Bollywood Movie|News|Review|Video|Wallpapers|Gossips

'3 Idiots' downloaded legally: Vidhu Vinod Chopra

2009-12-26T01:32:00.000-08:00

MUMBAI: Producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra has said that his latest film '3 Idiots' releasing on Thursday will later be available on

"This is the first film ever that can be downloaded and viewed on YouTube. But, we are yet to take a decision as to when it should be allowed for downloading legally after 8-12 weeks or later," Chopra said.

Responding to questions on reports that multiplexes had hiked the ticket prices of '3 Idiots' steeply, Chopra said ticket pricing was the prerogative of the multiplex owners. "But, I will still check on the prices. I want audiences from all sections of the society to watch my film," he said.

He said the decision to allow legal downloading was taken to discourage pirated prints.

"If there is a facility to watch movies on mobile phones, the film will be available there but at an appropriate time. We can't harm our theatrical business by releasing it on DTH," he said.

Chopra also denied that he had sold the distribution rights of the film to Big Pictures. "My company is releasing the film in collaboration with Big Pictures," he said.

Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, the film stars Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Sharman Joshi and Madhavan.

'3 Idiots' is releasing on Thursday in 1,766 screens world wide out of which 366 are in 32 countries. This is the largest international release for a Hindi film.

The premiere will be held at IMAX Wadala tonight and is expected to be a glittering affair. Among the host of prominent film personalities, Chopra said he has invited Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. "They have confirmed. I would love to have them at the premiere," he said.

Salman Khan's 'Veer' is slated for release in January while Shahrukh Khan's 'My Name is Khan' in February.

Big B blog - Wrote about Christmas memories

2009-12-26T01:28:00.000-08:00

While the entire country is glittering with Christmas celebrations, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan went down memory lane as he greeted his blogger friends on Friday.

“On Christmas, and the birth of an entire belief, may I wish all my Christian friends brothers and sisters, the best that can be for all in the years to come and may there be peace and wellness in our lives and indeed in the lives of all those that inhabit this unique universe called Earth … AMEN !” Big B wrote in his blog.

He shared his childhood memories of celebrating Christmas in Allahabad.

“The early years spent in Allahabad during one of the most awaited and loved celebrations of the entire year were always filled with fun and goodwill generated by our neighbours Rev Paul Das on 18 Clive Road, ours being 17 Clive Road.

“Their children Shunila, Naresh and Malti, our dearest friends. Naresh a few years older and my senior when I went to Sherwood from Boys’ High School, suddenly passing away a year after he left school, leaving a terrible void and depression on my mind.

“Shunila, the elder and the pretty one, who played the piano with such grace and elegance and Malti the youngest married and settled in the USA or is it Canada ? Who never fails to meet up every time I have played in a concert in that region and who, after seeking a meeting, was getting pushed away by security and who when I stopped my limo to acknowledge her, burst into tears and then coming up to visit me in my room. Everything comes back in a blink of an eye.”

He continued: “Christmas at their house was such a delight. The cake and the pastry specially made carefully over the days before. Little gifts wrapped in colourful wrappers, crackers that you pulled from either side to revel a message within, carols and hymns sung way past the night - Silent Night Holy Night, all is calm all is bright.. and then many years beyond in Kolkata and the huge celebrations on the ‘Bada Din’, the parties among our group, the special evenings at the restaurants amidst the fog mist and cold of the city.

“And much much later in the realm of cinema and movies and the opportunity of travel to foreign locations and to witness the spirit of the day in some of the most vibrant cities of the world - London, New York, Paris … to join in their celebration and to witness the beauty of their decorations.

“And on some years to accompany our friends to the mid night mass in the church in Kolkata and to live in the pious thoughts that it generated.

“All of it comes back in vivid detail,” Bachchan wrote.

Aamir Khan to end 2009 on a high

2009-12-23T00:48:00.000-08:00

MUMBAI (AFP) – Perfectionist Aamir Khan to bring festive cheer to the industry after a disappointing 2009 hit by a producers' strike, swine flu fears and a lack of box office success.

The actor-producer-director's heavily-marketed "3 Idiots", based on Chetan Bhagat's best-selling debut novel "Five Point Someone" about three struggling students at a business school, is released on Friday, Christmas Day.

Bollywood watchers hope Khan -- known for only making one big film per year in an industry where leading actors can be working on several films at the same time -- can replicate his previous year-end successes.

His 2008 Christmas offering, "Ghajini", became Bollywood's highest grossing film and followed the acclaimed "Taare Zameen Par" (Stars on Earth) in 2007.

"We hope he creates a hattrick this year," said Amod Mehra, a Bollywood trade analyst.

Another leading critic, Taran Adarsh, gave the film 4.5 stars on his bollywoodhungama.com site and said it "easily ranks amongst Aamir, (director) Rajkumar Hirani and (producer) Vidhu Vinod Chopra's finest films".

Bollywood began 2009 after a muted end to 2008 due to the deadly terror attacks in Mumbai, which saw the cancellation of a number of films.

Audiences had already dwindled due to recession fears and disaffection at under-performing big budget films.

But the much-anticipated "Chandni Chowk To China", a co-production with US studio Warner Brothers and the first Bollywood film to be part-filmed in China, bombed at the box office.

Leading star Shahrukh Khan's own production "Billu" also disappointed, as world attention focused on the British film about a Mumbai teaboy, "Slumdog Millionaire", and its runaway success at the Oscars.

In April, Bollywood producers began a two-month boycott of multiplex cinemas, calling for a fairer share of box office receipts. The strike saw the postponement of scores of films and losses estimated at 63 million dollars.

