The Last Lear (2007)

Language: English

Cast
* Amitabh Bachchan ... Harish Mishra
* Preity Zinta ... Shabnam
* Arjun Rampal ... Siddharth
* Divya Dutta ...
* Shefali Shah ...
* Jisshu Sengupta ...

Director
Rituparno Ghosh

Writers
* Utpal Dutt (play)
* Rituparno Ghosh

Plot
When first we meet veteran thespian Harish Mishra (Bachchan), he is gravely ill. The punishments of a film shoot have left the old man in a coma. His co-star, Shabnam (Preity Zinta), is wracked with worry, but their director, Siddharth (Arjun Rampal), keeps strangely distant and refuses to visit his ailing star. In flashbacks, their story emerges.

Siddharth first had to woo Harish from the comforts of his retirement, and the interaction between the two yields some of the film's most delightful scenes. The impatient young auteur attempts to win the trust and collaboration of the aged performer, who sits raging against the modern world from the sanctuary of his study. Sporting a silver mane, Bachchan is irresistible here - vain, forceful and impetuous. He trumpets the superiority of Shakespeare over anything cinema can create. And yet, the movies hold out a new challenge.

Once he agrees to act in the film, The Last Lear becomes a captivating reflection on the comparative artifices of stagecraft and cinema. As the outsider in the cast, Harish is hilarious in dismissing movie fakery. His theatre skills are grander. Standing on a hillside, he teaches Shabnam how to project her voice clear across a valley to the next hill.

I love Amitabh Bachchan. Will have to find a copy of it in the states.

The movie is in English so no worries.

The poster ad makes me laugh so hard, its like he swapped places with the helen keller girl in black.

Of course you love him, how can you not love a superhero ...

http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/s/supremoi.htm

^^ Too cute.


Even better, but will have to find a Region 1 copy.

The Last Lear Delayed Again

By movietalkies
Wednesday Jan 9 12:13 PM

The Last Lear has been on the international circuit for a while now but there are still no signs of the film releasing in India as yet. The buzz is that this Rituparno Ghosh directed English film for Planman Motion Picture Company, has no takers.

The few distributors for whom the film was screened have apparently shied away. It is believed that the not-so-flattering reviews have not helped the case either. But the film's producer Arindam Chaudhari begs to differ. According to him, the film has been very well received by audiences in Toronto, London, Rome, Dubai, and Goa. He is planning to release the movie in April with TV promotions starting in February. Planman will also release the Rajat Kapoor's Mithya and Saurabh Shukla's I Am 24 this year. As for the other Rituparno film, Sunglasses, starring Jaya Bachchan, Konkona Sen Sharma and R Madhavan, the film will apparently be released later this year. Sunglasses has taken a while because of its extensive post-production. Anyway,the reports are that Ghosh has overshot the budget for The Last Lear. But Chaudhari rubbishes saying that given the cast of the film, Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Arjun Rampal, it is a reasonably budgeted film. A commercial film with the same actors would have cost so much more, he feels.

http://in.movies.yahoo.com/news-detail/16708/The-Last-Lear-Delayed-Again.html

Amitabh’s best film ever ‘The Last Lear’ set to release!

Spicezee Bureau

Mumbai, Aug 12: ‘The Last Lear’ being lauded as Amitabh Bachchan’s best film ever is at last all set to release this September 12. The film has been garnering rave responses and standing ovations across all film festivals including the prominent ones at Toronto, Rome, London and Rotterdam.

Critics have praised the Big B’s enthralling looks with flowing white beard and long robe. He has reportedly given outstanding performance in the film. The Big B for the first time in 4-decades will be seen playing an actor.

Preity Zinta is looking amazing in saris. On the whole, the film promises to be a great entertainer and a bonanza for die-hard Bachchan fans. The promos of the film is running in the theatres, showing ‘Singh is Kinng’.

Produced by Planman Motion Pictures, ‘The Last Lear’, is directed by the veteran Rituparno Ghosh and stars Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal, Shefali Shah and Divya Dutta.

http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=461774&sid=ENT&ssid=1

The Last Lear is the wonderful movie. Concept, Theme and story was excellent. The work of Amitabh & Preity Zinta were brilliant. Good work Indians.