a good day to die hard is a 2013 american action thriller film and the fifth installment in the die hard film series .

the film was directed by john moore and written by skip woods , and stars bruce willis as john mcclane .

the main plot finds mcclane travelling to russia to get his estranged son , jack , an undercover cia agent , out of prison .

he is soon caught in the crossfire of a global terrorist plot .

alongside willis , the film also stars jai courtney , cole hauser , yuliya snigir and sebastian koch as the film 's villain .

talks of a fifth die hard film began before the release of the fourth installment , live free or die hard , with willis affirming that the latter would not be the last in the series , but pre-production did not start until september 2011 , when john moore was officially announced as the director .

a good day to die hard premiered in los angeles on january 31 , 2013 , coinciding with the unveiling of a die hard mural at the fox lot , and was released in certain east and southeast asian countries on february 7 and in the united states and canada on february 13 .

it is the first die hard film to use dolby atmos surround mixing and the first to also be released in imax theaters .

unlike the previous films , a good day to die hard was a critical failure , receiving overwhelmingly negative reviews which cited implausible action sequences , a cliched script , a weak plot , moore 's direction , and a lack of characterization , although the special effects were praised .

it is the first film produced by tsg entertainment , since distributor 20th century fox 's departure from dune entertainment upon the completion of their distribution contract at the end of 2012 .

