Amitabh and Dharmendra in 'Sholay'

If you’re like me and you like watching old Bollywood movies, I am quite certain that you switch on Set Max or Zee Classic every once in a while to watch reruns of Bollywood movies from 40 years ago. A different sort of feeling rises within – the pace is slower, the dialogues are better, the impact much more powerful.

Those are movies from the golden age of Bollywood when superstars such as Vinod Khanna, Rajesh Khanna, Dev Anand, Dharmendra and of course, the legendary Amitabh Bachchan ruled. Popular actresses such as Parveen Babi, Hema Malini and Rekha donned film posters all over India.

Today, these very names are  often remembered with the term ‘superstar’ and there is no reluctance in saying so.

Many of these superstars who ruled then have faded away, some gracefully, some not so gracefully. Most have opted to retire to a life of memories, spending their years in peace and quiet. There are very few who still remain and who have managed to remain a part of the filmy scene.

We reminisce some of these superstars from the days of yore.

Aradhana

Rajesh Khanna

Undoubtedly the first superstar of Bollywood, tales Rajesh Khanna’s superstardom are now legendary. He debuted in 1966 with the film Aakhri Khat directed by Chetan Anand which was quickly noticed by filmmakers across the industry. However, it was the 1969 blockbuster Aradhana with Sharmila Tagore (a remake of the Hollywood film To Each his Own) which propelled him to national fame. His influence also led writer duo Salim-Javed and one of the most iconic singers of Hindi music, Kishore Kumar to various opportunities and jobs in the industry. In fact, Kishore Kumar became the voice of Rajesh Khanna in all his films till 1991.

Stories of girls sending him love letters written with blood, killing themselves, mobbing him in public are quite famous. Film critic Monojit Lahiri remembers -

Crowds of fans would stand outside his bungalow everyday, chanting and singing his names and songs. Cars of producers would be lined up. His car would often have to trudge through heavy crowds with girls kissing it and covering it with lipstick marks. Imagine someone doing that for a Bollywood actor today!

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan is perhaps one of the oldest and most enduring superstars of classic Bollywood. His first super-hit, blockbuster film, Zanjeer catapulted him to widespread fame and critical acclaim and he began to be known as the “angry young man” of Indian cinema.  So powerful and dominating were his films in the 1970s and 1980s that the late French director Francois Truffaut called him a “one-man industry.” Consider the fact that his first film was released over four decades earlier, and he undoubtedly becomes the most enduring star of all times. Currently, Amitabh Bachchan is recuperating in a Mumbai hospital and we hope that he recovers soon!

Hema Malini

Hema Malini, fondly remembered as “Dream Girl”, was one of the most successful female actors in the 70s and 80s. Known for her grace and beauty, Hema held a remarkable presence on screen. Baghban brought her back on the box office stage with a bang and we look forward to many more years of fine performances.

Rishi Kapoor

Rishi Kapoor is another actor who despite having become nice and round, does a great job as the avuncular uncle or father in the newer films. He carries years of experience and tradition on his shoulders, and his joy in his craft is evident in every role.

Mithun Chakravarty

Mithun Chakravarty, the ultimate Disco Dancer, is synonymous with so many traits of a super star that it’s quite impossible to not include him on this list. He has done tons of ridiculous action movies, performed tons of now legendary dance sequences, and said many hit dialogues in his film career. has become popular as “Dada” on Dance India Dance – a dance based reality show. He may no longer be very nimble on his feet, but he still has the grace and the expertise to guide the newer aspirants who would like to step into his dancing shoes.

And some others

There are many more superstars who we would like to see once again, even though it may be for short scenes or roles. Dev Anand does keep coming back with new flop shows, but he only seems to remind us of the fact that he is no longer a superstar, just a mockery of his old self. Naseeruddin Shah was never a superstar, but he along with Amol Palekar has managed to retain his own niche as a phenomenal character actor. We miss Shammi Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Zeenat Aman, Mumtaz and many others – they were the true superstars and in their heyday they could give any of the new “stars” a run for their money.

