Hindi Cinema Blog

INDIA REPUBLIC DAY Clip Directed by PURAB KOHLI

2012-01-26T12:14:00.000+01:00

Multi-talented Purab Kohli has recently directed a touching clip for India's Republic Day with a heartwarming message inviting all Indians to be sensitive to their youngsters, who are the future of the nation. The moving clip was filmed in a peaceful emblematic beach in Goa and features the Indian national anthem in the background, performed by the golden and subtle guitar fingers of Dhruv

NEIL NITIN MUKESH Makes Music Happen

2012-01-24T20:42:00.001+01:00

Music in Bollywood has been filled with generations of brilliant composers and lyricists working behind the scenes. This new year will see the musical limelight shifting a bit towards celebrities who are making an incursion into the world of song. Priyanka Chopra is set to be launched as a new pop star (click here to read the scoop), Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan both attempted to

OPRAH IN BOLLYWOOD: The O Factor Charms Tinsel Town

2012-01-22T01:08:00.000+01:00

Chat show host Oprah Winfrey had India in her "places to see" list for a long time and has finally flown over for a week-long visit in aims to shoot for her upcoming show "New Chapter". While she has been scheduled to visit Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Rishikesh during her stay, her week started with a visit to the Bachchan family and with a highly attended bash hosted by Parmeshwar Godrej

DON 2 - THE CHASE CONTINUES: Shah Rukh is Back!

2012-01-06T14:30:00.000+01:00

DON 2: The Chase Continues review by Diana (Italian Cinema Hindi Blog) Rating: ***** Have you been on holiday and have totally relaxed? Have you been enjoying the seasonal festive banquets, oblivious to whatever is happening in other parts of the world? Or have you returned to normal daily life, becoming absorbed in the same everyday boring duties? In case you did not know: THE

BOLLYWOOD 2011 MUSIC HITS: 12 songs to welcome 2012

2011-12-30T03:05:00.001+01:00

Image by: Manbiz - Spicytec Establishing a list of the greatest songs of an entire year is always a difficult task BUT the Hindi Cinema Blog is one to love a challenge, so fasten your seat belts for the 2011 musical ride! We are recommending 12 tunes to start the millenium's 12th year! Check out our recommendations for the best Catchy Dance Tunes, Starry-Eyed Love Tunes and Alternative

Ooh La La: THE DIRTY PICTURE is here!

2011-12-05T13:30:00.000+01:00

Rating: **** SMASHING is the first word I had on my lips upon seeing the first rushes of The Dirty Picture's promos with a delicious Vidya Balan... and yes, I am a girl talking about a girl here, but let me make a bet that the seductiveness this chick exudes in the film does somewhere fit with every guy's fantasy. At the centre of The Dirty Picture's plot is Silk Smitha (played by

DEV ANAND Abhi na jao...

2011-12-04T13:01:00.001+01:00

This morning I have woken up to sad news... Evergreen and inspiring hero, Dev Anand, has given the world his last goodbye yesterday in London. The star had been feeling unwell recently and was in England for a health check up when he suffered a cardiac arrest. Dev Saab was Guru Dutt's best friend, Kalpana Kartik's husband, Gregory Peck's synonym and the hearthrob of millions of

News: MAKE INDIAN CINEMA!

2011-12-03T18:19:00.005+01:00

The Hindi Cinema Blog loves writing about Indian films but how about inspiring our readers to submit their own film about the country we are all fond of? The Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has organized an exciting global film competition named the 'India Is' Global Video Challenge 2011, inviting the entire world to participate. You can be an amateur

BOL Review: Immersed in Lollywood

2011-12-01T15:20:00.001+01:00

BOL review by Diana (Italian Cinema Hindi Blog) Rating: **** Bol allows us to immerse ourselves in Lollywood (Pakistani cinema has not been spared the suffix borrowed from Hollywood, taking the first letter of the capital city, Lahore, which is the main stage of the Pakistani film industry). Zainab (Humaima Malik) is in prison, having been convicted of murder. Before she is

IMAGINE INDIA FILM FESTIVAL 2011 Barcelona

2011-11-26T23:47:00.004+01:00

While Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara brought Spain into the Bollywood limelight this year, it is the turn of the Imagine India Barcelona Film Festival to showcase a bouquet of noteworthy films coming from India. The festival will take place from December 2-29, 2011. It showcases music, cinema, poetry and dance apart from the 7th art. Films featured in this year's program are: *

ROCKSTAR A Rebel Sings

2011-11-11T14:30:00.474+01:00

When Imtiaz Ali's film Rockstar released its first visuals and music, I was taken by expectation. Jab We Met is one of the Indian movies I always end up recommending to friends who are not Bollywood viewers, in the hopes of engaging them to watch more. I was therefore wishing that this new film would bring back the Imtiaz Ali I had appreciated, soon recommending Rockstar to friends I

CINEMA THOSE DAYS

2011-10-29T16:02:00.006+02:00

Collage of Bollywood posters from http://8ate.blogspot.com/ Guest post Fellow blogger Shri Ram Ayyangar is from Bangalore and has an insightful blog called VYANGYAM in which he shares his satirical, social and political views on events around him with his readers. In 2008, he traveled through Madhya Pradesh to visit those places in which he had spent his childhood. This resulted in

