Ketan Mehta

Distance makes the heart grow fonder, but does too much proximity have a reverse effect on relationships? Tere Mere Phere is another comic look at the battle of the sexes between the characters of the movie set in the Himalayas.

Mangal Pandey: The Rising is a biographical drama based on the life of Mangal Pandey, an Indian sepoy in the British Army of the East India Company who sparked India's first war of Independence in 1857.

It is the year 1857, a large part of the Indian subcontinent is under the control of the British East India Company. The private company has its own administration, laws and its own army, which controls the fate of 20% of world's humanity. On 7 April, in Barrackpore in West Bengal, Mangal Pandey (Aamir Khan), a Sepoy (soldier of Indian origin) in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry of the company's army, is being led to his execution by hanging for fomenting mutiny against company rule. Witnessing the execution is Pandey's friend, Captain William Gordon (Toby Stephens), who is relieved when the execution is delayed due to the hangman's refusal to hang Pandey. Gordon knows that he is responsible for the upcoming wars between India and the British Empire. The film then flashes back to four years earlier. While fighting in Afghanistan, Pandey saves Gordon's life by dragging him to safety when the two were targeted by Afghan snipers. Afterwards, Gordon seeks out Pandey at a camp and offers him his pistol as a token of gratitude. 4 years later (31 December 1856), during the New Year Eve's ball at the Governor General's palace in Calcutta, Pandey angers Captain Hewson (Ben Nealon) when he attempts to stop him from severely beating an Indian servant for inadvertently touching Emily Kent (Coral Beed), the daughter of Mr. Graham Kent (Kenneth Cranham), an influential British businessman. Gordon witnesses the assault but does not stop it leading to tension with Pandey. However, he apologizes to Pandey during a wrestling match and a friendship is formed between them transcending rank, color and race. Gordon even participates with Pandey to sabotage Hewson's horse-riding gear, which leads to Hewson falling on his back in a comic fashion. Officer Lockwood (Simon Chandler) is the company auditor who has been sent from England specifically to look into the company's affairs in India, and investigate the charges of corruption and wrong doing. Company's biggest business in India is opium. Company forces Indian farmers to grow Opium and pay them a pittance for it. They would sell this Opium in China at inflated prices and buy spices and silks from them. When the Emperor of China resisted, the company attacked China and wrested Hing Kong from them, using Indian soldiers for the battle. Lockwood raids the warehouse of a Parsi trader Sohrabjee (Sohrab Ardeshir) and finds stacks of privately purchased Opium ready to be shipped to China. Sohrabjee tries to Lockwood out with a bribe of 3000 pounds. But Lockwood burns the entire stock of Opium since the Company has a monopoly on the opium trade in India. The farmers who sold the Opium to Sohrabjee (under orders from Company officers), their lands are confiscated, and when they protest, the army fires on them and sets their village on fire. Meanwhile, the installation of communication wires all over the country have enabled telegraph services, which allows the East India Company to move troops to the troubled regions quickly, and before the situation gets out of hand. The company then introduces a new weapon in January 1857 for its troops: the Enfield rifled musket. Rumors spread among the Sepoy that the paper cartridges holding the powder and ball for the rifle are greased with either pig fat or beef tallow; the process of loading the rifle requires the soldier to bite down on the cartridge, and the soldiers believe that this would cause them to consume pork or beef - acts abhorrent to Muslim and Hindu soldiers, respectively, for religious reasons. A low-caste laborer named Nainsukh (Atul Kumar) teases Pandey, a Brahmin, that he has lost his caste by using such a gun, but Pandey dismisses Nainsukh's taunts. The Sepoy, led by Pandey, express their