Rising numbers of swine flu cases in Mumbai and the surrounding area added to Bollywood's woes, leading to the temporary closure of cinemas on public health grounds and the postponement of several films.

Despite a glut of new releases since then, only a handful of films have been considered hits, like "New York", about a group of friends in the city on September 11, 2001, and the thriller "Kaminey" (Scoundrel).

A new hero was found in Ranbir Kapoor after his hit "Wake Up Sid" and "Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani" (An Amazing Story Of Strange Love), while Salman Khan made a successful comeback in "Wanted".

But Adarsh told AFP: "It's not been a good year. In my opinion, it's been the worst year for the film industry.

"You can't blame anyone apart from the industry for churning out such bad movies. This results in perhaps 90 percent of films failing. It's not a good situation. We need to concentrate on quality."

Mayank Shekhar, national cultural editor at English-language newspaper The Hindustan Times, agreed and suggested that Hollywood -- which still has only a tiny market share but is trying to make inroads into India -- has benefited.

Roland Emmerich's "2012" crossed the 900 million rupees (19.2 million dollars) mark last weekend, making it the highest grossing Hollywood film in India, The Times of India newspaper said on Sunday.

Dubbed and original versions of James Cameron's "Avatar" and the hit comedy "The Hangover" have also done well.

Shekhar said "2012" would turn out to be the biggest hit in India this year, and had proved popular in both more expensive urban multiplex cinemas and traditional single screen cinemas in small towns and villages.

"This is the first time we've seen something like this. It may be an indicator of things to come, that people are now willing to choose," he told AFP.

"The Indian movie market has been the only one in the world where no one cares that (Hollywood director Steven) Spielberg is releasing a film. That might change."

Source:- http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jAgXebSHyQV9vxOWciZRetUqUpdw

Bollywood sexy Actress Katrina Kaif inhibits all

2009-12-21T09:17:00.000-08:00

We know that internet is a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that make use of the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange; any individual, at any part of the world, can bring the same into play. Hence, if you are in the cyberspace in search of your favored movie star, there is nothing to wonder.

Who is the most favorite Indian movie star then? Well, Google has played a great role in this regard. The globally acclaimed internet search giant announced the new survey–The Google Zeitgeist (Spirit of the Times 2009)-based on Google India’s search queries. The survey was witnessed to determine what Indians were searching for all over the year.

You may get amazed to know that among all Bollywood sexy siren Katrina Kaif was found to be the hottest and as a result, she topped the ‘Most Popular Celebrities’ list and was featured second on the ‘Most Popular Mobile Queries in India’.

This feat has made many stating Katrina Kaif’s selection was quite natural and she tops the list for the second straight year too.

You ought to know that success generates flatterer and in the words of one of them, "Every one is interested in Katrina Kaif and is the reason why here name tops in top 3 slots not once but twice. Katrina Kaif is a gold maker advertisers be it here films, her endorsements just about anything."

I must end the anecdote stating that this is not new for Katrina, as she (in recent times) was voted the ‘Sexiest Actress’ by London Eastern Eye and featured second on the ‘Top Online Newsmaker of 2009’ list by Yahoo!

Deepika Padukone & Ranbir Kapoor patched up ??

2009-12-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

Cute Bollywood couple patched up? That's the question everyone is asking after Bollywood Young Actor Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone were seen talking to each other much to the surprise of the gathering. Deepika and Ranbir who shared the same dinner table first exchanged greetings and gradually started a full blown conversation. This has raised rumours that the estranged lovers seem to be on the comeback trail.

Tinsel town had been abuzz with their break-up stories for the past one month. The situation had reached so low that both the stars were competing with each other for publicity. During a promotional event Deepika had gone to the extent of saying “I am happy with my breakup.” Both the stars avoided any comments when asked about their patch up but love seems to be rekindling. We wish Ranbir and Deepika best wishes for their second innings.

Salman Khan's 'Veer' music launch

2009-12-17T00:53:00.000-08:00

Bollywood Rock Star Salman Khan unveiled the music of Veer - in the midst of music and media veterans on December 14.

Salman Khan looked mellowed down dressed in a blue velvet jacket atop a black tee paired with blue distressed jeans.

The films' female lead Zarine Khan was not seen at the event, nor were any other cast.

Music for the film has been scored by Sajid-Wajid and lyrics penned by Oscar winner Gulzar who has worked with the duo for the first time.

Salman Khan consulted his dad Salim Khan before bringing Gulzar on board.

The credibility with which the period drama takes you back in time is touted as the film's USP. Salman says a lot of effort went into getting the music right as well.

"The beauty of this film is that the music had to be set in the 19th century and be heard in the 21st century. And when you hear the music, it should blow your mind away. The important factor was that there had to be a line that should immediately catch on," said Salman on his blog.

Veer which headlines Salman Khan is already touted to be Bollywood's biggest epic till date.

A source from the production unit reveals that "For the music none of the songs had electronic audio sound recording - 50 musicians across India came together for a live orchestral recording of the film. These musicians perform live shows across the country and were hard to source but the musical team refused to compromise."

"Normally an electronic sound recording is quicker and takes 3 days to the maximum, however, the songs of Veer took an easy 12 days as it involved major co-ordination and was recorded live," adds the source.

The film, set in 1875, is a love story of a warrior belonging to the Pindari clan during the British rule in India.

The Pindaris were the irregular Afghan horsemen who accompanied the Maratha armies in central India during the 18th century when the Mughal Empire was breaking up. The origin of their name is uncertain. The Pindaris were loosely organized under self-chosen leaders, and each band was usually attached to one or other of the great Maratha leaders. They received no pay, but rather purchased the privilege of plundering on their own account. 'They were men,' writes a chronicler of the period, 'of all lands and religions.They generally avoided pitched battles and plunder was their principal object, for which they perpetrated horrible cruelties on all whom they could get hold of.

