Zoya, Farhan Akhtar shun film awards!

‘Not too many noticed this, but Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Milegi Dobara (ZNMD) director Zoya Akhtar, actor-producer Farhan Akhtar and producer Ritesh Sidhwani, who were present at a recent film awards gala didn’t step on stage to collect any awards for their film. The multistarrer was nominated in almost every category, and won in many.
A day after the Colors Screen Awards, it was reported that filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, who was on the jury, had a rift with fellow jury member and filmmaker Kunal Kohli, over letting ZNMD win the award for best film alongside another title. Sanjay, apparently, didn’t think it deserved the honour as he felt it was a copy of the American hit, Fandango (1985).

Sources close to the jury feel he tried the stunt in an attempt to build bridges with another producer, with whom he sees great work prospects.

People close to Ritesh and Farhan reveal, on the condition of anonymity, that the two were upset about the episode, and hence deliberately didn’t go on stage to accept their trophies. When contacted, Ritesh admits, “It’s true we didn’t pick awards at the do. But it’ll be best if we don’t continue the conversation further.“’

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17 Comments
  1. aryan 12 years ago

    Thanks for sharing
    I thought ZNMD is original script but this movie also copied from FANDANGO.
    Ab aise copied movies ko kya award dena best copy movie of the year?

    • Baba Ji 12 years ago

      aryan – hv u seen fandango? znmd was earlier accused of being copied from hangover which turned out to be a lie.

  2. aryan 12 years ago

    Baba – No not yet but i have seen some scenes its same.

  3. aryan 12 years ago

    Fandango trailer and some scenes

    • Baba Ji 12 years ago

      Im nt sure if based on just one sky diving scene,it can be called a copy by znmd.The film looks to be differently handled otherwise.znmd was about three different people having different lifestyles.

      • Author
        sputnik 12 years ago

        @Baba,
        Wikipedia is on black out today so cannot find the whole plot. But from what I read on IMDB the scenes mentioned there seem totally different.

  4. aryan 12 years ago

    Sputnik – Your view on this?

    • Author
      sputnik 12 years ago

      @aryan,
      I have seen only the trailer yesterday – will check out the scenes later. There might be similarity in friends going on a trip but I think there are quite a few movies with the same concept. I saw that there is a skydiving scene in Fandango too.

      Now Sanjay Gupta objecting to ZNMD winning an award because its a copy is something. Sanjay Gupta is the master when it comes to copying movies.

  5. aryan 12 years ago

    Baba -here is the story Fandango Movie
    Five college buddies from the University of Texas circa 1971 embark on a final road trip odyssey across the Mexican border before facing up to uncertain futures, in Vietnam and otherwise.

  6. hithere 12 years ago

    Basic plot looks same..there is a engagement subplot…and Akhtar’s are better than many..they are not going to copy scene by scene like Bhatts

    • Author
      sputnik 12 years ago

      You should have mentioned Sanjay Gupta instead of the Bhatts. Would have been more relevant to the post 😉

  7. Author
    sputnik 12 years ago

    Ok here is the whole story from Wikipedia.

    “It is 1971 at a fraternity house on the University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas. Gardner Barnes (Kevin Costner) is throwing darts at a picture of himself and his ex-girlfriend (Suzy Amis). He rejoins the graduation party going on downstairs, but not before tearing the picture in half.
    Gardner is a member of a clique called the Groovers, whose other members include Kenneth Waggener (Sam Robards) who’s engaged to be married, and ROTC geek Phil Hicks (Judd Nelson). Phil’s parents have come to town and to the fraternity house just in time to see another Groover named Lester (Brian Cesak) pass out. (He remains unconscious for most of the film.) They also meet the strong, quiet seminary student Dorman (Chuck Bush).
    Kenneth interrupts the festivities by announcing his student deferment has expired and he is now to be drafted into the Army. Gardner is not surprised: his own notice came weeks before. Kenneth also reveals he has decided to call off his engagement to Debbie on account of being drafted. Gardner reacts (strangely) with some joy and relief. The Groovers decide to celebrate their last days before the draft by going on a road trip, intending to stop at a notorious roadhouse and dig up someone – or something – named “Dom” buried under a boulder on the shores of the Rio Grande. They drive all night before making a “rest stop.” Some, most notably Phil, resist going on, but Gardner presses them on.
    Phil’s car runs out of gas and the Groovers must decide whether to walk to the nearest town or hitch. Phil is adamant about not leaving his car behind, when someone gets an idea: a train is about to pass on a railroad track parallel to the road. Dorman grabs some cable from a fence and makes a lasso. He attaches the other end to the front bumper of the car, as the train passes, Dorman lassos the back of the train. The Groovers are in the car, waiting, when Kenneth asks, “How are we going to stop?” But this is answered when the front end of the car is pulled off, leaving the car in place.
    The Groovers manage to push the car to the nearest town, leave it at a garage, and eat at the Sonic. They meet up with some townie girls (one of whom is played by E.G. Daily) and eventually end up playing in a cemetery operated by the undertaker father of one of the girls, where they come upon the tombstone of a fallen Vietnam War veteran. Kenneth says, “I can’t go (to Vietnam).” Gardner replies, “Then don’t.” They end up sleeping at the former movie set of Giant.
    The car is repaired the next morning (though the front end does not match the car at all) and the Groovers continue on their way. Phil complains about wanting to go back – and thinks Gardner might flee to Mexico to avoid the draft – when Kenneth shouts angrily at him. Gardner confesses they only let Phil hang with them because they felt sorry for him.
    Humiliated, Phil retorts that he will take on any challenge. The group sees a sign for a parachute school that gives jumping lessons. Phil reluctantly agrees to try it. Gardner cons the rather hippy-ish instructor, one Truman Sparks (Marvin J. McIntyre), into giving them a free lesson.
    Phil is terrified but goes up into Truman’s plane anyway. Then the boys realize that Phil’s pack is lacking a parachute because it is full of Truman’s dirty laundry. They try desperately to warn him (there’s no ground-to-plane communication) but fail. Fortunately, Truman and Phil are connected by walkie-talkie, so when the main chute fails, Phil, scared stiff, is able to open the emergency chute on his stomach with much prompting from Truman. The Groovers get a picture for their efforts, letting Phil get some of his wounded pride back.
    After discovering the charred, abandoned remains of the roadhouse, the Groovers press onward. They make it to the Rio Grande at last and dig up Dom – which turns out to be a magnum of Dom Perignon champagne. Each takes a drink before Gardner drinks a toast to “freedom and youth.”
    Kenneth is disheartened; he has had second thoughts about calling off the engagement. Pondering a bit on the nature of love, Gardner decides to make things right. He calls Debbie, gets her to accept the engagement again, and arranges for transport for her from Dallas to the border town; Truman Sparks agrees to fly there and back. Through a bit of trickery, reminiscient of stone soup, he sets up a beautiful wedding for Kenneth and Debbie. Debbie and Gardner share one last dance before she goes. (She is the girl whose picture Gardner threw darts at earlier and whom he has more than one dream about.)
    After the ceremony, Phil lets Kenneth and Debbie have his car as a wedding present. Lester goes to hitch a ride “anywhere” and Phil and Dorman shake hands before leaving. Perched atop a cliff overlooking the town and more specifically viewing the remaining lights of the wedding reception, Gardner lifts a beer in salute to his friends, leaving us to wonder if he has left without saying goodbye in order travel on to Mexico, thus avoiding the draft, or has he left his friends to avoid the pain of their departure and the last “Groover” adventure.”