Synopsis

Based on Mukul Anand’s original cult film, the plot of Agneepath is quite simple. It’s belongs to the good old fight-for-right and avenge-with-revenge type of Bollywood films.

Agneepath is the story of Vijay Deenanath Chauhan (Hrithik Roshan) who is out on a mission against, Kancha (Sanjay Dutt), the bald, evil looking villain to avenge his father’s (Master Deenanath played by Chetan Pandit) death in the village of Mandwa.

Agneepath star cast

After his father is wrongfully murdered by Kancha, young Vijay (Arish Bhiwandiwala) along with his mum Suhasini Chauhan (Zareena Wahaab) go away to Bombay. There he rises from a little kid to a little gangster under Rauf Lala (Rishi Kapoor), the leader of Bombay’s underworld.

Kali (Priyanka Chopra) is his only friend who is pining away for his love. Inspector Gaitonde (Om Puri) is the long arm of justice who understands Vijay and wants to help him.

Where Agneepath Failed

A plot based on fighting for righteousness and vengeance is a hackneyed story line for Bollywood films. But in the original Agneepath, Kader Khan’s superbly written dialogues and Amitabh Bachchan’s delivery of them managed to create a powerful impression. It had eventually turned out to be one of Amitabh Bachchan’s most epic performances.

Cut to 2012, when debut director Karan Malhotra and producer Karan Johar decide to rip off  remake a cult classic by shredding the original screenplay to bits and adding masala to suit the taste of the new generation. They only thing epic about the new Agneepath will probably be Sanjay Dutt’s style and performance.

If you go watch Agneepath, be prepared to see Hrithik kill a whole gang of villains armed with automatic machine guns with a single revolver and later, dying in the arms of his mother with cheesy Bollywoody dialogues spilling off his tongue. Some find this stuff good but for some, it can get too ludicrous to digest.

They have gone too far to make the new Agneepath a crowd puller. There really was no need for ear blasting background scores or irreverent action scenes.

A Few Good Points

Cinematography.

Some of the visuals in the movie are beautifully painted on the screen, giving Agneepath a surrealist tinge to it. Color and depth seem to have has been meticulously worked up in almost every single frame. Kudos to Sabu Cyril and Kiran Deohans for such stunning visuals.

Sanjay Dutt – The Best Bollywood Villain in recent years

Sanjay Dutt in as Kancha in Agneepath

The most noteworthy and original element of Agneepath is Sanjay Dutt’s role of Kancha which had originally been played by  Danny Dezongpa. Bollywood villains have often entertained audiences more than the heroes. In The new Kancha is looks disturbingly evil and is a thousand times meaner. This is one of his best performances after Munnabhai and I’m quite sure he will take away many awards for the role.

Conclusion – Lots of noise, little substance

Agneepath has all the characteristics of a Bollywood film which usually make us love Bollywood. It has conflict, it has souped up drama and emotion, unbelievable action scenes, a much talked about Chikni Chameli, powerful dialogue, a hero, heroine and villain.

But it just somehow doesn’t make the cut for a blockbuster. It will probably make 70-80 crores at the Bollywood box office and push off into the archives without making that impact which we thought it would make.

Watch it for Sanjay Dutt and his constant reminder from the Bhagavad Gita:

Tum Kya Laye Thay, Tum Kya Leke Jaoge

Talaash - The Answer Lies Within

Talaash might just thrill your brains out. Let’s hope it does – the last decent Bollywood thriller that we saw was I don’t know, 7 Khoon Maaf? Even that was okayish only.

But the director is just one film old!

