Show Biz Fire

No one in his right mind would release a film on the same day as Salman Khan

2011-09-08T13:20:00.001+05:00

Salman Khan’s Bodyguard is bound to leave actors with films due for release feeling a bit queasy, after it opened to a staggering Rs 21.5 cores. The film has maintained its stand at the box office since day one and has grossed Rs 85 crores on the fifth day. Judging from Bodyguard’s phenomenal impact on Bollywood, Avesta Choudhary asks Imran Khan, whose new film Mere Brother Ki Dulhan is releasing this week, if he is braced for the Friday battle Delhi Belly and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan are very different films. Please share your thoughts.

I don’t believe in limiting myself to a particular style or genre. I don’t want to be a type actor. While I will do something very experimental and radical such as a Delhi Belly, I’ll also feel excited to work in a regular commercial film like Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. Also, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan occupies a space that I have honestly not ventured into completely. It is a story that is set in the Hindi heartland – clean and friendly. Ideally, when we make a film we want to reach out to as many different kinds of audiences as possible. In case of Delhi Belly, firstly by virtue of being an English film, and then for being an adult film, we knew that we were catering to a restricted audience.

Bodyguard is doing good business even on its 10th day. Do you see it as a competition?
Well, Rs 85 crores in a span of five days is quite a phenomenon. I have never heard of something like this before. But, I think by the time our film hits the theatres, the effects of Bodyguard would have died down. I don’t think it will be a competition because the craze for any film remains strong in the opening weekend. So by the time our film releases, Bodyguard would already finish a week in the cinema.

Was the release date of Bodyguard kept in mind while fixing the release date for your film?
Honestly, I was not involved in the decision. That is something that the production team handles. But I am sure they must have taken this into account that we should not release our film on the same day when Salman’s film hits the theatres. No one in his or her right mind would do that.

You are promoting your film through reality shows, live performances and music concerts everywhere. Is there any specific reason for such heavy promotion?
It is no less than what I have done for Delhi Belly or I Hate Luv Stories or even Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. For us these days, the opening weekend has become tremendously important. This film has a very wide audience space so we are trying to reach out to as many people as we possibly can which is why we are doing live shows and live appearances. We are going everywhere from a singing show to a dancing show to a comedy show because these are all elements of our film.

Do you think marketing has become an integral part of the film industry?
Marketing the film is every bit as important as making the film itself. Half the business of the film comes from promoting and marketing of the film and the other half comes from the movie. The way you market your film will ensure what audiences you get for the initial Friday, Saturday and Sunday. From Monday it depends on the quality of the film. If the film is good then it will continue to draw audiences through the rest of the week, and if it isn’t then the collection will drop from Monday onwards.

Aamir Khan usually promotes his films in a very creative way and it’s always something new and appealing. Have you learnt something from him that you implement in your own films?
He has never given me advice in specific but what I have learnt from working with him in the two films - Jaane Tu or Delhi Belly is that you have to be honest with your work. You have to figure out what you consider most appealing about your film and have to convey that very clearly to the audience. With Delhi Belly for example, we wanted to warn everyone about the adult content of the movie as we didn’t want people to be shocked by it. We wanted people to be aware of that they were coming to watch an adult film with unparliamentary language in it.

How was it collaborating with Pakistani actor Ali Zafar?
His role is crucial because first, the character is a very funny character. He is a guy who is witty, charming so he is got very funny lines and we needed an actor who could play this role well. I had not seen his previous film, and had watched only promos of his films and I could see that he was a talented actor.

This is your first film with Katrina Kaif and by now she has become one of the most sought after actresses. How was your experience of working with her?
Katrina has really impressed me with the style of her work. Never having worked with her before, it was a kind of revelation to me. She is someone who cares deeply about her work and about the film. Her only interest lies in making it better. To Katrina details matter a lot.

Do you think by now the audiences are ready to accept Katrina as an Indian dulhan?
Whoever does not feel that by now will definitely feel that after watching the movie. In my opinion, this is her best performance till date.

What if you had fallen in love with your brother’s dulhan in real life? Would you have walked the distance of stealing her from him?

Now who is to say… Sometimes love happens... kya karen…

Amitabh Bachchan signs first Hollywood film with Leonardo DiCaprio

2011-09-07T22:08:00.000+05:00

After over four decades of contribution to Hindi cinema, Amitabh Bachchan is finally stepping out! At 68, he is ready to make his Hollywood debut with Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby", which has "Titanic" star Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead.

Amitabh, who is lovingly called Big B in the Indian film industry, is the latest to join the cast of the romantic drama, along with Scottish-Australian actress Isla Fisher. He will play the role of Meyer Wolfsheim, said an official statement from Warner Bros Pictures.

The $125 million project is a 3D adaptation of the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel of the same name. The principal photography of the movie began this week in Sydney.

"Fitzgerald loved the movies and was a passionate believer in the power of cinema. 'The Great Gatsby' has been adapted for the screen no less than four times. Fitzgerald's story defies time and geography.

The vision and the goal of our remarkable cast and creatives is to do justice to the deftness of Fitzgerald's telling, and illuminate its big ideas and humanity. This is our challenge and our adventure," said Luhrmann, who made "Moulin Rouge", and used Hindi song "Chhamma chhamma" in it.

Other cast members for "The Great Gatsby" include Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton and Carey Mulligan. The film also features newcomer Elizabeth Debicki. Luhrmann is happy to shoot in his native Australia.

"The opportunity to make the film in Australia with the Bazmark creative team is very important to us; the assistance from Screen Australia and the NSW Government has made that possible," he added.

