Hindi Movies

Amir Khan, Anil Kapoor get nostalgic at 'Double Dhamaal' launch

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:19:29 PDT

Anil Kapoor and Aamir Khan got nostalgic at the launch of Indra Kumar and Ashok Thakeria's next project "Double Dhamaal".

"Anil and I have very fond memories working with Indra and Ashok. As an actor, I have done three films with Indu. We wish all the very best to the whole team and I am looking forward to a highly entertaining film," Aamir told reporters at the launch of the movie at the Mehboob Studio Wednesday.

He teamed with Thakeria and Kumar in "Dil" and "Mann".

Anil, who worked with them in the super hit "Beta", said: "Indra and Ashok are like my brothers. They are in the field since I started my career. The first film I did with them was 'Mohabbat'. The mahurat was also in Mehboob Studio."

Walking down memory lane, Anil said when Kumar decided to turn director with "Beta", he was sceptical about doing the film.

"When Ashok told me that he wants me to do a film which will be directed by Indra, I was a bit taken aback. Still, I agreed to do 'Beta', but had a dates problem.

"That time 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak' became a big hit and Indra told me he wants to make a film with Aamir. I thought it's a great idea - he is a new director, so he would gain some experience while working with Aamir and then I will do a film with him.

"So I started encouraging him to make 'Dil'. That time I didn't know that any director with whom Aamir works will become a big hit and that the film will be a blockbuster. I was under pressure. But even 'Beta' was a blockbuster and we continued to be great friends since then," said Anil.

"Double Dhamaal" is the sequel to "Dhamaal" with the same star cast - Riteish Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffrey and Aashish Chaudhary. Actresses Kangana Ranaut and Mallika Sherawat will also feature in the film.

Sushmita Sen Hot Photo Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:10:47 PDT

Anurag Kashyap don't run after stars

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:05:00 PDT

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who worked with fresh faces in "Dev D", says he prefers working with newcomers because they are hungry for perfection and give their soul to their work.

"I never run after stars. I keep looking for good talent because it's fun working with newcomers. They are hungry for perfection and give their soul to their work. They will go to any level. They don’t have any ego and they submit themselves to the film," Kashyap, 37, told reporters here.

He was here to launch a talent portal called Tumbhi that will provide a platform to budding artists to showcase their skills. He will mentor fresh talents.

"It's my uncle’s company. I'm part of this company and my ideas are involved in this. I’m involved at the conceptual stage," he said.

"I will focus on short films. There are other people who will be involved with other things. I'll mentor talent who want to make films."

Kashyap has made films like "Black Friday", "No Smoking" and "Dev D", among others, and most of them had lesser known actors.

So, would he ever like to work with stars?

"I would love to work with big stars. In fact, for one of my films I am looking at that. It's just that I sometimes feel scared that if I work on a big film, will I be able to make the kind of film I want to as a lot of money is involved," said the filmmaker.

Bollywood Diva Sushmita Sen wants to get married

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:03:42 PDT

While most of her contemporaries are married and settled with kids, Sushmita Sen is still in the news for her relationships and break-ups. But the actress says she definitely has plans to tie the knot one day.

"Well, I will get married. It was just that I didn't feel like getting married at 23-24 which is considered to be marriageable age," said Sushmita, 34.

"And I am tired of answering what kind of a man I want in my life. I will show you the full sample whenever it happens," she added.

In the past, the actress has dated actor Randeep Hooda, ad man Manav Menon and then she has been linked with Bunty Sachdev and very recently with Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram, with whom she has supposedly broken off with.

The ex-Miss Universe was in the capital Wednesday to attend the event for the real estate company Assotech where she was announced its brand ambassador. Dressed in a short and colourful ruffled dress, Sushmita looked radiant and exuded warmth.

Last year, Sushmita's production company Tantra Entertainment was awarded the India franchise by the Miss Universe Organisation. But the winner, Ushoshi Sengupta, failed to win the title for India.

The beauty queen is not at all "disappointed".

"I wasn't disappointed at all. We gave our best shot and there was a lot of learning for us as well. I also went to the pageant after 16 years (Sushmita won the title in 1994) and a lot has changed in terms of format.

"So I had a look and understood the news things. This will help us in bringing the title back in the near future. Now, I feel like it is a challenge for me," she said.

Recently "Slumdog Millionaire" actress Freida Pinto said Sushmita inspired her to act in the movies.

Commenting on that, she said: "I believe life has come a full circle for me. When I saw my baba (father) in tears when Rakesh Sharma went up in space and told Indira Gandhi 'Saare Jahan Se Aacha Hindustan Hamaara', I asked him for whom he was crying. He replied - he (Rakesh) is famous."

"At that time all I knew was to be famous. It was my only ambition in life and I wanted people, who didn't even know me, to cry for me. So when people say such things about me, I feel life has come a full circle for me."

Amitab Bachchan welcomes changes in Mumbai

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:29:03 PDT

Stating that he is proud to be a Mumbaikar, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has written to the media clarifying his stand on the proposed Metro and stressing that he welcomes the changes being seen in the city.

"Certain sections of the media, both electronic and print, have misinterpreted the writings on my blog (bigb.bigadda.com) and I wish to make a clarification. Mumbai as a city has given my family and me a place in their hearts besides recognition and respect," he said in his letter Wednesday.

"My family and I have never and at no point of time would ever like to disregard the conveniences of my fellow Mumbaikars and the development being undertaken for a better future for the city and them," he wrote.