Reema Kagti debuted as a director with Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd which was a quirky romantic comedy. The film bombed. She next co-wrote Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara with Zoya Akhtar, which did pretty well. And Reema has assisted talented directors such as Farhan Akhtar, Mira Nair and Ashutosh Gowarikar. Some say she’s just one film old, so the hype is uncalled for. But that is all bullshit. Let me give you three solid examples from Bollywood history:

1. Ashutosh Gowarikar was just two films old (Pehla Nasha and Baazi – both bombed) before he came together with Aamir Khan and directed Lagaan. The film almost won an Oscar.
2. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra had Aks to his name when Aamir signed up for Rang De Basanti. And that was a time when two Bhagat Singh movies were being released every weekend.  The film earned more than Rs. 1.36 billion (approximately US$30 million) worldwide.
3. And Farhan Akhtar had never made a movie before he made Dil Chahta Hai. And this film is widely recognized as the epic of our generation.

Trailer of Talaash

From the 1 min long teaser, you can make out that Talaash is going to be a suspense thriller of the highest order. There will be blood. There will be dialogue. Action. Masala. Almost everything that we love Bollywood for. And there will be Aamir Khan. With his stamp of approval, everything seems fine. We somehow believe that the film will be really good.

I cannot remember the last time I came across any Bollywood (or even Hollywood!) celebrity who had consistently delivered good films like this guy. So without further ado, here’s the trailer of Talaash:

Talaash – We’re anticipating something really solid!

Talaash is going right on top of the list of the most highly anticipated upcoming Hindi movies to be released in 2012. Yes, the expectations are so high. The trailer is so good. I am an Aamir Khan fan. Not because all his films tend to work exceptionally well but because he’s one of the few actors who believes in creativity and improvisation.

In the last 10 years, Aamir has really experimented with the kind of roles that he has picked (village hero, romantic hero, historical hero, revolutionary hero, undercover terrorist, art teacher, crazy killer with six packs, student, painter). But never before has he played a suspense drama. Surprised right? He’s been in a number of commercial action films but never a suspense thriller.

Read more about why Aamir Khan’s movies are invariably so successful.

What do you think? Will Talaash be a hit or a flop? Do share your thoughts in the comments below!

Ekk deewana tha - Remade Music

Read more about Ekk Deewana Tha

The music of VTV/YMC had been composed by A R Rahman and it had garnered widespread critical acclaim. Therefore, it was only natural that Rahman be commissioned to work on the Hindi remake as well. The lyrics of Ekk Deewana Tha have been penned down by none other than Javed Akhtar.

Ekk Deewana Tha has 12 tracks which have been sung by some really excellent singers:

• Clinton Cerejo (‘Kya Karoon’ –Wake Up Sid)
• Shreya Ghosal (‘Chikni Chameli’ – Agneepath)
• Javed Ali (‘Guzarish’ – Ghajini)
• Naresh Iyer (‘Robaroo’ – Rang De Basanti) and
• Rahman himself amongst others.

Ekk Deewana Tha hits theatres 17 Febuary 2012.

Ekk Deewana Tha: Music Review

After you listen to the music composed by A R Rahman for Rockstar, it’s quite hard believing he did it for Ekk Deewana Tha too. The music of Ekk Deewana Tha is okayish – nothing great, nothing bad. It’s a pleasant to change to listen to new music every once in a while. Unfortunately, the entire soundtrack has also been, almost, copied from the original film.

Kya Hai Mohabbat is the only track in Ek Deewana Tha which is not there in VTV/YMC, so naturally its first on the list. Rahman himself sings this track, and does it well. Similarly, Javed Akhtar’s lyrics are just ok. Rahman’s recent solo numbers like ‘Jaane Tu’, ‘Rehna Tu’ and ‘Meherbaan’ have been quite surprising solid therefore a bland solo track such as this is unusual.

Dost Hai Hum To loses its essence in translation. The original song is a highly emotive track with anger filled in it while this one sounds completely different. Naresh Iyer has sang this and, I daresay, ARR has violated his music with ill-sounding rap and a mix of equally bad sound effects. This song is a complete train wreck.