    LInk

    So I see that there is a basic plot similarity and also the engagement subplot similarity. There is also the skydiving similarity but the rest of it looks different.

  8. password 12 years ago

    Does one have to copy frame to frame? ZMND was awesome and no second thoughts abt it. I think every one stay away from awards.

    • Author
      sputnik 12 years ago

      No. There will be some minor changes anyway even in a frame-frame copy. Many filmmakers get inspired. Check out this list of Hollywood movies that are inspired.

      https://tanqeed.com/hollywood/2011/12/26/7-classic-movies-you-didnt-know-were-rip-offs/

      Now Sanjay Gupta raising this issue is ridiculous because he himself has copied Hollywood movies more then anyone else. He is supposedly raising this issue to curry favor with Ekta Kapoor as his next movie is supposedly produced by her.

      I don’t think The Dirty Picture deserves any Best Picture awards.

  9. Author
    sputnik 12 years ago

    ‘Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta is upset that his support for ‘The Dirty Picture’ for best picture title at the recently held 18th Colors Screen Awards 2012, has been made to look like a personal attack on Zoya Akhtar`s ‘Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara’.

    The director is in a war of words with Kunal Kohli, who felt ‘Zindagi…’ deserved the award. The debate was fuelled after a jury decision to jointly give the best film award to both the films.

    According to reports, Kohli insinuated that Gupta`s interest in ‘The Dirty Picture’ has to do with his next film ‘Shootout At Wadala’ being produced by the former`s producer, Ekta Kapoor.

    The comment has put off Gupta.

    “If Ekta Kapoor is my producer, Eros, that produced `Zindagi…` are the producer of his next film (`Teri Meri Kahaani`). How guilty does that make him when he goes home and makes calls on the sly asking fellow-jurors for a re-vote,” said Gupta.

    “I don`t think he`s in a position to talk of any jury member`s ethics. Being a director himself, how would Kunal feel if his film won and a juror would go home and start making calls to other jurors to change their decision?

    “`The Dirty Picture` won all the major awards. So it wasn`t as if I voted for a non-starter. All this rubbish takes away from the genuine credit of the film and that is sad,” he added.

    Gupta also clarified that he has nothing against director Zoya Akhtar, and her actor-filmmaker brother Farhan.

    “I`ve always admired and appreciated their work. When I walked in to the meeting, it was a hung jury. I gave my vote to `The Dirty Picture` not because `Zindagi…` had similarities with `Fandango`, but because I believed `The Dirty Picture` was a better film as was also proven by the fact that it won six major awards including awards for acting, writing and most importantly direction,” he said.

    Gupta says even jury head Shekhar Kapur was convinced by the similarities between “Zindagi…` and 1985 film ‘Fandango’.

    “Shekhar Kapur, in the first 30 seconds of watching the `Fandango` trailer said `Zindagi is out`. A jury comprising of such eminent names such as Pradeep Sarkar, John Matthew Mathan, Bhanu Athaiya, Shekhar Kapur and Rensil De Silva cannot be swayed because of anything incorrect that I say. So let`s not be sore losers and make me the villain. Please,” he added.

    “Being a film maker I believe a film that wins best director deserves to win best film. And the entire jury voted for Milan Luthria, no contest. I am done with all this jury nonsense for the rest of my life,” Gupta added.

    Meanwhile, Kohli has opted to keep mum on the issue.

    “It`s very unprofessional of anyone to discuss jury debates on a public platform. I refrain from doing that,” he posted on Twitter.

    “Self created controversy is over. I have nothing more to contribute to anyone`s publicity stunts,” he added.’

    Link

  10. Author
    sputnik 12 years ago

    I have not seen this video.

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