"My blog represents my heart and on the matter of the Metro it clearly says the 'general happiness’ that it brings to ‘commuters’ and that 'the misery of crowded locals and the uncertainties of the three wheeler or the yellow black cab shall hopefully be greatly reduced’.

"Indeed I have ended the piece by saying welcome ‘fellow passengers’. By fellow passenger I include myself as one.

"My request to everyone who visits my blog is to read it in its entirety rather than pick up words and fabricate stories which create an unnecessary sensation. I am proud to be a Mumbaikar and I welcome the changes which we are being seen in the city."

The controversy started after Amitabh posted a message Saturday on his blog expressing his views on proposed Metro corridor in the city.

He wrote: "It is finally happening. The metro rail being laid over the metropolis called Mumbai, some under the ground, some above over large tracts of cement structures is taking shape. There is general happiness from the commuters, for, the misery of crowded locals and the uncertainties of the three wheeler or the yellow black cab shall hopefully be greatly reduced.

"But here is the killer... its going to roll over Prateeksha (his residence in Juhu)! Yesterday the authorities came over to check externally the structural condition of all houses that would get affected by the rail car moving in its proximity and they came into Prateeksha. So bye bye privacy and hello fellow traveller."

Shah Rukh Khan says Ra.One's release date isn't fixed yet

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:24:38 PDT

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has clarified that the release date of his superhero film "Ra.One" has not yet been decided, unlike what has been reported.

According to certain media reports Tuesday, the actor-producer is planning to release the film June 3, next year. But Shah Rukh has denied it.

"Nice to know that the release date for 'Ra.One' has been fixed by someone... somewhere. Maybe they can now come and finish it as well," Shah Rukh posted on his Twitter page.

"Will work backwards in terms of post-production and announce the release date in tandem with office guys. Should be around June," he added.

In another message that seemed like an indirect dig at the recent alleged involvement of Pakistani cricketers in match-fixing, Shah Rukh wrote: "It seems everything is being fixed everywhere. For a change let's unfix a few things, get unhooked, unhinged... free from set plans and float a bit."

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I age from 20-65 in 'Saat Khoon Maaf': Priyanka

She sported 12 different looks in "What's Your Rashee" and now Priyanka Chopra is set to age from 20 years to 65 years in Vishal Bharadwaj's "Saat Khoon Maaf".

"I age from 20-65 in the film. That was a very difficult thing for me to do. 'Saat Khoon Maaf' is an incredible film for me. It's a huge part and a very important responsibility for me. It made me extremely nervous that Vishal actually chose me to do the film. But I am very excited about it," said Priyanka.

The film is based on Ruskin Bond's book Susanna's ""Seven Husbands" and features seven male leads opposite Priyanka who kills her husbands in the movie.

"It's every woman's dream to be able to kill all her husbands or at least one. The film is a comedy. It's not a drama where she is seriously killing all of them. It's a psycho, black comedy and Vishal's dark version of humour," she added.

Naseeruddin Shah, John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, and Irrfan Khan, among others, will be seen as her husbands in the movie.

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Neil's Italian connect!

Actor Neil Nitin Mukesh's international looks are helping him in getting offers from overseas. But he wonders why most of them are from Italy!

"I am doing a film which is a remake of 'Italian Job'. We haven't started shooting for it yet... But, I am only nowadays getting offers from products which are Italian somehow. I endorse Morelatto, an Italian watch brand and was recently offered to endorse another brand from Italy. I don't know what's the connect," quipped Neil.

The actor was last seen in the recently released "Lafangey Parindey".

Ajay Devgan caught smoking in public

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:44:30 PDT

Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn has been fined Rs.100 for smoking in the courtyard of a multiplex in Panaji, police said Wednesday.

"The notice will be issued today (Wednesday). We are acting on a complaint filed by the state health department (Directorate of Health Services, DHS)," Deputy Superintendent of Police Deu Benaulikar told IANS.

A police official said the complaint was filed by the DHS director Rajnanda Desai after the National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE), an anti-tobacoo watchdog NGO, submitted photographs to her office showing the Mumbai-based actor smoking at the INOX multiplex premises.

The multiplex hosted the set of forthcoming film "Golmaal 3", starring the actor, in May this year.

"The complaint was filed with the Crime Branch by the health department. Later it was forwarded to us for action. We verified the photograph and only then decided to issue the fine notice to the actor," the police official said.

This is the second instance when the brooding actor, who has starred in superhit films like "Omkara" and "Gangajal", has been fined for smoking in public. Devgn was earlier fined in January this year for smoking in a public place in Chandigarh.

Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan to miss Raavan in Venice

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:56:11 PDT

Bollywood couple Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan won't be able to attend the screening of their film "Raavan" at the upcoming 67th Venice Film Festival, due to prior commitments with their brand endorsements.

"Raavanan" and "Raavan" - the Tamil and the Hindi versions of the Mani Ratnam film - and Anurag Kashyap's "That Girl In Yellow Boots" will be screened at the festival, starting Wednesday.

"Aishwarya and Abhishek are not going for the Venice Film Festival as reported in some media outlets. The festival falls on the same dates on which they have previously committed. Aishwarya is going for an event for Longines (as she is the brand ambassador), while Abhishek will be busy with a shoot for Omega in Italy," said a source close to the actors.

"There are other film festivals too - Doha and Pusan - where Abhishek and Aishwarya are being invited, to showcase their film or even for individual honours. But the duo will decide which ones to attend according to their schedules," added the source.

Malaika Arora Khan to wear million-euro diamond bustier

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:43:19 PDT

Item girl and actress Malaika Arora Khan will dazzle in a diamond-studded bustier costing a million euros when she walks the ramp as a showstopper for a jewellery store in the capital Wednesday.