a good day to die hard

a good day to die hard vs . bruce willis ' previous die hard movies
die hard quadrilogy - die hard / die hard 2 / die hard with a vengeance / die hard 4 . 0 [ dvd ]
die hard 5 review . a good day to die hard stars bruce willis and jai courtney | collider
jai courtney interview - a good day to die hard ( joblo . com )
i love the quotes from a good day to die hard . . thump up
a good day to die hard review : there is no good day for this shit | birth . movies . death .
filming for
a good day to die hard
will begin in january 2012 .
edited into a good day to die hard - review ( 2013 ) . see more »
a good day to die hard bruce willis as john mcclane photo : 20th century fox .
check out everything we ' ve got on
a good day to die hard .
image credits : 1 . live free or die hard 2 . die hard 3 . die hard 2 4 . die hard with a vengeance
‘a good day to die hard’ ? valentine’s day 2013 , apparently . plus , ‘taken 2’ also gets a release date !
a good day to die hard begins production in april 2012 for a february 14 , 2013 release .
it’s die hard . it needs to make sense . because it’s die hard .
click on the respective links for my look back at die hard , die hard 2 , die hard with a vengeance , and live free or die hard .
a good day to die hard was released on dvd and blu - ray on june 4 , 2013 .
a good day to die hard is directed by john moore and produced by tom karnowski and jason keller .
a good day to die hard goes into production in april and is also set for a february , 2013 release .
use the thumbs up and thumbs down icons to agree or disagree that the title is similar to a good day to die hard . you can also suggest completely new similar titles to a good day to die hard in the search box below .
1 . a good day to die hard - - $ 25 million ( $ 33 . 2 million total )
for the fifth instalment of the die hard series , a good day to die hard used a and b stage as well as the covered way at pinewood studios .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing a good day to die hard near you .
on the other hand , if compared to willis ' previous die hard movies , a good day to die hard is undeniably a box office disappointment – though , admittedly , it ' s the first die hard movie to open outside the late spring / summer season . ( image : bruce willis as john mcclane in a good day to die hard . )
bruce willis as john mcclane , right , and jai courtney as his son jack in a good day to die hard .
“but for me , i want to do die hard 5 , then one final die hard movie — die hard 6 — before finally hanging that white vest up for good .
not very good . easily the worst die hard ever . feels like a screen play was adapted , badly , to be a die hard movie .
bruce willis and jai courtney in a good day to die hard : ' stupefyingly silly ' . photograph : frank masi , smpsp
a good day to die hard ,
which takes the bruce willis franchise to russia , opens today in 3 , 553 locations .
title a good day to die hard also known as a good day to die hard - international trailer c , a good day to die hard - more , a good day to die hard - more 30
( amazon ) , die hard bonus disc - a good day to die hard trailer , trailer f year 2013 formats dvd , cinema , imax distributor ( s ) twentieth century fox home ent . , the creative partnership , 20th century fox film co . ltd classified date ( s ) 03 / 06 / 2013 main language english other languages russian bbfc reference azf295996 note to parents some versions of this film are displayed in the 3d or imax format and some younger children may find them a more intense experience
a good day to die hard is the fifth film in the die hard action franchise starring , in which a new york city cop travels to russia and joins forces with his son to foil a nuclear weapons heist .
click here for the trailer urltoken bruce willis and jai courtney talk to ign about playing john and jack mcclane in a good day to die hard . subscribe to ign ' s channel for reviews , news , and all things gaming : urltoken a good day to die hard - cast interviews
a good day to die hard , which returns bruce willis in the title role , will hit theaters on feb . 14 , 2013 in order to take advantage of the joint valentine’s day and president’s day weekend .
if you start watching the series now , you ' ll have plenty of time to memorize all the lines before die hard 5 comes out . a good day to die hard is slated for release on valentine ' s day 2013 .
a good day to die hard
opens on valentine ' s day in 2013 ;
percy jackson : sea of monsters
launches over the easter holiday in 2013 .
well , a good day to die hard ' s reported $ 92 million budget ( not including marketing and distribution expenses ) may be justified once we look at the die hard movies ' international box office figures ( not adjusted for inflation ) : die hard $ 57 . 75m ; die hard 2 : die harder $ 122 . 49 million ; die hard : with a vengeance $ 266 . 08 million ; live free or die hard $ 249 million .
live free was surprisingly good . with a vengeance was the ( previously ) worst die hard flick .
as part of the celebration surrounding the release of a good day to die hard , twentieth century fox film is bringing the entire franchise back to theaters for one day only on wednesday , february 13 .
the latest bruce willis die hard movie , a good day to die hard , is having a merely acceptable weekend at the north american box office . the perfect date movie , a good day to die hard grossed a passable ( for such a popular franchise ) $ 8 . 23 million at 3 , 553 sites on thursday , valentine ' s day , in addition to an estimated $ 25 million on the weekend proper ( feb . 15 - 17 ) , according to figures found at urltoken . ( image : a good day to die hard bruce willis as john mcclane points a gun at – someone . )
deadly but doddery : a good day to die hard is an explosive escape from reality . . . even if bruce willis should be collecting his bus pass
courtney , a graduate of the western australian academy of performing arts , will play willis’ character john mcclane’s son , jack , in a good day to die hard .
a few reasonable action sequences are mired in family soap , making this a good day to call it quits .
to date , a good day to die hard has grossed an estimated $ 79 . 6 million in 63 territories , including $ 61 million this weekend . that represents about 70 percent of the film ' s current worldwide gross . and that – the international market – is the reason movies such as a good day to die hard get made .
, so much so that it has a good chance of winning the day on monday . the
brilliant dvd another one to add to my collection of die hard dvd ' s .
wrong with it . here are 10 reasons a good day to die hard sucks , and why you shouldn ' t give fox a penny of your money for it this weekend .
i didn ' t think it was physically possible to doze off at a movie as loud as a good day to die hard , but for a few moments my mind found some distant , peaceful refuge .
the long awaited fifth “die hard” movie , “a good day to die hard , ” won the box office crown this president’s day weekend , but we’ve got to admit that after seeing john moore’s action flick we’re still confused about a ton of stuff in the flick that really didn’t make a whole lot of sense .
having made the above comparisons , let me remind you of a crucial fact : unlike a good day to die hard , none of the aforementioned stallone / schwarzenegger / statham movies is a sequel .
die hard is dead . i made my peace with this at the release of live free or die hard , a movie that saw john mcclane fully transformed into a cartoon character ( and that brought kevin smith , for reasons knowable only to the dark ones , into the die hard series ) , but it’s a good day to die hard that truly hammers the point home . and while some could argue ( i don’t know how , but they have ) that live free is a fun movie when removed from the shadow of the die hard films , a good day to die hard is a shoddy movie on every level on which we judge films .
according to the
die hard
wiki , john mcclane has killed a total of 58 people in the first four
die hard
films .
after it was classified as an r in the us , hopes were high that the new die hard movie , a good day to die hard , would have the harder edge that die hard 4 . 0 was lacking . however , the uk certificate for the film has been confirmed , and it ' s been revealed by the bbfc that die hard 5 is a 12a .
although some of the characters were introduced in the novel nothing lasts forever ( 1979 ) by american writer roderick thorp , the screenplay for a good day to die hard was written by american screenwriter skip woods . it is the fifth movie in the die hard series , preceded by die hard ( 1988 ) ( 1988 ) , die hard 2 ( 1990 ) ( 1990 ) , die hard with a vengeance ( 1995 ) ( 1995 ) , and live free or die hard ( 2007 ) ( 2007 ) .
the first die hard was released in 1988 ; the most recent instalment before a good day to die hard was 2007 & apos ; s die hard 4 . 0 . the franchise has grossed over $ 1 . 1 billion at the worldwide box office and sold more than 60 million video / dvd units .
this is the complete version of marco beltrami ' s score from a good day to die hard . this features more content than in the two tracks together . enjoy . . .
‘we spoke , all of us . it was a good may day , the reception was good and the crowd was warm , ’ he says .
a good day to die hard ' s domestic cume stands at $ 33 . 23 million after four days . that ' s not exactly a great debut , considering that monday is a semi - major holiday – presidents day – in the united states .
die hard 2 : die harder cost $ 70 million ( approx . $ 123 million today ) .
to match the original die hard ' s budget - to - box - office ratio , a good day to die hard would have to gross $ 273 million at the north american box office . to match live free or die hard ' s ratio , bruce willis ' latest die hard movie would have to earn $ 113 million domestically . at this stage , $ 113 million looks only slightly more attainable than $ 273 million . we ' ll see .
a good day to die h . . .
the youtube account associated with this video has been terminated due to multiple third - party notifications of copyright infringement .
subscribe to trailers : urltoken subscribe to coming soon : urltoken a good day to die hard official trailer # 2 ( 2013 ) - bruce willis movie hd john mcclane and his son take on local forces in russia .
