H E A R T

Great Amitabh sharing with littles in bhootnath..

2008-05-02T02:59:00.005+05:30

Amitabh Bachchan - Bhootnath
Juhi Chawla - Anjali Sharma
Shahrukh Khan - Special appearance
Aman Siddiqui - Banku (Aman Sharma)
Priyanshu Chatterjee

Director: Vivek Sharma
Producer: Ravi Chopra

Recently our legend Amitabh had agreed in his interview that he had a different experiance with the kids in Bhootnath.It is so interesting that he also said "Nowadays kids are very different.They know more about the technologies...and all.They treated me lately as a friend of them and even quarrel with me.(ha ha..)"

Javed Akhtar is believed to have persuaded director Vivek Sharma to change the climax of Bhootnath from sad to happy, so that he can make a Bhootnath sequel later. The writer-lyricist could forsee a sequel to the film and thus advised Vivek to change the ending.

Now Bhootnath will have a happy ending instead of a sad one. The director says that he had initially planned a very emotional and sad ending to the film, with Javedsaab even writing a song for the climax. But he kept insisting that Vivek should change the climax so that he can make a sequel in the future. So the film's ending was changed from a sad one where Bhootnath leaves to a happy one where Bhootnath reappears. The lyricist is believed to have given the director the climax song only after he had agreed to change the climax. It seems that everyone in the cast and crew loves the new version. Javedsaab however, played down his contribution and said that Vivek was being very generous in giving him credit for the change in climax. He said that Vivek had a lovely script and when one is working on such a good script, then one does give a couple of suggestions. He also felt that it was inevitable that Vivek make a sequel to Bhootnath. He feels totally convinced about Bhootnath 2. He feels that the film be very popular as the character of Bhootnath is very interesting and well developed.

jannat releasing on 16th may

2008-05-02T02:46:00.003+05:30

Starring
Emraan Hashmi .... Arjun
Sonal Chauhan .... Zoya

Director : Kunal Deshmukh
Producer : Mukesh Bhatt
Musician : Pritam

The producer of the upcoming bollywood film “Jannat” Mahesh Bhatt has decided to delay the relaesing date of his ambitious venture “Jannat” for two weeks. first the film is decided to release on 2 May 2008, but now Mahesh wants to bring out the movie “Janat” on 16 May 2008.

Mahesh Bhatt says that “During the film “Awarapan“, I learnt a bitter lesson. The film suffered with a lot of difficulties because of its clash with two other films “Apne” and “Appka Surror“, were opened simultaneously. So I never got the right theatres and cenimea’s or didnot choose the right show timings to exhibit my film “Awarapan“.

But the questioned is that why he has decided to postpone his upcoming film “Jannat“? since there is no bigger clashing in the same week with it. Well he says about it “The reason is the film “Tashan” which is releasing on 25 April. So Yash Raj have already booked a major collection of theatres in all over the India. That’s why I decided to push it to another date after the release of Amitabh film “Bhootnath” on 9 May”.

Kamal Hassan in Dashavatharam

2008-04-30T00:02:00.007+05:30

The first official stills of much awaited magnum opus of legendary actor Kamal Hassan's Dasavatharam are out on Tuesday and it seems that there is nothing special in the photographs (May be the film had many specials of its kind!). Directed by K S Ravikumar, the movie is produced on a whooping budget by Oscar Ravichandran. Kamal Haasan plays 10 different roles in this film and for which he has dubbed in 10 different voices. Apart from this Kamal has penned the story, screenplay and dialogues himself. Asin has given her own voice to her character and that too in typical Brahmin Tamil which has come out brilliantly. Very recently, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Kalaignar Karunanidhi has watched the 10 get ups of Kamal in a special screening and enjoyed a lot with the actor's versatility. After seeing the movie Kalaignar pat the actor's back and said, " Pinnitteenga Kamal. Kalaignaninnu Niroobichitteenga... (You have proved yourself as the Maestro in acting!)"

Kamal says: "Kalaignar has enjoyed the movie with a youthful enthusiasm and appreciated me a lot. According to me our CM's appreciation is equal to an Oscar Award!". The actor further told, " Oscar Films is the only production house after Raajkamal to facilitate everything needed to make the film the way it is meant to be. It is planned to record the crowd voices of the opening sequence using 5000 people to match 10000 on screen. The scene will be shot at Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai next week". K.S.Ravikumar, the director of the film says, "Kamal plays the roles of 10 different characters, a Brahmin, a dwarf, a scientist, a fighter, a black man, a tourist guide, a robber, an old woman, an emperor, and a young lady in this film. There is no need to say about the commitment and talents of Kamal towards his profession. According to me he is the complete actor..."

The director continues, "The visual effects are handled by three different software companies and they are in the process of delivering their best output. Some of the leading writers who have listened to the narration from Kamal say that the screenplay is more exciting than some of his phenomenally successful blockbusters of the past like Thevar Magan and Aboorva Sagotharargal. Interestingly Dasavatharam features a host of directors in the cast Santhana Bharathi, Vasu, R. Sundararajan, Erode Sounder, Ramesh Kanna and of course me also part of the cast..." Hollywood Action Director Joop has designed an action sequence in Dasavatharam that is expected to be better than anything that has been done before, even by Kamal himself. Joop took 20 days to can this fight. The care and safety measure the Americans take in executing some of the difficult stunts is meticulous. The thrilling fights Kamal has performed were not done with the help of computer graphics. According to the director and actor all the stunt sequences are original and manual. "The small tricks employed by the American stunt directors helped me and Asin perform the stunt scenes without taking risks. If our stunt masters follow them, then they would not risk their limbs and lives", says Kamal Haasan. The shoot for the film started in Chennai and continued in Malaysia, USA and in Pichavaram near Chidambaram. All the dialogue portions have been successfully filmed already as per schedule. The audio of Dasavatharam (Music scored by Himesh Reshammiya) will be launched in Chennai on mid October. The film will be a New Year treat for the cine lovers of all over the country!