The bustier is crafted from over 500 carats of the finest Belgian diamonds, said a statement from ORRA, the jewellery store.

Apart from Malaika, popular models like Carol Gracias, Indrani Dasgupta and Krishna Somani will be showcasing the jewellery, crafted by ORRA's design centres in London, New York, Tokyo, Antwerp and Mumbai.

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Konkona goes without smoke, drink

Actress Konkona Sen-Sharma says she gave up smoking and alcohol two months ago.

"It's been two months that I've given up smoking and drinking..." Konkona posted on her Twitter page.

Superstar Hrithik Roshan decided to kick the butt a few months ago, and star Arjun Rampal too has expressed a desire to quit smoking.

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Shilpa to bring home an idol for Ganesh Chaturthi

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty has already started preparing for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi and she is planning to bring home a mini idol of Lord Ganesha.

Shilpa, a Ganesh devotee, will celebrate the 10-day festival, starting Sep 11, with her family,

According to a source close to the actress, Shilpa is taking care of every minute detail of the idol which will be brought to her home.

Many other actors, including Salman Khan and Nana Patekar, also bring Ganpati idol home and worship it every year during Ganesh festival.

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I'm exhausted with theatre: Sharman

Bollywood actor Sharman Joshi says he has taken a self-imposed break from theatre as he is exhausted after doing it continuously for years.

"I have done a lot of theatre and am exhausted for the moment. It's been a while now and I have done theatre for around eight years," said Sharman.

The actor has become popular in Bollywood after featuring in films like "Rang De Basanti" and "3 Idiots".

Kareena Kapoor wants to work with Aamir Khan

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:12:36 PDT

After cooking up a crackling chemistry with Aamir Khan in the blockbuster "3 Idiots", actress Kareena Kapoor says she wants to team up with him once again.

"I want to work with Aamir, but he is not doing any film for a year," Kareena lamented.

She is very keen that her actor boyfriend Saif Ali Khan should work with "3 Idiots" director Rajkumar Hirani.

"I always tell him (Saif) that he should work with Raju Hirani," she added.

Kareena will soon be seen in Karan Johar's "We Are Family" alongside Kajol and Arjun Rampal. The film releases Friday.

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My favourite scripts have been biggest flops: Akshay Kumar

Action star Akshay Kumar says even though he chooses his scripts carefully, some times they turn out to be major flops at the box office. Nevertheless, he is raring to go and claims his only motto is to entertain the audience.

"I do read my scripts. In fact, I always have several script-reading sessions before I fully take on a movie. But remember, I cannot predict the future. Some of my favourite scripts have been my biggest flops, but they have sometimes been my greatest successes also," Akshay posted on Twitter in response to a fan's query.

The fan asked the actor as to why he doesn't get best actor awards even after featuring in so many films.

"I do so many, many more movies than any other actor in Bollywood. Therefore my gamble is much higher. I would rather entertain my audience than ever win an award. It's the people I want to please, not those attending award ceremonies," wrote the actor who gave a string of hits like "Heyy Babyy", "Welcome", "Namastey London", and "Singh Is Kinng", among others.

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Back to chappals, rejoices Mandira

She had been flaunting the best of designer labels and high-heeled fashionable shoes for the past three days at the Van Heusen Men's India Week (VHIMW), but now actress and anchor Mandira Bedi is glad to be back to flats.

"After three days of very high heels... flat shoes are like... heaven! Three days of men's fashion and now, back to life... back to reality," Mandira posted on her Twitter page.

Bipasha Basu Hot Photo Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:09:27 PDT

Hot Bipasha Basu wants star to do issue-based movies for free

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:06:23 PDT

Bipasha Basu, who was just seen in "Lamhaa" and is now getting ready to do a film on honour killings, feels issue-based films should be made with small budgets to make them "commercially viable" and stars shouldn't charge any fee to work in them.

"Don't charge any money for working in such (issue-based) films. It's the only way to make issue-based films commercially viable," said Bipasha, whose "Lamhaa" dealt with the problems in Kashmir. But it couldn't earn enough profits at the box office.

"After 'Lamhaa' I am tempted to tell a committed filmmaker like Rahul Dholakia to make out-and-out commercial films. Or if you make a film on a social issue then make sure it doesn't go over-budget.

"It's shameful that 'Lamhaa' was so costly. If it was made for Rs.4 crore, it would have been a hit. When a mainstream actor does a film on a social cause, it should be done free of cost as a sign of commitment to society," she added.

The actress has signed another issued-based film titled "Aakrosh" about honour killings. She plays a schoolteacher in a tradition-bound village and wonders how audiences would react to the movie.

"The social issue, honour killings, is treated like a thriller. Even 'Lamhaa' was treated like a thriller. But how many people went to see it?"

One of the main reasons to sign the film was to get rid of the glamour girl image, says Bipasha.

"For me, the interesting part of doing 'Aakrosh' was to see how far I can get away from my glamorous image. I discovered it was easy for me to do real characters. The director Priyadarshan is a delight to work with. And my co-star is Ajay Devgn who is a good dependable actor. I've another film 'Mr Fraud' with Ajay directed by Abbas-Mustan which got stuck. I don't know if that will ever release."

She will be spending a lot of time in Goa in the coming weeks. First, she will shoot her fitness video on the beaches quickly before winter sets in. Then she will shoot a remix of title song for Rohan Sippy's "Dum maro dum".

The copyright issues with Dev Anand and his film "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" have apparently been sorted out. Pritam Chakraborty is all set to record a new version of the Asha Bhosle classic.