The film will be distributed in 3D and 2D by Warner Bros Pictures and in certain territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

Foreign Box Office Report: Record Summer Box Office Looms as 'The Smurfs' Takes No. 1 Spot Again

2011-09-06T12:55:00.001+05:00

What looks certain to be a record box office summer on the foreign theatrical circuit for the big Hollywood studios ended over the Labor Day weekend with The Smurfs narrowly taking the No. 1 spot with $23.3 million drawn from 8,360 screens in 71 overseas markets.

Although final numbers won’t be in until later this week, extraordinarily strong offshore returns from May through Labor Day for several mega-hits indicate a new seasonal high for the big six majors. Fueling the action were several factors including a weak dollar (good for film exporters), continued foreign enthusiasm for 3D formats and for animation sequels.

“Without having the numbers in front of me, I feel that (a record summer) has got to be the case given the scale at which some of these (seasonal releases) have come in (at the box office),” said Paul Hanneman, co-president of Fox Theatrical International.

Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 has drawn foreign box office of $937 million, two-and-half times its U.S. and Canada gross. Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides registered $800.9 million, a full three-and-a-third times more than its domestic tally. Paramount’s foreign box office record holder, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, has delivered $762.2 million, more than double its domestic return.

(The biggest hit on the foreign circuit in summer 2010 was Pixar/Disney’s Toy Story 3, which grossed $606.1 million offshore during the season.) For its part, Sony Animation’s The Smurfs had collected a total gross of nearly $300 million ($295.8 million) offshore, nearly two-and-a-half times its domestic cume. Weekend action for the live action-computer generated animation title included No. 1 openings in the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Malaysia, Sweden, Kuwait and Finland. The 3D animation finished No. 1 at the overseas box office for the fourth consecutive stanza.

Finishing No. 2 once again was 20th Century Fox’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which grossed $19.35 million from 5,973 situations in 52 markets, and lifting its market cume to $186.5 million (versus $160 million in the U.S. and Canada). No. 1 debuts in five Latin American markets were led by Mexico ($5.2 million from 1,403 venues).

No. 3 was Warner Bros./New Line’s Final Destination 5, the latest in the 11-year old horror series, which tallied $18.7 million derived from some 4,300 screens in 35 territories, for an overseas gross total of $58.3 million. A No. 1 France premier delivered $4.7 million from 361 screens.

Fourth was Paramount’s Cowboys & Aliens, the sci-fi-western with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, which collected $9 million from 4,518 locations in 46 markets, lifting the total foreign gross to $50 million. A No. 1 Spain debut came up with $2.1 million from 376 sites. Fifth was Warner’s Horrible Bosses, which generated $8.1 million from more than 2,600 screens in 52 markets for an overseas cume of $68.7 million.

Maintaining No. 1 status in the U.K. is Entertainment Films’ teen comedy The Inbetweeners Movie, which generated an estimated $6.5 million in its third round at some 490 locations for a market cume of $56 million. Also coming in at $6.5 million on the weekend was Pixar/Disney’s Cars 2, which played in 53 territories, and pushed its foreign cume to $351.7 million (versus $188.6 million domestic).

Warner’s Green Lantern has generated nearly $100 million in overseas box office ($98.2 million) after a $5.7 million weekend at some 3,000 situations in 40 markets. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 bagged another $5.5 million derived from 4,100 screens.

Is Vidya still haunting Shahid?

2011-08-30T17:58:00.002+05:00

Filmmaker Ekta Kapoor's production company has scuttled efforts of actor Shahid Kapoor's forthcoming film to be featured in their serial Bade Achhe Lagte Hain. Buzz has it that the presence of actor Vidya Balan, who stars in Ekta's film, may have spurred the move. For those in the dark, Shahid and Vidya, who reportedly dated each other briefly, are still not on talking terms.

"The producers of Shahid's film got in touch with Balaji to promote the film in Ekta's television serial which is enjoying high TRPs right now. After the initial agreement, it has been decided that the Shahid-Sonam film won't be promoted by any serial from Ekta's production house that is in demand," says a source.

Promoting films through TV soaps is an ongoing marketing strategy to promote upcoming films, where film stars make an appearance in an episode of a popular serial. Incidentally, actor Kareena Kapoor is making her TV appearance debut with a serial for the promotion of her and Salman Khan's forthcoming Eid release. Head of Ekta's production house, Tanuj Garg admitted that only the Vidya Balan starrer will be promoted by their flagship shows.

"We will be promoting Dirty Pictures in our flagship television serials; I am not aware of any other film being promoted right now. One is a keenly awaited film and the other is a flagship serial, so the integration is for mutual benefit. Regarding the Shahid Kapoor film, I will have to get back to you," said Tanuj Garg, CEO of Ekta's production house.

Though there is no specific lead that Vidya had a problem with her rumoured former boyfriend's film being promoted by her producer, the directive has emerged from Ekta's office, confirmed sources. The chief of Ekta's production house didn't deny or confirm about declining Shahid's film. But a friend close to Vidya confirmed that the actor would have had a problem if Shahid's movie was promoted by Ekta. She has become particularly close to the filmmaker these days during the shooting of the film. It is learned that Ekta promptly said 'No' when she heard about Shahid's film promotion.

"Ekta and Vidya have become close friends recently. She definitely does not want to upset Vidya. Besides, Ekta's reason is that when she has her own film to promote, why will she promote somebody else's film?" asks the source.

Karisma Kapoor to play supermodel in Dangerous Ishq

2011-08-25T09:47:00.001+05:00

National Award winning actress Karisma Kapoor, who will be facing the camera after five years, will be essaying the role of a glamorous supermodel in Vikram Bhatt's Dangerous Ishq. The film will be shot in 3D. Karisma who charmed the hearts of her audience with films like Dil To Pagal Hai, Raja Hindustani, Hero No.1 and Biwi No. 1 is all charged up for her second innings in Bollywood.

