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AR Rahman's grand finale - CWG theme song

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Sun, 3 Oct 2010 19:21:00 -0700

AR Rahman's grand finale

New Delhi: AR Rahman had the 60,000 strong crowd at the glitzy Commonwealth Games opening ceremony up and dancing here today with his rendition of the theme song 'Jeeyo Utho Badho Jeeto', which had received brickbats when it was first unveiled in August.

The Academy award winning musician had promised to go beyond Shakira's soccer anthem 'Waka Waka' with the composition and he delivered a powerful performance, backed by a spectacle of dancers.

Amidst a colourful play of fire works and 500,000 watts of music, the crowd cheered as the aerostat, which cost a whopping Rs 40 crore, came alive with vivid imagery.

Dressed casually in a white jacket-and-denims combination, the hitmaker was welcomed by loud cheering as he stepped on to the stage to perform the theme song.

Flanked by dancers in red and white, Rahman also performed his international hit 'Jai Ho' which won him an Oscar last year.

The theme song which is based on the motto of the Games, "Come out and play", was the grand finale to the cultural extravaganza which was put together by some 7000 artistes.

Adding to the special effects were the hundreds of light beams that crisscrossed each other. During the entire song, fire crackers went up in the air illuminating an otherwise dark sky.

The audience included Prince Charles, his wife Camilla Parker Bowles, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Pratibha Patil and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and an estimated two billion people who watched the ceremony on live television around the world.

Colours of India come alive in a dazzling CWG opening ceremony

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Sun, 3 Oct 2010 19:15:00 -0700

Let the Games begin!

New Delhi: India on Sunday put behind a nightmarish build-up of scandals, filth and dirt and missed deadlines to come up with a dazzling and vibrant opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games - the country's biggest sporting spectacle - watched live by a global audience of around three billion.

Against the backdrop of an early October sun set, the spanking new Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium turned into a golden hue as the Rs 44 crore aerostat lifted into the skies and a bevy of puppets danced and over 800 drummers heralded the event.

A spectacular laser fireworks show lit up the evening sky and India took a giant leap, 28 years after it hosted the Asian Games.

In a neat diplomatic compromise, Prince Charles, representing Queen Elizabeth, the head of the Commonwealth, and President Pratibha Patil did the honours at the inaugural ceremony, amid thunderous cheers from the capacity 60,000 crowd.

"I have much pleasure in declaring the 19th Commonwealth Games open", the Prince said reading out a message from the British monarch.

This was followed by the address of President Patil, who concluded by saying " the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi are now open. Let the Games begin", signalling the formal commencement of the sporting extravaganza.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his cabinet colleagues, former President APJ Abdul Kalam, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Maldives President Mohammed Nashid, Prince of Monaco Albert II, Commonwealth Games Federation President Mike Fennell, Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi and a host of dignitaries were present at the ceremony.

It was a mix of both cheers and jeers for Kalmadi when he made his speech while references to Dikshit were received by loud cheers in the audience.

The past few weeks of negative publicity that had dogged the nearly Rs 70,000 crore mega-event was quickly forgotten as the glittering opening ceremony, which encapsulated a fascinating mix of culture and modernity, kept the spectators enthralled for more than two hours.

The ceremony, which set the stage for 12 days of intense competition will see over 7000 athletes from 71 countries vying for honours.

The aerostat, a giant helium balloon was dramatically lifted to its full height amid the sounds of Nagada drums.

A spectacular display of drummers from various parts of India then took centrestage and Keshav, a child prodigy from Auroville, Puducherry, was the cynosure of all eyes.

The musical production of Swagatam, a rendition of a blend of Hindustani and Carnatic that finally climaxed into a Quawalli, was performed by Hariharan.

1050 school children performed a choreography of the Namaste sign, which presented the 23 officially recognised languages of India through projections on the aerostat.

The athletes parade began in which 71 women, dressed in sarees that not only represents different designs form the various Indian corners but also myriad patterns, colours and styles, carried their country's placards.

The 619-member strong Indian contingent, which had Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra as the flag-bearer, drew the loudest cheers as it walked into the jam-packed stadium in the presence of a host of dignitaries, International Olympic Committee and CGF officials.

The Pakistani contingent drew a heavy round of applause from the crowd, notwithstanding the irritants in the bilateral ties.

After brief speeches by Commonwealth Games Federation chief Mike Fennell and Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi, the Queen's Baton, which traversed through all the 71 Commonwealth nations made a grand entry with Bindra being given the honour.

Badminton star Saina Nehwal, Beijing Olympic Games bronze medallist boxer Vijender Singh and wrestler Sushil Kumar were the others who carried the baton.

It was followed by the arrival of the Games flags of all the participating countries and the oath-taking ceremony by the Indian captain Bindra.

There was also a section dedicated to the great tradition of learning which unfolded under the Knowledge Tree - a sacred space of Learning - presenting the Indian Classical dance and music that have been passed on through the Guru shishya Parampara.