RA.ONE: The Next VFX Generation - Review

2011-10-26T19:12:00.001+02:00

Shah Rukh Khan's dream film is finally out after much expectation this Diwali 2011. The story of Prateek, a young boy who loves to play video games and how one of these games is brought to life is a concept that, according to director Anubhav Sinha, was born six years back when he watched a commercial that featured two children using a remote control on a human being. The original idea

ASHA BHOSLE breaks records in 2011

2011-10-24T15:32:00.002+02:00

India's emblematic playback singer Asha Bhosle is now featured in the Guinness World Records as the singer with most song recordings in the world. The legendary Asha has indeed recorded more than eleven thousand songs in which she sings solos, as well as duets and choruses, spanning music in more than 1300 films and 20 languages. The golden voice of Bollywood was awarded this honour at

YESTERYEAR'S BEAUTY - James Burke photography

2011-10-19T23:40:00.002+02:00

Movie Queens photography collection by James Burke - LIFE magazine As I scoured the Internet for pictures of Bollywood beauties of years gone by, I came upon a hidden web-treasure that holds black & white pristine images of several stars of 1950s Indian cinema and could not help sharing these with HCB readers! Photographer James Burke photographed India's movie queens in candid

MERA BROTHER KI DULHAN or BODYGUARD?

2011-10-14T08:45:00.000+02:00

Salman as Kareena's bodyguard Both films pulled audiences to the ticketsale counters. Both offer solid and modern entertainment this autumn season. Mere Brother ki Dulhan is a youthful and pacey tale of the search for the perfect modern day liberated bride, incarnated by Laila (Katrina Kaif) who lives to drink and have fun. It is utterly refreshing to see Katrina Kaif as a full-out

MAUSAM Stolen Moments of Romance

2011-09-29T21:38:00.000+02:00

"Mausam"... When I heard the title of Pankaj Kapoor's maiden film, it brought back memories of Mhd. Rafi's "Aaj mausam bada beimaan hai" and therefore images of traditional romantic movies... Mausam is a love story spanning the four seasons of its hero and heroine's lives: Harry, a Hindu Punjabi boy, and Aayat, a Muslim Kashmiri girl. The first season is that of their encounter as

AARAKSHAN: Watch with Reservations

2011-09-01T15:41:00.000+02:00

Prakash Jha's new film, Aarakshan, touches upon the controversial subject of caste and has done so in such a straightforward way, according to three Indian states (Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh) that they have banned its screening, fearing that it might spark bouts of communal violence. Other measures taken in order to ensure safety in relation to the film, have included providing

SHAMMI KAPOOR: The Spirit of Yahoo Will Live On

2011-08-14T13:42:00.015+02:00

The Indian film industry has expressed its sadness at the news that magnetic, courageous and cheerful Shammi Kapoor passed away in the early hours of Sunday due to complications of chronic renal failure after being admitted to Bombay's Breach Candy Hospital a week ago at the age of 79. His funeral will be taking place on Monday morning. His bubbly and charming persona,

PRIYANKA CHOPRA - World's Next Pop Star

2011-08-11T09:37:00.001+02:00

As a teenager, Bollywood beauty, Priyanka Chopra, was a choir singer and was also influenced by American music and the pop, R&B and rap culture. She has now started writing her own music with a Western team of songwriters and is all set to become an international music star, backed by Lady Gaga's managers and other top executives in the Western music production world, planning to release her

ALYSSA and SHANE MENDONSA: Music's Contemporary Young Wave (Exclusive Interview)

2011-07-26T17:20:00.001+02:00

Bombay is India's foremost landmark in terms of Hindi cinema and music, both mainstream and independent. Today's post focuses on two musicians who have been crisply and ingeniously contributing to enriching the Indian music scene. Shane and Alyssa Mendonsa have become a leading pair in the new young wave that swings Indian urban music from Bollywood pop to electronic music. Spanning a series of

ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA -The Ultimate Road Trip

2011-07-17T14:46:00.004+02:00

Zoya Akhtar knocks it out of the park with her second film. This fresh and full-of-life movie has breathed new zindagi into Hindi cinema much like Dil Chahta Hai did back in 2001. This delicious adventure takes place in Spain and was beautifully filmed in additional locations such as Egypt and India. The film takes us along on an extended road trip- cum bachelor party with three old

DELHI BELLY: I rate you [like I love you]

2011-07-07T12:14:00.033+02:00

'Delhi Belly' might not be doing the due rounds of Nepali cinemas but it sure has traveled to other exotic destinations! Paris and its quintessential commuting work routine had me a bit dizzy this week until - lo and behold - I discovered a silent film release that would force me to unwind... As I scroll through Internet cinema timings at the local French café I come upon the word "Delhi" on

IIFA ROCKS! 2011: A Date with India's Creative Minds

2011-07-02T22:53:00.009+02:00

One of the questions most often asked of music composers is "How do you compose a song?" Thanks to the IIFA 2011 Music Workshop, we have the answer. In a live demonstration, for the first time in history, famed composers Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Salim Merchant, Vishal Bhardwaj and lyricist Javed Akhtar come together to create a musical delight before our eyes. Kalyan "Johnny Bongo" Pathak

PIRACY: A Crime in Controversy

2011-06-29T00:35:00.002+02:00

When an anti-piracy law project was being introduced in France in 2009, police brigades took over a district in Paris that is well-known for its shops displaying heaps of pirate Indian DVDs for sale. Today it is the Protect IP Act's turn to be approved in the USA, an event that has been causing much virtual ink to be shed. Going with this sign of the times, the Hindi Cinema Blog cannot