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Time of India
15-07-2025
- Time of India
Ooty Toy Train Hits 20 Years As UNESCO Heritage Site
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway in 1915 The Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR), which hit the spotlight when it was featured in the 'Chaiya Chaiya' song from 'Dil Se' (1998), celebrated 20 years of its heritage status on July 15. Considered a marvel of engineering and technology, the NMR, the steepest mountain railway in the country, which was constructed in 1908, was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2005. Also called the 'Ooty Toy Train', it is known for offering a 'fairytale' experience of the Nilgiri Hills. It is the only rack-and-pinion line running the 46km distance from Mettupalayam to Ooty. It remains the most popular among tourists, including foreigners. But charm apart, the NMR journey almost ended in the late 1960s, but it was saved at the last moment by public outrage and media coverage. In 1968, faced with mounting financial losses, the Railway Board announced the closure of all 'uneconomic' rail lines. The NMR fell into this category and was set to be shut down. There was widespread public uproar against the closure. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai As per records with the Nilgiri Documentation Centre (NDC), a national English daily warned, 'The proposal to dismantle the 70-year-old mountain railway, which occupies a vital position in the slender economy of the Nilgiris district, will upset the economy and may well result in the migration of a large number of people to others parts of the country in quest of livelihood'. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Discover Effortless Glucose Monitoring: Request a Free Trial Dexcom Try Now Undo Rani, a Tamil weekly, said, 'Ooty without the railway will be like a flower which has lost its fragrance.' Readers also voiced their opposition. A traveller wondered whether the govt would also consider scrapping the Shimla line, which had been known to be a more significant loss-making route. Dharmalingam Venugopal, founder director of NDC, says chief minister M Karunanidhi , who was then the minister for public works, assured the state assembly that the govt would advocate for keeping the line open. 'Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had assured a local MP that she had instructed the railway minister to consider 'all relevant aspects' before deciding to scrap the line,' says Venugopal. The railway minister announced in the Lok Sabha in March 1969 that 'there would be no dismantling of uneconomic lines in any part of the country'. NMR, a love story NMR has featured as a prominent Tamil film shooting location. One of the earliest Tamil films to showcase NMR was Kamal Haasan and Sridevi's 'Moondram Pirai' (1982). The heartbreaking climax was shot at Lovedale Station. Movie enthusiasts then considered Lovedale station and NMR as characters in the romance drama
Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘I thought Vidhu Vinod Chopra would hit me': Ram Gopal Varma says 12th Fail director ‘believes he's the best filmmaker', Anurag Kashyap recalls quitting his film
Filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra was the topic of conversation for directors Ram Gopal Varma and Anurag Kashyap. In a recent interview, the duo revealed hilarious anecdotes and their memories of working with the 12th Fail director. While Kashyap called him 'self-obsessed' and recalled leaving his film Mission Kashmir, RGV said that Chopra believes that he is the best filmmaker in the world. During a conversation with India TV, Anurag spoke about quitting Chopra's Mission Kashmir. Without revealing the details, he said, 'I had written a script for Shivam Nair to do for television. That is when I left Mission Kashmir and I asked Shivam, 'Can I direct my own script?'. Shivam gracefully agreed.' Having said that, the Gangs Of Wasseypur director praised Chopra's creative mind. 'The child in him is still alive. His self-obsession and vanity co-exist. There's one sequence in 12th Fail where Vikrant Massey's character has gone all the way to (Uttarakhand). It's a single-shot scene. The way he has designed it, he's a craftsman. When he's at his peak craftsmanship, you do admire him,' he added. ALSO READ | Ram Gopal Varma says Mani Ratnam called Dil Se co-producer 'mad' for wanting to change film's climax: 'We should switch to Chaiya Chaiya' Ram Gopal Varma had his own funny anecdotes to share. Recalling a script narration for Mission Kashmir, he said, 'He mentioned 'shikara' (houseboat). Now, I am not a Hindi guy. I assumed that 'shikara' meant hunter! I thought that he differently pronounced 'shikari' (laughs). A little ahead into the narration, he told me, 'The shikara blows up'… After 10 minutes, I asked him, 'Why was the hunter killed?'' He continued, 'He said, 'Ramu, you don't know shikara'! He was so angry with me (laughs)… I screwed up the entire narration. He was so angry with me that I thought he was about to hit me or something!' RGV also claimed that Vidhu Vinod Chopra believes he is the best filmmaker in the world. 'He genuinely believes that he's the best filmmaker in the world. Whether he's one or not, I am not going to say that. But I don't think any filmmaker in the world will believe that,' he concluded.