The production comprised six classical dances of India, including Odissi from Orissa, Bharatnatyam from Tamil Nadu, Kathak from North India, Manipuri from Manipur, Mohiniattam from Kerala and Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh.

Each classical dance represented a season - Odissi (Spring), Bharatnatyam (Summer), Kathak (Monsoon), Manipuri (Autumn), Mohiniattam (Fall), Kuchipudi (Winter).

Through dance, music and projections on the aerostat of tree leaves, the production captured the emotions as experienced through changing seasons.

India's Yogic way of life was also on display with a presentation of the practice of YOGA - the ultimate union of the body, mind and soul.

816 performers together performed a choreography that formed the shape of a sun doing the Suryanmaskar - a series of Yoga postures done in salutation to the sun. Performers on the center stage also displayed some of the most complicated asanas.

The performers then dramatically changed the choreography and began to spiral, representing the kundalini - the coiled energy, an instinctive force that lies at the base of the spine.

Then there was the Great Indian Journey, where a train made a grand arrival as the Cheraw dancers from Mizoram did the Bamboo dance to give the Rhythm for the train.

There was also a segment on Mahatma Gandhi, where the Father of nation was paid rich tribute through a simplistic, humanistic form, depicted through sand animation based on the historic moment of the Dandi March with Mahatma's favourite hymn - Vaishnavo Janato played at the background.

Folk dancers from various corners of the country also came together to rejoice and dance in celebration of the message of the Mahatma, showcasing the ultimate richness in India's folk culture.

The opening ceremony finally culminated with the rendition of Oscar winning music composer AR Rahman's CWG 2010 Anthem -- Jeeyo, Utho, Badho, Jeeto (Live, Rise, Move, Win) - to inspire all the athletes to give them the push to victory.

Commonwealth Games off to a colourful start

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Sun, 3 Oct 2010 19:07:00 -0700

Commonwealth Games Colorful Start

NEW DELHI: India switched on its spotlights on Sunday evening to display its new vibrant, energetic and progressive avatar providing its guests from the Commonwealth nations a glimpse of its art and culture at the opening ceremony of the Games.

For precisely three hours, all the unsavoury episodes in the days leading to this spectacular event were forgotten and the audience of around 60,000 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here carried home memories of a gala evening that presented a fine mix of the country's glorious past, a dynamic present and a promising future.

Against low expectations and mounting criticism of India's capabilities to hold the Games in keeping with its growing reputation of a developing economy, the show did more than just entertain those present. It left the audience upbeat and restored the country's pride that had been so badly bruised in the weeks gone by.

There were several moments that brought the roars from an enthusiastic Delhi crowd. Among those, the one that stood out — soon after Prince Charles read out a message from the Queen — was when President Pratibha Patil declared the Games open, with the words, “Let the Games begin.”

A little earlier, Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar handed over the much-travelled Queen's Baton to Prince Charles. Boxer Vijender Singh carried the baton into the stadium, passed it to five-time world women's boxing champion Mary Kom before it reached shooter Samaresh Jung and Sushil.

The sombre spirit was lifted with the rising of the aerostat — the much-talked about helium balloon costing over Rs. 40-crore — that spectacularly displayed the magnified images of the happenings on the ground below.

‘Rhythms of India'

The ‘Rhythms of India,' a vibrating five-minute show comprising 800 drummers set the tempo. Thereafter, 1,050 school children from the capital performed choreography of Namaste, an acknowledged sign of welcome and respect to the guests.

Celebrating India:The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium turns into a carnival of colours as school students perform during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on Sunday.

CELEBS TWEET ON THE CWG OPENING CEREMONY

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Sun, 3 Oct 2010 18:57:00 -0700

The Common Wealth Games has come to India and amidst the chaos that led up to the opening of the games, India was unsure as to how the games would turn out. And that included our Bollywood celebs who showed no qualms in displaying their displeasure at the initial arrangements of the games that spelled disaster for the country. However, the government did pick up their socks and have actually completed the stadium and village where the athletes would be residing for the next two weeks. And thus, the day arrived when the games opened up to the world and the opening ceremony commenced. The initial reports claim that the opening ceremony was phenomenal. But who are we to say? Check out what your favorite celebs tweeted about the ceremony.

Shilpa Shetty: "Aah! after all the flak the Final result is spectacular at the CWG stadium:)Awesome!Heart swells with pride.Fingers crossed all shd go well."

Abhishek Bachchan: "So wonderful to hear that the CWG opening ceremony was awesome!!!!!! #goindia."

Preity Zinta: "Watching the opening ceremony of Common wealth games ... Wow ! Its rocking!"

Ritiesh Deshmukh: "Congratulations CWG on a spectacular opening ceremony. SUPPERRR DUPPPPPERR SHOWWWWW"

Vishal Dadlani: "Wow. They pulled it off! Awesome! Congratulations India, for the CWG opening ceremony. Now keep the good vibe coming!"

Rahul Bose: "Sorry no more inside stadium updates-left. friend had dizzy spell. He says its vertigo I think- sheer disbelief @the fact we puiled it off!"