"Veer" is due in theaters on January 22.

Katrina Kaif On complete bed rest

2009-12-15T00:33:00.000-08:00

Bollywood Actress Katrina Kaif has been prescribed complete bed rest as her health becomes a cause of concern.

The actress, who recently had jaundice, is unwell once again and was seen at a suburban hospital in Mumbai yesterday (Dec 13).

Her hemoglobin level mysteriously continues to fall down despite medical treatment from the best of the doctors. This is of immense concern for her family and friends.
Katrina Kaif spent almost the whole of Sunday at the hospital undergoing medical tests, as the doctors too were worried about her deteriorating health.

Despite her frail condition, there have been certain commitments which Katrina hasn’t missed in last couple of weeks. One such commitment kept her on her toes on Friday and Saturday evening. It was the Sangeet and wedding ceremony of Salman’s Khan’s friend Krishan Narayan’s daughter.

After several public appearances over the last couple of weeks, these two hectic days proved to be the last straw and Katrina was unable to get out of bed on Sunday morning and had to visit the doctor.

Now Katrina has been advised complete bed rest.

Aamir, Kareena Kapoor kiss for ‘3 Idiots’

2009-12-15T00:24:00.000-08:00

Just ahead to the release of the New Movie ‘3 Idiots’ , reports doing the rounds are that Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor will share a long and passionate kissss in the film.(3 Idiots)

Even though Kareena Kapoor, Aamir Khan and director Raju Hirani are tight-lipped, an insider source confirmed the news.

Aamir Khan generally does not have such kissing scenes in his films and this will be something to watch out for.

Fifteen years back Aamir Khan had done a similar kissing sequence with Kareena Kapoor’s sister Karisma Kapoor in “Raja Hindustani”, which had made much news at that time.

As for Kareena Kapoor, didn’t we hear her say sometime back that she will not indulge in such scenes and skin show any more as she is going to be the daughter-in-law of the Royal Pataudi family?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan now will be following Big B

2009-12-15T00:21:00.000-08:00

'Paa' Mega STar Amitabh Bachchan showed the way to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

After his makeover for Balki’s “Paa”, which portrays him as the 13-year-old Auro suffering from progeria, received acclaim, Ash now will be following in his footsteps.

In her forthcoming film Vipul Shah’s “Action replay”, Ash will go through an equally elaborate makeover to look like an old lady for some scenes.

Even Ash is being given her look by famous Hollywood makeup artists and like Big B, even she has to spend approximately 4-5 hours every day for the makeup.

For the look of an old lady, Ash had to take many sittings before her look could be finalised. While shooting too, Ash has to sit patiently for four to five hours every day.

Vipul Shah has praised Ash’s professionalism and said that she was very co-operative during the makeup and reached the sessions regularly.

SRK, Hrithik Roshan to come together for film

2009-12-15T00:18:00.000-08:00

Bollywood King Shah Rukh Khan and Super Star Hrithik Roshan are set to come together in a film after almost a decade.

The last time they were seen together was in Karan Johar’s “Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham”, which became a super hit.

While the industry has been divided in two groups because of the fight between SRK and Salman Khan, the close bond between Gauri Khan and Sussanne Roshan has brought out a great friendship between their husbands, Shahrukh and Hrithik Roshan.

Apparently, they have come very close personally and are now taking their friendship to the next level. They are planning a joint production which will star both of them in the lead.

Their companies Red Chillies and Film Kraft are collaborating for a movie. The film will be directed by Rakesh Roshan.

This bonding is likely to come as a big shock to anti Shahrukh brigade – Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgn.

Deepika Padukone into a bikini

2009-12-15T00:15:00.000-08:00

Not only Actress Deepika Padukone, but co-stars Lara Dutta and Jiah Khan will pose in a bikini.

They are all set to showcase their bodies in Sajid Khan’s film “Houseful"

Earlier only Lara and Jiah were to wear bikinis but Sajid suddenly changed his mind and decided to even have Deepika sporting a one.

He approached Deepika and she agreed to do it for a song sequence that has been shot on a beach in Italy.

This is not the first time that Deepika will be seen in a bikini. During her modelling days she has posed in bikinis.

Director sending Akshay, Anushka on a dinner date
Nikhil Advani says Twinkle is welcome

Director Nikhil Advani does not want the lead pair of his upcoming film "Patiala House” to face any sort of awkwardness with each other.

According to sources, Nikhil is setting a dinner date between Akshay Kumar and Anusha Sharma at a leading five-star hotel in Mumbai.

He wants to ensure that they spend enough time in each other’s company before they start shooting for the film. Since this is the first time that the pair will star opposite each other, Nikhil is not taking any chances.

Nikhil confirmed the news and said he is planning to send the two out for dinner. All the arrangements will be made by him. Also Akshay’s wife Twinkle would be welcome if she wishes to join them. Nikhil believes Twinkle’s presence will make Anushka more comfortable.

World's sexiest Asian woman Katrina Kaif retains the title

2009-12-15T00:12:00.000-08:00

Bollywood Sexiest Actress Katrina Kaif has retained the top spot in an annual list of the world's 50 sexiest Asian women unveiled on Dec 11.

The British Bollywood babe beat off tough competition from other actresses, former beauty queens, models and pop stars to hold on to the Eastern Eye crown she won last year.

Indian actresses took eight of the top 10 spots, with British television star Laila Rouass and Pakistani actress Mehwish Hayat completing the list.

