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Kangana Ranaut posed nude for cover page of a film magazine, She says, "What's the big deal about the picture?"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 06:08:00 +0000

Kangana Ranaut have posed nude for cover page of a film magazine. The picture is accompanied by a headline that really screams - ‘Naked truth exposed!’ It has caught a lot of attention. Though she cool enough. She says, “What’s the big deal about the picture? Are any of my vital organs seen? I haven’t posed nude at all. These days one doesn’t need to. Body suits are available readily in the market.” She can’t understand why so many eyebrows are being raised! “Why would I be upset? It was for an annual issue and we just tried doing something different. In my profession, one has to do different kinds of photo shoots. I fail to understand why such a big deal is being made about a normal picture,” adds Kangana.

Source: Bollywoodpremiere

Katrina Kaif, Salman Khan are heading for breakup?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 05:56:00 +0000

Bollywood troubled actor Salman Khan seems to be heading for another breakup. In fact, he was at an all time low after his breakup with Aishwarya Rai ( now, Aishwarya Bachchan) until he found Katrina Kaif. They have been going steady for some years now, but the story seems to have changed of late. The grapevine is abuzz with the news that they have split.

Sources revealed that Salman had a tiff with Katrina after she signed a few films without his consent. It was rumoured that Salman was not happy with Katrina for signing a film with Shahid Kapoor. It is also said that she abruptly hung up on him when she failed to convince him on the matter.

Katrina is currently busy shooting for Singh is King in Australia while Salman is shooting for Boney Kapoor”s Wanted – Dead and Alive in Mumbai. However, Salman seems to have cancelled the shooting of the film after the tiff with his girlfriend.

Well, it looks like this is the beginning of another great split!

Source: OneIndia

Aaja Nachle Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 05:49:00 +0000

A ‘comeback’ film always holds significance. Dilip Kumar [Kranti], Amitabh Bachchan [Mrityudatta], Vinod Khanna [Insaaf], Dimple Kapadia [Saagar], Mumtaz [Aandhiyaan] and Kajol [Fanna] are names you cannot erase from your memory since the celebrated actors returned to the big screen after a hiatus.

With Aaja Nachle, Madhuri Dixit, who reigned supreme, is back to the studios with the Numero Uno production house of the country. Does the actress still possess the charisma to ignite fire in water? Also, does the vehicle she chooses to make a comeback with, have the fuel to reach the winning post?

Sadly, Aaja Nachle is below the mediocre mark and doesn’t meet the humungous expectations that you associate with the Yashraj - Madhuri combo. What’s the problem? Without a doubt, the script! What starts off as a story that seems real and identifiable becomes a fairy tale in the latter hour. Also, with a title like Aaja Nachle and the story harping on music, the songs had to be chartbusters. That’s just not the case here!

In short, Aaja Nachle fails in the two vital departments — writing and music. The film doesn’t make your heart go dhak-dhak, nor does it prompt you to break into a nach at the end of the show.

After nearly a decade, an unexpected phone call shakes Dia [Madhuri Dixit] out of her dance rehearsal in New York. Makarand [Darshan Zariwala], her guru, is dying and she must return to Shamli, a town in India. The town where she grew up, the town where she learnt to live and to dance. Also the town she left on an impulse, severing ties with her parents and her people.

It is a poignant and troubled return; not only has her guru passed away but the institution that he so lovingly nurtured is in decay and under threat of demolition. Ajanta theatre, the once vibrant hub of the community, the place where Dia’s fondest memories are embedded, must now be brought down because the local political authorities feel it a waste of prime real estate.

With the help of Doctor [Raghuvir Yadav], the caretaker of Ajanta, Dia sets out on a mission to prevent the destruction and resurrect the spirit of Ajanta. In an atmosphere of mistrust, ridicule and active hostility, Dia picks up the gauntlet and agrees to achieve the near impossible task of putting together a theatrical production. She must also ensure that every member of the production is from Shamli town. She has only two months to prove her point or the bulldozers will be waiting.

Bearing a striking similarity to the Brazilian film XUXA REQUEBRA, Jaideep Sahni’s screenplay is the biggest culprit here. The protagonist [Madhuri] knows that there would be hurdles galore on her way, as she embarks on a journey to realize her guru’s dreams. But she hardly struggles to achieve the impossible. Even the corrupt politician [Akhilendra Mishra] or the shrewd businessman [Irrfan], who could’ve proved to be tough nuts to crack, give in so easily.