Dia Mirza: "A brilliant showcase of our culture, our diversity, our rich musical, dance n performing heritage! What a feeling for those who exp it live!"

Arjun Rampal: "CWG opening ceremony making us all feel proud and is a reminder to all that sports and sportsmen are beyond politics. Such wonderful energy."

Kunal Kapoor: "The opening ceremony was superb!! Hopefully everything else will be as good.. Fingers crossed :)"

Source : http://www.bollyspice.com/view.php/5698-celebs-tweet-on-the-cwg-opening-ceremony.html

Mohit Suri will marry Udita, if Crook is a success

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Sat, 2 Oct 2010 20:28:00 -0700

Director Mohit Suri has been dating actress Udita Goswami for some years now. The couple has had its ups and downs. But the duo has been together long enough to be sure that they want to spend their life together. Mohit is all set to get married to Udita, but on one condition. His film on racism in Australia Crook It's Good To Be Bad becomes a success.

Absurd reason for a long-standing relationship to be solemnized? Not in this practical day and age.

Reasons Suri, "I need money to support the lifestyle Udita is used to. There's no point in getting married and then thinking of practical matters. So yes, Crook has to be a success. The day it's declared a hit, I'll propose to her. Then the ball is in her court." Apparently, Udita has been praying hard for the film to succeed. Strangely she was absent from the first screening of Crook on Wednesday night for friends and family.

Explains Suri, "The screening was for the cast and crew. Udita will watch the film soon."

Though Crook is about racism in Australia, Mohit is wary of the film being branded socio-politically purposeful. Considering the fate of political films like Rahul Dholakia's Lamhaa, one can't really blame Suri for wanting to get the film away from the political tag.Director Mohit Suri has been dating actress Udita Goswami for some years now. The couple has had its ups and downs. But the duo has been together long enough to be sure that they want to spend their life together. Mohit is all set to get married to Udita, but on one condition. His film on racism in Australia Crook It's Good To Be Bad becomes a success.

Absurd reason for a long-standing relationship to be solemnized? Not in this practical day and age.

Reasons Suri, "I need money to support the lifestyle Udita is used to. There's no point in getting married and then thinking of practical matters. So yes, Crook has to be a success. The day it's declared a hit, I'll propose to her. Then the ball is in her court." Apparently, Udita has been praying hard for the film to succeed. Strangely she was absent from the first screening of Crook on Wednesday night for friends and family.

Explains Suri, "The screening was for the cast and crew. Udita will watch the film soon."

Though Crook is about racism in Australia, Mohit is wary of the film being branded socio-politically purposeful. Considering the fate of political films like Rahul Dholakia's Lamhaa, one can't really blame Suri for wanting to get the film away from the political tag.

source : http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/news/2010/mohit-suri-marry-udita-crooksuccess-021010.html

Salman's Dabangg earns 74.5 cr in 6 days

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 04:23:00 -0700

Salman Khan's Dabangg collected approx. Rs. 6.75 cr. nett on Wednesday, taking its 6-day total to approx. Rs. 74 cr. to Rs. 74.5 cr. nett. The film
continues to perform exceedingly well at single screens, while multiplexes have shown the usual drops on weekdays. Like this writer pointed out yesterday, the first week distributors' share will be on the higher side [approx. Rs. 50 cr. or in that range] since the rentals at single screens are as low at 15% to 20% to 30% and the distributors' share, therefore, will be 85%, 80% or 70%, depending on the property and location.

3 Idiots had collected Rs. 79.55 cr. nett in Week 1 [including Thursday previews] and Dabangg is likely to cross this figure in Week 1, at the rate it's faring.

Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha Dabangg movie

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:38:00 -0700

Neil Nitin Mukesh and Deepika Padukone in Lafangey Parindey

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:25:00 -0700

Neil shares his first on-screen kiss with Deepika

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:20:00 -0700

Deepika Padukone has kissed Saif Ali Khan on screen. But her new co-star Neil Nitin Mukesh was a first time kisser on camera till last week when Neil had no choice but to succumb to a torrid kissing sequence with Deepika. Katrina Kaif and Neil Nitin Mukesh have one thing in common. They both follow a no-kiss clause. Katrina broke her self-imposed bow of smooch-celibacy in New York.

Now the conservative Neil Nitin Mukesh has pulled out the plug on his no-kissing clause. For Yashraj Films Lafangey Parindey Neil was virtually forced to do a long lingering kissing scene with Deepika Padukone. Director Pradeep Sarkar and Deepika had to use every possible power of persuasion before Neil abandoned his chastity vow.

Says a source very close to the project, “At first, Neil was totally against the kiss with Deepika. Barring Katrina in New York with whom he had no opportunity for a kiss, Neil has refused to kiss in all his films. In fact, his first director Sriram Raghavan threw a fit when Neil refused to kiss Rimi Sen. In his second film Tera Kya Hoga Johnny director Sudhir Mishra insisted Neil to kiss Shahana Goswami. Neil refused. Even in Jail where there was a love-making scene with Mugda Godse Neil refused to kiss”.