subscribe to trailers : urltoken subscribe to coming soon : urltoken a good day to die hard official trailer # 1 ( 2013 ) - bruce willis movie hd john mcclane and his son take on local forces in russia .
a good day to die hard also includes scenes of gun threat to the head and several brief shots of knife - blades as the heroes prepare to defend themselves . there are also passing references to ‘doing drugs’ and some mild innuendo .
a good day to die hard is the fifth film in the die hard action franchise starring bruce willis as new york city cop john mcclane . in this film mcclane travels to russia and joins forces with his son to foil a nuclear weapons heist . it is rated 12a for strong language and violence .
stream a good day to die hard by marco beltrami and 40 million songs on all your devices with amazon music unlimited . exclusively for prime members . new subscribers only . terms and conditions apply .
a good day to die hard also includes scenes of gun threat and several brief shots of knife - blades as the heroes prepare to defend themselves . there are also passing references to ' doing drugs ' and some mild innuendo .
given how successful its four predecessors have been , it ' s not surprising that
a good day to die hard
plays like an extended victory lap for star bruce willis and the entire
die hard
franchise . not surprising , but not overwhelmingly entertaining either .
exclusive : in the young actor category , a role to die for is john mcclane jr , the son of bruce willis ’ indestructible cop character in a good day to die hard , which john moore will direct in russia early next year for 20th century fox .
at the risk of sounding ungrateful for a fresh “die hard” sequel , russia needs its own john mcclane movie the way uncle sam needs a bright red babushka . on the flimsiest of pretexts , bruce willis’ obstinate hero travels all the way to moscow to find trouble in “a good day to die hard , ” teaming up [ … ]
a good day to die hard also includes scenes of gun threat to the head and several brief shots of knife - blades as the heroes prepare to defend themselves . there are also passing references to ' doing drugs ' and some mild innuendo .
excellent ! ! if there were more stars i ' d give it a higher rating . as good as the other die hard movies .
for the week of june 4th , twentieth century fox is bringing a good day to die hard to blu - ray . the fifth installment in the die hard franchise finds the series showing its age , though it ' s an entertaining diversion for action junkies . other releases include anchor . . .
the odds against anything 5 being outstanding are fairly steep , and while he’s overcome worse in the past , john mcclane doesn’t beat them . a good day to die hard also suffers from being the second footnote to a cycle which the first three die hards satisfactorily wrapped up into a trilogy .
although the plot of a good day to five hard is still under wraps , a press release from fox claims that the two mcclane’s will work together to keep the world “safe for democracy , ” which is of course what the die hard franchise has always been about , metaphorically .
while sony’s django unchained remained no . 1 overseas for the fourth consecutive weekend , the highlight of a sluggish session on the foreign theatrical circuit was the limited introduction of 20th century fox’s release of a good day to die hard .
a good day to die hard is the fifth movie in the die hard franchise in which john mcclane ( bruce willis ) and his son john
jack
mcclane jr . ( jai courtney ) , a cia operative , take on nuclear terrorists in russia . it was released on february 14 , 2013 .
die hard with a vengeance ( 1995 ) mcclane is forced to play a bomber ' s deadly game in a race through new york .
just in time for half term then , it seems as though a good day to die hard is the film to take your 12 year old to see . who would have though that ' d ever happen back when hans gruber was running around ?
' a good day to die hard ' : bruce willis ' lowest - grossing dh movie in north america ? © 2004–2018 alt film guide and / or author ( s ) . text not to be reproduced without prior written consent .
hit the jump for more . the film also stars sebastian koch , yulia snigir , cole hauser , amaury nolasco , megalyn echikunwoke , and anne vyalitsyna . a good day to die hard opens february 14 , 2013 .
it ' s been 25 years since bruce willis first jumped from an exploding rooftop , and now , he ' s about to rule the box office all over again as grizzled new york city cop john mclane .
a good day to die hard
is expected to own president ' s day weekend .
by all accounts , a good day to die hard is a terrible movie . but the stunts , well , there were a lot of them and they cost a fortune . director john moore decided that when it came to smashing expensive vehicles , it was time to go big or go home .
leave your spoiler - filled thoughts on die hard 5 right here . . .
die hard cost $ 28 million ( approx . $ 54 million today ) .
roger ebert was born on this day in 1942 , and died a little over five years ago . i owe a good part of my success…
now comes chapter five , a good day to die hard . it moves the divorced and retired mcclane to moscow while reuniting him with his son jack ( jai courtney of tv’s spartacus : blood and sand ) . jack was barely glimpsed as a child in 1988’s original die hard , played by noah land , and hasn’t been seen since .
for the week that ended on june 9th , twentieth century fox ' s a good day to die hard took the top sales position on the blu - ray - only chart . this fifth installment in the die hard franchise was the series ' most critically lambasted entry , though it still performed . . .
in fact , a good day to die hard is much bigger than the last stand , bullet to the head , and parker not because of bruce willis , who hasn ' t had a major non - die hard box office hit since m . night shyamalan ' s unbreakable 13 years ago , but because the john moore - directed flick has the words “die hard” in the title . people flock to brands , no matter how crappy .
20th century fox’s a good day to die hard will be the studio’s fourth major release in dolby atmos , following taken 2 , chasing mavericks and life of pi . the film opens feb . 14 in the u . s .
if its first five days are any indication of a good day to die hard ' s box office appeal , chances are that this latest bruce willis action flick will face an uphill battle to reach $ 110 million – thus making it by far the least successful die hard movie ever in the u . s . and canada .
fox’s a good day to die hard , the fifth film in the die har d franchise , got a jump start on the long presidents day weekend by grossing $ 840 , 000 at midnight screenings wednesday night . the film played at 2 , 328 locations for an average of $ 361 per site . it opens thursday in 3 , 553 locations .
die hard : with a vengeance cost $ 90 million ( approx . $ 136 million today ) .
note : production budgets : die hard - $ 28 million die hard 2 - $ 70 million die hard 3 - $ 90 million if there are any movies that you think should be on this list , e - mail us at mail @ urltoken .
– ost – listen to original score , theme music from the motion picture , film score list , all songs list – playlist , who sings them , including end credits . a good day to die hard soundtrack details : original music composed by marco beltrami
but then the verdict was right damning . a good day to die hard , as i wrote in the den of geek review , is a film “that should be ashamed to wear the die hard name” . not just an insult to die hard , but also a dreadful action movie in its own right . some have convincingly argued that willis retired the character of john mcclane after the third film – die hard with a vengeance – and that die hard 4 . 0 was more akin to a decent action movie ( i quite liked it anyway ) . that theory surely became fact by the end of die hard 5 . the ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation idea was long gone , as a man who originally scraped passed hans gruber and his team to save a building and the people in it was now apparently trying to save the entire world .
the classic action film die hard has spawned four sequels the last three decades and it seems like more are in the pipeline . the fifth sequel a good day to die hard was released on blu - ray with both the theatrical and extended cuts . during the opening credits of the extended cut commentary director john moore says :
by now , chances are you ' re more than well aware that a good day to die hard has been on the receiving end of some savage reviews . and chances are , quite a few of you might just have seen the movie by now .
the fifth movie , a good day to die hard , opens in australia on march 21 . the film introduces rising aussie star jai courtney - who gets equal screen time alongside willis - as mcclane & apos ; s estranged son jack .
afterward , we were treated to the world premiere of a good day to die hard , complete in dolby atmos . john moore informed us that this was one of only thirteen films to be mixed in atmos . for those who don’t know , dolby atmos allows up to 128 discrete audio tracks for the film , and supports up to 64 unique speaker feeds . while i can’t post my thoughts on a good day to die hard just yet ( review will follow closer to release , ) i can say that if you are lucky enough to experience this in atmos , do it .
are opening that day . i ' m not even surprised a family film like
the promotional campaign , at least , was promising . the early trailers for a good day to die hard brought back key pieces of music , and seemed to hit that bruce willis was back to playing the character of john mcclane , as opposed to being bruce willis in another generic action movie . scheduled for a valentine’s day 2013 release date , it seemed 20th century fox had confidence in a franchise that had enjoyed its best ever box office performance with 2007’s die hard 4 . 0 / live free or die hard ( depending on where you live in the world ) .
die hard ll the mission is impossible . ll secret british soldier ll action , thriller ll