The top 10 of the Eastern Eye 50 Sexiest Asian Women are: Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, Freida Pinto, Laila Rouass, Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Lara Dutta, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Mehwish Hayat and Deepika Padukone.

Sameera Reddy On Maxim cover

2009-12-15T00:10:00.000-08:00

Bollywood hottie Actress Sameera Reddy is the talk of the town these days for her hot-shot shoot for the magazine Maxim. The "sultry temptress" stares at the lensman and delivers bold and striking poses, a feast to one's eyes.

And her eyes are what Sameera says "my best physical attributes", her sense of humour coming a close second. Rating her films by the degree of the hotness, she puts Musafir right up there followed by Race and Taxi No 9211. She could romance a pole for all she cares - "The focus is not on who you're romancing, it's on the situation in the film," she tells the magazine.

Big B and Abhishek Bachchan featurea on the cover of Hi! Blitz

2009-12-14T23:12:00.000-08:00

Father and son are at it again. Mixing masti and work we mean. It's a big deal when Bollywood's apex father-son duo does a special photo-shoot for entertainment magazine Hi! Blitz.

So, what we have is an interesting cover picture (above) and an intriguing insight into the life of the Bachchan's. In an interview to the magazine, Amitabh says, "Sons are always linked to their famous father. My father was a legendary poet. I always grew up from a very young age being called, 'Yeh Bachchanji ke putra hai.' Abhishek has to deal with the issue of a famous father the way I had to deal with it too."

So how does Abhishek react to growing under his father's imposing, larger than life persona? "Pa used to tell me as a kid that Dadaji (Harivanshrai Bachchan) used to tell him that the day your son starts starts wearing your shoes, he stops being your son - he becomes your friend. As soon as I tried Pa's shoes when I was 11 or 12 and realized it fits, from then we do everything together, like best friends do. The first time I went nightclubbing in my life was with my dad in Boston," Abhishek says.

But there's more. The latest star addition to the family, Aishwarya Rai - Bachchan is also talked about. "Aishwarya keeps it very real around us. She never expects me to be different, and lets me be myself," says Abhishek. Like father like son. No wonder we can learn a thing or two about humility and freedom from Bollywood's first family.

Rocket Singh - Salesman Of The Year Review

2009-12-14T23:09:00.000-08:00

Some films absorb you instantly, from the very outset. But it takes time to get into the world of a salesman who thinks from his heart.

Come to think of it, ROCKET SINGH - SALESMAN OF THE YEAR is about a simpleton, but the story of his struggle and accomplishment isn't the kind that would charge you or make you charter a similar path in life. Also, the story of an underdog who comes up the hard way should make you feel euphoric in the end, right? But ROCKET SINGH - SALESMAN OF THE YEAR doesn't.

Frankly, ROCKET SINGH - SALESMAN OF THE YEAR is more of a documentary on the life of a salesman. It's a decent film, no two opinions on that, but the question is, [a] Is the story powerful enough to excite you and [b] Does it grab your attention in entirety? Sadly, the answer to both the questions is in the negative.

There's another problem and this is strictly from the point of those seeking entertainment. A Yash Raj film with Ranbir Kapoor [after AJAB PREM KI GHAZAB KAHANI] essaying the title role, coupled with fun-filled promos ['Pocket Mein Rocket Hain'] might make you assume that it would offer loads of entertainment, but this has barely a song or two, as good as no romance and hardly any comic moments - the recipe for most Hindi movies.

In a nutshell, ROCKET SINGH - SALESMAN OF THE YEAR is a dull and dry experience.

Harpreet Singh Bedi [Ranbir Kapoor] has just graduated and his marks are, well, let's say a little embarrassing. But marks never stopped him from dreaming of an exciting and adventurous career, and they never will.

He takes a deep, positive breath and dives into the world of sales, rumoured to be an ultra cool career. It's everything he dreamt of, with its smooth dressing, smoother talking men and women who can sell ice to an Eskimo, dreams to an insomniac and a lifetime mobile connection to a dying man. But soon, his idea of success begins clashing with the strange ways of these 'professionals' and 'bosses' he looked up to.

ROCKET SINGH - SALESMAN OF THE YEAR may be based on a simpleton's life, but the viewer gets a hang of things only towards the second hour. The entire first hour is devoted to establishing the characters and also getting used to the way sales persons go about their business.

There's not much excitement in the first hour, barring a few attention-grabbing scenes that pop up intermittently. The story just flows, with the viewer not reacting much to the proceedings. But things change for better towards the post-interval portions when the protagonist and his colleagues' lives get complicated.

At least two sequences deserve a mention here. The first, when Ranbir and his boss have a lengthy telephonic conversation. The second, when the boss realises his folly and apologises to Ranbir. But, unfortunately, the culmination to the story doesn't give the feeling of euphoria or victory. Ideally speaking, it should have. That's one of the reasons why the impact is missing.

Shimit Amin is an efficient storyteller and he has been most faithful to the plot, but if the plot itself has its limitations, there's not much he can do to boost the proceedings. Jaideep Sahni has had the courage to narrate a new story, but the story is one-dimensional. Also, there screenplay is devoid of songs, romance and entertainment, which will go against the film completely.

Salim-Sulaiman's background score is effectual. Vikash Nowlakha's cinematography is alright.

Ranbir Kapoor is an exceptional actor and ROCKET SINGH - SALESMAN OF THE YEAR mirrors this fact. The actor underplays his part beautifully, which only goes to prove that he's equally at ease essaying straight-out-of-life roles. Prem Chopra is exceptional. A number of new faces enact pivotal roles here, but the ones who stand out are Ranbir's boss Puri and colleague Nitin. Both are fantastic.