Conservative to the core Neil plunged into his first kiss only after the director assured him that the romantic relationship needed a culmination. Says the source, “Pradeep persuaded Neil and he finally saw his director’s point of view. But Neil was nervous. Deepika had kissed before on screen. Not Neil. He first suggested a peck. But he was finally persuaded to do a long torrid smooch comparable in intensity and duration with Aamir Khan and Karisma Kapoor’s kiss in Raja Hindustani”.

When contracted Neil said, “I can’t talk about this. But yes we’ve gone completely by the requirements of the script. And Lafangey Parindey is my first love story”.

Shahrukh extends hand of friendship to Thackeray

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:31:00 -0700

Friendship day is still to come, but looks like the friendship feeling has already struck the heart of the Bollywood
actor Shahrukh Khan. This was proved when people saw today's newspaper Saamna (Shiv Sena mouth piece), and found a half page advertisement by Shahrukh Khan
wishing Uddav Thackeray on his 50th birth anniversary. The advertisement read "With Best Compliments From...Red Chillies Entertainment."

The tiff between Shiv Sena and the Bollywood super star Shahrukh Khan has made quiet a few headlines in the past. The recent one being Shiv Sena's protest against the release of Shahrukh's film My Name Is Khan. The party was upset with Khan, for speaking in favour of the Pakistani cricketers in the Indian Premier League.

This time the news is not about the fight but about the friendship offered by the Bollywood Superstar. Hope that the peaceful hand shake from Shahrukh Khan with the Shiv Sena man will surely be accepted by the Marathi Manus.

Sanjay leaves behind a surprise B'day gift for Manna

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:30:00 -0700

Sanjay Dutt won't be in town today as wife Manyata (who is expecting twins) turns 32. The doting husband may be in South Africa but left her a surprise gift and also had their family friends spend time with her on her janamdin. Not one to be outdone, Maana is also planning to fly down to Oman to surprise her man on his 51st b'day -- provided her gynaecologist gives her permission to travel.

Says a source close to Dutt and Manyata, "When Sanju left for South Africa in the first week of July he had given his business manager Dharam Oberoi a beautifully wrapped parcel and told him to give it to Maana on her birthday. It appeared to be a jewellery box and looked like a diamond set (Maana loves diamonds). Last night, Dharam, his daughter Neha, her friend Mimi, Apoorva Lakhia, Sohail Maklai and Bunty Walia went to the Dutt residence in Bandra and gave Maana a surprise party. They brought a huge chocolate cake along and took her out to dinner. Sanju didn't want Maana to be alone on her birthday."

Dutt is currently doing a recce for his first production Rascals (directed by David Dhawan) in South Africa, Morocco and Oman. "Maana is in her fifth month of pregnancy and South Africa is almost 10 hours away. Maana won't be able to fly down there. But she's determined that on Sanju's birthday (July 29), she will fly down to celebrate it with him in Oman, which is only two hours away. That, too, if her doctor gives her permission to travel. Sanju and Maana are in touch every day and miss each other terribly."

The buzz is that Dutt might just drop in for a surprise visit today. "When Sanju was canvassing for the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, he flew in for a night by jet and sang Khuda Jaane (the Bachna Ae Haseeno track) to Maana as he was missing her a lot. Last year, he gifted her a limited edition Corum watch on her birthday."

Mr. and Mrs. Bachchan grace the covers of Vogue July 2010

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Sun, 4 Jul 2010 20:44:00 -0700

Their highly awaited flick together ‘Raavan’ may have been a disaster at the box-office, but the couple is still in vogue and very much into each other’s company. Talking about Junior Bachchan and his lovely wife, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the couple gets cozy and candid in the latest issue of ‘Vogue India’ as they pose together for the cover page of the magazine. Aishwarya had last appeared on the covers of the magazine in October 2010 which was its 1st anniversary issue. The issue not only has the couple posing for some gorgeous pics but also have them get candid on their love life, little tiffs, and how they balance their work with fun and relationships. A must have copy of all the Bachchan fans…..

Avantika – Imran’s Unusual Girlfriend

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Sun, 4 Jul 2010 20:38:00 -0700

Just the day before we had updated you about a crazy female admirer biting Imran Khan’s hand during a promotional event for IHLS last Saturday in Dubai.

When we asked Imran about the same, he instantly replied,
‘It was at a night club in Dubai. The whole thing was taken out of context. I was shaking hands with a lot of people outside. She held my hand and was trying to pull me. I don’t think she was trying to hurt me.’ Sonam cheekily added, ‘She just took the chocolate boy tag too seriously.’

On being asked what his girlfriend, Avantika Malik had to say about the biting episode, Imran quite candidly said, ‘She was very happy. According to her, the more female fans that I have, the more successful I will be.’