as a huge fan of die hard , die hard 2 & die hard with a vengeance , i must admit , when i first heard there was a 4 installment planned for release , i was skeptical . but , in all fairness die hard 4 ( or live free or die hard ) was watchable . there are flaws and i do have quibbles about it but the main one would have to be the directors seemingly insatiable obsession to bamboozle the viewer with computer - related jargon . but , again it ' s a minor quibble . die hard 5 ? or a good day to die hard , to give it it ' s full name . drivel . john mcclane fights terrorists , with his son . the same son who , in die hard , couldn ' t even answer the phone before his sister when holly phones the house to see if john had called . now he ' s running about , blowing up russian gangsters with his dad ? not for me . but this is like a fart in a hurricane compared to the rest of the flaws in this movie . avoid .
, which is good news , as 2013 is in a mini - slump .
over the last few days , i’ve looked back at the die hard franchise , and tried to explain what makes these films unique . the obvious answer is john mcclane ( bruce willis ) . willis helped to craft a memorable character who was the wise - cracking , scrappy , desperate hero we can all root for . but it’s not simply an attitude . die hard is a matter of circumstance and response , and the two best films— die hard and die hard with a vengeance —back mcclane into a corner and force him to rely on his wits and strength to survive . he gets the shit kicked out of him , swears constantly , but laughs in the face of near death . john mcclane’s personality lives in a good day to die hard . everything else dies horribly .
title a good day to die hard year 2013 distributor ( s ) 20th century fox film co . ltd classified date ( s ) 08 / 02 / 2013 main language english submitted run time 97m 33s approved footage 8779 + 8 bbfc reference dff295996 registration number cfj28178
the valentine ' s day / president ' s day five - day weekend wasn ' t as lucrative as many had hoped , at least not at the top , which is really bad news for a year that is not off to a great start .
it might also be the catalyst to open up die hard 6 . because , as i understand it right now , for all the chatter about the project just over a year ago , a new die hard film remains in limbo . that could all change tomorrow , and i suspect we will eventually get that one final john mcclane adventure . but also , it seems clear that people in power are aware of the damage that a good day to die hard did . and they’re not looking to make that same mistake again .
jai courtney has been cast as jack mcclane , the son of john mcclane , in a good day to die hard . following a global casting search spanning several months , 20th century fox announced wednesday that cpourtney would be joining the forthcoming fifth installment in the long - running franchise .
additionally , variety reports that amaury nolasco ( prison break ) and megalyn echikunwoke ( house of lies ) have joined the supporting cast of a good day to die hard . john moore is onboard to direct , and the story finds bruce willis ’ john mcclane teaming up with his estranged son ( jai courteney ) in russia . nolasco will be playing willis’ friend in the pic , but details of echikunwoke’s role are currently under wraps . filming on a good day to die hard is currently under way , and the film is slated to open on february 13th , 2013 .
we ' ve thus opened up this post for spoiler - filled discussion of the film , and for you to tell us how wrong we are . are critics being too hard on the movie , or is a good day to die hard really that bad ? share your thoughts below . and feel free to include as many spoilers as you like .
well , i know what i & apos ; ll be doing for my 32nd birthday . the 5th
die hard
film , now officially titled
a good day to die hard
, will hit theatres february 14th , 2013 . co - chairman and ceo of fox filmed entertainment tom rothman made the exclusive announcement this morning on the jim rome show .
and finally , here ' s another set of comparisons : the die hard movies ' budgets .
live free or die hard cost $ 110 million ( approx . $ 122 million today ) .
here’s where a good day to die hard finds its heartbeat rather than just a quickened pulse . waiting to hear whether jack will once again call john “dad” inspires more rooting interest than counting the bodies and bent metal piled high by director john moore ( max payne ) and screenwriter skip woods ( the a - team ) .
as written by skip woods ,
a good day to die hard
is certainly twisty enough , but the pro - forma nature of willis ' performance — even his traditional
yippee ki yay
sounds muted — doesn ' t help a film that cannot be described as inspired .
the fifth die hard flick also costars patrick stewart and is scheduled to hit theaters on feb . 14 , 2013 .
bela tarr has a style , though * . john moore , a filmmaker so anonymous that i assume he maintains a closet full of faces from which he chooses every day , has no style . he is just trying to emulate various 21st century action aesthetics , and he’s doing it poorly . there’s nothing unifying a good day to die hard on a cinematic level besides the fact that every single scene , taken individually , fucking sucks .
“any event in johannesburg where i was , we spoke , all of us . it was a good may day , the reception was good and the crowd was warm . in johannesburg where i am , the may day has been a success , warm , and the crowd was warm to all of us , ” he said .
what better way to celebrate the hollywood movie star than with a good old - fashioned quiz . . .
updated : not only is die hard 5 a 12a in the uk , but it had extra cuts to get the certificate . . .
a good day to die hard is the fifth film in the die hard action franchise starring bruce willis as new york city cop john mcclane . in this film mcclane travels to russia and joins forces with his son to foil a nuclear weapons heist . the cinema version was rated 12a for infrequent strong language and moderate action violence . this extended version of the film includes some additional material and is rated 15 for strong language and violence .
valentine’s day may not seem like the most opportune moment to release the latest die hard yippee - ki - yay . shouldn’t cupid’s time be about cuddles and kisses rather than bullets and bravado ?
this was the first die hard film where the original script was explicitly written as an entry in the die hard series . the first die hard ( 1988 ) film was based on a novel by roderick thorp . die hard 2 ( 1990 ) was first written as a script based on walter wager ' s novel ' 58 minutes ' . die hard with a vengeance ( 1995 ) famously took its basic idea from jonathan hensleigh ' s screenplay simon says . live free or die hard ( 2007 ) was retro - fitted from the original screenplay ww3 . com , which was nearly filmed on its own merits before the 9 / 11 terrorist attacks caused it to be shelved . see more »
there was some reason for optimism about this film . i ' m a huge fan of the original , and i ' ve enjoyed most of the sequels , even the ludicrous
live free or die hard .
the r rating for
a good day to die hard
told us they weren ' t going to skimp on the raw language and the quality kills . and it would be interesting to see where john mcclane was in 2013 .
die hard was released 25 years ago this week . to mark the occasion , here ' s a quiz to test how well you know the film and its sequels
a cia operative hires a team of mercenaries to eliminate a latin dictator and a renegade cia agent .
mm why not . . i just want to know hwo the writers will put this two together . . . jaja . . . anyway just die hard 1 was the good one . . .
at the risk of sounding ungrateful for a fresh “ die hard ” sequel , russia needs its own john mcclane movie the way uncle sam needs a bright red babushka . on the flimsiest of pretexts , bruce willis ’ obstinate hero travels all the way to moscow to find trouble in “ a good day to die hard , ” teaming up with his long - lost son to stop a generic terrorist from stealing weapons - grade uranium from chernobyl — a subpar plot that feels suspiciously like someone tried to plug mcclane into a preexisting screenplay . fox’s shaky bid to boost this installment’s international appeal could backfire domestically .
bruce willis ' return as john mcclane , a good day to die hard , topped the box office over the friday - to - sunday period , but with a weaker - than - expected $ 25 million . fox ' s $ 92 million thriller , which also stars jai courtney , earned $ 8 . 2 million on thursday , its first day of release , and after four days , it ' s earned $ 33 . 2 million . that ' s a substantially weaker start than 2007′s live free or die hard , which started with $ 33 . 4 million in its opening three - day weekend .
full disclosure , neither i nor hitfix’s drew mcweeny ( whose review can be read here ) are trying to be too tough on the latest john mcclane adventure . we were actually both very much looking forward to it after the surprisingly good “live free or die hard . ” on the other hand , “a good day’s” screenplay is so whack these were questions that came up as we actually watched the film . yes , sometimes our stories write themselves , but unfortunately movies don’t and some major gaps of logic seemed to get by everyone associated with “a good day . ” with that in mind , check out 10 things we still don’t understand about “die hard 5” in the embedded story gallery .
foreign box office : ' django unchained ' remains no . 1 , but ' die hard ' steals weekend
if you haven ' t seen the first four die hard movies , or just want a refresher , now ' s the time to buy them for your next road trip , because the fifth installment , die hard 5 : a good day to die hard , is currently in pre - production . this time around , we will find john mcclane ( bruce willis ) in russia on a mission to rescue his son , john jr . , before getting pulled into a fight for world domination ( as usual ) . the role of mcclane ' s son has yet to be cast , but shia labeouf ' s name is being thrown around .
you ' d think mcclane ' s kids would give him a break for not being there for every dance recital and little league game , but in
live free or die hard
( 2007 ) , it took an attack by a team of cyber - terrorists to reunite him with his estranged daughter . now , with
a good day to die hard ,
mcclane has to go all the way to russia and battle yet another bunch of ruthless master criminals and their henchmen just to get a little closure with his son , to whom he hasn ' t spoken in years .