Jackie Chan, the Superstar of Hollywood, became the real hero at the Dasavatharam audio launch held at Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai. Right from his entry into the dais along with superb looked Mallika Sherawat, the super actor became the center of attraction in the event. Chief Minister M Karunanidhi launched the audio of Dasavatharam along with Jackie, V Shridhar, elder brother of producer Ravichandran and Kamal Hassan the hero of the film. Oscar Ravichandran's decision to invite the Hollywood action hero Jackie Chan as the Chief Guest served the purpose meaningfully. He made the entire function enjoyable like his fabulous films. The audience loved his simplicity, innocence, smile, meaningful speech and mannerisms. Mallika Sherawat was clinging onto Chan throughout the evening and was his biggest moral support in translating things to his convenience. There was tremendous chemistry between Jackie and Mallika. She helped him in his pronunciation of difficult words and Indian names during his speech. Amithab: After KS Ravikumar's lengthy welcome speech, the mike was handed over to Amitabh Bachchan. He said, "Chennai is very special to me as I got my first National Award here for Saath Hindustani from none other than Shri M Karunanidhiji, who was the then Chief Minister. And now years later, I am here again sharing the dais with him. It is my immense pleasure to see my friend Kamal as a center figure in such a grand event. Every time his name is mentioned, I notice the excitement of the audience. So I end my speech saying 'Kamal Hassan… Kamal Hassan…Kamal Hassan… (the claps sound rocked the auditorium.)." Vijay: Normally Vijay ends his speech in very few words. But yesterday, he delivered an unusual speech. He praised Chan for his extra-ordinary onscreen performance and how he became an ardent fan of him. On Kamal, Vijay said, "Here, I'm not going to praise or congratulate Kamal sir. He is the Guru for people like me. Acting in films like Dasavatharam is his duty. Then only it is possible to actors like me to learn more on acting." Vijay also thanked Oscar Ravi for inviting him with veteran actors Kamal, Big B and Mammootty. Kamal: Kamal Hassan spoke in Tamil to the audiences about Dasavatharam and later in English so that Jackie could follow it. He said, "I always feel jealous of you and I have 32 fractures in my career trying to emulate your stunts. I am meeting you for the first time and your simplicity is amazing. I have started a new friendship with you from today." Jackie Chan: Jackie took the help of Mallika while he spoke about Oscar Ravichandran and his association with him. He also said that he will do a film with Kamal in future. Jackie says that Dasavatharam is simply amazing and unbelievable effort of Kamal. He also said that Amitabh is the real Superstar of Asia and in future he would like to play in a romantic role while Amitabh plays an action block in a film. Rama Narayanan, Jayaprada, Hema Malini, Asin, and Mallika Sherawat also delivered speeches on this most memorable occasion. As usual, Oscar Ravichandran did not attend this function. As a policy does not attend his own functions nor does he get photographed, he simply stayed in his office and watching the events through a specially arranged live screen!

mp3 at- www.123musiq.com

video review:-

Krazzy 4

2008-03-31T00:37:00.003+05:30

After Dhol and Dhamaal, another hopeful foursome is all set to raise a few laughs and big bucks at the box office. Meet the Krazzy 4………..

Produced by Rakesh Roshan, the K film marks the debut of his assistant Jaideep Sen and stars Irrfan Khan , Arshad Warsi , Rajpad Yadav and Suresh Menon in the titular role along with Juhi Chawla and Dia Mirza. Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Rakhi Sawant pitch in to provide star attraction with an item number each to their credit.

As per tradition, younger sibling Rajesh Roshan helms the soundtrack of this comic caper.

While the promos featuring a snazzy SRK sure look impressive, the music isn't exactly in the catchy league of Roshan's work in earlier films like Khudgarz, Kishen Kanhaiya, Karan Arjun, Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai or Koi...Mil Gaya.

Here's why.

The album kick starts on a peppy note with the title track in all it's jazzed up glory. While Javed Akhtar is the official lyricist, Asif Ali Beg bags the honours of writing the song that features four times in this album. Call it Krazzy 4 or Break free, both numbers are mirror images of each other with petty differences in arrangement and pace.

The Hinglish chant is vivaciously performed by composer-singer Vishal Dadlani. In the line of Saiyaan (Ta Ra Rum Pum), Kiss of love (Jhoom Barabar Jhoom) and Jame raho (Taare Zameen Par), the bouncy dude demonstrates his interesting vocal range with yet another crisp rendition.

Even if melody is not it's greatest specialty, Break free rides high on style and pizazz
The remixed avatars of the two, by DJ Aqueel, aren't much unlike either. If Krazzy 4 aims to be groovy and zingy, Break free is consciously techno in its approach.

The mischievous aspirations of Dekhta hai tu kya fail to translate into a fun and spunky composition. The usually reliable Sunidhi Chauhan surprisingly hams, contributing to the ongoing cacophony of this garish and uninspiring number. Also, the key line is unmistakably reminiscent of Thare vaste (Shakalaka Boom Boom).

O re lakad ikad pakad pingal chungaliya -- what on earth does this mean? It's hard to believe Javed Akhtar could come up with gibberish like this in the name of creativity. If you actually manage to survive the lyrics, brace yourself for another downer. Roshan's staid, droning tune is strictly below average.

Up next, a rather lame situational track Ik rupaiya pops up, giving us a glimpse as to the kind of humour one can expect from Krazzy 4. This one involves squabbling over a loan, a dime, unsolicited gyaan and a whole lot of nonsense. Whew. This one truly drives you krazzy.

The album concludes with Ankita Sachdev's gentle rendition of Jan gan man.