Imran’s first film, JAANE TU YA JAANE NA released on 4th July, 2008, and now IHLS is releasing on 2nd July. Does the month July have anything to do behind the stars success???

Well with the release of I HATE LUV STORYS, we will soon come to know if the July factor proves second time lucky for Imran.

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Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sakshi Singh Rawat marital life Bollywood celebrities, cricketers congratulate Dhoni

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Sun, 4 Jul 2010 20:35:00 -0700

Many Bollywood celebrities and cricketers today wished Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sakshi Singh Rawat all the best for their marital life. Dhoni tied the wed-knot with childhood friend Sakshi tonight in a private ceremony attended only by family members and close friends, including a few of his team-mates, at a farmhouse, about 25 km from Dehradun. Bollywood actresses Bipasha Basu, Shilpa Shetty and legendary playback singer Asha Bhonsle congratulated Dhoni and Sakshi in their twitter account. ''Congratulations in order to Mahi and Sakshi, wishing them all the happiness and marital bliss forever..,'' Shilpa wrote on her twitter account. ''Wishing Mahi and Sakshi a very happy life together forever. Sad that I can't be there,'' wrote Bipasha. Bollywood actor John Abraham, a close friend of Dhoni, wrote, ''In Dehradun for Dhoni's marriage. All the best to couple.'' Meanwhile, Bhonsle, wrote ''Heard news that Dhoni got engaged. Best wishes to him.'' Dhoni's teammate Yuvraj Singh also wished him and Sakshi a great life ahead. ''Got to know Mahi is getting married! Congratulations Dhoni and Sakshi. Hope u have a great life together. God bless!! Mahi and family,'' Yuvraj wrote on his twitter page. Former skipper Kapil Dev also congratulated Dhoni. ''It is a fantastic news. I wish his married life can be much better than cricketing career,'' Kapil said.

Aamir creates confusion on Twitter

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Sun, 4 Jul 2010 20:23:00 -0700

What do you expect when a big star like Aamir Khan join social networking site? Thousands of crazy fans trying to have a piece of him, right? That's what exactly happened on June 29 when Aamir joined the micro-blogging site Twitter. His followers almost touched 50,000 in just two days and over 70,000 on the third day, but there was lots of confusion among his fans.

Why? Because there were two usernames @aamir_khan and @aamir_khanAamir. It was difficult to find out which one was the real ID, as both were active and tweets were same. However, the truth slowly started surfacing with time. This is what the latest tweets on the latter username read, “this is not real aamir...real ID of aamir is @aamir_khan ...lolz,” adding, “# somebody made this account and deleted or changed his username...i just overtook this username...”

The tweets between Aamir Khan and other Bollywood actors also exposed his real Twitter ID. “Morning ! Told you of the 'madness' you would create .. barely 2 days and over 70,000 followers.. that's immense,” tweeted Amitabh Bachchan, to which Aamir replied, “Thanks to you, sir.”

I Hate Luv Storys - Review

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Sat, 3 Jul 2010 09:35:00 -0700

The first thing that attracts you to I Hate Luv Storys is its title. Let's face it, we adore love stories... at least I do. We idolise the characters decades after the movies have come and gone. The songs that come on our lips instantly while playing a game of antakshri are romantic songs as well. In fact, the biggest moneyspinners, let's face it, have been love stories, right? So how can we 'hate' a love story?

Buzz up!
No matter how mushy or cheesy they are, we find love stories irresistible because of the tremendous rush we experience at the end. Some of us are big suckers for love sagas, aren't we? That's precisely the reason why this title (I Hate Luv Storys) nagged me no end every time I watched the promo of this film.

Helmed by first-timer Punit Malhotra, I Hate Luv Storys is aypical candyfloss romance with a story that's not jaw-droppingly different, let me forewarn you. But if you're young at heart or a diehard and hopeless romantic, you'd lap up I Hate Luv Storys like a kid laps up his fav candy.

Now to the vital question: If I Hate Luv Storys rests on a thin plot, what is it that drives the film for the next two hours? My answer to that is, four factors: The fresh pairing and chemistry between the lead cast, tremendous youth appeal, terrific music and magical moments that make a love story work.

Final word? The makers have never claimed that I Hate Luv Storys will change the face of Hindi cinema. Nor did they ever claim that I Hate Luv Storys will change the mindset of the viewer towards romantic films. So let's sit back and enjoy the fun ride. This one's by the youth, for the youth. It's this age-group that would come out smiling, cheering and rooting for this prem kahani.

'I hate love stories' is the maxim Jay (Imran Khan) lives by. But as an assistant director to Veer (Samir Soni), the most famous romantic film-maker of Indian film industry, Jay has little option but to live with larger than life, glossy, cinematic love on an everyday basis. Things only get worse when he is made to work under the new production designer on the film, Simran (Sonam Kapoor), with whom he shares the strangest first encounter.

Simran loves love stories, so much so that even her life has begun to resemble one. With her ideal job and the perfect boyfriend Raj (Samir Dattani), she lives a blissful, dreamy life. One that is rudely interrupted by Jay's cynicism.