To some extent "Dum maro dum" too touches on a social evil - it takes up the issue of drugs.

"I can't talk about it right now. But when it happens it will happen. Give it another two weeks," said Bipasha.

Talking about her fitness video, she said: "I want it to be shot outdoors in Goa. Winter gets too crowded. And I've a film to shoot in September. So I've to rush the video. I am going crazy doing my calorie counts. This time I've no team. I am doing everything on my own. It's a little boring to do it by myself. But I've always been a loner."

And, yes, all is well between Bipasha and John Abraham.

"If god forbid, anything were to go wrong between me and John, he would be the loser, not me."

John apparently has plans to insure his body parts, but Bipasha isn't doing any such thing.

"I'm a body person and I am definitely into fitness. But I'd never insure any body part. He's welcome to do what he likes. I just want to know which insurance company is insuring his butt."

Sharman Joshi says he doesn't have options

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:00:31 PDT

He is one of the "3 Idiots", has also acted in hits like "Rang De Basanti" and proved his versatility in a wide range of roles, but Sharman Joshi says he still can't afford to be picky and is waiting to turn director to choose his preferred genre.

"I don't have the privilege to plan what film I want to do. I am really at the mercy of what I am offered by writers and directors. But if I ever turn into a director, then I would choose the genre I want to work in," Sharman told IANS in an interview.

The actor, who will be seen next as a criminal from a slum in debutant actor-director Faruk Kabir's "Allah Ke Banday", says he doesn't work hard to get into any character and relies on his instinct to play it with conviction.

"I generally like to rely on my impulse and vision of the director. So I didn't spend time in the slums," Sharman, 31, said about his latest film.

"I wanted to rely on my instincts; so I didn't interact closely with any kid from the juvenile prisons because I didn't feel the need," said Sharman, 31.

Releasing Oct 22, "Allah Ke Banday" also stars Naseeruddin Shah and Atul Kulkarni.

The film narrates the story of two 12-year-old boys living in one of the most ruthless slums of India. From delivering drugs for the mafia to looting people, they do everything conceivable in the crime world because they aspire to be a mafia don.

"In slums, where people struggle for their daily meals, providing education to their children is a far-fetched dream. It's a Catch 22 situation. The kids who grow up in this atmosphere unknowingly become susceptible to petty crimes starting from pickpocketing and with time graduate to more complicated crimes, even contract killing. Your heart goes out when you meet these kids.

"When they are put into juvenile prison to be refined into a better citizen, the inhuman exploitation they are subjected to raise their anger towards society and they come out as a bigger criminal."

He heard the script three years ago and was bowled over.

"The idea was narrated to me three years back. I found it quite interesting. Faruk and me live in the same building actually. He took around six months to develop the story and the screenplay. Then he took time to cast other characters. It took a-year-and-a-half to prepare before starting the film," said Sharman.

Peepli Live watched by PM Manmohan Singh

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:25:09 PDT

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday evening watched Bollywood star Aamir Khan's production "Peepli Live" at his 7 Race Course Road residence, an official said.

"Dr. Singh watched the film with interest," the official in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) told IANS after the special screening of the film.

"Peepli Live" is a political satire based on farmers' suicides and the superfluous approach by media on issue.

Manmohan Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur, his family members and some close friends also watched the film at the special screening.

Aamir, the film's director Anusha Rizvi, distributor Ronnie Screwala and actors Raghuvir Yadav and Omkar Das Manikpuri were also present, the official said.

According to Congress sources, several party leaders had recommended the film to the prime minister.

Earlier, Aamir had held a screening of "Peepli Live" for senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray.

Arjun Rampal on 'We are Family' (Interview)

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:20:05 PDT

Arjun Rampal, who plays a divorcee with three kids in his upcoming movie "We Are Family", claims the film will break the image of the stepmom who is more often than not portrayed in a negative light in Hindi movies.

"It's the children who suffer. You will see what happens to children and that's the message we are going to give through the film. The film is about the whole dynamics of everything," Arjun, 37, who himself comes from a broken family, told IANS in an interview.

"The film breaks the mould of a stereotype that stepmoms are like wicked witch, the way it has been portrayed on the silver screen so far. The film is not about that; it's about the crisis and how love prevails over everything and finally new relationships could also be made and I think that's the beauty of the film.

"I come from a broken home; so I work much harder to make my marriage work. I have been, by the grace of god, very happy. I have a very nice family."

Directed by Siddharth Malhotra, "We Are Family" is a Hindi adaptation of 1998 Hollywood hit "Stepmom" and Kajol and Kareena reprise the roles of Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon respectively.

Arjun insists it was not easy to act in an adaptation.

"This is not an easy film to act in. Already very strong performances had been given by Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon, but it's wonderful to see how Kajol and Kareena bring their own to their characters. They bring a lot more of themselves and change it around so much that it makes it so watchable, enduring and beautiful," Arjun said.

The actor, who recently gave super hit political thriller "Raajneeti", maintains men too have some responsibility in women-centric films.

"There are some responsibilities on men in women-centric films, hope I have fulfilled it. (Laughs) In the original 'Stepmom', Ed Harris played the character I am playing here and I think it was an older character and the way it was written, it had some restrictions.

"It's not a complete remake, but an adaptation. The way Siddharth has interpreted characters in his film is a new part of the film and I think that is something which I really enjoyed doing," said Arjun.

The National Award-winning actor, who has two daughters with model wife Mehr Jessia, found it easy to play a dad of three children.