Director Vikram Bhatt revealed Karisma's role on Twitter, "As promised Karisma's character in 'Dangerous Ishq' - a super model who gives up her career to marry the man she loves, before the marriage,...her fiance is kidnapped by an enemy who has been chasing her through many lifetimes to find out who she must find out about her lives."

In fact, in real life too, Karisma said goodbye to her filmy career to tie the knot with Delhi-based businessman Sanjay Kapur in 2003. She is now a mother of two cute kids, Samaira born in 2005, and son Kiaan Raj Kapoor born in 2010. Karisma never stayed away from the glitz and glamour of the B-town, she is a regular face in parties and events, but she was waiting for a right project.

Is Ranveer dating Sonakshi?

2011-08-23T09:41:00.001+05:00

No matter how apparent it is, Bollywood stars categorically deny being in a relationship with their “just good friend”. Not too long ago, we had this news of Sonakshi turning down a date with `Band Baaja Baarat` sensation Ranveer Singh, but now the story seems to have taken a flip.

Both Sona and RS are just one film old in the industry and they are already making waves. The two young actors are producers` hot favourites and have been making headlines relentlessly. And if the latest news that is doing rounds is to be believed, Sona-Ranveer are Bollywood’s latest item!

Ranveer and Sonakshi were spotted in Bandra and looked very comfortable in each other’s company. And what grabbed eyeballs was the fact that the two were holding hands and looked like lovebirds.

Talking to a tabloid, a source revealed, "The two looked extremely engrossed in each other, oblivious to everything around them. They clearly looked like a couple that evening. Their body language said it all."

Sonakshi had confessed on a TV chat show that she likes Ranveer a lot. Junior Shotgun and Ranveer’s proximity grew during the IIFA event held in Toronto. Then, Ranveer was allegedly in a relationship with his BBB co-star Anushka Sharma.

Explaining what brought about a rift between Anushka and Ranveer, a source said, “Ranveer started feeling suffocated with Anushka. She was getting too possessive about him. A point came when he couldn`t take it anymore."

"Sparks have been flying between Ranveer and Sonakshi. And now it`s a full blown affair. They do not even have qualms about going out in public together," added the source.

However, Ranveer preferred to remain quiet by giving a cliché clarification. He said, "Sonakshi and I have been acquainted recently through our professional interactions and brief meetings at formal events. She is a warm and friendly person. I am not dating anybody at the moment."

Siddique is smitten by Bollywood

2011-08-21T15:59:00.000+05:00

He is making his debut in Hindi cinema with the Salman starrer, " Bodyguard". In an interview, the soft spoken director who made the same film thrice, in three different languages, speaks of B-Town's dreams unlimited, movies and more

Third time lucky?
This is the third time I'm making "Bodyguard". In Malayalam, it was a superhit. ditto with the Tamil version starring Vijay. Of course, the Hindi remake is very different from the other two films. In Malayalam, actor Dilip plays a guy next door. In Tamil, Vijay play a macho character while maintaining his lover boy image. Both were also students in the college. But in the Hindi version, there is a drastic change in characterization. We had to keep Salman's image in mind. Plus, we cannot show him as a student in the college. But we have not deviated from the basic storyline.

Salman effect
Salman Khan is India's No 1 actor right now, a superstar. He's on a high at the moment with two super-hits. So yes, the expectations from "Bodyguard" are sky high. I believe that a film will work only if it is good. But if we put a great product out there, the box office collections will be great.

Not again
I was approached to direct the Telugu version of "Bodyguard", starring Venkatesh and Trisha. Initially, I gave it a thought. But after I started work on the Hindi remake, I decided not to direct the Telugu film. I've made the film thrice, another time would be an overkill for me. Plus, after working in Bollywood, where the canvas is so huge, I don't want to come down to a level where I'm restricted due to budget and other constrains. They have found a new filmmaker and I'm sure he will do justice to the movie.

A whole new scale
While making Malayalam films, you are restricted. That's because our budgets are very small. only 100 prints of our films are released. But in Mumbai, it's drastically different. There are 2,700 prints of a single release! The budget is astronomical and as a filmmaker there is no limit to your dreams. The kind of technology you have at your disposal is amazing. I felt like a kid in a candy store here.

I noticed differences in the working hours. In Malayalam films, we start work at 7 am and wrap up at 9 pm
because we have many constrains. But in Bollywood, work only starts around 11.30 am and continues till late night. However, the hard work the actors and others put in on the sets, in both the industries, is the same.

Another thing that totally amazes me is the promotional activity around a film in Bollywood. I have never seen anything like this before. in the other film industries that I have worked in. Here, the look of the actors is kept under wraps till the official date of promotion begins. The canvas for promotional activity is huge, innovative and very focused. It culminates finally with the release of the film and by that time, the buzz has reached fever pitch. I think a similar module needs to be followed in regional cinema as well.

B-Town beckons
I've been in Mumbai since Januray last year. After my debut Hindi film releases, I'll go back to Kerala, take a break and then think about my future. Of course, I'm in talks with many production houses but things are still in the pipeline. Nothing is finalized yet. Let's be honest, only if "Bodyguard" works will I bag more offers in Hindi cinema. Success matters in the industry and my future totally depends on the success of my debut.

Sanjay Dutt: Salman and I can never fight

2011-08-19T18:24:00.001+05:00

Sanjay Dutt is a man for all seasons. The 52-year-old actor delivered a hit with Double Dhamaal, and is now gearing up for his big release Agneepath.

He's friends with the two warring Khans, and even cameos in their films -- in Salman Khan's Ready and Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming Ra.One. The actor sat down for a chat with Sonil Dedhia, and talked about his films -- including the upcoming Chatur Singh Two Star -- and cleared the air about his rumoured absence from the next Munnabhai film.

You very rarely give interviews. Why is that? I am a very shy person. I don't like self-publicty. I would rather let my work and my films speak for me.