there’s so much wrong with a good day to die hard that i don’t know where to begin . is it the fact that the film has john mcclane cry out a terrible catchphrase “i’m on vacation ! ” a dozen times despite the fact that he is obviously and demonstrably not on vacation ? is it the sheer visual incompetence on display in the chaotic and pointless action scenes ? is it the way the script has removed all personality from the characters , leaving them simply to sleepwalk through plot points , occasionally stopping to shoot people by just standing in the middle of a room and pointing a gun offscreen ? is it the way it makes moscow look like a generic blue - lit city ? it’s all of these things that makes a good day to die hard a chore to sit through , and they’re just the surface problems .
die hard 2 ( 1990 ) mcclane battles mercenaries who have seized an airport and threaten to cause chaos in the air at christmas .
way more exciting and original than i was expecting . i hope they make another die hard so they have to make another score !
it ' s a bad day at the office for a durable 25 - year - old franchise in a good day to die hard . comprised of one shakily filmed action sequence after another , all of which are more preposterous than anything previously served up by the die hard series ( and that ' s saying something ) , this fifth john mcclane saga takes the new york cop ( bruce willis ) to moscow and , of all places , chernobyl , to help his cia officer son ( jai courtney ) save modern russia from its own worst enemies . franchise fans and action - hungry audiences will pile in over this double holiday weekend , from valentine ' s day on thursday to presidents day on monday , but returns figure to tumble fairly quickly thereafter . overseas draw should be quite strong .
how bout a threeway ? die hard 24 / 7 m . d . the john mcclane , jack bauer , gregory house movie .
that said , there currently exists a trend for older actors reprising earlier heroic and hard bodied action roles , be it bruce willis ( 52 ) in die hard 4 . 0 ( 2007 ) , dolph lundgren ( 53 ) in the expendables ( 2010 ) , arnold schwarzenegger ( 55 ) in terminator 3 : rise of the machines ( 2003 ) , bruce willis ( 58 ) in a good day to die hard ( 2013 ) , sylvester stallone ( 60 ) in rocky balboa ( 2006 ) and ( 62 ) rambo ( 2008 ) and harrison ford ( 66 ) in indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull ( 2008 ) . and there are currently rumours surrounding a sixth installment of the die hard franchise starring bruce willis . die hard 2
the big question : will a good day to die hard reach $ 40 million by monday evening ? that ' s certainly a possibility , but it ' s not guaranteed . either way , if studio weekend box office estimates are on target , the widely lambasted bruce willis action flick – which currently has a putrid 10 percent approval rating and 4 / 10 average among rotten tomatoes ' top critics – will surely get very close to that mark . for comparison ' s sake : the previous die hard movie , live free or die hard , scored $ 48 . 39 million in its first five days out .
was a really good month and 2013 got off to a really good start . i ' m not so sure about february , on the other hand . there ' s only one film that has a statistically significant shot at $ 100 million ,
die hard ( 1988 ) new york cop john mcclane gives terrorists a taste of their own medicine as they hold an l . a . office building hostage .
it has been a big , big fun time doing die hard for the last 25 years and living to talk about it ,
willis said before hitting a
detonator
to reveal the mural .
the fifth installment of the die hard franchise will be mixed in atmos in the zanuck theatre on the fox lot .
20th century fox home entertainment brings ' a good day to die hard ' to blu - ray as a two - disc combo pack with an ultraviolet digital copy . the region a / b , bd50 disc is accompanied by a dvd - 9 / digital copy combo disc on the opposing panel . both are housed inside a blue , eco - vortex keepcase with a shiny cardboard slipcover . at startup , viewers are taken straight to the main menu with full - motion clips and music .
bruce willis has confirmed on several websites that he has signed on to do a sixth die hard film , although the plot and cast is unknown at this time .
die hard 5 proly might not be that good , but put baur & mclaine together bamm ! we got an exploision on the big screens . . . . . . . so many possible ways to put them together !
take this one with a chaser of your favorite
die hard
memories and hope that the series goes out on a higher note . john mcclane deserves better .
hardware is one thing but inspiration is something else , and in that area
a good day to die hard
comes up short . true , a lot of stuff gets blown up and stunts that must have cost the earth appear with startling regularity , but the sense of exhilaration and fun that marked the best of the series has gone unaccountably awol .
the die hard series sells the lone wolf concept — willis vs . global terrorists — yet deep down , it’s really about family reunification . good thing , too , because the violence gets old fast .
for anyone who remembers the
die hard
adventures at their vital and exciting best , this film feels like a near - death experience .
twenty - five years after first crying & quot ; yippie - ki - yay & quot ; , killing the bad guy and saving the day , bruce willis is back in his fifth die hard movie .
directed by john moore ( max payne ) , a good day to die hard lands permanently - besieged cop john mcclane ( bruce willis ) in moscow , where he is reunited with his estranged son jack . according to a press release issued by fox , “jack may even be more of a hardass than his father . despite their differences , they must work together to keep each other alive – and the world safe for democracy . ”
foreign box office : ' django unchained ' remains no . 1 , but ' die hard ' steals weekend | hollywood reporter
here ' s hoping the next
die hard
provides a similar kind of redemption . john mcclane deserves a much stronger salute as he rides off into the sunset .
it ' s valentine ' s day today , while monday is president ' s day , so the box office has an unofficial five - day weekend . there ' s not much of a mystery regarding which of the four wide releases will top the chart this weekend , as nearly everyone expects
check this out fans ! a good day to die hard is a 2013 american action film directed by john moore and written by skip woods . it is the fifth installment of the die hard film series . bruce willis reprises the lead role of john mcclane , who travels to russia to help his estranged son , jack ( jai courtney ) , out of prison , but is soon caught in the crossfire of a terrorist plot . talks of a fourth sequel to die hard began before the release of live free or die hard ( 2007 ) , with willis affirming that the latter would not be the last in the series , but pre - production did not start until september 2011 when john moore was officially announced as the director . filming began in april 2012 , primarily in budapest , hungary . urltoken urltoken urltoken . . urltoken urltoken urltoken urltoken urltoken urltoken urltoken po . .
frank is hired to
transport
packages for unknown clients and has made a very good living doing so . but when asked to move a package that begins moving , complications arise .
far more than most action stars getting on in years , bruce willis has aged nicely into the role . maybe it ' s that shaved pate of his , a bullet - head that still looks primed for any chamber . anyway , his look alone is sufficient to prompt this memo from the department of faint praise : a quarter - century after it began , a good day to die hard continues the franchise without undue embarrassment .
the die hard series is about explosive action , impossible physical feats , sweat , blood and clocks ticking to doomsday . it ' s about mcclane escaping from a burning tower , only to find a worse predicament on the ground .
the first warning sign that all was not well came with the invitation to the uk press screening for the film . appreciating that fox could have decided not to screen a good day to die hard at all , it pressed ahead with a preview , but scheduled it to start at 9 . 30pm , the evening before release . reviewers could attend on the proviso that they didn’t run reviews until midnight . even in the land of fast clickbait , that’s quick turnaround for a review .
there was a fire on the set of a good day to die hard in hungary ,
20th century fox said in a statement .
no one was injured by the flames , which occurred during a pyrotechnics stunt just after midnight cet on thursday , and were contained a short while later . bruce willis , was not on set , nor were other principal cast . principal photography on the movie began in april in budapest , and is expected to wrap late summer .
simanton predicted a $ 44 million haul for
a good day to die hard ,
which sees mclane paired up with his son ( played jai courtney ) . willis recently told mtv news that the onscreen father - son relationship isn ' t too much unlike
real life .
the last movie , 2007 ' s
live free or die hard ,
included mclane ' s grown - up daughter . the pg - 13 rating prevented the full inclusion of mclane ' s signature catchphrase last time , but this new one is rated r . some theaters ran a
die hard marathon ,
similar to
batman
events from last year . the international locales should help worldwide .
my problem , though , is i never get the sense that bruce willis cares anymore about die hard even half as much as those of us who watch the films on semi - regular rotation . he seems to sleepwalk through a good day to die hard , and i don’t believe that the man who chooses to back projects such as looper and unbreakable couldn’t see the problems . it’s easy to take potshots at willis , and his recent career choices hardly help . but i do think he’s got a better ability to sniff out a decent script than he’s given credit for . the problem is that he just doesn’t seem that interested in using it .
what i hope i’ve explained in my retrospective is that the context is just as important as the john mcclane character if not more so . we have more than our share of wise - cracking heroes , but it’s the circumstances that bring out the best in mcclane . he’s not a guy who’s out to save the world like he’s supposed to do in live free or this movie . his ability to survive can strain credulity but he never possesses outright invulnerability like he does here . his motives and his enemies make a modicum of sense . a good day to die hard painfully fails to realize that a die hard movie is not simply saying , “yippee ki - yay , motherfucker . ”