"It was rally easy to play a father because I am a father myself. Karan, on seeing the film, said my body language with the children was fabulous," said the actor who teamed up with child actors Aanchal Munjal, Nominath Ginsburg and Diya Sonecha.

"I have seen Kajol how she is with her daughter Nysa, very hands-on, very protective, takes care of her every single thing and she is like that in the film as well. Kareena has no children, her awkwardness creating a relationship with kids came out very naturally."

Scheduled for a Sep 2 release, the film has been produced by Karan Johar who went through the right channel to get the rights to remake it in Hindi.

"The stories are needed to be told. It's better to take it and be noble enough to say this is what we are adapting from, rather calling it an original idea. But working on an original subject is a lot more exciting. I think adaptation is tougher because once you do it, immediately comparisons are drawn," said Arjun

He is all praise for first time director Siddharth.

"Siddharth was fantastic. He brought in so much dignity. This film could be very melodramatic - he has given a lot of realism in it. Handling all by himself and get what he wants made us feel proud of him," said Arjun.

Peepli Live have no link with farmers: documentary makers

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:15:12 PDT

What is common between Anwar Jamal and Prashant Pethe? They have made features and documentaries on farmers and do not believe that "Peepli Live" has much to do with the acute problems faced by India's farming community.

"'Peepli Live' is a film about the insensitive middle class, the media, politicians, etc. Nowhere is it a film about farmers. Where are the causes that lead to his condition, his problems with seeds, monsoon, pesticides, etc.? The real issues of farmers are never touched upon," says Jamal, director of the moving documentary "Harvest of Grief" on farmer suicides in Punjab.

While most know Punjab as the land of plenty of green and yellow fields, big glasses of lassi and butter, thanks to Bollywood, not many know that in the last 20 years, over 40,000 farmers have committed suicide in the state. This is what Anwar's film that has been shown in festivals across the world deals with.

According to a report, 200,000 farmers have ended their lives since 1997 and it is said the rise in indebtedness is the root cause of farmer suicides.

Deepa Bhatia's "Nero's Guests" is a gut wrenching documentary that shows the contrast between city life, and that of farmers in the country. The film, which took her five years to make, travels to the farmer suicide capital of the world - the Vidarbha region of eastern Maharashtra - with journalist P. Sainath, the man credited with bringing the issue into urban attention.

Deepa, a reputed editor of Bollywood, says, "Farmer suicide is a crisis of huge magnitude that has not got adequate space either in the media or in the mind of the middle class. Sadly, most urban people don't engage with society. I wanted to understand the issue and having known P. Sainath, I found in him the right means to approach the subject."

Deepa had collected over 500 hours of footage for this hour-long documentary.

Satish Manwar, director of what is by far the most popular feature film on farmer suicides and also the most poignant - the Marathi film "Gabhricha Paus" (The Damned Rain) -, says, "India has diverse groups who do not interact with each other. Farmers are one such group about whom the rest of the nation doesn't care much.

"But it is an issue waiting to explode and unless we as a society pay attention to it, it will snowball into a major internal crisis."

The desire to engage was what prompted Satish, himself from the dry Vidarbha region, to slog for four years before he found a financier. "It was a 'different' and difficult subject which no one was willing to fund. Finally after a producer backed out, Prashant Pethe produced it."

This black comedy about a wife, who, distraught by a neighbour's suicide, does her best to keep her farmer husband in high spirits, proved to be a critical and commercial hit and has recovered its money.

But even Satish feels that "Peepli Live" is not really about farmer suicides. Yet, neither he nor anyone else has any complaints about "Peepli Live" as a film and believe the very fact that it got made is a cause for celebration.

It no doubt brings farmers' plight into the limelight. They now want to ask the people "what do you do, now that you know?"

"You have to decide that for yourself. I can only show you and I have. There are so many issues; just start engaging with life around you and do what you can," says Deepa.

Sex and Violence: Youth's movie choice

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:11:35 PDT

Show them a boy-meets-girl story and chances are today's Indian youth will switch off their TV sets. What they are looking for is some serious 'love, sex aur dhokha' on the small screen that is closer to the reality of their own lives.

Shows like "Emotional Atyachaar", "Dadagiri", "Axe Ur Ex", "Splitsvilla", "Dare 2 Date", "Love Net" - about double timing your partner, backbiting and making a mockery of relationships - have become a craze among college-going students these days.

Shimanti Sengupta, 19, a sociology student, feels people her age get sadistic pleasure in watching break-ups and deceit on TV.

"For one, most of us feel these shows are not real and all pre-planned. It's the same with fiction shows. When both kinds of shows have no reality, I feel it is more exciting for us to watch shows that are closer to our experiences and are slightly bitchy!" she said.

Some youngsters are hooked to these shows because their own lives are reflected in it and they even find solutions to their own problems.

"It's all good entertainment. At times it makes us come out of our own make-belief perfect relationships and gives good ideas for checking on our partner!" said Karan Malhotra, 20.

"Due to my past experiences, I have stopped trusting girls.. So I love it when girls are caught flirting and cheating, especially in shows like 'Emotional Atyachaar'."

Though parents are worried about the kind of content, especially targeted at youth, channel officials say there are no takers for soft content.

"We tried showing the softer stuff to youths, but it didn't work. Take the example of 'Emotional Atyachaar' - when we cut out all the dark parts, the numbers started going down," Nikhil Gandhi, business head of youth entertainment channel UTV Bindass, told IANS.

"Emotional Atyachaar" conducts a secret fidelity test on one's partner and captures the emotions that ensue. Unfortunately in most cases, the person in question turns out to be cheating on his or her partner.