Tell us about your film Chatur Singh Two Star. Chatur Singh Two Star is adapted from a novel Chalak Jasoos by Raza, a writer from Uttar Pradesh. It was producer Mohammed Aslam's idea and the director, Ajay Chandok, made some changes.

The film is a tongue-in-cheek comedy and I play an infamous member of the Mumbai Police department who in his career has been most successful at botching up cases and making a fool of himself.

Film review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

2011-08-03T13:54:00.001+05:00

Having always preferred the HP books over the movies, I find it hard to compare the last movie with the original text. The film series has been an able adaptation of the extraordinary novels by JK Rowling but if you want to explore the wonderful world of magic that she portrays so elegantly in her writing, your first choice should be the books.

As expected, there are certain structural dissimilarities between the two, and many important and fun details are missing. Also, a flashback from the previous movies in the beginning of this film could have helped viewers ease into it.

However, the last movie is perhaps the best in the series, re-enacting the final battle between Harry Potter and the Dark Lord with excellent acting on the part of Daniel Radcliffe and Ralph Fiennes and great graphics — the 3D experience adding to its powerful impact on the audiences.

A beautiful conclusion to the great saga of Harry Potter movies that we have all come to love over the years, the second part takes up where the first part left off, showing the ingenious trio — Harry, Ron and Hermione — continue their ardent quest of searching for the remaining horcruxes and destroying them to annihilate Lord Vodlemort for good.

Unlike the previous movies, this one is loaded with action, showing the main characters taking on different disguises and embarking on the wildest of adventures, the most sensational being their robbery of the wizarding bank Gringotts with the mischievous help of a goblin. Their dramatic escape on a dragon is quite a treat for the faithful fans. Naturally enough, the story takes us to Hogwarts for the final showdown.

It’s amazing how the quality of movies and cast has improved with time. Daniel Radcliffe has grown comfortable with his role and gives the most convincing performance of his career. Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have done a good job as well. Alan Rickman left me overwhelmed with emotion in his last scene as Severus Snape.

The battle for life and death that is waged on the once-serene grounds of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, will keep you on edge till the end, touching the hearts of those who have laughed and cried with Harry and his companions.

It was quite an arduous task to conclude the movie with an end befitting the epic story and David Yates manages to do just that. I find it outside my power to sum it up here. You need to watch the movie to see and feel the brilliant and touching finale of the movie. ‘It all ends’ says the poster of the movie. However, with the new JK Rowling venture Pottermore on its way, we can confidently hope that the end is just a new beginning.

Critical responses to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
• The film was rated 8.5/10 on IMDB.
• The film was rated 8.4/10 on popular review site rottentomatoes.
• The Guardian says of the movie: “It’s dramatically satisfying, spectacular and terrifically exciting, easily justifying the decision to split the last book into two.”
• Film critic Roger Ebert says: “After seven earlier films reaching back a decade, the Harry Potter saga comes to a solid and satisfying conclusion in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.”
• From The New York Times’ review of the film: “All three [Harry, Ron and Hermione] have nice moments in this movie, but it’s the older adults who take centre stage. Here it’s Ralph Fiennes and Alan Rickman who give the master class in acting.”

Bipasha's mom makes ramp debut!

2011-08-01T18:39:00.001+05:00

Bipasha Basu's mother seems to be taking after her daughter as far modelling is concerned! The actress' beautiful mother made her ramp debut alongside her darling daughter for a jewellery brand which Bipasha endorses at a jewellery show.

Its for the first time that Bipasha's mom was seen doing the catwalk and it was all for a noble cause. An overjoyed Bipasha revealed, "I walked the ramp with my mother for the very first time for Gitanjali in association with Beti, against female foeticide."

Backing her initiative to bring in awareness about the cause, Bipasha added, "In our country the strength of a daughter is underestimated. I come from a family of three sisters where all three of us were given every kind of opportunity and encouragement by our parents!"

So how would the supermodel turned actor rate her mother's ramp walk, we wonder. "She for a first timer was so confident! I was very nervous though" concluded Bipasha.

LUX to sponsor Reema’s ‘Love Mein Ghum’

2011-07-27T17:54:00.001+05:00

Reema Khan is lucky to have corporate giant LUX stepping forward to sponsor her film ‘Love Mein Ghum’ which is scheduled to release on this Eid, Fashion Central reported.

Love Mein Ghum is expected to bring a breeze of fresh air and quintessential Lollywood romance to the cinemas. The film stars the actress along with Nadeem, Jawed Sheikh, Momi Rana, Gia Ali, Nabeel Khan, Rambo, Ali Saleem and Bollywood actor Johnny Lever. With pop sensation Ali Zafar, singing for the title track of the song, dazzling styles done by stylist Nomi Ansari and an array of glamorous tinsel town inspired dresses, the film seems to be a pure slice of chocolate romance far from reality.

A large number of media personalities, show biz stars, Momi Rana, Resham, Nadeem, Johnny Lever, Jawed Sheikh, Nabeel Khan, Sahiba and Rambo attended the press unveiling in Karachi. Love Mein Gum will be screened at leading cinemas of all cities during Eid.

David is my soul mate: Victoria Beckham

2011-07-06T18:37:00.001+05:00

Singer-turned-fashion designer Victoria Beckham has described husband David as her soul mate and an amazing father.

The former Spice Girl, who is expecting a daughter with the soccer superstar, says her love for David has grown even more since they got married 12 years ago, reports femalefirst.co.uk. "I love David for David. He's my soul mate, my number one. He's the most amazing husband, father, he's talented, he's kind. He ticks all the boxes. He's an amazing soul and has an amazing heart," she said. "That's what I fell in love with 14 years ago and that's what I still love now," she added.