chauranga ( hindi चौरंगा ) is a 2016 hindi film .

it is the debut feature film of indian writer-director bikas ranjan mishra , produced by onir and sanjay suri .

the film was developed at the screenwriters ' lab organized by national film development corporation of india in collaboration with locarno film festival and the scriptstation of berlinale talent campus , a part of berlin international film festival .

the film won golden gateway of india award for best film ( india gold 2014 ) at the 16th mumbai film festival .

the film was released worldwide on 8 january 2016 .

chauranga

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urltoken » movies » review : chauranga is a good attempt but . . .
bikas ranjan mishra doesn ' t make the same mistake with his debut directorial film chauranga .
what lets down chauranga is its story , which starts and ends at the same point .
produced by onir , chauranga hits theatres on friday , january 8 . ( youtube grab )
chauranga movie going to release on next year january i . e . 8th january 2016 .
bikas speaks to pandolin about the genesis of chauranga and all that went into making the film .
chauranga is innocent yet vicious . it’s a must - watch for those who love their cinematic display ‘raw’ .
chauranga is said to be inspired by your village . tell us about it . any references drawn from reality ?
the trouble with ‘chauranga’ , despite its crucial subject , is that treads familiar ground without taking the tale too far .
watch chauranga because it is honest , provocative and piercing . it announces the advent of a promising new voice in mumbai
set in the dark hinterland of india where tradition and modernity collide precariously , chauranga is inspired by a real incident .
“chauranga” , directed by bikas ranjan mishra , was adjudged the best film and won the golden gateway of india trophy .
but chauranga deviates from the plot too quickly , and it is more like a documentary on the appalling condition of the dalits .
having said that , chauranga is still worth a watch because of its talented star cast and the brutal representation of rural india .
with a brilliant theme , a narrative structure that flows , and social relevance that hooks the viewer , chauranga makes for a powerful watch .
the 16th mumbai film festival came to a close on tuesday ( october 21 ) evening with films “court” , “chauranga” and “killa” bagging the top honours .
indian films court , chauranga and killa were the big winners at the close of the mumbai film festival ( mff ) , which wrapped on tuesday night .
chauranga is gripping and sometimes churns your insides . it’s unapologetic and startling as you realize that situations like these do ‘flourish’ in the hinterlands of our country .
had the makers of chauranga given their film a befitting end , even the documentary feel wouldn ' t have mattered . unfortunately , the end leaves you unsatisfied .
your upcoming film chauranga is the story of a teenager boy . tell us the journey of the film as it was conceptualised in 2012 but is releasing in theatres this week .
the win fetched 20000 usd for the filmmaker . this was followed by the goteborg international film festival fund , sweden , selecting chauranga for the script fund and awarding it 15000 usd .
the 16th mumbai film festival came to a close on tuesday ( october 21 ) evening with films
court
,
chauranga
and
killa
bagging the top honours .
chauranga is a good attempt at reminding us that india is still bound by caste and gender discrimination but it really does nothing more than that . and that ' s the biggest problem .
writer - director bikas ranjan mishra’s chauranga is so low - key that it comes across as an unfeeling drama even though the screen is , at all times , busy with multiple pressing concerns .
chauranga is neither provocative nor skillful in its portrayal . though its last scene ushers in a ray of hope to nullify the haunting gory glimpses from the film , it never soars high enough to affect you .
a constant focus on the atrocities faced by the marginalized makes chauranga a special film . it’s the process of finding a solution by magnifying the ugliness in a contemporary light that strikes a chord and marks mishra’s cinematic skills .
in the case of chauranga , the director also needs to explain why he has taken the trouble to cast the heroine of one of satyajit ray’s best - remembered films – swatilekha sengupta from ghare baire ( 1984 ) – and then squandered her away . for most of chauranga , the veteran’s face remains in the shadows , and i found myself squinting at the screen to be sure that it was indeed her i was seeing and not someone who looks like her .
pudr demands that this sponge iron factory not be allowed in chauranga , that various industries not be imposed on the people of chattisgarh contrary to their wishes and due process regarding environment laws and gram sabha consent be followed transparently and without coercion .
it can also be looked at in a different way . the hindu caste system is made of four varnas , the sanskrit word for caste . varna means caste as well as colour . so , chauranga is four colors but also four castes .
chauranga , directed by bikas ranjan mishra , won best film in the india gold competition . produced by onir and sanjay suri , the film tells the story of a young ‘dalit’ boy who dares to write a love letter to a girl from a higher caste .
but is it merely enough to hold a mirror ? i was hoping chauranga would express more outrage…that it might explore what happens when the oppressed challenge the status quo . that might be a film of our time . this , i’m afraid , we’ve seen before .
when i started writing my film , the process involved introspection . i questioned myself and started thinking about what makes me what i am . this took me back to where i come from – my village . chauranga is in many ways about my childhood and me .
chauranga is inspired from a real incident but my idea was not to reconstruct reality . i used a creative device – i re - situated the story in my own village and imagined it unfolding right there . so , many characters in the film are people i have seen and known in my childhood .
pudr is deeply concerned about the escalating situation in chauranga , near raipur , following the adamant insistence of the factory owner , supported by the administration , in starting work at the raipur sponge iron power ltd factory there , in blatant disregard of the longstanding opposition of the people of the village and the region .
the actor works closely with producer - director onir . their films my brother nikhil and i am received accolades in film festivals around the globe and now he is producing and acting in onir’s upcoming venture chauranga . set in a rural background , the story of a teenager boy has won several awards around the globe .
that caste remains one of the biggest scourges of modern - day india is worth repeating ad nauseam . and that is the burden of this debut feature from a director who knows where he is coming from . the trouble with ‘chauranga’ , despite its crucial subject , is that treads familiar ground without taking the tale too far .
over the years , mishra worked on getting chauranga made while running the website , which enjoyed a small - but - regular following , and freelancing for various publications as a cinema writer . meanwhile , he continues to work as an independent screen - writer ( he has penned a marathi indie coming out later this year ) .
‘chauranga’ is set in a village that is straight out of 1980s parallel cinema’s rural outposts of exploitation and misery . the village is ruled by the dictates and whims of dhaval ( sanjay suri ) , a landlord who has clearly seen better days but insists on slavish deference just like those uncrowned potentates from the films of three decades ago .
chauranga makes all the right noises about the dangers of a patriarchal society , sexual depravity among the religious class , and the need for education . but the film unfolds at such a languid pace , and its narrative is so disjointed ( censor cuts , were they ? ) you really have to fight yourself to stay invested in the story .
what happens when a 14 - year - old dalit boy writes a love letter to a 16 - year - old upper class girl who also happens to be the village strongman’s daughter ? through this young boy , filmmaker bikas ranjan mishra highlights the violence of class oppression that still exists in rural india in his widely applauded film , chauranga .
chauranga is a tirade that rants without deriving a solution to the problem it addresses . despite being a well - intentioned story about the many ' isms ' that plague india , the film’s narrative fails to explore the dynamics of hierarchy politics that is the heart of the issue . director bikas ranjan mishra seems too distracted in his storytelling , which makes the film half - baked . you are never allowed to invest whole - heartedly in the characters . in this case , the viewer is reduced to being a mere spectator who is never entirely absorbed or overwhelmed by what plays out on screen . atrocities on dalits in india is a subject that filmmakers have frequently attempted , but chauranga lacks an opinionated voice .
about four colors ( chauranga ) , the narrative jury stated : “the jury appreciated the way the film sensitively introduces the audience into a world of cast divided rural india that many of us are not familiar with . inspired by a real life incident , it develops portraits of credible , insightfully drawn and diverse characters that , as renoir said , ‘all have their reasons’ . ”
grand jury awards best feature : four colors ( chauranga ) , best actor ( tie ) : j . vignesh and ramesh for the crow’s egg best actress ( tie ) : kalki koechlin for margarita , with a straw and shweta tripathi for haraamkhor feature honorable mention for cinematography : labour of love best short film : dandekar makes a sandwich short film honorable mention : the rabbit ( khargosh )
chauranga , directed by debutant bikas mishra , holds a mirror to the ugly reality of the caste system…the violence and exploitation of the poor and the marginalized in a feudal society . evocative of the many ‘art’ films from the 70s and 80s that addressed the same malaise ( particularly shyam benegal ' s nishant and prakash jha’s damul ) , the film reveals how little has changed in all these years .
i met onir at the nfdc screenwriters’ lab in locarno . he liked the story and when he read the screenplay he decided to produce the film . onir and sanjay provided me the environment to make the film the way i wanted to . they handled the stressful part of filmmaking – producing , financing and gave me the resources and freedom to make chauranga , the way i had dreamt of it .
throughout 2007 , the owner made periodic attempts at starting work . each time , this was met by peaceful protest by the residents of chauranga . following a declaration by the owner , suresh agarwal , on 22 december 2007 that the setting up of the plant is eagerly awaited and that work would start soon , hundreds of people gathered in protest at the tehsil headquarters on 4 january 2008 . supported by the nadi ghati morcha , and residents of neighbouring villages , the people of chauranga have now decided to sit on an indefinite dharna to oppose the reopening of the factory . if the state wants peaceful methods of struggle to gain credibility , it ought to respect the demands of the people ' s struggles . responding to them through the dissonant language of repression only lends legitimacy to people taking law into their own hands .
there are moments where chauranga gives you the masaan feel , but lacks its poetry and depth . its women characters in this film are pitiable . be it the dalit woman dhaniya who has to satiate the zamindar ' s lust to win her sons a ticket to a better life or his own wife and daughter , who lurk around like shadows in his mansion , the women are all singularly uni - dimensional .
there appears to be no other explanation for these performances because , for instance , we know that when he is at his best , sanjay has the ability to pull at the heartstrings in a way that few others can . this , after all , is the man who played nikhil in the pathbreaking , soul - stirring , soul - searching 2005 hindi film my brother nikhil directed by onir , his co - producer on chauranga .
the only member of the cast who ekes some poignancy out of this lifeless film is arpita as the suffering wife . as for the children , riddhi as the older brother has evident potential , but who is to say for sure that the leading little man soham does not ? if the energy that the director achieves on screen in the last five minutes had permeated chauranga in its entirety , perhaps the boy would have delivered something more than his sweet face .
four colors ( chauranga ) , directed by bikas mishra , took home the grand jury prize for best feature , with best actress honors going to kalki koechlin for margarita , with a straw , and shweta tripathi for haraamkhor in a tie . the best actor prize , also a tie , was awarded to the young stars of the crow’s egg , brothers j . vignesh and ramesh . a special jury mention was made for the stunning cinematography of labour of love .
‘four colors’ ( chauranga ) , directed by bikas mishra , took home the grand jury prize for best feature , with best actress honors going to kalki koechlin for ‘margarita , with a sraw’ , and shweta tripathi for ‘haramkhor’ in a tie . the best actor prize , also a tie , was awarded to the young stars of ‘the crow’s egg , ’ brothers j . vignesh and ramesh . a special jury mention was made for the stunning cinematography of‘ labour of love . ’
the love angle , the anger of the protagonist may remind the viewers of the marathi film fandry and of one of the tracks in the hindi film masaan . but should the déjà vu undermine chauranga in any way ? not , when , even as the film gets released , you hear the horrific news of a dalit school boy in jodhpur beaten mercilessly by his teacher for mistakenly picking up a plate meant for his upper caste schoolmates . the caste narrative hasn’t quite lost relevance in india . not as yet .