concerns to General Hearsey (Jeremy Clyde), but he reassures them that no such cartridge exists. The Sepoy remain concerned when they are asked to test-fire the new rifle at musketry drill, but Gordon, after talking to Hearsey, reiterates that no such cartridge exists and asks a Sepoy to test-fire the rifle. Pandey volunteers, and his fellow Sepoy chastise him afterward. However, demonstrating his trust in Gordon, he states his belief that the rumors are untrue. Meanwhile, Gordon stops a Sati ceremony from occurring and rescues a widow, Jwala (Ameesha Patel). Jwala says that she was forcefully married to a 60-year-old man, who had grown children. The Sarpanch demands that Gordon return Jwala, but he refuses. Gordon arranges for her to be treated, and the two gradually become closer, eventually having an affair. Pandey sides with Gordon on the matter, earning the ire of his community. Pandey further earns Captain Hewson's ire by stopping him from trying to sexually assault a prostitute named Heera (Rani Mukerji), who was sold to a brothel run by Lol Bibi (Kirron Kher) exclusively for British soldiers. While slavery was banned in Britain, the company allowed it in India, as it was a means of entertainment for the white soldiers and this way the army remained free of any serious diseases. Pandey suffers a serious beating from Hewson and three other officers the next day, but Gordon intervenes and saves Pandey. Pandey meets Heera at the brothel afterwards, and they begin to fall in love with each other. Sometime later, Nainsukh takes Pandey and some other Sepoy to see the factory, owned by Mr. Kent, where the cartridge grease is made; indeed, the grease turns out to be pig fat and beef tallow. Pandey, believing Gordon lied to him, returns Gordon's pistol, and ends their friendship. Hearing of the 34th Regiment's refusal to use the rifles, the 19th Regiment at Berhampore also refuses to use them in a parade at the ground on 12 February 1857, and mutiny brews among the Sepoy. Gordon unsuccessfully attempts to dissuade Pandey and the mutineers from rebelling and is likewise unsuccessful at convincing Major General George Anson (Christopher Adamson), the Commander-in-Chief, India, to abandon using the cartridges. The mutineers, meanwhile, meet with Tatya Tope (Deepraj Rana) and his messenger Azimullah (Shahbaz Khan) and they all agree to unite under the leadership of the elderly Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar (Habib Tanvir) and rise in rebellion. Anson decides to send the Queen's Regiment from Rangoon to intercept and subdue the rebels; it is scheduled to arrive in Berhampore on 1 April. Heera informs Pandey of this plan, having spent the previous night with Hewson. The rebels revise their timetable to march on 30 March, but the wife of one of the rebels, angry at her husband after an argument in which he tells her of the impending revolt, informs her British employer woman of the plans. As the employer woman is having an affair with Hewson at the time, he overhears the conversation and later tortures the rebel into revealing the date of the march. On 29 March, the mutineers are informed of the Rangoon Regiment's arrival. Pandey attempts to rally them into fending off the attack, and when the officers, including Gordon, inquire as to what they are doing, the rebels turn on them. With the regiment's arrival, the mutineers want to throw down their weapons; Pandey, however, fires at the opposing forces, killing two and injuring four. Later on, he was court-martialed, and Gordon testified on his behalf, passionately defending his actions and warning of bloody rebellion if he is hanged. Despite Gordon's warning, the court-martial imposes a death sentence on Pandey. The night before Pandey's execution, Heera visits him in his jail cell and has him place Sindoor on her forehead, marking their marriage. The next day (on 8 April), in front of Gordon, the British officers, his fellow Sepoy, and the townspeople, Pandey is hanged. Inspired by his execution, the spectators break out in revolt. The film ends with drawings of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and footage of the later Indian independence movement.