"When we had telecast cases where there was no infidelity, no sleaze, no sex, a limited amount of violence and aggression, the audience just didn't like it. We had three clean episodes. Youths want aggression and they want the dark side of everything, that's what the new craze is," he said.

Gandhi says when they choose the content for new shows, it is not a result of baseless presumption.

"The shows are outcomes of our research. When we went to colleges, we asked them : 'which is your biggest fear in life?' They said they fear that their partner may be cheating on them or might leave them. We took that as a hook and developed 'Emotional Atyachaar'," he explained.

But this changing trend in content is not confined to just the small screen, insists Aditya Swamy, senior vice president, sales and marketing, MTV India.

"Look at the films that youth are watching - 'Love, Sex Aur Dhokha', 'I Hate Luv Storys', 'Aisha'...these are off-beat films but all about youth, their lives and things they connect to. So it isn't as if the small screen is doing negative things for them," said Swamy.

Such a trend on small screen especially emerged after music channels like MTV and Channel V decided to go beyond music and entered a space more adventurous, wild and engaging for the young Indian audience with shows like "Roadies", "Splitsville" and "Dare 2 Date".

It's just that the shows are getting meaner and wilder!

Shahrukh Khan's promotion for We Are Family pleasing Karan Johar

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:06:45 PDT

Filmmaker Karan Johar is more than pleased that his superstar friend Shah Rukh Khan is going out of his way to promote his latest production "We Are Family" despite not starring in it.

Associated with most of Karan’s directorial ventures, Shah Rukh is now turning up uninvited at most of the filmmaker’s "We Are Family" press meets to act as a "good luck charm", as the actor put it.

"The way he has been going out of his way to promote 'We Are Family' despite not even starring in it shows that Shah Rukh and I are undoubtedly a family -- ‘We Are Family’," said Karan.

The 38-year-old filmmaker was in the capital to showcase his prêt debut in association with designer Varun Bahl at the ongoing Van Heusen India Men’s Week (VHIMW) Saturday.

Starring Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in the lead, "We Are Family" is an adaptation of Julia Roberts starrer "Stepmom". Directed by Siddharth Malhotra, it is releasing Sep 2.

King Khan, as he is fondly called, barged in sportingly at a media meet Wednesday and insisted on conducting an interview with Arjun and Kareena.

"Even I am part of the family. So I'm joining them to promote the film," he said.

PM Manmohan Singh to watch Peepli Live

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:00:31 PDT

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will watch a special screening Sunday of Bollywood actor and producer Aamir Khan's much-talked about movie "Peepli Live".

"He will watch the movie tomorrow," an official at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) told IANS here Saturday.

The official said Aamir Khan will be present at the 7 Race Course Road residence of the prime minister for the screening.

Senior officials have also been invited for the movie, which deals with the issue of farmers' suicides in a satirical manner.

Aamir Khan had earlier arranged similar screenings for Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray.

The movie that has been directed by Anusha Rizvi and produced by Aamir Khan has done astounding business in India - in its opening week itself - as it earned about Rs.24 crore. The movie was made on a budget of approximately Rs.10 crore.

Aamir Khan has kept 3 Idiot's Rancho costume

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:28:27 PDT

Aamir Khan has confessed he keeps the costumes of all the characters he plays in films, even the clapboards.

Aamir has kept the costumes of Rancho, the character he essayed in the superhit '3 Idiots', as well as the clapboards, as he has done for all his films.

"You know I keep the clapboards of all my films. On the last day of the shoot, I collect it, even the costumes," Aamir told reporters at the DVD launch of "3 Idiots" at Grand Hyatt here Friday.

Asked if he would produce Marathi films, he said: "I would be happy to produce Marathi films. The story and script should touch my heart. Language is not the problem. I would love to produce Gujarati, Bhojpuri. The beauty of our country is that we have around 22 languages and in every language we make films and there are television channels in every language, which you won't find in anywhere else. I would be happy to make films in other language also."

The superstar said he wishes he could have shown "3 Idiots' to his favourite directors -Guru Dutt, Mehboob and Raj Kapoor.

"Guru Dutt, Mehboobji and Raj Kapoor, I would have liked them to see this film (3idiots)," Aamir said.

In the last 10 years, the actor has give some major hits like "Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India" (2001), "Dil Chahta Hai" (2001), "Rang De Basanti" (2006), "Fanaa" (2006), "Ghajini" (2008).

The actor maintains that every film is a collective effort and the key person is the director of the film.

"One thing that all should remember is that the main thing of a film is the collective effort, and the most important person of a film is the director. Till now if so many of my films have become successful, its bigger share of credit goes to the director.

"Like in '3 Idiots' Raju (Rajkumar Hirani), Abhijat (Joshi) have a huge contribution, after that we all have put in our best, that's why you liked '3 Idiots' so much. So I don't solely take the credit behind the success of the film, it's a collective effort of every single person associated with the film."

'3 Idiots' soon in Tamil, Telugu: Raju Hirani

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:21:47 PDT

Director Raju Hirani has revealed that his "3 Idiots", which created history by becoming the all-time highest grosser, is getting remade in Tamil and Telugu.

"The film is being remade in Tamil and Telegu. I don't have any idea on who are playing the lead there. I think they are in the process of casting," said Raju at the DVD launch of the film here.

Ruju maintained he is not planning any sequel of "3 Idiots".

"I am not thinking of any sequel to '3 Idiots', unless I hit upon any great idea which could be a sequel, but nothing as of now," Raju told IANS.

Raju is getting ready with the third instalment of "Munnabhai..."

"I am of course working on the script of 'Munnabhai...', I am also working on another script. Can't say which would come first," said Raju.