Writer-director Punit Malhotra wins Round 1 by casting the right actors in the roles of Jay and Simran. In fact, it wouldn't be erroneous to state that the casting is the trump card of this film. But what Punit ought to know by now is that every story ought to have a strong grip to keep your attention arrested for the next two hours. In this case, the film rests on a waferthin plot, with not much movement in the story in the first hour. In fact, the story barely moves in the first part.

Yes, post-interval, the story does gather momentum and though you're well aware of the journey and what the culmination will be like, you don't mind the ride because you can't take your eyes off Imran and Sonam. Also, a love story works if one pines for the on-screen lovers and in I Hate Luv Storys, you genuinely want the duo to sort things out, which means that you're involved in their lives. Even the finale - it won't be fair on my part to reveal how this movie concludes - may be filmy or cliched, but let's face it, it works.

Let me draw parallels with another love story, also starring Imran Khan. Recall the finale of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, which had Imran riding a horse to reach his sweetheart (Genelia) at the airport. I distinctly recall, a lot of people found the end bizzare and rightly so. Can you imagine anyone galloping to the international airport in Mumbai? But I was truly surprised when I learnt that the youth were whistling and clapping all through. The finale is different here (no horses, please) and you exit the auditorium with a smile on your face.

Director Punit Malhotra is heavily inspired by Mills & Boon novels and several Bollywood films... love stories all. But like I pointed out earlier, Punit needs to polish his writing skills, although the director in him bails the writer out and takes the film to a different level. The sequences between Imran and Sonam are well penned, but the ones between Sonam and her parents or Sonam and Samir Dattani are half-baked. Directorially, Punit shows super-confidence in moulding the two actors in their respective parts, so much so that you get sucked into Jay and Simran's world after a while.

Director: Punit Malhotra
Cast: Imran Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Sameer Dattani, Sameer Soni, Bruna Abdulla, Ketaki Dave, Anju Mahendroo

Singh Is Kinng 2 ready to roll

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Sat, 3 Jul 2010 09:33:00 -0700

Before the brand runs out of steam Akshay Kumar has decided to run into the next installment of Singh Is Kinng. Vipul Shah who was in two minds, has decided to direct the sequel since Anees Bazmee seems too busy to do the needful.

Says Vipul, “Yes, after much planning and plotting and two years since the first film, we’ve finally cracked an idea that works. My writer Suresh Nair and I are happy with what we’ve come up with. And yes, I’ll be directing the sequel.”

Though Vipul is not willing to reveal much of the plot for the sequel at this juncture—at least not on record—it’s reliably learnt that the sequel would begin where the first Singh Is Kinng trailed off , namely in Australia and then move on to another country, apparently Canada which is Akshay’s second home.

Akshay’s haste to start Singh Is Kinng 2 has a root cause. While playing a mona Sardar in Patiala House in London last month, he was repeatedly asked by his Sikh fans in Great Britain when they’d get to see him as Singh again. Akshay immediately contacted Vipul from London and also urged him to direct the sequel.

Says Akshay “Yes, a lot of fans in the UK are eager to see us do a sequel to Singh Is Kinng again. And I’ve asked Vipul to get on with it.”

There is only one hitch. Singh’s queen Katrina is completely booked till next year. And the sequel cannot be made without her.

Laughs Vipul, “She won’t let me or Akshay make it without her. We’ll just have to see how her dates can be worked out.”

Kareena connected to her fans through her website

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Thu, 1 Jul 2010 09:14:00 -0700

Kareena's official website www.kareenakapoor.me is now up and fans are already thronging the site. The site is inventively designed by Kareena and is easy to navigate.

On the home page, Kareena has written Post-it notes for her fans. These notes will be updated regularly. One of the notes reads, "Club Kareena is my official fan club. Check out Club Kareena on Face book and Twitter." Another note reads, "I am proud to be a part of the global 1GOAL campaign to support education for all." Kareena is the 1st Indian actress to be associated with FIFA 1 GOAL along with the likes of Global Celebrities like Matt Damon, Jessica Alba, Kevin Spacey and Hillary Clinton and a few others in their International campaign on Education for all.

Kareena says,”This is my own site, my own space. I like the idea of leaving Post-it notes for my fans. I have created a special fan book where fans can write to me directly. Also, 1GOAL campaign will reach a number of people who are not familiar with Indian cinema. This site will be a window to India and Indian cinema."

Kareena is India's highest-paid actress and the highest-paid endorser of brands.

The site lists 9 brands including global giants like Airtel, Anne French, Head and Shoulders, Sony Ericsson and Sony Vaio.

Sanju Baba to play Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:25:00 -0700

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt has acted in several films since his debut in 1981. All the characters had different shades right from a young, charming boy in Rocky to a criminal in Khalnayak and a lovable goon again in Munnabhai MBBS. But, Sanju Baba is going to do something totally different this time. He is going to don the role of great historical figure Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The project is being kept under wraps now but it is certain that Sanjay Dutt will be playing the role of the great Maratha warrior. Nobody is speaking about the project on record, as Dutt is busy with other assignments and will take at least a year to come out of legal hassles.