Hero Hiralal (Naseeruddin Shah) is a Hyderabadi auto-rickshaw driver. Aziz Bhai (Saeed Jaffrey) runs a restaurant where Hiralal typically eats. Rangeela Paintal (Mohan Gokhale) paints movie posters and is one of Hiralal's best friends. Hira is a big fan of the movies and has developed mannerisms based on his favorite actors. His auto has a registration of "Hira 555"", and every Friday he will watch the first day first show of his favorite actors movies. Hira is a romantic at heart and hope to meet his dream woman one day. He vows to have a love story that is unique in the annals of love. One day he learns that a Bollywood film is being shot in the city. Hira goes to watch. The movie has Prem Kumar (Kiran Kumar), a big Bollywood brand as the hero. Bhagwan (Satish Shah) is the sets assistant from Hawa Hawaii Productions. Hiralal befriends Bhagwan, who allows him on the sets. Hiralal saves the heroine Roopa (Sanjana Kapoor) from a light stand falling on her head. Prem keeps hitting on Roopa on the sets, while she is the reserved types. Hira falls in love with Roopa as she is the dream girl that he has been waiting for. The cast is staying at a hotel near the location of the sets, as it is someway away from the main city. Roopa is tired playing second fiddle to Prem on the sets. She is kept waiting for a full day for her shots and sometimes whole days go without any of her shots. Prem Kumar continues his starry airs on the sets. The cook spits in his food and Prem finds out, leading to the cook getting fired. Hira gets the contract for the food to Aziz, thus benefiting his friends. One night, Prem gets drunk and comes into her hotel room with an intention to have sex with her. Hiralal saves her by knocking Prem unconscious. Now Roopa starts going out with Hira steadily and Hira takes her to all the famous sites in Hyderabad like the Golconda fort. Hira reveals that he doesn't know how to swim and is afraid of the water. Hira says that he only wants to be an honest love in life, someone who can give his life for the sake of his love. Hira introduces Roopa to Aziz and Rangeela. Rangeela tries to warn Hira against the perils of love outside of his social status. Work takes Roopa back to Bombay when one day the shooting wraps up and Roopa goes back without any prior notice. Hero is hurt and is pining for his lover. He follows her to Mumbai. Via auto drivers, Hira reaches the studios and from there he finds Bhagwan, and finally reaches Roopa's home. He has an encounter with her stepmom (Rohini Hattangadi), who clearly disapprove of him. She wants Roopa to focus on maximizing her earnings in the heat of her career. Rupa's family tells her to reject Hero's love and move on with her career. Buckling under family pressure, Roopa is compelled to abandon her love publicly (he confronts Roopa at a awards ceremony, and she publicly shuns and rejects him), which causes Hero to fall into depression and attempt suicide. He is saved in time by Rani Sitara Devi (Deepa Sahi), a show lady, who arranges for him to die like a great lover in supposedly the greatest show on earth as directed by her. Hira doesn't want an ordinary death and wants a death befitting a scorned lover. Rani promises him death in 10 days. Hira refuses to change his appearance for media appearances and wants to be himself till his death. Rani plans a media blitz, advertising Hira's death at the "greatest show on Earth". Tons of merchandise is sold in the name of death and love. Rani shameless manipulates supply to push up prices and makes monster profits. Aziz Bhai and Rangeela arrive from Hyderabad and via Bhagwan, gain access to Hira and starts living with him. Meanwhile Roopa's mom gets her engaged to Prem and wants them to get married. Aziz, Rangeela and Bhagwan reach Roopa and tell her that Hira is serious about killing himself and implore her to save him. Prem decides the wedding date to be the day when Hira is scheduled to die. Roopa tries to get Rani to stop the spectacle, but she refuses saying that if Roopa loved Hira, he wouldn't be dying in the first place. Roopa speaks to Hira directly and even he refuses to stop this death spectacle. To stop Hira from becoming a martyr, Prem gets him abducted. luckily Aziz Bhai and Rangeela witness the abduction. Meanwhile Roopa finds out that her mom is actually her stepmom and is herself having an affair with Prem (she sees them together in bed). Prem sees this and imprisons her. Aziz Bhai and Rangeela attack and free Hira. Hira rushes to the venue where Rani has planned his death as he doesn't want to break his promise to him. Hira arrives just in time for his death by drowning. Hira is saved once again in the nick of time when Roopa arrives (she escapes from her captivity) in a rush at the last minute to confess her love for him. Roopa breaks the glass cylinder containing Hira and saves his life. Prem makes a last-ditch effort to kill Hira, but is again thwarted by Aziz and Rangeela who also arrive in the nick of time. Prem is arrested by the police. Hira and Roopa unite.

`Nagin` has been directed by Rajkumar Pandey. This Bhojpuri film stars singer turned actor, Khesari Lal, Rani Chatarjee and Monalisa. Rajkumar`s last film was `Saugandh Ganga Maiya Ke`.