Barring the title track, the soundtrack of Krazzy 4 is a drag. Hopefully, the film will give us and the makers some reason to smile.

In addition to these there are two videos that makes the cinema different..ofthe two superstars..sharukh khan the king..and Hrithik Roshan..the akbar..see it below...

Hrithik`s video..

Sharukh`s one...

CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINKS TO DOWNLOAD SONGS
Right Click on the Link and select “Save Target As” to download songs

1: Krazzy 4: Vishal Dadlani
2: Dekhta Hai Tu Kya: Sunidhi Chauhan , Kirti Sagathia
3: Break Free: Vishal Dadlani
4: O Re Lakad: Kailash Kher , Sowmya Raoh , Neeraj Shridhar
5: Ik Rupaiya: Sudesh Bhosle , Kirti Sagathia , Bhavin Ddhana , Labh Janjua , Rahul Vaidye , Jimmy Moses
6: Break Free - Remix: Vishal Dadlani
7: Dekhta Hai Tu Kya - Remix: Sunidhi Chauhan , Kirti Sagathia
8: Krazzy 4 - Remix: Vishal Dadlani
9: Jan Gan Man: Ankita Sachdev

Vikram Back With Kandaswamy

2008-02-07T01:31:00.000+05:30

Kandaswamy will make a big wave in the new film era. It had shown it even in its film preview itself.Kalaipuli S. Thanu is the name known for many biggies and firsts in Kollywood. The mega producer has launched his next movie Kandasamy in a grand style. He has come out with an electronic invitation costing Rs.15000, to announce his film. It is for the first time in world cinema that a producer is inviting industry people giving out such a costly invitation. The producer claimed that this feat will soon find a place in the Guinness Book of World Records!

Vikram, Shriya, Raghuvaran and Vivek are playing the lead roles in Kandasamy and the film is being directed by Susi Ganesan.

The formal announcement function was held at Chennai Sathyam Cinemas on Monday where the electronic invitation was released. Speaking on the occasion, Thanu said, "It is the brain child of director Susi Ganesan. The director had mooted this 'different idea' and had been to various countries like Italy, Greece, America and Japan to prepare it. The invite was finally made in China at a cost of Rs.15000!! 1,500 such invites have been made for the occasion. It is a maiden attempt in the history of world cinema and this effort will find a place in the Guinness Book of World Records".

Susi Ganesan, the director of Kandasamy said, "All the efforts are possible only due to the support of producer Thanu. The shooting will commence from 23rd September in a grand manner at Mount Road, Devi Theatre".

Vikram is playing 5 different roles, including a female getup for this film. A special trailer featuring Vikram and Shriya was also screened on the occasion.

Direction: Susi Ganesan
Production: Kalaipuli S Thanu
Music: Devi Sri Prasad

Trailer:-

Saif Ali Khan - The 6-pack race is on

2008-02-07T01:17:00.000+05:30

Salman Khan went shirtless for ‘Oh Oh Jaane Jana’ in ‘Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya’. Shah Rukh did his ‘Dard-e-Disco’ in ‘Om Shanti Om’. Now Saif Ali Khan will strut his bare body, again, in the Yash Raj film, ‘Tashan’. However, this is not the first time Saif is drpooing his shirt down. He’s already done a steamy song with Bipasha in Abbas-Mustan’s ‘Race’ and even went bare-chested for ‘Salaam Namaste’.

Saif is leaving no stone unturned to pump up his body. He is working out at the gym Barbarian with his trainer, Satyajit Chourasia.

Confirming the news, Satyajit says, “Yes, Saif has been building his body for the song at my gym Barbarian. He has a four-pack now and is looking great. He is on a low-carb diet as he’s maintaining a lean look for the song.”

As per insiders, the song is to be shot in the coming weeks and will have a bare-bodied Saif dance to a racy tune.

Kunal Khemu makes Aushima bleed

2008-02-07T01:15:00.001+05:30

Kunal Khemu is quite busy these days shooting for his forthcoming film ‘Superstar’ which also stars Tulip Joshi and Aushima Sawheny. The film has many action sequences involving jet skis and during the shoot of one such scene Kunal just ended up injuring his co-star Aushima.

It so happened that Kunal had to drive a jet ski in full speed for a scene and he drove so fast that he not only toppled Aushima who flew in the air and fell in the water but also during one take fell back on her and made her nose bleed!!

Recalls Aushima, “Yeah there were quite a many narrow escapes while doing those Jet Ski scenes. Kunal drove so fast that I just flew into the water and he even made my nose bleed during one take. But he is such a gentleman he kept apologizing the entire day! It was fun though shooting those scenes in water, quite thrilling!”

Deepika And Ranbir Patch Up

2008-02-07T01:07:00.003+05:30

Bollywood bombshell Deepika Padukone was said to have a short affair with Ranbir Kapoor some time back. Though the break up was silent and bitter, the duo patched up recently at the shooting of an advertisement with King Khan.

Soon thereafter, they started meeting up for dinners and late night coffees. And now they are acting out a movie together which is produced by Yash Raj .

The couple recently was spotted in Mumbai shopping for a music system at a suburban five-star hotel’s shopping plaza.A source close to Deepika confirms, “Yes, Deepika and Ranbir went out shopping. Deepika wanted to get a high quality music system and Ranbir was helping her out in picking one.”

However, there are rumors that Deepika is dating Indian Cricketeer Yuraj Singh.
When asked about this both Deepika and Yuvraj state that they are just friends.
Well lets see which one the cricketeer or actor win Deepika’s heart..

Ajay And Kajol Acting With Cartoons

2008-02-07T01:07:00.001+05:30

Bollywood is going to launch its first Action Animated Film.Though this kind of movies are widely seen in the Hollywood arena, this type of animated movie with a number of animated characters will be the first of its kind in Bollywood. Bollywood star couple, Kajol and Ajay Devgan will be acting in this movie.The husband-wife duo play themselves while sharing screen space with 50 animated characters in “Toonpur Ka Superhero,” a film being made on the lines of Hollywood’s “Space Jam” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” .