According to a source close to the project, “No one can essay the flamboyant Maratha warrior better than Sanjay Dutt. He looks as brave as the warrior and can gallop on the screen with a sword in hand. We needed someone, who can look like the character of Russell Crowe in Robin Hood or Gladiator.”

But, Soham Shah, who is directing the film, denies Sanjay Dutt being their first and the last choice for playing Shivaji. He said, “For now, I will say that I can never imagine making a film without Sanjay Dutt. I am here only by his support and guidance. I can think of working on a big project like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj only because of his support and trust. Right now, I am preparing to direct a movie for Sanjay Dutt Productions. I will start working on the Shivaji project only after completing this one.”

Shivaji is the director’s dream project and he has been working on it for more than a year now. Soham added, “I want the film to appeal to people of all age groups. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj would have special effects like that of Hollywood’s Prince Of Persia.” Initially, the film was supposed to be in Hindi but Soham and the producers are trying to make the movie into a Hindi-Marathi bilingual.

Housefull deserves rave reviews

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Sun, 2 May 2010 09:09:00 -0700

With a recollaboration of Heyy Babyy team, the recently released multi-starrer flick Housefull is all set to entertain the audiences this summer. While the film is getting rave reviews for its hilarious script, the stars' performances and the lively jokes, what makes the film more than just staple Bollywood masala is the extraordinary visual effects
(VFX) and (Digital Intermediate) DI executed by Mumbai-based Visual entertainment services Company, Prime Focus.

Talking about the vfx of the movie, Merzin Tavaria, Chief Creative Director at Prime Focus said, "Housefull is one of the most challenging films in terms of creatives and deliveries. The most important sequences being the Tiger sequence and the Monkey sequence. We had a couple of scenes which involved the lead actors interacting with a Tiger which was quite difficult to shoot in reality, that's one of the scenes where we have used VFX but the beauty of the shot is that it's so seamless that you can't make out the use of VFX and this helps, as it looks real and doesn't disturb the narrative.

Apart from the vfx, what added glitz to movie was the DI executed by the Prime Focus team.

Says DI head and Chief colorist Rohan Desai," Since Housefull is a romantic comedy, we have set the palette to bright-happy colours. We have maintained a very clean and consistent look for the entire movie.

Talking about the challenges Rohan said, "Most of the scenes in Housefull were shot in London where the weather is very erratic; as a result there were a lot of lighting challenges involved, with Digital Intermediate we achieved the required look and feel for the scenes and consistency in terms of skin tones and background. There were scenes where we had patches of clouds passing by that made the background change tones from dull to bright and dim again; We animated the colour grades and used DI to maintain consistency in terms of lighting," Desai added.

Housefull, produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and directed by Sajid Khan, features Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Arjun Rampal, Lara Dutta, Deepika Padukone and Jiah Khan.

Saif-Kareena upset with IPL bid cancellation

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Mon, 8 Mar 2010 21:00:00 -0800

The power couple was interested in bidding for an IPL team (Pune) along with Karisma and Sanjay Kapur. A sudden change of rules ruined the plan

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor were to buy an Indian Premier League (IPL) team. Not any more, it seems. The chote nawab is upset that the bidding was cancelled at the last moment and that new regulations were suddenly brought in.

The auction took place in Mumbai yesterday. Saif and Kareena were present at the bidding for new teams (Pune, Nagpur and Ahmedabad). It is learnt that the duo along with Kareena's sister Karisma Kapoor and her husband Sanjay Kapur and Videocon's Venugopal Dhoot are interested in buying the Pune team. Now, with the auction being cancelled and a change of rules set to take place, Saif's very upset and isn't interested in bidding anymore.

Says Saif, "Yes, we were interested in buying the Pune team but the bidding process was cancelled and the rules were changed. Kareena and I had submitted our bid and there was one other person but Lalit (Modi) cancelled it. It would've been great if we could have bought the Pune team and entered the IPL as I love cricket too (his dad is one of India's former cricket captains, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi)."

An investment
A fresh auction will now be held eight days later, but the chote nawab may not place a bid. Saif says bluntly, "Whether we will still be interested or not will depend on how the rules have changed and what value the teams will be sold at. It has to be at a certain price. It's an investment for us and we have to buy something that's worth something. We can't end up losing money if it's not a sound investment."

Saif feels that there are many reasons for the cancellation of the auction. "It's all internal trade, internal issues within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the IPL and big business and politics (involving Chief Ministers) and heads of multi-national companies -- something that's beyond my understanding."

A new system
Elaborating on what made the couple change their minds, Khan says, "The whole bid was cancelled with no explanations given. It's politics and big business. In the new system, you don't need to be a billionaire or have 100 million in your bank account as guarantee to bid for an IPL team. In the last bidding, when the Pune and Ahmedabad teams were being auctioned only two people were bidding for the teams. Now with the changed scenario, there will be many bidders for one team.

