However, the first poster that was released, has generated so much hype that the theatrical rights for India were soon sold off for a price not exactly anticipated earlier," says our source.

Distributor Ajay Bagbai of Rajvi Entertainment Pvt Ltd has acquired the India theatrical rights for this Bhatt production. Needless to say, director Agnihotri is thrilled with the response to the poster and the consecutive deal.

"Within eight to 10 hours, we got 22 lakh views on one site alone.

Besides, it has generated a lot of curiosity in the interiors and small towns too," he enthuses, adding that producer Bhatt had faith in the concept. "Vikram has written the script. And even while discussing the poster, he came up with this idea."

Agnihotri concedes that he had not anticipated such a kind of response. He says, "This kind of a deal is like a certificate of approval for the product. So the responsibility to deliver is greater now."

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