Aaromale sounds more or less the same in Hindi and Alphonse Joseph does a good job singing the track in Hindi, clearly not his first language. An edgy track, it’s a situational number which grows on you when you listen to it a few times. The violins and guitars, coupled with Akhtar’s lyrics are in form this time round.

Hosana was available for official download on many websites for the promotion of Ekk Deewana Tha’s music album. Leon D’Souza does a brilliant job of not letting one miss Vijay Prakash too much who sang the Tamil and Telugu versions. Suzanne D’Mello reprises the position behind the mic to deliver the heavenly crooning of ‘Hosana’ throughout the number.

Phoolon Jaisi is a contemporary track with traditional South Indian arrangements. The track has been sung by Clinton Cerejo and Kalyani Menon and they do a decent job. Javed Akhtar’s lyrics fail to entertain us and that makes this an average track.

Sharminda Hoon is featured during a major turning point in the film and thus it demands a higher lyrical quality. However, it is quite evident that Javed Akhtar saab had been forced to write along the lines of the original songs which greatly restricted his creative freedom. This comes across quite clearly when you listen to the song. Average, yet again!

Sunlo Zara is decent translation into Hindi. Rashid Ali and Shreya Ghosal, who replaced Chinmayi and Devan, have sung Akhtar’s poetic lyrics effectively enough. The feel-good music makes Sunlo Zara a track worth listening to.

Javed Ali’s Zohra-Jabeen is a raw and earthy number, in the same line as Aaromale. However, this time round the emotions are more subdued and soft as opposed to the angst/frustration in the Aaromale. Javed’s effortless rendition amidst the acoustic guitars makes Zohra-Jabeen a fine number.

The album closes with various instrumentals that were featured in the VTV/YMC. Jessie’s Land is a beautiful thematic piece,  followed by the aptly titled Jessie’s Driving Me Crazy that has been done quite nicely by Sanjeev Thomas and Timmy. Broken Promises is a beautifully derivative of Aaromale while the violins in Moments in Kerala makes the track quite soothing.

In summary, members of the Hindi audiences who have already heard either YMC or VTV will be disappointed with EDT more often than not, while those that haven’t may be able to appreciate the soundtrack on its own. However, its hard to see how the miss-match of music and lyrics in Sharmida Hoon, the bad rap in Dost Hai Hum To and the inarticulate lyrics in Phoolon Jaisi Hosana, would not be apparent to the objective listener.

Ek Deewana Tha posterek deewana tha

About Ek Deewana Tha

It seems almost everything about Ek Deewana Tha, apart from the lead actors, has been copied from Gautham Menon’s Tamil film, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (VTV). Interestingly, VTV was also remade into a Telugu film titled Ye Maaya Chesave in 2010.

The soundtrack and film score of Ek Deewana Tha has been composed by A. R. Rahman, as he had done in the Tamil and Telugu versions. Even the original cinematographers and editors, M. S. Prabhu and Anthony Gonsalves, have been hired for Ek Deewana Tha. Last of all, singer Chinmayi  who dubbed for actresses Trisha Krishnan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu respectively in the original Tamil version and its Telugu remake, is doing that for Amy Jackson in Ek Deewana Tha.

The intentions of the filmmakers are quite clear – all they want to do is make money by rehashing a Tamil story that worked years back, into Hindi and feeding it to Bollywood fans. I wonder when will creativity and not money, will rule. At least in the film and arts industry.

Prateik Babbar is the son of Bollywood legend Smita Patil while Amy is a British model who has appeared on the covers of a lot of fashion magazines (FHM, Maxim, Cosmo, Vogue). According to the grapevine, Prateik Babbar and Amy Jackson are romancing each other off screen as well. Of course, this could also be a publicity stunt but apparently, they were really comfortable doing intimate scenes on screen.

The Trailers of Ek Deewana Tha

Watch the trailer of Ek Deewana Tha below. The movie seems to be pretty decent – let’s hope Amy Jackson shows some promise and talent because Bollywood could seriously do with some nice foreign maal among the usual crop of desi actors.