D. Santosh is first-rate. Gauhar Khan leaves a strong impression. Shazahn Padamsee doesn't get any scope.

On the whole, ROCKET SINGH - SALESMAN OF THE YEAR is more of a documentary on the life of a salesman. Lack of music, romance and entertainment, coupled with zilch hype, will go against the film. A colossal disappointment!

4th Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards

2009-12-14T22:51:00.000-08:00

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Hrithik Roshan - Jodhaa Akbar

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Priyanka Chopra - Fashion

Best Movie
Aamir Khan - Taare Zameen Par

Best Director
Aamir Khan - Taare Zameen Par

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Jimmy Shergill - A Wednesday

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Kangna Ranaut - Fashion

Best Actor in a Comic Role
Anil Kapoor - Welcome

Best Actor in a Negative Role
Akshaye Khanna - Race

Best Debut (Male)
Imran Khan - Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na

Best Debut (Female)
Mugdha Godse - Fashion

Best Choreography
Chinni Prakash, Rekha Prakash - Jodhaa Akbar

Best Lyrics
Prasoon Joshi - Taare Zameen Par - Maa

Best Female Playback Singer
Shreya Ghoshal - Singh is King - Teri Ore

Best Male Playback Singer
Shankar Mahadaven - Taare Zameen Par - Maa

Best Music
A.R. Rahman - Jodhaa Akbar

Best Screenplay
Amole Gupte, Neeraj Pandey - Taare Zameen Par, A Wednesday

Best Dialogue
Neeraj Pandey - A Wednesday

Best Story
Amole Gupte - Taare Zameen Par

Best Cinematography
Kiran Deohans - Jodhaa Akbar

Best Costume Design
Neeta Lulla - Jodhaa Akbar

Best Editing
Shree Narayan Singh - A Wednesday

Best Special Effects
Vaibhav Kumaresh, Dhimant Vyas - Taare Zameen Par

Best Sound Recording
Baylon Fonseca - Rock On!!

Best Re-Recording
Hitendra Ghosh - Jodhaa Akbar

Best Art Director
Nitin Chandrakant Desai - Jodhaa Akbar

Shahrukh Khan want to see ‘Paa’ movie

2009-12-07T08:58:00.000-08:00

Bollywood Mega Star Amitabh Bachchan’s tensions were relieved by Shahrukh Khan. Yes, Shahrukh Khan has set the mood right for Big B by assuring his presence for the Paa premiere.

Amitabh Bachchan posted on his blog about SRK, “He is a very funny man and shakes me into joviality when I inform him about the premiere and his absolute presence there”. He tells me, “He is already there, black suited and with anticipation of seeing ‘Paa’.”

Mr. Amitabh Bachchan’s nervousness, curiosity, anticipation, confusion, all is reflected in these lines: “Slowly but surely the jig saw puzzle will begin to unfold. The test of all our hours and hours of effort at the film shall now be up for scrutiny. And within two hours and 14 minutes the verdict shall be passed. Once passed, shall remain passed. Such is the destiny of those that participate in this wondrous game of film making.”

Happy with Shahrukh Khan’s confirmation, Amitabh Bachchan is looking forward to December 3 when ‘Paa’ premiere is planned. As stated, he is very anxious to know the critics’ reaction and the way audience will take the film, as a lot of hard work is involved. Amitabh Bachchan used to sit for 5-6 hours to put on the make up of a 12-year-old boy. Director R. Balki called makeup expert Stephan Dupuis to give him that uniquely strange look.

Love on Social Media twitter

2009-12-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks to their love for Twitter, we are now informed about celeb love - be it the loves of their lives, partners, one-sided love affairs, causes close to their hearts, or heartaches. Here, we bring to you some of the most notable tweet love affairs of our times.

Priyanka-Shahid - A tweet publicity gimmick?

Recently, Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor were in the news when they tweeted each other. Now, apparently, a patch-up is in the cards for these rumoured-to-be ex love birds who came together during the filming of 'Kaminey' and called it quits soon after its release. If only life was a Twitter timeline and love was a tweet...

Demi-Ashton - Endless stream of love

Demi Moore, one of the most followed celebs on Twitter, seems to follow the 'My life is an open book' policy, or in this case, a Twitter stream. She took to her Twitter page again recently to dismiss allegations of airbrushing a magazine cover photograph, when critics slammed her and said a large chunk of her hips were missing. In a series of posts on Twitter, she tweeted, "Here is the original image people, my hips were not touched. Don't let these people bulls**t you! I love the pic and can only say I wish I had good lighting like that following me around all day! Agreed I am (sic) in the skinny side lately."

Husband of a few years Ashton Kutcher famously captured her behind and tweeted the pic on his Twitter account sometime ago. Demi, in a bid to sell her repeated denial of having work done on her face, tweeted her pic from the dentist's chair with a missing tooth. And now, they are also exchanging notes and plans on their nooky sessions via Twitter. Tweet love sure is blind...

Mallika Sherawat - Love from L.A.

Mallika, India's 'export' to Hollywood, if you can count 'The Myth' and 'Hiss' as crossover films, mentions Los Angeles as her location on her Twitter account. The people of L.A. are so enamoured with her that they've dedicated a milkshake to her. This hottie seems to have it all - brazen attitude, a flair for controversy and the body to go with it. Not one to be shy, Mallika milks (pardon the word) the love the international flashbulb has for her wherever she goes. And tweets her love from L.A...