Saif's father, the Nawab of Pataudi, is a member of the Governing Council of the IPL. Maybe he could talk to him? Saif says, "My father isn't part of this... It's something to do with the BCCI and Lalit Modi."

FACTS
Preity Zinta, Shahrukh Khan and Shilpa Shetty are B-Towners who already own IPL teams. It was rumoured that Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn were also keen on buying IPL teams.

New IPL rules
Earlier only groups with a net worth of $1 billion (approx Rs 4,500+ crores) were proposed to be allowed, and the bidders had to provide a bank guarantee of $100m to just participate in the bidding process. These two clauses have been dropped for the new bidding scheduled for March 21. Modi has now set a new condition that a $10 million advance performance deposit would be submitted 24 hours in advance by March 20. The successful bidders would also need to be ready to pay 10% of the amount that they bid, within 48 hours of being awarded the franchise. The base price of each team would now be $225m .

The Making of Housefull releasing before the film

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Fri, 5 Mar 2010 21:09:00 -0800

The director of the much-awaited film Housefull, Sajid Khan, is leaving no stone unturned to ascertain that the movie becomes the biggest hit of the year. In fact, knowing that the audience may not be able to wait till April 30, when the movie release, he has decided to launch the Making of the movie.

Buzz up!
“The making will be released way before the release of the film,” Sajid confirms. “It will be released in high definition, since I believe that the movie and the making are equally important. The audience will look forward to the movie, once they see the making, which is also an entertaining presentation,” he adds.

Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and Eros International, Housefull is in the news all the time, and for all the right reasons. Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deskmukh, Deepika Padukone and Lara Dutta play the lead roles in the film.

Topics: housefull, sajid khan, akshay kumar, riteish deskmukh, deepika padukone, lara dutta.

Shilpa-Raj's Valentine's Day plans

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:07:00 -0800

Raj Kundra will be whisking off Shilpa Shetty to an undisclosed destination on Valentine's Day. Shilpa Shetty and hubby Raj Kundra have planned special surprises for each other this Valentine's Day. Shilpa says, "I have no idea what Raj has planned for us. All I know is that Raj has told my manager to keep February 12-14 free on my diary and to keep me flight-ready. I think it's most probably Dubai. I have planned something special for him too -- but that's a surprise I will reveal only to him."

Buzz up!
However, when it comes to being romantic, she says Raj is the clear winner, "Raj wins hands down. He's a planner and has the most romantic things planned down to the utmost detail. I remember last year after we had made the Rajasthan Royals announcement on Valentine's Day, Raj had whisked me off to Goa." As the actress' dad is very conservative she lied to him about why she was going out of town. Now that Shilpa is married to Raj, dad won't mind knowing the truth.

Raj hired an entire golf course and arranged for a candlelight dinner. Also, for a ghazal singer to perform live, and finally a 15-minute firework display. At the time, the actress thought it was an appalling waste of money but she basked in all the attention. And she knows that he will plan something bigger this year!

The actress insists that Raj isn't any different as a husband. He's the same as he was in their courtship days, "If there are any changes, it's that we are more committed to each other today. Priorities change and it's great to rush back home by 6 pm to be with the man you love. Also, I don't work on Sundays. I have been working on Sundays my whole life but now I make it a point to be with him -- we go out for brunch -- but it's mostly a simple affair. In retrospect, I feel I should have got married a long time ago..."

She insists that Valentine's Day is like any other day in their life, "I know it sounds cheesy but I say this from my heart -- Raj and I celebrate every day. We just enjoy spending time with each other. The only day that's special for us is our wedding anniversary (November 22)." Raj and Shilpa return on February 15 to prepare for the launch of their Rajasthan Royals music video, merchandise and new T-shirt in Jaipur the next day.

Topics: shilpa shetty, raj kundra, rajasthan royals.

Amitabh is brand ambassador of Gujarat state

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Tue, 2 Feb 2010 19:45:00 -0800

Amitabh Bachchan has finally made a new Gujarati connection. Yes! He is now the brand ambassador of the state of Gujarat. He has lent his voice and his face for the promotion and development of a state that prides itself in having one of the finest infrastructures
and speedy development in almost all the sectors. This was the essential reason why Mr. Bachchan even suggested being associated with the state.

During a special screening of his film Paa that took place in Gujarat for some of the senior dignitaries, Big B was so impressed with Mr. Modi and Gujarat that he made an offer to do whatever he could to further the cause of tourism and development in the state. Taking the offer on a serious note, Mr. Modi sent a letter to Big B offering him the post of Gujarat's brand ambassador which he accepted in all humility.

So, be ready to see the senior Bachchan promoting tourism in Gujarat.

Topics: amitabh bachchan, paa.

Related Movies: Teen Patti (amitabh bachchan, Raima sen)

Blogger Buzz: Show your face!

saleem81solanki@gmail.com (Unknown) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:21:00 -0800

Blogger Buzz: Show your face!