Ek Deewana Tha is all set to release on 17th February, 2012.

Why We Love Bollywood

Why do I dig Bollywood movies? These are my top 11 reasons for loving Bollywood:

Bollywood entertains us

Seriously, this is the number one reason why I absolutely love the Hindi film industry. If there’s one common thread that strings together all films that are released in Bollywood, it has got to be entertainment. Just think where our lives would be if there were no films. We would never get that weekly dose of entertainment in theaters and on television. 6 out of 10 people prefer watching films for passing time and getting entertained. Ever wondered why films made in Bollywood are double the length of Hollywood feature films? I think it’s because there’s hardly any other source of mass entertainment available which manages to enthral audiences in the way Bollywood invariably manages to and therefore, they don’t mind taking out three hours just to watch a movie.

The music

Popular Bollywood music has been around since 1950s and ever since then, the audience for it has increased exponentially. People might not know who the Prime Minister or President of the country is but they will, in all probability, know the lyrics of “Aalu Chaat”.

Weddings, parties, radios, gyms, road trips, iPods, mobiles, ring tones, caller tones. All these things would probably be really dry and unhappening if Bollywood didn’t come up with good music, consistently. Music is the soul of Bollywood. It’s what gives Bollywood that singular uniqueness which perhaps no other film industry has. It’s what makes it Indian.

Bollywood music is definitely one of the reasons why I love Bollywood!

The ‘masala’ films

Like our food, our movies are extremely hot and spicy. Yeah, that’s make some of the super-spicy ones Tees Maar Khan difficult to digest. Dialogues, music and action sequences – Producers and directors have a tendency to exaggerate these, make them more entertaining and commercially viable at the same time. They amplify the sound of a slap or a punch to remarkably high levels. More adventurous film makers make fine actors pull out hand pumps and use them as bats to fight a wild mob!

The women

Even though they are slowly turning away from beauty into sleazy, item girls, one cannot deny that Bollywood is still a bevy of beautiful babes. It’s a male dominated industry and female centric roles are rare. But we all know who the males are dominated by. Sensuous, sexy and super duper hot. Bollywood babes have never been better!

Dialogue-baazi is just too good

One of my personal favorites. I am a sucker for Bollywood dialogues. Even though they have toned down in recent years,  the Indian televisions is replete with old films where you get to hear dramatic comparisons, punch lines and “effects”. In fact, filmy dialogues seem to be making a comeback. Blockbuster masala movies such as Singham and Dabangg had a bunch of them.

Read more : Top One Liners From Bollywood Films

Action-baazi is super spicy

Bollywood action movies are a class of their own. Every classic action movie follows the centuries old formula of the typical Bollywood villain who is hideously crafted, the damsel in distress, and the macho dialogue spitting action hero. Yet, we manage to hold on to our seats whenever a Bollywood action film is released. These Bollywood villains seem to be making a comeback. Look at Sanjay Dutt’s bone-chilling avatar in Agneepath.

Some of the stunts in our films are beyond deadly. This one from Singham is an apt example:

Salman Khan, who is on a roll with his commercially successful blockbusters such as Wanted, Dabangg, Ready and Bodyguard, is the current king of Indian masala action movies. Check out this scene from Dabangg when Sallu’s shirt starts ripping off under the weight of his bulging muscles:

Now, that is Bollywood in it’s pure glory!

Unabashed cheating

We copy everything about the firangs. We copy their clothes, their fashion, their choice of music (we all love Hip Hop, Trance, House, Electro and whatnot don’t we?). And we, of course, copy their films. Inside out. Heck, we even rip off their posters once in a while.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara poster ripped from Lords of Dogtown

But we always add our own desi ingredients to it.