Hindi Movie "Aashayein" Review

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:06:43 PDT

Film: "Aashayein"; Starring: John Abraham, Prateeksha Lonkar, Ashwin Chaitale;

Written & Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor; Rating: *** ½

This is a film about coping with dying. But that's not what makes it such a special experience. It's the writer-director's profound understanding of human nature that furnishes the simple story with a lucidity and coherence even when the protagonist's mind is so numbed by physical pain he can barely think straight.

"Aashayein" is structured as a journey from a bright delusory light into a place where the radiance comes from a consciousness of why mortality is not to be feared.

In John Abraham's eyes are mapped the entire history of the human heart, its follies and foibles as it struggles to make coherent the indecipherable logistics that define our journey across that bridge which everyone crosses from this world to the next.

As that very fine actress Prateeksha Lonkar (a Kukunoor favourite) says, "The only difference between the healthy and the ill is that the former don't know when they are dying and the latter do."

Between that state of blissful oblivion where we all think life is forever (and a day) and that one moment when our delusions come crashing down, there resides some very fine cinema. Hrishikesh Mukherjee's "Anand" where Rajesh Khanna smiled his way through that wobbly bridge taking us to the next world, is an interesting reference point in "Aashayein".

I also thought of the actress Supriya Choudhary shouting into the dispassionate mists in the mountains, "I want to live". The echoes reverberate all the way to Kukunoor's heartwarming, funny and elegiac exposition on the truth that lies on the other side of that illusory mountain we call life. Kukunoor pays a homage to life per se, and life as we know in the movies about death.

Even in the most poignant places in the art Kukunoor ferrets out some humour. When John's lovely girlfriend (Sonal Sehgal) hunts him down in his exilic place of the dying, John quips, "So you are not going to behave like one of those heroines in films who dumps the dying hero?"

The fantasy element creeps into the hospice (yes, that's the spotless space that the story inhabits unostentatiously) with the least amount of fuss. There's a little boy (the bright and expressive Ashwin Chitale) who weaves mystical tales borrowed from the comic books for the desperate and the dying. Here Kukunoor brings in an element of rakish adventure borrowed from the edgy hijinks of Indiana Jones.

Who says money can't buy love? John uses bundles of cash to bring a smile to these doomed lives. When he doubles up with pain in womb-like postures of helplessness we feel his pain.

John in Harrison Ford's hat and whip cuts a starry figure. He has never been more fetchingly photographed. John's smile reaches his eyes, makes its way to his heart and then to ours. This film opens new doors in John's histrionic abilities. It's a performance that heals and nurtures.

John's finest moments are reserved for a hot-tempered sharp-tongued 17-year-old girl on a wheelchair, played with intuitive warmth by Anaitha Nayar. He guides the relationship between these two unlikely comrades of unwellness with brilliant restrain and candour. She wants him to make love. He does with his eyes using his unshed tears as lyrical lubricant.

Here is a performance that defines the character through immense measures of unspoken anguish. Rajesh Khanna in "Anand"? Nope. John pitches his performance at a more wry and cynical world where true feelings are often smothered in worldly sprints across a wounded civilization.

This is unarguably Kukunoor's most sensitive and moving work since "Iqbal". We often find little sobs pounding at the base of our stomachs. Not all the characters or situations are fully formed and fructified. But even the partly-realized truths in "Aashayein" convey more common sense and uncommon affection for life than the "entertainers" of today's cinema where laughter is generated through cracks in places very far removed from the heart.

This one takes us straight to the heart.

Hot Kareena Kapoor Interview: I want roles with acting opportunity

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:59:07 PDT

Bollywood star actress Kareena Kapoor feels she has managed to strike the right balance between commercial and meaningful cinema. Hailing from an illustrious film family, she says she can't do films where she only has to dance around trees.

"I enjoy acting. Acting is in my blood, it is in my genes, it is in my DNA and you can see that on screen I like doing different roles. I can't do just those films where I am looking pretty and sing and dance around trees. I want to act," Kareena told IANS in an interview.

The actress considers her debut film "Refugee" (2000) a special film.

" 'Refugee' was a very special film because I always wanted to prove myself as an actress and not to be known just as a glam doll. There are films like 'Refugee', 'Chameli', 'Omkara', 'Jab We Met', '3 Idiots' and 'Kurbaan'; they all have been very different.

"I don't think any other actress has been able to do such a variety of roles. So the journey, I think, has been colourful," said Kareena, 29.

Nine years after "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham" (2001), where she played Kajol's younger sister, Kareena has teamed up with Kajol in Sidharth Malhotra's directorial debut "We Are Family". She is elated to share the same frame with the senior actress.

"I think it's an exciting challenge to be working with Kajol. In 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gaam' we didn't have too many scenes together, but in this film we are both in the same frame. We both live in the same house, have equally powerful roles; in fact, mine is the most complex and complicated part. It's very easy to be emotional and gain sympathy but very difficult to win over the sympathy and I hope I could achieve that," she said.

Releasing Sep 3, "We Are Family" is the Hindi adaptation of Hollywood hit "Stepmom" (1998). Arjun Rampal plays what Ed Harris did in the original, while Kajol steps into Susan Sarandon's shoes as as a divorced mother.

Kareena plays the same role that Julia Roberts did, but in her own style.

"I am absolutely honoured that Karan (producer Karan Johar) and Sidharth thought that I could do the Julia Roberts role because to me she is the finest actress," said the actress who feels the adaptation could have been more contemporary.