Lindsay-Samantha - Love me tender, love me tweet

Lindsay, Hollywood's current troubled starlet, has taken the "open book" policy a step further and asked her on-again, off-again lesbian lover, Samantha Ronson, to let her back into her life. They have broken up and patched up so many times, we've lost count. And oh, they're still not decided if they're made for each other. Parting is such tweet sorrow...

Abhishek Bachchan - Is that Ash he follows?

Junior Bachchan tweets about the birthdays in his family, his upcoming movies, movie premieres, his love for his family and fraternity, and oh, is that wifey he follows on Twitter? She's there in his Twitter list, but we're still not sure if it is HER. Meanwhile, he continues to use his 140 characters prem ke the best he can.

John Mayer and his tweet denials

Possibly the most controversial international celeb on Twitter, John Mayer, known for his wordiness, uses the allowed 140 characters of a tweet to send us some very cryptic messages about lost loves and life in the fast lane, among other things. And oh, he is always the first to announce whenever he breaks up with someone. Makes us wonder, first to tweet, last to know?

Gul Panag, the tweet ambassadress

Bollywood's dimpled beauty Gul, who has a very impressive resume of movies, has been an ambassador for Twitter at many fashion and celeb events in India. Her tweets are mostly about her love for the movies, fitness, food, Delhi and her Punjab roots - and not necessarily in that order. She advocates smart and sensible tweeting and remains tied to her loyal fan base by the 'Dor' of Twitter.

Ellen DeGeneres - Love be a lady

TV's current favourite talk show host, (Oprah's the queen and if there's one thing Ellen's not, it's a queen), Ellen DeGeneres, generously uses her Twitter timeline to let the world know she loves her wife, Portia de Rossi. Over and over again. Not re-tweeted, mind you, but new tweets proclaiming her love. In their case, tweet is the love and love's a lady twice over.

Follow yahoo news on Twitter!

Big B Starer Paa Movie Review

2009-12-05T07:08:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends Can you ever imagine watching an Mega Star Amitabh Bachchan film and not watching Amitabh Bachchan in it? Seems impossible, isn't it ? The towering persona and the rich baritone just cannot be overlooked. But R. Balki transforms the legendary actor into Auro, replaces the rich baritone with the voice of an adolescent [who's neither grown up, nor a kid] and taps the hitherto untapped talent of the icon.

Trust me, 10 minutes into the film and you forget you're watching Amitabh Bachchan. For, Auro takes over the moment he is introduced to the viewer.

PAA is a simple film told in the most simplistic manner and that's one of the prime reasons why this film works big time. The emotions would've fallen flat had the writing been sub-standard or the execution of the material been humdrum or the actors been inferior. But, thankfully, PAA scores in all three departments, although it must be said that the entire slum redevelopment episode is a complete put-off.

Yet, all said and done, PAA is an outstanding film. A film for every paa, every maa... for everyone with a heart. Take a bow, Auro!

Auro [Super Star Amitabh Bachchan] is an intelligent, witty 13-year-old boy with an extremely rare genetic defect that causes accelerated ageing. He suffers from progeria. Mentally, he is 13, very normal, but physically he looks five times older.

Inspite of his condition, Auro is a happy boy. He lives with his mother Vidya [Vidya Balan], a gynaecologist, but is completely clueless of his father's identity. Till he meets him, Amol [Abhishek Bachchan], who is a full of ideals politician.

Okay, let's not disrespect Balki by calling PAA a rip-off of THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON or JACK. It's not! PAA looks at the varied relationships so minutely. It may've been publicized as a father-son film, but the women - mother and granny - play equally pivotal parts.

The first hour of PAA grips you in patches. The introduction of Auro is brilliant, but the moment the story focuses on the politician and his arch rival's sub-plot, it goes off-track. Sure, there are some interesting sequences, but the impact isn't mesmeric.

But the post-interval portions take the film to dizzy heights and camouflages the defects. The father-son bonding and the penultimate 25 minutes raise the bar. The emotional quotient is tremendous. Get ready to overhear a lot of sniffs and see a lot of moist eyes once the lights are switched on.

Note the two sequences in the climax, when Auro reveals what his father's first mistake was and the pheras towards the end. Also recall the scene when the girl Auro detests for a certain reason shows up with a sketch of Auro. It moves you completely.

But let's not mistaken PAA to be a rona-dhona movie. It's a positive film with funny/light moments in plenty. The conversation between Auro and his best friend, on various occasions, are superb. Also, not once does PAA show Auro as 'different'. He's one among the kids and there's no discrimination whatsoever, which is remarkable.

Director R. Balki deserves a salute for thinking out of the box and also presenting Amitabh Bachchan like never before. The writing may be erratic, but his handling of the emotional moments is exemplary. Note this, he would be a force to reckon with after PAA. Ilaiyaraaja's music is soothing. P.C. Sreeram's cinematography is incredible.

It would be a blunder if one missed out the contribution of the makeup artists. Transforming the veteran actor into a kid must've been an arduous task and Christien Tinsley and Domini Till deserve to be complimented for making Auro look so real.

Now to the performances! No amount of praise, no amount of adjectives and personifications would do justice to Amitabh Bachchan's performance as Auro. Sure, the icon has enthralled us with superlative performances in his four-decade career, but PAA is something else. The icon keeps surprising you at regular intervals and PAA is one of those beautiful surprises, which will remain etched in your memory forever.

That doesn't mean that the remaining performances get dwarfed by Auro. Sure, PAA belongs to Auro, but not once does Abhishek Bachchan dither from his position or seems inferior. This is the hallmark of a tremendous actor, which Abhishek is. Vidya is another surprise of PAA. She takes giant strides as an actor and proves yet again that given the right roles, she can match up to the best in the business.