Take for example, Munnabhai M.B.B.S. It’s clearly a rip off from the 1998 Robin Williams starrer Patch Adams. In Patch Adams, the protagonist is troubled man who voluntarily commits himself into a mental institution. However, in our version, the crazy creative doctor ain’t some psychotic. He’s a local goonda who’s made his parents believe that he is in fact a reputed doctor running a charitable clinic. When his folks find out, their heart is broken and abandon him. But he vows to become a doctor and have fun at the same time.

The topic of pyaar

We are suckers for love stories and this shows in all Bollywood movies. Comedy, drama, action, fantasy, romance, thriller. The theme of love is woven in Bollywood movies across all genres. Out of the last few good movies that have released in 2011 and now 2012, The Dirty Picture, Ladies V/S Ricky Bahl, Don 2, even Players (it’s good if you compare it with strange movies such as  Lanka, Pappu Can’t Dance Saala, etc) – All of them had a strong love angle in them.

I like about Bollywood films – this pyaar ka factor brings in a lot of cheesy fantasy and optimism in our lives. It gives us hope that even we will fall in love and live happily ever after.

Extremes in stories and impacts

Bollywood doesn’t always come up with masaale-daar films meant to satiate our hunger for entertainment. Filmmakers often come up with hard hitting cinema which totally open our eyes. If we have trashy comedy films such as Housefull and Tees Maar Khan, we also manage to come up with genuine satire such as Peepli [Live] and Phas Gaye Re Obama.

If Salman Khan can manage to churn money with an idiotic Ready, Aamir Khan can better him with mindful movies with moral messages such as 3 Idiots. While we have a song such as Sheila Ki Jawaani which takes the nation by storm and makes people take up dancing lessons, we have a film such as Rang De Basanti which empowers them to rise up to a cause and fight for justice! If more filmmakers had a conscience which wasn’t ruled merely by money and sex, we would have a better country I think. That’s the impact Bollywood films can have on us.

The Bollywood Triumvirate of the Khans

Hollywood has Brad Pitt, Leo Dicaprio and Tom Cruise. And we have our Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan. Funny coincidence or what? There are three leading actors in each film industry and all three have been around since the 80s. And they’re still on top of their game. For all the crap of Bollywood, one of these Khans invariably comes up with a film that pulls us right back up. They support charities, dance at marriages, help in sending socially significant messages and do a whole bunch of things which makes a difference to a lot of lives. Isn’t it just (insert powerful adjective here) that we have em?

Selling dreams and fantasy

In a country where millions live on the roads, die of hunger and cold, cannot get 2 square meals a day, how do they still manage to have smiles on their faces?

Bollywood sells them dreams

I think Bollywood films help all these unfortunate souls get on with their lives with that priceless smile. After a hard day’s work, of fights and arguments, of grabbing and pushing through lines and offices, when they come back home, they have something which puts a bright smile on their tired faces. A simple, cheap medicine which transports them to a totally difference universe, helping them forget all their present worries and problems. Many get drunk and sing and dance to tunes from old Hindi movies. They get a chance to dream and live in a fantasy – even if it’s for three hours.

And that’s why I love Bollywood!

There is something about Bollywood films which Hollywood films just don’t have. Hollywood is colder, more precise, less flexible and adjusting. Bollywood on the other hand is freeform, very warm and welcoming to change (our doors are always open to foreign actors!). If you prod beneath the surface, you realize that Bollywood films characterize a lot of essential traits of India. It is totally messed up on one hand – noisy, idiotic, senseless, chaotic, sleazy. On the other, it is cheerful, warm, colorful, happy, hopeful.

What do you think? Why do you love/hate Bollywood? Please share with the film community in your comments below. Oh and if you liked reading this piece, do share it with your friends on Facebook. I’d really appreciate it!

Born on 28^th November 1986, Prateik featured in a few television commercials before making his Bollywood debut in Aamir Khan’s production Jaane Tu.. Ya Jaane Na. He played the role of Genelia D’Souza’s brother Amit in the movie that also launched the career of Imran Khan. The role may not have been a big one but his flawless performance didn’t go unnoticed. He was nominated for and received a few awards for it as well.