“Ajay and Kajol will accidentally get transported into the world of cartoons who are engaged in a war against each other and they will try to save the situation,” said director Kireet Khurana.

“It is a very new thing here (in India) and we are hopeful that it will work,” Khurana said.

Ash And Abhi To Star In “Ramayana”

2008-02-07T01:06:00.001+05:30

There is news that “Ramayana” will be portrayed on the Hollywood screen.

The brain behind this fascination is Ashok Banker whose love for mythology led him to take on such determination of portraying “Ramayana” on the Hollywood screen.

Talks about the production of this movie have been going on since 2006 , and a major Hollywood production studio is backing it.

When asked about the cast and crew for his movie Banker says, “Some major names — both from Hollywood and Bollywood — are expected to be part of it. I’ve no idea if Nicole would be in it, though personally, I think she’ll make a great Surpanakha. Even Daniel Craig’s agent has called up to say that he’d be interested. And, if I had my way, I’d like him to do Ravana, since he has a very brutish and a very powerful presence. Actually, I’d want the baddies to be played by Westerners and Indians to play the ‘human’ ones” .

Indian spectators on the other hand find Ash-Abhi to be the ideal couple for the role of Sita and Ram. Ravana, they say will be best portrayed by King Khan –Sharukh.

It seems to be the most awaited picture of the year.

Ranbir And Bipasha To Rock The Screen

2008-02-07T01:05:00.001+05:30

Ranbir Kapoor will now be paired with the sultry and sexy actress Bipasha Basu in his second film.

Both the actor and the actress took a day off for a photo session to check their on-screen compatibility.

In this yet to be titled movie, Ranbir appears in three different get ups, including a teenager, a 28-year-old and finally a 35-year-old youth.

The actor is working really hard to look the required age in his upcoming film.

Now it remains to be seen how this young Kapoor scion handles the roles of the teenager and a mature man of 35 years.

Saif Slits His Hand For Kareena

2008-02-07T01:04:00.000+05:30

After going to the extent of tatooing Kareena’s name on his hand, Saif Ali Khan dares to be the Arm in Shining Armour once again, for his damsel Kareena Kapoor who doesn’t seem to be in any distress.

Whilst on the shooting of “Tashaan “ in Greece, some of Bebo’s Pals asked him as to what extent he could go for his love- Kareena.

Much to the shock of her friends and an amused Kareena who was awaiting his reply, Saif did a dare devil stunt of slitting his palm with a knife which was lying nearby.

Now that his act wasn’t irreversible, he went around telling everyone that the injury was caused due to meddling with a broken pane of glass.

All this love fizzled out when the couple had an argument on the last day of the schedule.

Says the source, “On the last day of the schedule, Bebo and Saif had a tiff, after which Saif repeatedly tried calling Bebo who was in her van. But she didn’t answer his calls. Finally Saif tried calling the make-up artist and hair dresser, in order to get in touch with Bebo. But Bebo had given strict instructions to them too not to answer his calls.”

All indeed is not fair in Love and War!!!!!!!!

Hrithik’s Sister Joins Bollywood

2008-02-07T01:03:00.001+05:30

Another Roshan joins the line…………..well its not junior Hrithik. There is still time for him. The next to join the movie league is Sunaina Roshan, Hrithik’s sister.

(In the picture, she is seated towards the left corner )

However, she will not be acting; she will be co-producing a movie “Krazzy 4” along with her father Rakesh Roshan.

“Sunaina is co-producing Krazzy 4 with me,” informs Rakesh Roshan.

“The film is about four mentally unstable people who escape from the mental hospital in order to explore the world. They are out on a one-day trip. The film goes on to show if these four characters are crazy or is it the world that is actually crazy,” narrates Roshan.

The bollywood fever has not spared her and like her brother, she also enthralled by the world of Moviemaking has joined the brigade.

As it his sister’s first movie, and though caught up with lot of work at present Hrithik will be doing an item song. It is not just Hrithik but Sharukh also, who will be doing an item number.

Hope Sunaina like Hrithik, makes it Big in the bitchy world of Bollywood .

Kareena Posing In A Bikini

2008-02-07T01:01:00.000+05:30

Kareena is riding high nowadays, thanks to the success of “Jab We Met”. And now that the lady has carved a niche for herself in the industry, she is experimenting out new and bold stuff.

Kareena is going real bold with her new movie “Tashan”. Sources reveal that she will be shooting a scene in a “bikini”.

Critics say Kareena is doing this in order to prove that she is better than Bipasha- her long time rival.Bipasha got great reviews for Dhoom II , her bikini stunts proved to be a great hit.

The speculation out there is that no actress has refused Yash Raj banner with regards to the demands they have made. And it is the same with Kareena, she has never posed in a bikini in any of her films but is posing in one for: “Tashan” which comes under Yash Raj’s banner.

When asked to comment about it, Kareena says just one thing “The Script demanded it”.

Sharukh Beats Tom Cruise

2008-02-07T01:00:00.001+05:30

Well guys, guess what Sharukh is more famous then Tom Cruise.

Known for his wit, when asked to comment about this King khan gave a witty answer that although he is famous, he is paid lesser than Cruise.

Sharukh with the world going global, you would not have to worry about this. With the number of Cinema Theaters coming up all over and with internet and mails and blogs and websites singing your praises am sure you will beat Tom Cruise.

Mobile phone usage, coupled with the Indians’ everlasting passion for music, will ensure new media revenues grow for Bollywood.

Bollywood is going global people …………………:)

Om Shanti Om has created ripples all over the world. And will ensure that he gets maximum publicity.