Paresh Rawal is effective. Arundhati Naag is amazing. So is the kid, Pratik, enacting the role of Auro's best buddy. His telephonic conversation with Auro is superb. Jaya Bachchan's presence is lovely.

On the whole, PAA is an amazing experience. It makes you realize two things. One, the Hindi film industry is also capable of narrating fresh stories. Two, Amitabh Bachchan is truly the most accomplished actor this side of the Atlantic.

Talking from the business point of view, PAA has been made in a sensible and reasonable budget [approx. Rs. 17 crores, including P & A expenses], which should easily be recovered from multiplexes alone.

In the final tally, here's a film that should win awards [for Auro] and also box-office rewards, given its low costs. A film that should strike a chord with every paa, maa...

Shahid Kapoor's Dance - 2009 Mirchi Music Awards

2009-12-05T06:24:00.000-08:00

Bollywood Dancing Star Shahid Kapoor's latest dance performance from the 2009 Mirchi Music Awards..

Big B is a challenge to youngsters

2009-12-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

Bollywood Megastar Amitabh Bachchan(Big B) grows stronger every passing year like the wine. There are not many actors of his age in Bollywood who works as hard as him. But this 67-year-old veteran is not ready to rest. In fact, he is still ready to take up challenging and unusual roles, thus posing a threat to even young actors including his own son Abhishek Bachchan.

The Big B never runs short of surprises ever since he entered the film industry about four decades ago. The latest being his role as a 13-year-old Auro, a progeria-affected boy (progeria is a rare disorder that shows ageing at a very young age) in Paa. Poster of the film where his son Abhishek carries his real father on his back created lots curiosity amongst the public. That's Amitabh Bachchan for you!

The way he put up Paa premiere was amazing. Believe it or not, he called up each and every people he wanted for the premiere besides sending a personal invitation, that too well in advance so that they could avail the day for it without disrupting their shooting schedules. It was wonderful for a person of his stature to contact everyone personally. He is such a professional.

Well, public will finally get the chance to see him as 13-year-old Auro on the big screens, as Paa releases today with about 700 prints worldwide. It will be a treat to watch him as the son of Abhishek (his son) and Vidya Balan.

Amitabh Bachchan is here to stay for he is still 67 years young. Expect the unexpected from him in the years to come!

Shirtless Salman Khan in Goa

2009-12-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

Bollywood hunk Salman Khan was in Goa for good friend Bunty Sajdeh’s wedding a few weeks ago. All the three Khan brothers showed up at this do and had a whale of a time. The guests were put up at the Marriott hotel!

“The Khan family is very well-bonded. And when they get together they are a riot. Bunty’s wedding was a momentous one. They enjoyed themselves and got everyone around them to enjoy, too,” said a guest at the wedding.

We were also told, “Salman Khan was having his share of drinks, and suddenly began feeling hot. Not bothering, Salman casually removed his blazer, and then after a while his shirt as well and strutted around in his vest, not quite caring about who was looking and what people thought. Salman Bhai is bindaas! ofcourse there were a lot of women admiring salman” Talk about vest-ed interests!

Shahid Kapoor with eight-pack abs for 'Chance Pe Dance'

2009-12-02T06:57:00.000-08:00

Bollywood Chocolate Boy Shahid Kapoor's Trainer Abbas Ali said they managed to achieve the new look in a very short time for"Chance Pe Dance", directed by Ken Ghosh. "Shahid Kapoor had to look cosmetically presentable. After 'Kaminey' we had only two months in hand to change his complete look. It's Shahid Kapoor's sheer hard work, dedication and consistency that transformed him from what he used to look a couple of years ago to his present look," Abbas told IANS.

Shahid Kapoor's body in 'Chance Pe Dance' is better than all his previous films. Shahid Kapoor told me that dancers are coming from abroad and he wants to look like god and move like god. I had to change the entire training to bring that look along with flexibility and muscle endurance which was required for his dance performance," he said. Shahid Kapoor first started working on his body for Vishal Bharadwaj's "Kaminey" as he had to run with horses in a scene.

Shahid Kapoor didn't have a muscular body. I was training him only for fitness. Shahid Kapoor didn't want a picture perfect body in 'Kaminey' because the film shows that he comes from street and doesn't workout in high-tech gym," said Abbas. For "Chance Pe Dance" Shahid needed a sculpted body and practiced five days a week.

Shahid Kapoor also had to work on his diet. "Shahid Kapoor is a vegetarian and he doesn't even takes egg so first class protein, which is required to build lean muscle, was not there. White carbohydrate was removed from his diet, like white potatoes and pasta. We added brown carbohydrate like brown rice, sweet potato, oats instead. "We didn't go for low carbohydrates because if you go for low carbohydrates your performance level goes down in real life. He has to dance so we couldn't go for low carbohydrates." "Chance Pe Dance", in which Shahid plays a struggling actor opposite Genelia D'Souza, is set for a Jan 15 release.

Filmmaker Karan Johar female fan from Uzbekistan

2009-12-02T06:53:00.000-08:00

Bollywood News:- A female fan from Uzbekistan in Central Asia has sent Karan Johar a carpet and a love letter confessing her feelings for Karan Johar.

We usually hear about actors and actreses receiving fan mail and stalkers making their lives difficult. Katrina Kaif has had a stalker since May this year, a fan from the Middle East landed at Shahid Kapoor’s shoot a while ago and Minissha Lamba also had stalker trouble.