Prateik Babbar - The Prodigal Son

Following that, Prateik starred in Kiran Rao’s critically acclaimed directorial debut  Dhobi Ghat. Once more he worked with Aamir Khan, but this time shared screen space with him too. The story revolved around four main characters one of whom was that of a dhobi Munna. Yet again, his delivery of the role was realistic and impeccable.

Prateik Babbar then came  in Dum Maro Dum , Aarakshan and My Friend Pinto. In Dum Maro Dum he played Lorry, a football player who is on the verge of following his girlfriend to a US university. But when his scholarship gets rejected his life threatens to spiral out of control. That’s until he meets a smooth talking hustler who promises to bring it back on track.

Prateik Babbar in Dhobi Ghat

My Friend Pinto was a romantic comedy where Prateik played the role of Michael Pinto. The film was decent but recieved a very lukewarm reception at the Bollywood box office. Prakash Jha’s Aarakshan, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padokone however, was quite well received and Prateik’s role in the film was commended by others.

Prateik Babbar will now be seen opposite Amy Jackson in Gautham Menon’s Ekk Deewana Tha, which is a remake of Menon’s Tamil film, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (VTV). 

Prateik Babbar – A rising star?

A contemporary of Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor, Prateik may not enjoy the fan following that they do but his silent demeanor has impressed many in Bollywood. His talent and promising acting skills haven’t gone unnoticed. Even though his parents were associated with the film fraternity, it hasn’t been the sole factor behind his big break in Bollywood. While his mother passed away due to post-partum complications soon after his birth, his father Raj Babbar has taken to politics full time. In that regard, much of what he has achieved so far has been purely due to his own acting abilities.

The fact that he is so comfortable on screen is reflected in the ease with which he seems to fit into the shoes of his characters. And it is surprising that he has been able to do that already considering he’s only three movies new in Bollywood.

As the year draws on, we look forward to seeing more of Prateik Babbar on screen and hope that the rest of his films also bring accolades his way.

Follow Prateik on  twitter @prateikbabbar.

The kahaani of Kahaani

Kahaani is the story of Vidya Bagchi, played by Vidya Balan, who comes from London to Kolkata in search of her missing husband. There are several difficulties which she must face before she can unravel the truth about her spouse. For one, she is 7 months pregnant and absolutely new and alone in the festive city of Kolkata. Absolutely adamant on locating her lost hubby, Vidya begins a ruthless search. That too with only fragments from her memories about him to rely on.

Every clue and lead seem to reach a dead end. Everyone she meets seem oblivious to the whereabouts of her husband and tell her husband does not exist. Slowly, Vidya realises that the waters are deeper than they seem. In a city steeped in lies, Vidya is hell-bent on finding out the truth about her husband, even if it’s for unborn child. And she’s willing to stake her own life.

Vidya Balan in shown as Goddess Kali on the poster of Kahaani

So that’s the kahaani of Kahaani. Seems quite the gripper, this one. Let’s hope the story and screenplay keep us involved enough to forget our boring drab, insipid lives. We’re quite skeptical though for Sujoy Ghosh has few notable films to his credit (Aladin, Home Delivery and Jhankar Beats).

Says Vidya Balan:

“It’s one of the few characters that I could perform with utmost ease and effortlessly because I’d joke with my friends as to how differently women walk when they are pregnant. I also tried to copy the way they take deep breathes in between.”

More details about Kahaani

Cast

Cast

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Kahaani Theatrical Trailer

Watch the intriguing trailer of Kahaani below:

Follow Bollykings on Twitter and Facebook for more updates on Kahaani and other upcoming Bollywood movies releasing in 2012.

Players - A sad, sad movie.