Shahrukh Khan gets royal treatment by IIFA organisers

2011-06-30T15:38:00.001+05:00

There were a lot of stars at the film award function held recently in Toronto, but actor Shah Rukh Khan was given a preferential treatment above everybody else. While every other actor was lodged in a downtown hotel in Toronto, Khan was put up at the best suite in one of the topmost hotels there.

“He was given the best suite and there was special staff posted for him both for the awards and the hotel. Shah Rukh had also flown in with his own staff and they were all lodged along with him,” says a source.

There was also a special task force formed by the organisers that was supposed to look after Khan exclusively. “There was no brief for them, except to ‘standby and wait for anything that he wants’.

Khanbriefly had some problem with the taps in his bathroom (he later said that he got confused between the hot and cold water taps in the shower) but overall he seemed to have enjoyed the stay,” the source adds.

Though there were some reports that Khan’s knee was bleeding after his performance, a staff member who was also on standby for the actor said that there was nothing as such.

“He was hurt and we had put him on cortisone injections (a kind of steroid to ease the pain) but he was not bleeding because the nature of the injury was internal (in his muscles),” the staff member said.

According to sources, the entire business section of the aircraft was also sealed off when Khan was leaving the venue. “The entire area was sealed off for him and his staff. When he was coming here, there was only Dharmendra (actor) with him. But he left alone after a brief meeting with Priyanka (actress Priyanka Chopra),” the source adds. Chopra apparently waited for three hours to speak to Khan personally.

‘Dabangg’ wins six awards at ‘Bollywood Oscars’

2011-06-28T14:52:00.001+05:00

The film directed by Abhinav Kashyap won in the hugely important music categories for best female playback singer, best male playback singer and best music direction, as well as best screenplay.

Actor Sonu Sood also picked up the award for best performance in a negative role as the evil head of a regional political party in the film. He thanked his mother when accepting the award.

“My Name is Khan” followed with four nods for best story, best lyrics, best director for Karan Johar and best actor for Shahrukh Khan’s portrayal of a Muslim suffering from Asperger’s syndrome who is detained at a US airport after his disability is mistaken for suspicious behaviour.

The making of the film was “emotional and therapeutic,” Johar said after the win, adding it taught him “restraint and love.” Tens of thousands of fans swarmed Toronto’s Rogers’ Centre stadium for the 12th annual Indian International Film Academy awards, and another 700 million were expected to have watched it on television.

Shahrukh Khan, Anil Kapoor (“Slumdog Millionaire”) and the Deol family were among the dozens of Bollywood superstars in attendance, along with Oscar-winners Hilary Swank and Cuba Gooding Jr.

Salman Khan, however, could not make it to Toronto as he was reportedly shooting his next film “Bodyguard,” a romantic action movie with Kareena Kapoor.

“I love you so much,” screamed Mamta Sharma over and over, after winning the award for best female playback singer for the song “Munni Badnam.”

A tense moment followed when a fan grabbed Shahrukh Khan onstage, leading the “King of Bollywood” to complain that the man was hurting his leg. “This is the problem, only men grab my thighs,” Khan joked as his assailant was escorted off stage.

Khan’s return to the awards show after a six-year absence had earlier been put in doubt by a knee injury that had required being taped up at a hospital and “a couple of injections.” He said he had fractured a part of the bone and the ligament was “swollen to three times the size it should be.”

He had vowed to perform at the IIFA show but in the end his dance steps were tremendously scaled back, and he urged the audience to fill in the rest by dancing in the aisles.

Khan last attended the IIFA in Amsterdam in 2005, and last performed at the show a year earlier in Singapore. A three-day festival leading up to awards night saw flash mobs of Indian dancers, gala movie premieres, a fashion show and Indian cultural events.

Jermaine Jackson also performed his late brother Michael’s hits with Indian pop singer Sonu Nigam at an IIFA concert on Friday to commemorate the second anniversary of Michael’s death.

Launched in 2000 at the Millennium Dome in London, the annual IIFA awards have been held in 11 cities around the world, including Colombo, Macao, Bangkok, Dubai, Amsterdam and Johannesburg.

It is designed to celebrate the popular Hindi-language film industry and win new audiences abroad. The award for best dialogue went to the thriller “Ishqiya” (Love).

Anushka Sharma won for best leading female role for the romantic comedy “Band Baaja Baaraat” (The Wedding Planners), which marked the directing debut of Maneesh Sharma.

Arjun Rampal and Prachi Desai won awards for best supporting roles in the thriller “Raajneeti” (Politics) and the gangster movie “Once Upon A Time In Mumbai,” respectively.

Ritesh Deshmukh, who co-hosted the Indian film industry’s glitziest awards show with Boman Irani, won best performance in a comic role in the Tamil film remake “Housefull.”

“Who said award shows are not fixed?” he quipped. “If you host the awards show for four years, they give you an award.”The nominations came from more than 1,500 votes from the Indian film fraternity.

Dabangg, My Name is Khan win awards

2011-06-27T15:18:00.001+05:00

Dabangg and My Name is Khan won top honours at the 12th International Indian Film Academy awards here on Saturday, with the Salman Khan starrer Dabangg scooping up six trophies in the popular category, while the best actor and director awards went to Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar for My Name is Khan.

Dabangg, which was the highest grosser last year, was adjudged the best film of 2010. Anushka Sharma won her maiden best actress award for Band Baja Baraat.

Sonakshi Sinha won the best debut female award for her performance in Dabangg, while Sonu Sood grabbed the best negative role trophy. Sajid-Wajid, alongwith Lalit Pandit, bagged the best music direction award for their chartbusting numbers in the film, while Abhinav Kashyap and Dilip Shukla bagged the best screenplay award.

The best playback singer (male) award went to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for Tere mast mast do nain, while the hit item number Munni Badnam Hui got Mamta Sharma the best playback singer (female) award, both for Dabangg.