Karan Johar is the first filmmaker to receive fan mail of this nature. A source close to the production house tells us, ‘On Sunday, Karan received a parcel from Uzbekistan. He was surprised. He saw the carpet with the design of his face and was delighted. It was only when he read the letter in which the lady named Dilbahar had proposed marriage to him was he embarrassed. No female fan has ever proposed marriage to him before.’

The source adds, ‘Karan Johar is one of the most stylish directors and he is as well-known as his films. He is constantly in the limelight promoting his films and for his famous friends and clout in the industry. He has a way with words too and makes utterly romantic movies which are adored by the female community. Also, people in Eastern Europe and Central Asia are very conservative with little contact with the opposite sex. They love Indian movies and Bollywood personalities.'

Karan Johar has a very busy day today and was unavailable for comment. In a past interview he had said he was looking forward to settling down and maybe he should consider the heartfelt proposal.

De Dana Dan Movie Review

2009-12-02T06:46:00.000-08:00

Bollywood Movie DE DANA DAN is the most bizarre Movie From the maharaja of laughathons, Priyadarshan. Not even in your wildest dream you'd think that Priyadarshan would place almost an entire film in a hotel and have its entire cast, comprising of 26 [or is it 27?] characters, most of them weirdos, interacting with each other. Brings back memories of BLAME IT ON THE BELLBOY? May be!

But Priyadarshan needs to be credited for pulling it off. There are times when you laugh hysterically at the most outlandish jokes and situations. There are times when a raised eyebrow or a wide-open jaw makes you break into a guffaw.

Be cautioned. DE DANA DAN is a loud film, with each and every character screaming on top of his/her voice, with the characters shouting, running, even floating and swimming in the end.

But what do you expect in a Priyadarshan film that has a title like DE DANA DAN? The promos never promised path-breaking or thought-provoking cinema that would give birth to debates and discussions. So why look for logic in this one?

DE DANA DAN makes no qualms of narrating a story you haven't heard before. Here, the story is non-existent and it's left on Priyadarshan to mix-n-match those two dozen characters and keep the momentum alive for the next 2.45 hours.

DE DANA DAN promises laughter and entertainment and sticks to its promise. This one's not for the hard-nosed types, but for those who worship escapist cinema. Who want to chuckle, giggle and chortle at those mindless jokes. In short, DE DANA DAN is a pure dhamaal entertainer!

Nitin [Akshay Kumar] is a butler, cook, driver, watchman, gardener to a wealthy female industrialist [Archana Puran Singh] in Singapore. Like any young man, Nitin too dreams of a better life. He desperately wants to become rich and marry the love of his life, Anjali [Katrina Kaif], who supports him financially.

Ram [Suniel Shetty], Nitin's best friend, also came to Singapore with the dream of striking it rich, but ended up a courier delivery man. He falls for Manpreet [Sameera Reddy], but her high society parents will never approve of marriage, not unless Ram has lots and lots of money.

In the midst of all this is Harbans [Paresh Rawal], a shrewd businessman, who's looking for ways to multiply his income and avoid his debtors. He decides the best way would be to marry his son [Chunky Pandey] off to a girl whose parents can give him a large dowry. He is introduced to Manpreet's parents at a function and is impressed by their social status. He introduces himself as a well-established businessman, impresses them and they decide to get Manpreet and Harbans' son married.

With several factors working against them, Nitin and Ram soon reach a dead end in their relationships. When both receive ultimatums from their girlfriends, they realize that only a life of vice can help them out of their misery. They come up with an audacious plan to kidnap someone important and demand a ransom.

The kidnapping goes awry and both hide at a local hotel while waiting for the ransom money. But misfortune is never far and the kidnapping spirals out of control.

Meanwhile, Manpreet's wedding reception is being held at the same hotel that Nitin and Ram are hiding in. Soon, they are joined by a motley set of characters including a Chinese Don [Asrani], a hired assassin [Johny Lever], a ACB police inspector [Sharat Saxena], a club dancer [Neha Dhupia], an ambassador [Vikram Gokhale], a young frustrated double crossing wife [Aditi Govitrikar], a letch [Shakti Kapoor], a drunken waiter [Rajpal Yadav] and a dead body nobody wants to check into the hotel.

DE DANA DAN is atypical Priyadarshan film that has the unmistakable stamp all over it. But, at the same time, DE DANA DAN is erratic and uneven - energetic at times, lethargic at places. Also, the culmination to the film is very similar to the director's earlier works, with the entire cast running helter-skelter.

On the flip side, you miss Akshay's presence in the second hour. He disappears [gets locked in a cupboard] for at least 20 minutes and the focus, hence, shifts to the other characters. His fans will miss his presence, for sure. Besides, the film tends to get very lengthy towards the second half and overtly verbose too.

Director Priyadarshan is synonymous with comedies and the ace storyteller promises laughter in abundance. Handling so many characters, plus making a film on mistaken identities could be very tough, but the director gets it right. Pritam's music is alright, while the RDB track, 'Paisa', is the pick of the lot. Salim-Sulaiman's background score is energetic. K. Ahambaram's cinematography is alright.

The review would be incomplete if one ignored the dialogue writer's [Jay Master] contribution to the film. The lines are laced with wit and soaked in humour and bring the house down on several occasions.

DE DANA DAN has so many characters that it gets difficult to pinpoint or single out any one actor. Akshay is at his best in a Priyadarshan film and DE DANA DAN proves it. Suniel is natural to the core. Paresh is incredible; he pitches in a superb act. Katrina and Sameera don't have much to do. Amongst the plethora of actors, Johny Lever, Neha Dhupia, Manoj Joshi, Asrani, Vikram Gokhale and Archana Puransingh deserve special mention.

On the whole, DE DANA DAN is targeted at the masses and it delivers laughter in abundance.