why ‘fandry’ works so well is that the story propels us towards a shift , and the turmoil caused by it . ‘chauranga’ , on the other hand , peters out . the power that a tale like this brings with it , especially as portrayed by the fresh - faced youngsters ( maitra and sen feel as if they have sprung from the soil ; hiwale is effective as an upper caste bully ) , and the casual brutality inflicted with frightening entitlement in this day and age on humans , doesn’t have enough impact .
in the caste - class structure the most discriminated against are the women . be it santu’s mother dhaniya or the zamindar’s wife and daughter . in fact , chauranga is interesting in how it shows that a disadvantaged woman could use the exploitation to her own advantage , being more proactive than her mute upper caste counterparts . that , perhaps , is the only way out for her . so santu’s mother dhaniya ( tannishtha ) will play the sex game if it ensures that her sons can get educated and rise above their limiting situation in life .
as against a seething , fuming fandry , chauranga is a lot more muted and quiet in its rage . but the thread of protest runs through it nonetheless as santu retaliates against each bit of random violence heaped against him or his brother . but the one big act of santu’s dissent involving shiva’s bull , nandi , is as radical , drastic and revolutionary , if not more , than the stone flung at the audience in fandry . protest is all santu has as an empowering tool . and a ride on the train to a more just and equitable world . hopefully .
at the centre of chauranga is a rebel with a cause , an angry young dalit teenager santu ( sohum maitra ) who wants to seize what he feels he deserves — education and the love of a pretty young upper caste village girl . however , the hierarchies and status quo imposed by the staunchly caste - ist society of his village come in the way even as he closely watches the trains that whiz past his village , without ever stopping , because his village is not important enough for civilisation . is there a way out for him then beyond looking after his pig ?
since 2004 , the villagers of chauranga , supported by residents of at least 25 other villages in the region , had been voicing their protest , through occupying the factory site , barricading the village , filing police complaints , submitting memoranda to the district collector and police commissioner and passing resolutions in their gram sabhas against the project . their perseverance has succeeded in stalling the project work to date . however , chauranga reveals to us yet again how government and industry conspire to ram ‘development’ down people’s throats . the administration stepped in to help the owner start the factory with the assistance of police . protesters have repeatedly been beaten by police and faced arrests . in november 2004 , when villagers tried to prevent some people starting work on the site , two people were tragically killed in the resultant clash . as many as 33 people have been convicted of murder ; 23 of them are undergoing sentences of life imprisonment . these people cannot even challenge the sessions court’s verdict in the high court , as they are unable to afford the legal expenses . the government and factory owner are largely to blame for a situation in which two groups of poor are pitted against each other in what is otherwise a common struggle , one for survival and livelihood .
now , his readers as well as lovers of offbeat cinema will get a chance to see mishra’s love for the medium via another labour of love . his directorial debut chauranga arrives in theatres across the country today after a successful run at various international film festivals . in november 2014 , it had won the top prize for indian films at the 16th mumbai film festival , the golden gateway of india award ( india gold ) , beating out the much - praised marathi feature killa . later , in april 2015 , it won the grand jury prize ( best feature ) at the indian film festival of los angeles .
it is a man - made hellhole where a low - caste boy stands only a marginally better chance of survival than a hapless animal . a little later in chauranga , a harmless pig is mercilessly beaten to death by the sightless priest for showing up outside the latter’s home . neither the aforementioned human victim of hate nor the ill - fated pet pig is the fulcrum of this disturbing narrative about blighted lives , crushed dreams and unceremonious deaths . they are , however , symptomatic of how terribly wrong things are in this unnamed , culturally indeterminate village over which an upper caste brute wields untrammelled power . the story’s nebulous setting serves the purpose of underlining the universality of patriarchal and caste - driven violence in india’s rural badlands .
an uncompromising film about caste and sexual oppression in a small village in the chhota nagpur region of jhardkhand , chauranga has taken six years to go from an idea to a full - fledged feature that has been partly crowd - funded and partly funded by a number of entities . these include filmmaker onir ( whose company anticlock films is a co - producer ) , actor sanjay suri ( who also plays one of its leads ) , filmmaker sujoy ghosh , the government - run national film development corporation ( nfdc ) , and others . aside from that , it has also received cash grants from sweden’s göteborg film festival as well as the nfdc’s annual film bazaar , by way of an award for best project in the co - production market .
the story is about children but is not meant for kids . and while the story is set in a rural background , it has an urban taste . apart from producing it , i am also acting in it . i am playing father of an upper caste girl . initially , chauranga got a script development fund from sweden as it raised the socially sensitive topic of caste system which is prevalent in our society . then it got incredible india award from ministry of tourism in 2012 . nfdc got involved during the production stage . the film is partly shot in odisha and santiniketan , west bengal . it was best film in mami film festival in 2014 and in early 2015 it got grand jury best film prize at ifla film festival los angeles .
many players , clearly , have placed their faiths in mishra’s first ever feature - length film , which is entirely in an eastern dialect called khortha that borrows from hindi , bengali , and oriya . chauranga largely follows brothers santu and bajrangi ( soham maitra , its protagonist , and riddhi sen ) , belonging to a low caste , who rear pigs with their mother dhaniya ( tannishtha chatterjee ) ; it examines their relationship with the family headed by the cruel village alpha - land - owner dhaval ( suri ) and his daughter mona ( bengali tv actress ena saha ) , who also happens to be the object of santu’s affections . several criss - crossing story threads strive to highlight the realities of caste hierarchies in rural india , the ever - pervasive threat of violence , and the repressed sexuality that is also often hypocritical in its nature .
chauranga is a story of a 14 years old poor boy santu ( soham maitra ) who is growing in an unknown part of country india . he always dreams to go in a town’s school like his elder brother bajrangi ( riddhi sen ) . the story shows the life of people resides in dalit areas of india , the boy santu enjoys the most to escape a jamoon tree just to see mona ( ena saha ) who passing with her scooter . on another hand his mother who find herself really helpless in cleaning the cowshed from a strongman mansion to bring some essentials for her family she also has a secret connection with that man . when bajarangi comes to the village in his vacations he comes to know about his brother’s attraction towards mona he makes santu realize that he should speak mone about his love and help him to write a love letter .
the last time indian cinema dealt seriously with the shame of its much - abused caste system was in nagraj manjule ’s furious , extraordinary fandry , a call to revolution against the prejudice still leveled at the hindi dalit caste , a . k . a the untouchables . this anger is transformed into sorrowful , shocking tragedy in chauranga ( four colors ) which depicts the horrifying treatment given to two bright young brothers and their mother who are scorned and humiliated in their village because of their lowly birth . the setting may be timeless but the drama is all too contemporary ; in fact it’s based on a true story that happened in bihar in 2008 , here relocated to bengal where first time director bikas ranjan mishra grew up . the film took home the best film prize at its premiere in mumbai’s india gold section , forecasting a healthy festival life and the chance of some art house pick - ups .
awesome acting by ranbir and soonam as well . no doubt paresh rawal did his excellent role . . worth…
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los angeles , ca ( april 13 , 2015 ) – the 13th annual indian film festival of los angeles ( iffla ) concluded on sunday evening ( april 12 ) with a red carpet and gala fete that featured the u . s . premiere of nagesh kukunoor’s gorgeous tale dhanak ( rainbow ) and the presentation of the festival’s grand jury and audience choice awards .
this year the festival showcased 25 film features , documentaries , and shorts at arclight hollywood , home of iffla since its inception , including four world premieres , seven north american premieres , two u . s . premieres , and 10 los angeles premieres . the films hailed from six different countries , including the united states , united kingdom , france , cuba , and of course india , and featured 10 different languages , from hindi to marathi , to german to bengali .
the grand jury prize for best short was presented to dandekar makes a sandwich , directed by leena pendharker . an honorable mention was given to the rabbit ( khargosh ) , directed by sudarshan suresh .
regarding the short film awards , the jury stated : “we would like to present the grand jury prize for best short to dandekar makes a sandwich by leena pendharker , for immediately immersing us in the playful world of this complex and layered character , delivered with an impressive comedic sensibility . we also present a special mention to the the rabbit , for a moving and memorable debut film by sudarshan suresh . ”
the 2015 narrative film jurors were : director sean baker ( take out , prince of broadway , starlet , tangerine ) ; actor / producer abhay deol ( zindagi na milegi dobara , dev . d , and road movie ) , long time member and frequent board director of the hollywood foreign press association ( hfpa ) yoram kahana ; author and film curator berenice reynaud ( n ouvelles chines , a city of sadness ) , and ravi mehta , executive vice president of physical production for warner bros . pictures . judging the short films were star of nbc’s hit show “community” danny pudi , producer and outfest director of programming lucy mukerjee - brown , shorts programmer at sundance film festival lisa ogdie , and heather morris washington , manager of the emerging writers fellowship at universal pictures .
about iffla now in its 13th year , the indian film festival of los angeles ( iffla ) is a nonprofit organization devoted to a greater appreciation of indian cinema and culture by showcasing films , honoring entertainment industry business executives , and promoting the diverse perspectives of the indian diaspora .
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is creating waves internationally getting support of various film and script funding agencies around the globe .
and onir are producing the film . it recently won the ' incredible india ' award at the co - production marker of the nfdc ' s film bazaar at goa , pipping projects of big names like dibakar banerjee and ketan mehta .
onir and sanjay are also in talks with the german production house pong for a co - production arrangement . they are expecting the jharkhand govt to support the project as well . the film is set in jharkhand and the shooting begins in april - may next year . bikas wants to capture the essence of jharkhand ' s summer . he hails from the region and has recently made a short film titled naach ganesh that was in busan international film festival and rotterdamn international film festival selection . it ' s the story of a chau dancer from jharkhand .
( rajesh kumar singh is editorial consultant for festivals and markets for bollywoodtrade . com . he is a filmmaker , critic and market analyst )
secret superstar is a sweet little song of dream , hope , love and humanity . powered by winning acts b . . .
aimed as a back - slapping tribute to the crime dark comedies genre set in small towns , unfortunately . . .
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chaitanya tamhane’s court won best film and best director in mff’s international competition for first and second - time filmmakers , along with a special jury mention for the ensemble cast . the film , produced by vivek gomber , also recently won best film in the orizzonti section at the venice film festival .
the jury for this section , headed by uk director peter webber , gave the jury grand prize to mexican film gueros , directed by alonso ruizpalacios ( see full list of winners below ) .
avinash arun’s killa , about a young boy’s problems settling into a new school , was also a big winner in this section , taking prizes for second best film and a special jury award for ensemble cast . the india gold jury was headed by serbian filmmaker goran paskaljevic .
the festival celebrated a successful 16th edition , despite its difficulties in raising funding – it eventually went ahead with donations from local industrialists , filmmakers , audience members and stars . screenings at this year’s three venues – pvr andheri , cinemax versova and the historical chandan theatre – were as packed as usual , highlighting the local audience’s fervent support of the event .