What do you think people!!!!

Does Sharukh deserve such attention?????

John And Ash To Set The Screen On Fire

2008-02-07T00:58:00.000+05:30

Very soon we will get to see John and Aishwarya working together.

Sources reveal that they were supposed to be working on two movies together.

However, shootings could not take off as Ash had some date problems.

Looks like the audience will have to wait for some more time to se the couple together onscreen.

Reports reveal that John is pissed off with Ash’s attitude and decided to back off from one of the projects.

To make matters worse, his vacation with Bipasha Basu in Kenya also got cancelled because of the political turbulence in the country.

Well, what is John going to do now??????

Any suggestions as to what he should do.

Salman Placed At Madame Tussauds

2008-02-07T00:45:00.000+05:30

The next dummy to be portrayed at Madame Tussauds museum is apna Sallu Bhai.

When asked about it Salman replies stating “I always wanted some competition, now I have it.”

Sources reveal that Tussauds had chosen to place Salman Khan’s dummy because Bollywood spells big bucks all over the world.

This in turn means increased Indian tourism to London leads to increased attendance figures at the popular tourist attraction, where an adult ticket is a whopping £16.

In simple terms it means that more Indians will be attracted to visit the museum because of the presence of Bollywood stars.

Well guys don’t you think,that is very smart of them.

Any guesses as to who will be the next actor to be placed as a dummy in Tussauds?????

Shah Rukh honoured

2008-01-28T14:42:00.000+05:30

Shah Rukh honoured by French government

Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was on Sunday night conferred the prestigious "Insignia of Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters" by the French government.

"Entertainment is something where one cannot be selfish, as it is purely for others," the actor said after receiving the award.

He said he was in this field only to entertain the audience. He jokingly said he loves the manner in which romance is depicted in French movies.

The French ambassador to India, Jerome Bonnafont, conferred the title on Shah Rukh after the inauguration of the first 'Rendezvous with French Cinema' festival at Andheri, a northwestern suburb of Mumbai.

The film festival organised by the French Embassy along with Unifrance, an organisation that promotes French cinema worldwide, kicked off with the premiere of "Asterix at the Olympic Games".
The Order of Arts et Lettres created in 1957 is one of the four Ministerial Honours of the French Republic. It was established to reward artists who have contributed to promote the field of arts and literature.

Some well-known recipients of the award are Arundhati Roy, David Bowie, George Clooney, Tony Curtis, Celine Dion, Leonardo Di Caprio, Bob Dylan, Clint Eastwood, Jude Law and Bruce Willis.

The late evening function was attended by film personalities from both countries. Jerome Seydoux, chairman of Pathe, the biggest and oldest film studio in the world, was also present.

Tare Zameen Par

2007-12-22T21:05:00.001+05:30

The best thing about "Taare Zameen Par", besides as a film, is perhaps is its timing considering the rising instances of corporal punishment by teachers in schools. The film not only tells a story of a Dyslexic child who has difficulty in reading and writing, but also reflects the "understated terror" low-scoring students go through in schools and at homes due to high expectations.

The film is about a 'Taara' (gifted children) Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary), a class third student who whenever tries to read find the letters dancing in front of him and makes mirror images of letters in his notebook. And as many parents do, they scold him for failing in third standard and continuing to be a low(est) scorer in the class.

Not able to cope up with his "normal" classmates, this boy with "above normal intelligence" stands outside his class perpetually. So, in the "free time" he gets, this "bindaas" kid likes to explore "inane" things like bright colours, fishes, stars, planets etc. which make his world.

But sadly, his over-ambitious busy executive father and discipline-demanding-ruthless teachers don't appreciate his idea of life as they have a responsibility to "prepare him for the race of life".

The frustrated parents, who ignore his other talents, punish him by sending him to a boarding school, as his "topper" brother - who concedes to his special ability to solve difficult puzzles and paint - looks on.

The only other person who spots his potential as a painter is his art teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan) at the boarding school, who later helps the child overcome his loss of confidence and shine above all.

A pure fun for the kids, the film is equally fun for the parents besides a message to for them be sensitive towards their children's dreams and abilities. The eleven-year-old Darsheel Safary is an absolute delight before intermission and a revelation of talent in second half.

He with his exploration of happiness in nature makes you realise the missing essence of life and you can't help but envy him. He carries off the entire first half on his shoulders, that too without Aamir Khan, and succeeds too. A student of Shiamak Davar's dance workshop, Darsheel impresses in many scene than just one and even where she share the screen space all-alone.

Aamir, who as an actor enters the film only by interval, makes an impressive debut as a director. He lends respect to the sensitive subject is chose for his "accidental" maiden directorial venture by his equally concerned treatment. (Aamir went behind the camera for "Taare..." after a lot of names including writer Amol Gupte didn't materialise.)

The only thing that perhaps does not gel well with the film Aamir's fashionable attire for the character he plays. Coupled with his trendy hair do and cool casuals, his college-goer look kind of distracts attention from the otherwise almost flawless film.

Even otherwise, the perfectionist needs applause for his dare to attempt such non-masala stuff, and that too for his debut as a director.

Also, all those who criticised Ashutosh Gowarikar for using "documentary Indian faces" in his Shah Rukh Khan starrer "Swades" are in for surprise. This film has some nice documentary footage of underprivileged kids along with closing credits, and audience cherished their energy, joy and optimism.

The film has cinematography by Setu,lyrics by Prasoon Joshi and music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

Enjoyable for all, the film is a must watch for those who have with kids studying in primary classes and below, and, last but not the least, their teachers.

A.R.Rahman As a Singer

2007-12-21T22:42:00.000+05:30

A.R Rahman is surely the hot thing in Bollywood now. A couple of days ago, it was buzzed that noted band ‘Kailasa’ has invited Rahman to croon out for them. Now, news is ripe that two of bollywood’s eminent music directors are eyeing on Rahman to hum for them as well.