Time of India
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Has he gone mad?': Ram Gopal Varma recalls Mani Ratnam's blunt reaction to changing Dil Se climax
's 'Dil Se' stands as a significant film in Hindi cinema, but its initial release was met with mixed reactions, largely due to its tragic ending where Shah Rukh Khan's character dies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In a recent interaction, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who co-produced the film, revealed a fascinating behind-the-scenes conflict where he acted as a mediator between Ratnam and another producer, Bharat Shah. The proposed alternate ending RGV recalled that producer Bharat Shah was profoundly unhappy with Dil Se's poignant climax. Following the film's initial negative audience feedback, Shah even suggested a drastically different ending to Mani Ratnam. Speaking on IndiaTV ShowBiz, RGV recounted Shah's exact proposition: "When Dil Se released and there was massive negative talk, initially Bharat Shah said that people didn't like Shah Rukh being killed. He asked not to make it a tragedy. After the film released, he told me that we should cut the bomb blast scene. He said that the moment Shah Rukh and Manisha hug each other, we should switch to the 'Chaiya Chaiya' song.' Shah's intention was for the audience to perceive a happy ending if a popular song played after the lead characters embraced. Mani Ratnam's blunt response RGV, acting as the intermediary, conveyed Bharat Shah's unconventional suggestion to Mani Ratnam. He recalled the director's unequivocal and blunt reaction: "Mani told me, 'Has he gone mad or what? How can Shah Rukh hug Manisha and in the next moment imagine Malaika Arora.'" This humorous yet firm dismissal underscored Ratnam's commitment to his artistic vision for the film's tragic narrative. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Dil Se concludes with Manisha Koirala's character, a suicide bomber, being embraced by her lover, played by Shah Rukh Khan, just as the bomb detonates, killing both of them. The reason behind the unusual suggestion During the interview, it was also revealed that Bharat Shah's unusual idea to end the film with 'Chaiya Chaiya' wasn't random. It stemmed from feedback he received directly from exhibitors. Apparently, a significant number of people purchase tickets primarily to watch the immensely popular 'Chaiya Chaiya' song, which plays approximately ten minutes into the film, and then leave the theatre shortly thereafter. This practice caused financial issues for theatre owners, particularly impacting sales of snacks like popcorn, cola, and samosas. Exhibitors had reportedly suggested moving the hit song to a post-interval slot to encourage audiences to stay longer and boost concession sales. Despite its initial box office challenges in India, Dil Se garnered positive reviews from critics and achieved significant success overseas, cementing its status as a cult classic.
Indian Express
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Ram Gopal Verma says Mani Ratnam called Dil Se co-producer ‘mad' for wanting to change film's climax: ‘We should switch to Chaiya Chaiya'
Mani Ratnam's Dil Se remains one of the most important films in Hindi cinema. However, the film initially received negative feedback from the audience upon its release, primarily due to its tragic ending in which Shah Rukh Khan's character is killed. In a recent interaction, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who was also the co-producer of Dil Se, revealed how he acted as a mediator between the film's director Mani Ratnam and another producer, Bharat Shah. RGV recalled that Bharat was unhappy with the film's tragic climax and even suggested an alternate ending to Mani—only to be dismissed by the filmmaker. Speaking about the incident on IndiaTV ShowBiz, RGV shared, 'When Dil Se released and there was massive negative talk, initially Bharat Shah said that people didn't like Shah Rukh being killed. He asked not to make it a tragedy. After the film released, he told me that we should cut the bomb blast scene. He said that the moment Shah Rukh and Manisha hug each other, we should switch to the 'Chaiya Chaiya' song.' Ram Gopal Varma said he took Bharat Shah's suggestion to Mani Ratnam, and recalled the director's blunt reaction, 'Mani told me, 'Has he gone mad or what? How can Shah Rukh hug Manisha and in the next moment imagine Malaika Arora.' Bharat's intention was that when people will see a hit song play again after the lead characters had hugged, they will think it's a love story and a happy ending.' For context, Dil Se ends with Manisha Koirala's character, who is a suicide bomber, being stopped by her lover (played by Shah Rukh Khan). In a desperate attempt to stop her, he embraces her just as the bomb detonates — killing both of them. During the interview, it was also revealed that Bharat Shah's unusual idea of ending the film with 'Chaiya Chaiya' actually stemmed from feedback he received from exhibitors. Apparently, many people would buy tickets primarily to watch the hit song, which plays ten minutes into the film, and then leave the theatre soon after. This caused issues for theatre owners because it meant that there were fewer purchases of snacks like popcorn, cola, and samosas. Exhibitors suggested moving the song post-interval to ensure that people stayed longer. Dil Se received positive reviews from critics but it performed moderately at the box office. The film, however, was a success overseas.