The childhood friend sacrifices his life to pass on information about Rs. 10,000 crores worth of gold, which is later published in national newspapers anyway. The crew comes together, carries out the theft, hacker turns rogue, tries to kill the crew, doesn’t succeed, gets hunted down, the double crosses come to light, the righteous daughter avenges her father’s death and they live happily ever after. All this happens, in SUPER SLOW MOTION.

Abhishek and Bipasha still have the Dhoom 2 hangover, Omi Vaidya is funny, Neil and Sikander do justice to their roles, whereas Bobby and Sonam are dull. Music is average and hardly lingers.

Players Movie Review

Players is unintentionally funny. Needless to say, there are some scenes in the movie that leave you bewildered, but definitely not asking for more.

• A gold heist in Russia is planned and carried out by a few Indians with remarkable ease while the super powerful Russian Mafia knows and does nothing about it. Subsequently, all the loot reaches New Zealand and authorities or the mafia doesn’t seem to know of it!
• It takes only 10 minutes to steal Rs. 10,000 crore worth of gold in the form of solid bricks from a super fast moving train. Seriously?
• Johnny Lever builds three car bodies out of ‘real gold’ in a matter of few hours!
• Abhishek Bachchan can stroll in the jails as if they are his own gardens! And he can singlehandedly blast through a high-tech security system in a van.

I think I should not give away any more surprises that ‘Players’ holds in store for you. Sonam, please pick better films. Mausam was a bigger dud! We know you can. Abbas-Mustan – you guys should consider retirement instead of ripping of Hollywood films mindlessly.

40 years after Indians did manage to get their political freedom, a particular firang managed to charm them and become the chief of the country’s largest political party.

Bollywood is no different

The trend continues. White skinned females are always welcomed with open arms in the Indian film industry. And for what? Because our Bollywood filmmakers know that if there’s one thing that draws the public to theaters, its fresh white skin.

Who has the time to sit, think, write and direct a movie with a strong story line when all you have to do is cast a firang ready to spill her jugs on the screen?
It’s happened with tons of foreign film stars who came as demure models and landed a role or two in Bollywood. Some, like Katrina Kaif, have managed to stick around and make a name for themselves in the industry. Others, like Barbara Mori and Yana Gupta are quickly forgotten.

Sunny Leone on the Jism 2 Poster

Sunny Leone – Will she or won’t she?

Sunny Leone entered the common Indian man’s mind with her entry into Bigg Boss, a popular reality show on television. A super sexy personality coupled with a profession as notorious as adult films? How can such a notorious combo not work in a sex deprived country such as India? I can remember how we talked about her in casual conversations.

“Dude, have you heard about Sunny Leone? She is a pornstar coming in a TV show!”

This was a line I heard quite often and I had already deduced that producers would be dripping with lust, eager to cast her in a Bollywood.

Jism 2

The Bhatts, who are famous for making sensuous Bollywood films such as Jism, Paap, Rog, Murder, etc. are the first who have approached Sunny Leone to star in a Bollywood film. They want to cast her as the main lead in Jism 2. Will Sunny Leone accept the offer?

“I really liked meeting Mahesh Bhatt and Pooja. But whether I am doing their movie or not, I am not sure yet. It depends on a lot of factors including how my adult-content business in the US reacts to my Bollywood aspirations.” – Sunny Leone

All was well. Sunny had decided to drop her adult movie career in the US and carry on her aspirations as a Bollywood star. She even shot for the sizzling poster which shows the sillouhette of a naked woman draped in a white sheet, lying on her back.

But apparently, some issues have cropped up and suddenly no one’s sure as to what will happen next. Will Sunny Leone star in Jism 2 or not?

Jism (2003) was a path breaking film. A woman’s raw sexuality had been captured beautifully in an Indian film for the first time. There was no vulgarity, a characteristic of Indian films depicting stories around sex.

If the Bhatts can get it right with the story and the star cast, Jism 2 might push the boundaries as well. The curiosity about Jism 2 stems from its very theme. A bold and beautiful lead female character involved in crimes of passion.