It is nothing unobvious for a music director to sing for other musicians. Earlier composers like M.S. Viswanathan and Shankar had crooned for others. However, of late, this trend had taken a backseat in Bollywood owing to ego clashes between the musical big shots.

Lately, Rahman’s songs have caught all his Bollywood fans in frenzy. His fine singing act in ‘Guru’, ‘Swades’, ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Dil Se’ has left his fans craving for more.

Buzz is that Himesh Reshammiya, who has sworn to sing only for A.R Rahman other than his own compositions, has expressed his desire to rope in Rahman to croon for him. Close at heels is Adnan Sami who too has placed a similar offer in front of him.

Commenting on the offers Rahman said, “It’s extremely kind of them to think of me, but I can’t just sing like that. When I render a track, I cut myself off from other things. Even for a concert, a couple of days before it I don’t pursue my other music stuff, but just concentrate on the singing.”

Further Rahman added that he hasn’t turned down the offers but will be free to consider them only after he winds up with his present project.

So does that imply a no from the musician? Well, that’s only for him to tell!

aaja nachle

2007-12-21T22:38:00.000+05:30

Top nautch. That's Madhuri Dixit in her comeback. Chiselled, charming, chirpy and enchanting, Madhuri dances her way into the tailor made plot and takes to the screen like she has never been away.

Writer Jaideep Sahni has given the gorgeous Dixit a role she can sink her teeth into. The character is rebellious and yet ravishing. A dancer returns from the US to a small conservative town years after she eloped with an American. What happened to her cross-cultural marriage is quickly swept under the carpet in one voice-over statement. She brings with her a cynical little daughter who keeps wondering when she can go home. Frankly, after a while, so do we.

Cinematographer turned director Anil Mehta furnishes the story of a culture clash and the prodigal daughter's return to her roots with a minty melt-in-the-mouth sensation. You have it. And you move on.

In a film that addresses itself to the critical question of cultural erosion, there's a lamentable lack of lucidity in the narration. You are given the characters that govern the theme but you aren't given a chance to look at their lives and socio-cultural conflicts in any depth or detail.

Too many people inhabit Mehta's quaint, appealing, but finally unsubstantiated world of half-lived dreams and forgotten values.

The screenplay resorts to the oldest trick in the book of inspirational art. A bunch of chronic losers are provided encouragement and final triumph with the help of a disgraced coach.

'Aaja Nachle' takes the 'Lagaan' and 'Chak De India' scenario and trans-locates it to the fine arts. The results are fitfully humorous and enticing but never exploratory in any serious or durable way.

Madhuri's character is spunky, fiery, and acerbic, and is liable to give the sardonic businessman (Akshay Khanna in a surprisingly warm cameo) a tongue-lashing with the same ferocity that she invests into sweet-talking the local politician (Akhilendra Mishra) into political patronage.

But somewhere the romantic sub-plot featuring Kunal Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma as the local goon and female buffoon, respectively, gets the better of the narration.

In the second-half, Anil Mehta's storytelling begins to sag. Thankfully, Madhuri's acting does not.

Stunningly statuesque and expressive, she carries the weight of the over-populated plot on her frail shoulders with endearing enthusiasm. But even Madhuri is unequal to the task when the absurdities begin to pile up in a plot that culminates in the naive idealism of the lengthy Laila-Majnu skit.

Though there's much talk of sanskriti (culture), kalaa (art) and sabhyata (civilisation) in the dialogues, none of this gets a roomy or deep representation in any of the sequences. Too busy cutting the scenes into trendy snippets, the editor somewhere loses the essence and spirit of the cultural theme.

The multitudinous characters of the dusty town, brilliantly captured on camera by Mohanan, prepare for a dance ballet on Laila-Majnu with as much seriousness as a bunch of kindergarten students putting together a birthday skit for their favourite teacher.

Besides the majestic Madhuri, the rest of talented cast also gets seriously supportive in this pale tale of losers and hooters. Standing out in the vast cast are Ranbir Shorey as Madhuri's still besotted jilted husband-to-be and Vinay Pathak as her stuffy landlord who learns to loosen up.

The actors rise and shine even when they are given ridiculous lines to mouth. For example, Irrfan Khan as the stereotypical real-estate shark sinks his teeth into a role that requires an out-and-out filmy villainy.

The choreography, sets and costumes convey no sense of continuity. In the climax, gym-built beefcakes emerge from nowhere in the backward town to line up as dancers. The venue for dance performances looks like a plaster of Paris representation of Roman ruins. While the plot talks of fine arts and culture, Madhuri's dances look like carryovers from her dhak-dhak days.

Having said all this, let's make it explicitly clear that 'Aaja Nachle' rises notches above the routine. Its heart is in the right place, even if the rationale of staging a musical play to redeem a sagging town falls apart somewhere down the line.

Selvaraghavan's B'wood debut with Vivek Oberoi

2007-09-29T00:00:00.000+05:30

Bollywood is no more too far fetched for Tamil Cinema now. It was only the very lucky (or successful) directors who were really able to score a Bollywood big one. Among them are Bharatiraja and K Bhagyaraaj. Some of these directors had very bad experiences and jumped straight back into Tamil Cinema.

But in the changing of trends, many young and upcoming directors have found a good opening in Bollywood. The nig boys of Bollywood, The Khans and the Bachchans, seem to be very eager to get things going with South Indian film directors – even those who are making their debut in Bollywood. At present, Prabhudeva is working with Salman Khan in Pokkiri Hindi remake and AR Murugadoss is working on the Ghajini Hindi remake with Aamir Khan.