Asha Bhosle was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award, while Dharmendra, who performed some of his hit songs , was honoured by Shah Rukh and Ramesh Sippy for his contribution to the film industry.

Asha Bhosle said awards inspire her to continue singing. “ Maaee, my debut Hindi film was under production when I was told about this honour. Now that the film is complete and ready for release, I must tell IIFA to keep another award for me next year. I will continue to sing till the end,” she said. The best story award went to Shivani Makhija for My Name Is Khan, while Vishal Bhardwaj won the best dialogue for Ishqiya. The best lyrics award was bagged by Niranjan Iyengar for My Name Is Khan.

Sharmila Tagore, who was handed the Outstanding Achievement award by Shabana Azmi for 40 years of her cinematic journey, said the presence of directors like Shakti Samanta and Hrishikesh Mukherjee in the Hindi film industry helped her retain her Bengali sensibilities.

Movie Review: Life in a Day

2011-06-20T17:11:00.001+05:00

In early July 2010, Academy Award–winning director Kevin Macdonald uploaded a video on YouTube announcing his next film: Life in a Day. This film was quite literally to be a documentary about life on one random day. Macdonald requested people from all over the world to send in footage of what they would be doing on July 24, 2010. Four simple questions asked were meant for inclusion in the personal clips: What do you fear most? What do you love? What makes you laugh? What’s inside your pocket?

The response the makers got was nothing short of overwhelming, with submissions equalling about 4,500 hours of raw footage. It took about two months to view and edit the output, but the final result is a moving portrait that celebrates life with all its ups and downs.

Filmmakers are increasingly coming up with innovative ways to make films and Life in a Day is certainly an innovation in more ways than one – especially in the area of technology. With endless numbers of people uploading hundreds of videos every day, one might say that this project was an inevitability waiting to happen.

Produced by YouTube itself and well-known directors Ridley Scott and Tony Scott, every person whose submission made it to the final cut is credited as co-director.

The film unravels chronologically, ensuring that there is a clear pattern of day and night, sunrise and sunset, waking up and going to sleep. And considering that the filmmakers have managed to create a cohesive narrative from over 80,000 videos, it is an astounding achievement.

We see people from all over the world; different cultures, different ages and different dreams. There are funny one-liners like, “I love my fridge because it doesn’t talk and just stands in the corner” and endearing ones like a little straight-faced girl saying, “I fear all kinds of monsters.” There are a couple of stories that recur like leitmotifs throughout the documentary: those of a Korean cyclist who has been on the road for almost nine years, a family whose mother is fighting cancer, an old man in hospital about to have open-heart surgery, and a little boy who shines shoes for a living.

One poignant moment in the film portrays by chance an actual catastrophe. On that July 24 many people were squashed to death in a tunnel during a ‘Love Parade.’ Moments like these in the film make us realise that while Life in a Day might primarily be an uplifting and happy film, they also remind us that anything can happen on any day, tragic or wonderful. We also begin to understand that what might seem mundane to one person may be interesting to another and what stirs our senses might be of total disinterest to another.

The purpose of this film, according to the producers is to serve as a sort of time capsule. Future generations will be able to look at this film 50, 100 or 500 years from now and understand what it was like to be alive on July 24, 2010, in different parts of the world. While only future generations will be able to determine whether this experiment will successfully serve the expressed aim, for now, one can definitely say that Life in a Day is an interesting, entertaining and fresh slice of cinema, and it shows us how as people, wherever we may hail from, we are connected in one way or another.

Actress Elizabeth Hurley is Single again

2011-06-17T20:04:00.001+05:00

After four years of marriage, Elizabeth Hurley is once again ‘available,’ as the 46 year old actress/model finalized her divorce this Wednesday from her husband, businessman Arun Nayar.

After a short hearing before London District Judge Penny Cushing, Hurley was granted a divorce on the grounds of “unreasonable behavior” By Nayar. Hurley and Nayar, one of 27 other parties who were also granted divorces, did not appear in court for the routine final hearing.

Hurley and Nayar were married in 2007 in a lavish ceremony at Sudeley Castle with English pop star Elton John giving the bride away. This was followed by a traditional Hindu wedding at Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, India. The newlyweds sold the photos of their wedding to Hello Magazine for a reported £2 million.

Hurley had previously dated British actor Hugh Grant whom she met in 1987. Despite Hugh Grant’s famous escapade with a prostitute in 1997, they managed to stay together as a couple for 13 years until their breakup in 2000.

Following her breakup with Mr.Grant, Ms.Hurley had a controversial relationship with wealthy businessman and film producer Steve Bing. Their relationship ended in a nasty paternity battle when Ms. Hurley gave birth to her son Damian in 2002. Mr. Bing originally denied being the father claiming that he and Hurley had only been in a short, non-exclusive relationship, but later DNA testing proved that Damien was in fact, his child. It is reported in the London press that Ms.Hurley and her friends refer to Bing as “Bing Ladin.”

Recently, Ms. Hurley has been linked in the press to Australian cricket star Shane Warne. The actress filed for divorce on 12 December 2010 and announced on her Twitter that she has separated from her husband several months earlier.

Skin show for Vidya, why not?

2011-06-16T18:15:00.001+05:00

Actor Vidya Balan broke free from the sweet, girl-next -door image with her sensuous portrayal of a widow in 'Ishqiya', in which she was seen with actors Arshad Warsi and Naseerudin Shah.

But it looks like she is all set to take it a step further now. Vidya, who has been preparing to play south siren, Silk Smitha in an upcoming film has apparently done her entire homework thoroughly before she started shooting for the film recently.

The actor, who even did a bold photo shoot, daring to bare her entire back in a saree, has always maintained that she finds voluptuous women sexy. She had earlier said, "I love my curves. Besides, what is a women without her curves?"