in contrast to previous years , bollywood also threw its weight behind the festival , with stars and big - name directors turning up for the opening and closing ceremonies and a series of ‘film companion’ talks to introduce their favourite films . stars at the closing included aamir khan , madhuri dixit , parineeti chopra and anushka sharma .
mff director srinivasan narayanan expressed his gratitude at the closing ceremony : “for us at mami , the almighty appeared in several forms – anand mahindra , manish mundra , rohit khattar , neeraj bajaj , kiran rao , vinod chopra , anupama chopra and the list is long . thank you all for making possible what appeared to be mission impossible 45 days back . ”
local journalist and critic anupama chopra , who was recently appointed mff creative director , was instrumental in raising bollywood’s support for the festival , which in turn helped bring in sponsors . “there’s so much more we can do – we only had five weeks of pre - production , apart from the programming which happened before , so given that , we haven’t done too badly , ” chopra told screen . anu rangachar heads programming for the festival .
however , the festival organisers say they’re well aware they can’t rely on stars and crowdfunding to finance the festival in future years . “you have to lock in two or three sponsors who create a long - term relationship with the festival , and then have ideas on how to grow it and work with it – you need a five - year plan , otherwise you can’t really do it . but i’m optimistic about that , ” chopra said .
she added : “yesterday i saw an old maharashtrian couple [ from the indian state of maharashtra ] watching a japanese film , and moments like that give me hope for the future . ”
the event confirmed on twitter that it will take place from tuesday 14 to saturday 25 may 2019 .
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this film’s lack of emotional pull is inexplicable at one level because the story covers issues that would tug at the heart of any individual with an iota of conscience and sensitivity . in a village in north india lives a little dalit boy called santu ( soham maitra ) who longs for an education . his elder brother bajrangi ( riddhi sen ) is studying at a boarding school in the city . santu , on the other hand , spends his days gazing down from a treetop at a pretty girl ( ena saha ) passing by on her two - wheeler , on her way from school to home .
santu is unmindful of the dangers of his crush on an upper - caste girl . meanwhile , his mother dhaniya ( tannishtha chatterjee ) is having a clandestine affair with the girl’s father , the local strongman dhaval ( sanjay suri ) .
also in this potent mix written by bikas are dhaval’s hapless wife nidhi ( arpita pal chatterjee ) , his clueless mother ( swatilekha sengupta ) and a creepy priest ( dhritiman chatterjee ) with a sexual penchant for little girls and beasts . the plot is crying out to be felt . the fact that it fails to move has to be attributed to bikas’ direction and the central casting .
it is one thing to portray the casualness with which caste is practised , lived and accepted in this setting , but quite another to not flinch while doing so . when a couple of high - caste boys coolly throw a dalit kid into a well to punish him for straying into a temple , it should have been a chilling moment . a man’s hand over a woman’s mouth while they have sex in a haystack , to prevent her orgasmic moans from reaching the world , is a brilliant metaphor for the gagging of women and dalits . yet , in both instances , the actors involved are expressionless to the point of being unnaturally so . it is as if the director instructed them to freeze their faces to convey depth .
the casting of the female protagonist though is the film’s biggest mistake . tannishtha may well be a regular on the festival circuit but the harsh truth is that she does not have a strong screen presence and there has been a tiring sameness to her performances in all her recent films . she has had the good fortune of bagging a string of strong roles in her career , but her idea of what some people might call minimalist acting is boring beyond a point . the last time i remember being genuinely moved by her on screen was over a decade back in florian gallenberger’s bengali language german production shadows of time , and then too , now that i look back , i realise it was the powerful story and tragic role that got to me , not her performance .
at the end of the film , i found myself dying to know how onir would have directed this film with a slightly tweaked cast . this is , after all , a story that desperately needs to be told . it just needs to be told better .
debutant director bikas mishra provides us a view of the social microcosm of rural bihar , a world divided between the haves and the have - nots , between the privileged and the disadvantaged , between the landowners and landless labourers . it’s a world where zamindari has been abolished and yet not quite , where they have the upper hand as a matter of entitlement . it’s a world where the lower caste has to go through daily discrimination and humiliation and exploitation of women , whatever caste they may belong to , is a given . the myriad characters don’t just exist as individuals but have a larger role to play — to bring alive the social fabric and its dynamics and powerplay . mishra tries to weave in little details — the all nighter with films , the salman khan and ‘munni badnaam hui’ obsession , the school being used as a janvasa ( guest house for the groom’s family ) for the principal’s daughter’s wedding , the whole ritual of touching and washing of feet of the upper caste . it’s a world that may feel lost in time to urban india but is it ?
santu and bajrangi ( maitra and sen , respectively ) are constantly castigated as ‘chhut jaat’ in the village they live in with their mother ( tannishtha ) . the zamindar ( suri ) lives with his neglected wife , elderly mother and young daughter in a run - down ‘haveli’ , and rules with an iron hand - velvet glove policy : lower - castes are to be used , discarded and decimated , whether it is an attractive village woman who over - reaches herself , or a little boy who strays inadvertently into a ` mandir’ , sullying it . of paramount importance is the ` shuddhikaran’ ( purification ) of the temple , rather than the boy who is injured in the flurry .
there’s also a blind priest ( dhritiman ) who stirs the pot every now and then . and trouble is bound to arise when the unspoken adoration of santu for an upper - caste girl is rumbled , a plot point startlingly similar to the marathi film , ‘fandry’ , which is also about caste and societal rigidities and how conflict arises when the downtrodden turn around and demand a shift .
i liked the way the two dalit adolescents keep up their spirits : no excessive drama , no whining . they know their place , and though both react to the oppression differently ( one with a kind of acceptance , the other with a flash of rebellion ) , both come off as naturals . there’s something about the priest which makes you shiver , especially when he pats his pet goat : an intriguing character you wish there was more of .
what’s missing in between is a fluid narrative , which hobbles the film . or is the choppiness down to cuts ? either way , this is a film which could have been more .
shab first look : raveena tandon next looks deep , dark and intriguing . see pic
shubhra gupta shubhra gupta is film critic and senior columnist with the indian expr . . . read more
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in an unnamed village in north india , a young dalit boy santu ( soham maitra ) bides his time watching trains pass by when he isn’t herding his family pig , or spying lovingly on mona ( ena saha ) , the daughter of the all - powerful landlord dhaval ( sanjay suri ) . santu , as you can see , has a rebellious streak in him , unlike his submissive elder brother bajrangi ( riddhi sen ) who dutifully pays obeisance to the landlord and puts up with routine beatings from upper caste bullies .
one of the more interesting characters in the film is the boys’ mother dhaniya ( tannishtha chatterjee ) , who works for the landlord and is having an illicit relationship with him . although clearly a victim of exploitation , dhaniya uses her sexuality to help negotiate a better life for her sons . her character is in sharp contrast to the landlord’s own wife ( arpita chatterjee ) , who is resigned to suffer silently and do his bidding . there’s also a lecherous blind village priest ( dhritiman chatterjee ) , the very embodiment of evil in religious robes .
against this landscape of entitlement , oppression and violence , mishra offers the possibility of a love story . bajrangi , when he learns of santu’s crush on the landlord’s daughter , offers to write a love letter on his behalf . the result , as you may have guessed , is catastrophic .
life is cheap in these parts , and that point is illustrated effectively in a scene in which an outcaste boy falls into the temple well . the landlord , concerned only with purifying the water in the well , spares no thought for the fatally injured boy who may not make it .
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. . . it is more like a documentary on the appalling condition of the dalits , feels namrata thakker .
unfortunately , it barely delved into the subject , and left me quite disappointed .
mishra sheds light on how dalits are treated as untouchables even today and how cast and gender discrimination still rules rural india .
yes , we are all aware of these societal problems but as onir ( the film ' s producer ) tells us , in the world of multiplexes and malls , we have forgotten the other india . and rightly so .
certain scenes will make you uncomfortable and give you goosebumps . and even though the film is relatively slow , the first half is engaging , thanks to the well - defined characters .
onir tells us that the film was a 14 - year - old dalit boy , who falls in love with an upper caste girl and writes his first love letter .
dhaval ( sanjay suri ) is a local strongman who indirectly rules the village and believes lower caste people have no rights . ironically , he is physically involved with a dalit woman named dhaniya ( tannishtha chatterjee ) .
while dhaval seems to be in love with dhaniya , the truth is he isn ' t .
dhaniya , on the other hand , uses her sexual relationship to fund her son bajrangi ' s ( riddhi sen ) education .
she wants to educate her younger son ( soham maitra ) as well but he falls in love with dhaval ' s adolescent daughter mona ( ena saha ) .
then there is dhaval ' s docile wife ( arpita pal ) , who is shown as a victim of superstitions . she knows about her husband ' s wandering ways but is a mute spectator because women don ' t have a say in anything , even if they belong to the upper caste .
dhritiman chatterjee plays the perverted blind priest and his character made me feel the most uncomfortable .
while all actors play their parts nicely , soham maitra and riddhi sen steal the show . their brotherly equation has been captured beautifully and they light up the screen every single time .
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teenager bajrangi ( riddhi sen ) knows his place in the hierarchy ( at dhaval’s feet ) but his younger brother santu ( soham maitra ) is far more resentful . he chafes against dhaval’s stranglehold and has the temerity to fall in love with dhaval’s daughter , mona ( ena saha ) .
it is about a dalit boy , who strays into the vicinity of a village shrine . two minions of the local landlord spot him , chase him and push him into a well . when news of the incident reaches the callous zamindar , he spares no thought for the badly wounded outcaste . instead , prompted by the temple priest , he frets over the need to purify the water in the well . his priorities are shockingly clear .
this is the abhorrent social cesspool in which first - time writer - director bikas ranjan mishra situates his stark , searing story of caste violence and religious orthodoxy .
while india’s ancient caste system originally referred to interlocking professions working for the good of society , it is now an inherited system of social exclusion based on birth . at its worst , as shown here , it is conveniently used to isolate a group of people as miserably underpaid servants , forced to do the dirtiest work and forbidden even to set foot in the temple because they are “unclean” . when the mayor is short on food for a festivity , he simply cuts off the bottom - rungers . there’s an eerie parallel to slavery in the american south when the local landowner claims sexual rights over his untouchable , unmarried and apparently compliant maid - servant dhaniya ( tannishtah chatterjee ) . their dangerous , secret rolls in the hayloft have likely begotten two sons .
the rebellious santu ( soham maitra ) is 14 and wants to go to school , but he refuses to humbly touch the feet of his mother’s benefactor dhaval , played with controlled arrogance by actor - producer sanjay suri ( my brother…nikhil . ) however , santu’s slightly older brother bajrangi ( riddhi sen ) does kowtow to this powerful figure , and goes to school .
the brothers have a touching relationship of mutual protection and together they confront a pair older bullies who turn out to be dhaval’s legitimate heirs . in a generally nuanced film , these are ugly characters , mean and totally evil . taking their cue from their elders , they express their sadistic impulses on the more malleable bajrangi , while little santu defies them . every day he climbs a tree to spy on dhaval’s daughter returning home from school on her scooter , and his innocent crush will trigger the tragedy that ends the film on a dark , anguishing note .