Now add another top-notch director to that list - Selvaraghavan. He has tasted success with Tamil Cinema over and over again. Now he will work with none other than Vivek Oberoi. The film is the Hindi remake of 7G Rainbow Colony.

The star recently visited Chennai, the place where he was born, and watched the orignal film with Dhanush and Selvaraghavan. After watching the film, he was on the top of the world and asked the director to start the work of the film as soon as possible. He later dined with Selva and his family. Selva will first finish the shooting of Aayirathil Oruvan before starting the shooting of the film.

Selva will direct his debut Hindi movie after the completion of Aayirathil Oruvan.

Jodha Akbar

2007-09-28T23:39:00.000+05:30

Ashutosh Gowariker’s film Jodha Akbar is one hugely anticipated film. The man who delivered two finest fines in the past years, Swades and Lagaan, is back. And this time with a historical movie. Surely Ashutosh is not afraid of exploring unexplored zones. Ashustosh also has a great cast for his film Jodha Akbar. Hrithik Roshan plays the Mughal Emperor, Akbar while Aishwarya Rai plays Akbar’s wife, the Rajput princess, Jodha.

I did not quite enjoy Hrithik’s and Aishwarya’s chemistry in Dhoom 2. Surely expecting Ashutosh Gowariker to create magical romance between the two in Jodha Akbar.

Just recently the look of Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai for Jodha Akbar was revealed by Ashutosh. If you thought Sanjay Leela Bhansali was clever by hiding Ranbir and Sonam Kapoor in Saawariya, then you gotta check this picture out.

There’s a certain royal quality to Hrithik’s face and body language. As for Aishwarya, to me she’s the quintessential princess…straight out of Amar Chitra Katha….the distressed princess waiting in her chamber to be rescued. Aishwarya has the elegance and of course the beauty. Calling her beautiful is an understatement. Though we’ve seen her in so many avatars as Jodha she’s something else. Hrithik and Ash are amazing together.

Hrithik Roshan

After receiving rave reviews for Dhoom 2, Hrithik Roshan is heading towards yet another milestone in his career. And this time it’s a role of a life time, that of Emperor Akbar that he’s portraying in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s mega epic Jodha Akbar. And to give himself a more authentic royal look, Hrithik will be spotted with a moustache in the film. From his muscular look in Dhoom 2 to the royal look, Hrithik seems to be giving perfectionist Aamir some tough competition!

After learning Wushu (a martial art) for Krrish and ice skating for Dhoom 2, the actor is undergoing special training to ride an elephant adeptly and convincingly for Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Akbar Jodha, ..

Given that Hritik prefers to do all his stunts himself, he will do the same in Akbar Jodha too. “Action director Ravi Diwan has composed the war sequence keeping Hrithik’s calibre as an actor in mind. It won’t be like Krrish or Dhoom 2, the film will be mostly about hand-to-hand fight. Hrithik even asked me to change the grip of the sword because he wanted to feel comfortable while doing the scenes,” says Nitin.

In an interview to Mumbai Mirror in the past, Hrithik had said, “I have complete faith in Ashutosh’s directorial capability. Had it been any other director, I wouldn’t have agreed to do a period film. For Akbar Jodha, I will start reading books on Mughal history, especially on Emperor Akbar. All I can say about the film is that the depiction of Akbar is nothing like what we have seen in the past. It’s sad that whenever we talk of historical films, people have an image of a theatrical representation of the era. But Ashu’s film will be far more real and a true representation of the era.” Scholar, Haider Ali Sahib is helping Ashutosh with the research for the film.

Actor Hrithik Roshan is, apparently, a thorough professional who does not believe in half-measures.Currently he has shifted base to Karjat, approximately 100 kilometre from Mumbai where Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodha Akbar is being canned.Now, given the Mumbai traffic, the commute to Karjat would take him a minimum of three hours one way, so the actor has hit upon a novel idea.

Ashok Vasodia, his secretary revealed to our sources that the star has hired a helicopter that takes off from the set and lands the star at Juhu aerodrome in 15 minutes flat.It is noteworthy that Hrithik is picking up the tab for his travels unlike many other star brats who would expect the producers to foot the bill!

When contacted, Sunaina Roshan confirmed the news, saying, “Hrithik’s schedule was very hectic and I guess, this way he saves a lot of valuable time. It just takes him 20 minutes to reach Mumbai this way. Otherwise he simply ended up spending all his time travelling to and from Karjat.”

Aishwarya Rai

While Aishwarya was shooting in London for `Provoked‘, she got an SMS from Gowarikar, which read “WILL U B MY JODHA?” And Ash instantly responded by saying yes and the two later met in Mumbai and shook hands on the deal.

“Ashutosh had made it clear from the start that it would be either a new girl or me for Jodha. I respected his clear-headed thinking. When he came to me I was delighted.”,says Aishwarya Rai.

An admirer of Gowarikar’s works, Ash is all praise for his commitment. “I love the painstaking research he does for each film. It showed in Lagaan and Swades .

“For ‘Jodha-Akbar‘, he’s going into reams and reams of homework. It’s almost like rediscovering a whole new era with the director…a very fascinating process for any actor, specially at a time when he or she is trying to discover new facets to her personality, like I am.”

Ash was all praise for Hrithik.

“I’ve done a world tour with him. He’s such a focused, dedicated and passionate actor. Working with him would definitely be an enriching experience. With every film I hope to evolve as an actor. With someone like Hrithik for a co-star that process of growth becomes even easier.”

Video : Hrithik Talks About Jodha Akbar:-

Ghajini By Aamir

2007-09-28T22:52:00.000+05:30

Jiah Khan made hot news the moment she made her debut on the big screen with the controversial Nishabd, opposite Amitabh Bachchan. And now the sultry beauty has made news again. The latest is that Jiah Khan has bagged a role opposite none other than Aamir Khan in the much talked about Ghajini.