Vidya, who has never really been stick-thin or a size-zero, was apparently asked to put on some more weight by her director Milan Luthria, to play the sex siren Silk Smitha. And Vidya has diligently followed his orders, despite the fact that she was trying to shed weight till then.

Besides putting on a few kilos, she also had another difficult task at hand. Vidya, say sources, had to dress provocatively throughout the film, something which the actor worked really hard on. A source says, "She knew what she was getting into, right from the time she signed on for the film. She knew that playing Silk Smitha meant that it was a role that required her to shed her inhibitions." The source adds that in order to make sure that she didn't get cold feet while shooting, Vidya had her costumes ready much in advance. "She got all her costumes home and to get used to the clothes, she would wear them all day long. This helped her get comfortable and into the skin of the characer to a great extent."

And it looks like all the hard work did help her eventually, because when Vidya was asked to wear her costume and step out of her vanity van while on the sets, the actor apparently did it without battling an eyelid. The costume aspect tackled, it will surely be interesting to see how comfortable Vidya will be while acting out the intimate scenes as well.

Performance at home, not IIFA for Bachchans

2011-06-11T18:05:00.001+05:00

It's confirmed that the Bachchans won't be performing at the IIFA this year. The family is miffed with the organisation for some reason, and have opted out of any naach-gaana activity in spite of being offered big bucks, or so we hear!

The Bachchans, however, have their own little song-and-dance do back home. Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan recently recorded and shot for a number in the movie 'Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap'. It's a contemporary rap kind of number, and both father and son had such an enjoyable time shooting for it, that they break into song-and-dance at any given impromptu moment at home. And this act, we hear, is quite endearing!

Meera's swayamvar annoys fundamentalists

2011-06-07T15:23:00.001+05:00

Pakistani starlet Meera is drawing widespread ire in her country for participating in a reality TV wedding show where she is out to select a groom. Kaun Banega Meera Pati, being aired on Pakistan's Geo TV, draws inspiration from the swayamvar format of Indian shows such as Rakhi Ka Swayamvar and the currently- aired Ratan Ka Rishta.

On the show, Meera is currently getting acquainted with her 13 prospective grooms, one of whom will win her hand in the finale. The show has been on air in Pakistan for three weeks and has telecast three episodes so far. It airs once every week on Fridays for about an hour.

The show promos feature Meera, who has acquired the reputation of being Pakistan's drama queen, as a coy and blushing bride. " I am looking for an ordinary person with extraordinary qualities, to be my sharique- e- hayat ( husband)," she said.

Meera has declared that in the 26th and final episode, she will choose one of the 13 men for marriage. The prospective grooms include a software manager in a multinational firm, a civil engineer and a restaurant manager. " I am hopeful that I will be able to find the man of my dreams on this show," she said in the first episode.

While the show has raised curiosity so far because it is a novel concept in her country, a section of hardliners are clearly not happy with the idea of a Pakistani woman openly selecting her groom from among several men.

While Geo TV has not received any official protest yet, many feel that sustaining the show till its end could be difficult - what with the growing animosity on the net towards the concept. Clips of the show on YouTube, for instance, have drawn nasty comments about the actress and her prospective grooms.

One netizen, MrZah2010 wrote: " an inside source told me that all the losers ( guys) are actually struggling artist and they get between 2500- 5000 rupees per episode for dis show, meera's boyfriend is actually the producer of dis show who is 1 of da excutives in geo tv, dis is full k* njar mahol...( sic)". Baalo 2001 wrote: " The funniest show on tv.... starring the b* tch and 13 losers ( sic)." Meera has remained a controversial figure in India as well as Pakistan.

Not long ago, reports did the rounds suggesting she was married to a Pakistani businessman named Atiq- Ur- Rehman. Meera subsequently denied the reports. In 2005, Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt launched her opposite Ashmit Patel in their production, Nazar.

The film bombed despite Meera sharing some steamy scenes with Ashmit. She reportedly received death threats from Islamic purists for doing the intimate scenes. Meera recently returned to the limelight when she publicly accused Mahesh Bhatt of slapping her on the sets of his film.

Media zoom in on mystery Schwarzenegger mistress

2011-05-19T11:23:00.001+05:00

As America's top comedians lampooned the former California governor and "Terminator" star, U.S. media hunted down the member of his household staff with whom he admitted fathering a child, while he was married to Maria Shriver.

The woman was identified in numerous media reports as Mildred Baena, a 50 year-old separated former housekeeper at the Schwarzenegger household, who has a registered address in the central California city of Bakersfield.

Some reports said that Schwarzenegger bought the house for her last year. Television crews and reporters swarmed to the property on Wednesday but found no-one at home. Schwarzenegger's spokesman declined comment, citing a request on Tuesday for privacy for all those involved.

Celebrity website TMZ.com published a birth certificate which appeared to confirm that the child, a boy, was born in October 1997, making him now 13 years old. If correct, it would mean that Schwarzenegger's out of wedlock son was born a week after Shriver delivered the couple's fourth child, Christopher, in September 1997.

Shriver, a member of the Kennedy political family and a former TV journalist, made her first public appearance since the scandal broke, appearing at the side of Oprah Winfrey at a farewell show for the TV talk show host in Chicago on Tuesday night. "You've given me love, support, wisdom, and most of all, the truth," Shriver told her old friend Winfrey.

Celebrity website Radaronline.com in a joint investigation with the tabloid Star magazine claimed that the housekeeper was fired by Schwarzenegger after 20 years service in a bid to save his marriage to Shriver. The woman had earlier told the Los Angeles Times that she decided to retire in January 2011.

The power couple announced last week they had separated earlier this year. Meanwhile comedians are having a field day with the man now dubbed the "Sperminator". Long-time Schwarzenegger pal Jay Leno joked on "The Tonight Show" on Tuesday that, "He kept this hidden for over a decade, which is pretty shocking. I had no idea he was that good an actor."