"It's a very desi film. I think it should have been made more contemporary. Indian audiences are ready for that. It's about the journey of two women. They start off with hating each other and due to unforeseen circumstances they end up loving each other."

While working with Kajol, Kareena observed that her co-star was quite similar to her sister Karisma when it comes to their child.

"Kajol is a hands-on mother. I have seen Karisma. Both Kajol and Karisma, I don't know if it's the trait of that generation, are just there with their children," said Kareena.

Asked how it would have been if Karisma had played Kajol's role, she quipped, "Oh god! She can't do that because we can't marry the same man. No way."

There are three child stars - Aanchal Munjal, Nominath Ginsburg and Diya Sonecha - in the film, but Kareena didn't have to handle them. She is all praise for their professional behaviour on the sets though.

"In the film, I didn't have to be with the kids because they had their mother (Kajol). The children were really lovely, they didn't get impatient. They were acting like adults, not like children," said Kareena.

Bhojpuri cinema on the path of success

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:53:00 PDT

Under the big tree called Bollywood, the Bhojpuri film industry has been steadily taking root. While the mega Hindi film industry struggles to profit from its releases, its fledgling cousin has been growing steadily, doubling its output from 50 films four years ago to 100 films annually, and making money too.

Industry insiders say films in the Hindi dialect can do even better if the government extends support.

"We now release about 100 films in a year. The average money spent yearly on Bhojpuri films is close to Rs.100 crore and the gross collection is about Rs.125 crore every year," Ranjan Sinha, spokesperson for the Bihar Jharkhand Motion Picture Association, told IANS on phone from Patna.

"Even if a film doesn't work, the producer doesn't have to bear a big loss. His loss is not more than Rs.10 lakh to 15 lakh."

The turning point, he said, came with the 2003 blockbuster "Sasura Bada Paisa Wala" with superstar Manoj Tiwari, sometimes compared to Rajnikanth.

The film was made at a budget of Rs.35 lakh to 40 lakh and made massive profits all over India.

"The film did a business of Rs.1.90 crore in Bihar, Rs.1.25 crore in Uttar Pradesh. Its all-India collections were Rs.4.5 crore," said Sinha.

The biggest consumer of Bhojpuri films are Bihar, Uttar Pradesh as well as Mumbai, which has sizeable migrant population from the Hindi belt. Bhojpuri films also get good audiences in West Bengal, Punjab and Gujarat, which are also home to migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

"There are 372 cinema halls in Bihar and Jharkhand; of them, 180 run Bhojpuri films," said Sinha.

"There are 32 centres in Mumbai where we run Bhojpuri films. After Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai is the biggest market for Bhojpuri films. The major collection comes from Super Cinema at Grant Road and Navrang Theatre in Andheri - Bhojpuri films earn about Rs.300,000 to Rs.400,000 per week at these centres," added Shashikant Singh, a Mumbai-based film publicist.

Costs are low. Most Bhojpuri films, costing about Rs.30 lakh to 45 lakh unless a big star like Tiwari is involved, are shot in small Bihar towns like Buxor and Gaya.

Bhojpuri heartthrob Tiwari charges somewhere between Rs.50 lakh and 60 lakh. Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirahua, Pawan Singh, Ravi Kishen and Vinay Anand round up the top five stars list.

Among the actresses, Rinku Ghosh and Mona Lisa are most sought after. Anara Gupta, Pakhi Hegde and Rani Chatterjee are the others in the top five list.

According to Tiwari, the picture would get rosier if the government steps in.

"It is indeed a growing industry, but our growth is slow. We could be five times better if the government supports us. Bhojpuri is not included in the Eighth Schedule of the constitution and so Bhojpuri films aren't bought by Doordarshan," he told IANS.

"As we are not listed in the Eighth Schedule, we are not eligible for National Awards also," he added.

"The sad part is that people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh who represent us in parliament are not thinking about our culture," said Tiwari, who contested elections as a Samajwadi Party candidate for the Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat and lost.

The future is bright but could be better if filmmakers spread the net wider to lure middle class audiences, instead of just targeting the front benchers.

"They should avoid using cheap words in the song and they should also try to come out with original scripts," said Sinha.

Manoj agreed: "Till now, the viewer for a Bhojpuri movie is from the lower strata of life. The middle classes don't come to see our films."

Manoj, whose "Mard No.1" will have an international release, feels that the government should try to release Bhojpuri films in multiplexes at subsidised rates to lure the affluent movie audience.

"Marathi films are being shown in Mumbai multiplexes at subsidised rates, something similar should be done for Bhojpuri films," said Manoj.

Bhojpuri cinema had an interesting beginning in the 1950s following an encounter between India's first Bihar-born president Rajendra Prasad and Mumbai-based character actor Nazir Hussain.

The president, upon realising that Hussain was a native of Ghazipur in eastern Uttar Pradesh, began to address him in his mother tongue Bhojpuri.

The conversation soon veered to movies and Rajendra Prasad asked Hussain, "Why don't you make a film in Bhojpuri?".

According to a book "Cinema Bhojpuri" by Avijit Ghosh, the encouragement from the president resulted in "Ganga Maiya Tobe Pyari Chadhaibo".

SRK's wife Gauri Khan feels herself old for movies

noreply@blogger.com (IndiBlogs) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:54:56 PDT

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's wife Gauri, who is said to be the most stylish and glamorous celebrity spouse, feels she is too old to foray into films.

"I am quite old now. Had I been young, I would have done one," Gauri told Shah Rukh when he asked her Shah Rukh would she work in film as well.

She said this Thursday at an event to annouce them as the brand ambassadors of D'Décor, world's third largest furnishing company.