According to sources Jiah Khan and Tamil actress Asin will be paired opposite Aamir Khan in this hindi remake of Christopher Nolan’s thriller Memento. Ghajini revolves around an amnesiac man’s hunt for his fiancée’s killer.

Initially, Ayesha Takia was supposed to do one of the lead roles, but she later backed out of Ghajini for unknown reasons. Kangana Ranaut then signed the film, however, when the actress went to town proclaiming her good fortune, Aamir reportedly got quite pisssed off with her and decided to drop the idea of casting her. Priyanka Chopra was then said to be next in line for the same role, and the actress, reports claimed, was very keen to sign the film. Unfortunately, that was not to be. So now its Jiah Khan opposite Aamir Khan for Ghajini and hopefully there will not be further changes. So that’s another feather onto Jiah khan’s cap.

I have seen the original film Memento and the screenplay, editing, story, direction are just fantastic. It’s a top notch film and to be able to replicate it will be a tough task. Thank God, Ghajini will be having Bollywood’s finest actor Aamir Khan playing the lead role. Just waiting to see how Bollywood be able to remake Memento. Hope its not a let down.

Aamir Khan is also reportedly going to sport a bald look in the film. However, Aamir will not have a bald look throughout the film. Only the second half of the Ghajini demands that he have no hair. So the extra professional Aamir khan is going to go the bald way….
Sources reveal that Aamir Khan does not have any apprehensions about the new look.He was given the option of wearing a wig, but turned it down. Way to go Aamir we need more actors like you in Bollywood.

Here’s a trailer of Memento. Watch the video and see what you can expect out of Ghajini.

Though the pictures do not look impressive, we hope that they come out better after digital processing in the post production.

Ghajini is a physcological thriller and has Aamir Khan, Asin ( South actress) and Jiah Khan. The movie is inspired from the cult English classic, Memento.

Century for shivaji

2007-09-26T20:01:00.000+05:30

September 22, 2007

Is the day that we all knew would surely come. It was done and decided that such a day would happen and it would be celebrated in a fitting fashion. Even before June 15th we knew that September 22 would be special. Today Sivaji completes 100 days in theaters and without much argument the past 100 days have been the best in the history of Tamil cinema. Close to 500 theaters, more than 7 states in India and more than 7 foreign countries- neighbors, Asian, European and American.

That was the number of theaters that showed Sivaji on June 15th and today 100 days from that date nearly 200 theaters are still showing the movie. Some of them are in Kerala, in Karnataka, some others are in Canada and Britain. Rarely does a movie have such a wide reach, rarely are so many tickets sold for a single movie, rarely do so man people go crazy over one man, rarely do cinema and history go hand in hand.

But when it is Superstar in action we know that history is in the making. It is much like Sachin Tendulkar batting; when he bats he has only one record to break- his own. When a Rajinikanth movie releases it has to get better of only the previous Rajini movie. Everything else is a foregone conclusion. It was the same with Sivaji. The only thing everyone wanted to know was whether it would do better than Chandramukhi and today we have the answer for you- very easy to guess.

Yes. Sivaji is Rajini’s-Tamil cinema’s biggest ever in terms of, well….. everything that you can think of. The biggest and best combination of sheer talent, star power and tradition that Tamil cinema has seen.

The biggest budget, the biggest release and of course the biggest hit… it doesn’t get any bigger and there is only one man who can make things bigger- Superstar himself, when he chooses to do so. If Shankar and Rahman are amongst the greatest in their chosen fields of expertise and AVM is the production house most steeped in tradition. That was the stage that was set for the Superstar effect to unleash; this was the only stage that could do justice to awesome potential that a Superstar movie has to offer. And what was done was more than just justice. Sivaji is not about the creation of a hit, it is about the creation of new frontiers, new benchmarks which will spur others in Tamil cinema to work harder, to go higher and expect more out of themselves.

What this Superstar movie has proved is that “Success is a journey, not a destination”. The pursuit of excellence never stops and there is no place for complacency, no matter how big a star you are, no matter how sure of success you may be.

We all might think that Rajinikanth has nothing to prove to anyone; he’s been there and done that, given the biggest hits Indian cinema has known, reached the pinnacles of stardom, become the idol of crores and yet in each frame of Sivaji you can see the efforts that he has taken, the hard work he has put in, the new things he has tried and done to make the movie an unforgettable one for all of us as if he is a newcomer who still has to prove his mettle to everyone.

They say, ‘only a retired actor has nothing to prove to anyone’ and that’s what Superstar seems to be following and thank God he has not shown any inclination towards retirement, in fact the next Superstar movie is almost sure to happen (at least we like to believe in that) quite soon.

It would be sacrilege to not give special mention to everyone involved in the creation of this movie. Shankar, we need not tell you how good he is at doing what he did in Sivaji. Painting larger than life characters on a larger than life canvas is his bread and butter but in Sivaji he gave new dimensions to the term ‘larger than life’. Rahman might indisputably be the best music director in India at the moment but the efforts that he put into this project are obvious to all music lovers; its one thing to give good tunes but it takes a lot of dedication to travel around the world in search of new sounds, new kinds of music and put them together to create a great album. K.V. Anandh grabbed the opportunity to be part of such a great team and gave his best work yet and AVM was always there to provide everything that the team needed to enable them create a product that would be yet another feather in the cap of this haloed production house. It was as if everyone realized that they were not working on just another movie. Sivaji is the result of that realization.

Sivaji is not ‘great cinema’ in the context in which critics use the quote. But then no one pretended it is. Neither the director nor producer ever said that it was going to be one. What they set out to make was a Superstar movie, for the countless Superstar fans (me and you) to enjoy and cherish. They set out to create a thing of beauty that will remain a joy forever and they achieved everything they set out to and more. They created history and today history is in its 100th day and we know that it is just the beginning.