Conan O'Brien quipped that "Arnold has made two 'Juniors' that he doesn't want to talk about. Remember that movie from 1994?" Schwarzenegger's private life is expected, however, to have few repercussions on his bid to return to show business after ending his term as California governor in January.

The producers of upcoming movie "Cry Macho" and animated TV comic book series "The Governator" told the Hollywood Reporter they were going ahead as planned. In a stroke of irony, "The Governator" stars Schwarzenegger as a crime-fighting superhero with a lair underneath his home so secret that not even his wife and kids are aware of it.

Aamir was keen on acting in 'Delly Belly'

2011-05-18T19:04:00.001+05:00

Producer-actor Aamir Khan, who is looking forward to the release of his upcoming home production 'Delhi Belly', says he was keen on acting in the movie but stepped back due to weight issues.

"I was very keen on acting in the movie. I wanted to play the role of Kunal Roy Kapoor...I just loved his character.he is fat. For that character I had to gain lot of weight. I did not want to gain weight...as I know how it is...it is really tough to lose it," Aamir told reporters here after unveiling the first theatrical promo of the movie along with director Abhinay Deo.

About the film, he said, "there is no skin show in the movie but it is bold and irreverent. Its not meant for kids."'Delhi Belly' is a comic caper targeted at the young audience. "People who can't identify with disrespectful and unclean language ought to stay away from it. Its an adult film. But it was an amazing script and I just had to produce this film," the 46-year-old actor said.

The movie has been given 'A' rating and the promos boldly feature scenes of sexual connotations. "When we went to the Censors, we approached them for an A-certificate. Censor Board hasn't cut any scenes from the film, and in fact seems to have enjoyed the film themselves," Aamir said.

The film stars Imran Khan, Kunal Roy Kapoor, Poorna Jagannathan, Vir Das, Shenaz Treasurywala in pivotal roles. The promos of 'Delly Belly' will be played in cinemas alongside Ekta Kapoor's 'Ragini MMS' from this Friday. The film releases on July 1.

Irfan Pathan cheating on his girl?

2011-04-26T13:53:00.001+05:00

We hear cricketer Irfan Pathan and VJ-Singer Anusha Dandekar have become friends. Sources reveal that she had flown to Irfan's hometown recently to meet him. They have been keeping things low-profile as they don't want unnecessary speculations about their friendship. Irfan, who is trying to make his comeback in the Indian cricket team, does not want anything or anyone to take the spotlight away from his work.

But now the cat is out of the bag. It's ok to have friends, dear boy. The problem begins when you try to hide things. The last time his personal life was in focus was two years ago when it was reported that he was seeing a girl named Shivangi Dev who, he was set to marry. But that never happened.

I had to learn Hindi like a student: Saif Ali Khan

2011-04-25T18:42:00.001+05:00

So Saif sat like a good student in his room for days and learned Hindi and also took up Amitabh Bachchan’s suggestion to keep saying his dialogues through the day. After Omkara, the 40-year-old actor will be seen in another unconventional role in Aarakshan – of a moustache-sporting village school teacher.

Speaking chaste Hindi was a bit of a challenge for Khan, as he has spent quite a lot of his days as a student in Britain. In fact, he also has a slight accent when he talks in English.

“Everyone knows Prakashji speaks serious Hindi in his movies and Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan) and Manoj Bajpai clearly don’t have a problem with that at all,” said Khan, who has teamed up with Jha for the first time.

So, it was almost like going back to school for Saif, and he had to spend hours on his diction for Aarakshan.

“Before I started work on Aarakshan, my mother (Sharmila Tagore) had told me, ‘Saif, you better learn your language’. I took it lightly then, but she was right. I really had to sit in my room and learn Hindi like a student,” Khan said.

But he enjoyed every bit of it.

“It was a beautiful experience to be shooting in Bhopal where I grew up, and even better to work hard on every scene when it was near- impossible to read the dialogues, be fluent, and saying them well with all the action.”

Khan’s dilemma was simplified by Big B, who plays a key role in the movie that deals with the reservation issue in Indian society.

“Amitji helped by suggesting that I say my dialogues in the shower, in the gym, while going for a walk, and during other times of the day … and it worked! He has always been inspiring and his delivery of Hindi can make any writer proud,” he said.

Khan is now more appreciative of Hindi as a language than ever before.

“The language is so rich and powerful, definitely more powerful than English. It sounds beautiful when spoken well. And I am glad I was able to speak it fine thanks to this wonderful opportunity of working with these great people – Prakashji and Amitji.”

The actor, who is currently busy working on his next home production Agent Vinod, says he is glad he took up a meaningful and socially relevant movie like Aarakshan.

“There is a certain responsibility when you choose a film like Aarakshan. I feel like I am doing my duty as a responsible actor. Aarakshan is a different role, a different character, a different space for me. I wouldn’t associate myself with a teacher from a village or an academically brilliant scholar from a lower section of society – so it has definitely been a new challenge.”

Full of praise for the director, he says: “Prakashji’s method of work, his patience is unbelievable. He is a one man army, and he manages the crew like a field marshal. There is so much to learn from him,” Khan said.

Pooja Batra to be honoured in LA

2011-04-22T17:42:00.001+05:00

Actress Pooja Batra, who has been away from the Bollywood radar for a while, is being honoured by the LA County Sheriff’s Indo-American Advisory Council for her contribution to the South Asian-American community. She will also host an auction to raise funds for tsunami-hit Japan.

She will receive the award and host the auction April 28, said a source. Pooja shifted to Los Angeles after her wedding to orthopaedic surgeon Sonu Ahluwalia in 2002, but filed for divorce in January.

She recently walked the red carpet of the 9th Annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) to show her support to Indian films. Her company Glow Bell Inc has also associated with a Los Angeles-based casting company to help the latter set shop in India.