Besides, the goings-on get too unbelievable. The first question that crosses your mind is, how does Madhuri raise the funds to put up this spectacular event [the set design in the penultimate song is marvellous]? Okay, that’s a cinematic liberty, but, seriously, there should’ve been at least some reference to where the money would flow in to fund this mammoth, lavish and extravagant event. What starts off as a ‘real’ film, drifts into a ’surreal’ world as it moves ahead.

Debutante director Anil Mehta knows the importance of frames/visuals since he’s an accomplished cinematographer. But Mehta ought to know by now that it’s the content that does the talking eventually. The writing is too commonplace to make any impact whatsoever. In an effort to strike a balance between believable and make-believe, Aaja Nachle falls like a pack of cards.

Salim-Sulaiman’s music is another minus point. You expect the songs to linger in your memory even after the show has ended… that’s what makes a musical tick, right? It’s not the case here. Dialogues are wonderful at places, especially the ones delivered by Akshaye Khanna and Madhuri. Cinematography [Mohanan] is splendid.

Madhuri has always delivered qualitative performances and the fire continues to burn to this date. She’s top notch, but how one wishes the script would’ve done justice to her talent. It doesn’t offer her a pedestal to take that big leap. The loyal Madhuri fans would surely feel disillusioned and saddened.

Akshaye Khanna is tremendous. In fact, it’s a treat to watch Madhuri and Akshaye together, after a hiatus. Kunal Kapoor is likable; he enacts his part with natural ease. Konkona is nice, but when compared to her previous work, it’s definitely not in that league.

Irrfan, in a brief role, is okay. Divya Dutta too is relegated to the backseat. Ranvir Shorey is first-rate. Ditto for Raghuvir Yadav. Darshan Zariwala does a fine job. Yashpal Sharma is alright. Vinay Pathak and Sushmita Mukherjee are adequate. Akhilendra Mishra is as usual. Jugal Hansraj gets no scope. Vinod Nagpal and Uttara Baokar, as Madhuri’s parents, have nothing much to do. Felix D’Alviella [as Steve — Madhuri’s lover] is passable.

On the whole, Aaja Nachle disappoints big time. At the box-office, the film has embarked on a poor start and coupled with weak merits will only emerge as one of the major disappointments of the year.

Source: OneIndia

Saif ali khan now behind deepika padukone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 05:44:00 +0000

Now it’s Saif’s turn to become become a producer and like his good friend SRK, chhote nawab is also looking forward to cast Deepika ‘Shanti’ Padukone in a lead role opposite him.

The actor has already finalized a project titled ‘Agent Vinod’, to be directed by Sriram Raghavan next year. In all likelihood, the film will star Saif’s latest flame Kareena Kapoor.

But now, rumours have it that Saif is eager to start another film before ‘Agent Vinod’. The actor has reportedly been impressed by director Imtiaz Ali ’s work in Jab We Met and has been discussing several scripts with him.

And Deepika Padukone, who made her dream debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Om Shanti Om, is under consideration for the lead role in the film.

Saif says the cast of the film will be announced once the script is ready.

On a different film, Deepika is all set to do a film with Akshay Kumar. The flick will be directed by Nikhil Advani and produced by Rohan Sippy.

Amitabh-Aamir: War of Words

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 05:40:00 +0000

Big B Aamir Khan war of words is heating up everyday. Aamir in a recent media interview panned director Sanjay Leela Bhansali for his handling of the film Black terming it ‘insensitive and manipulative.’ He also termed the performances of the actors ‘over the top’.

The criticism did not go down well with Amitabh Bachchan. In an interview with a tabloid he was asked what he thought about Aamir’s ‘over the top’ remark.

“I cannot comment whether my performance was towering or not, but Aamir may be right on the other maybe the performances did go ‘over the top’ of his head!” Amitabh responded.

In his response to Bachchan’s outburst, Aamir Khan posted a blog entry that was calm and matter of fact.

“I have the highest regard for Mr Bachchan and I am very big fan of his work. Probably one of the biggest. I believe that he along with Mr Dilip Kumar are among my two favourite actors of Indian Cimema.

I have no hesitation in saying that I don”t even feature on the same platform as an actor. He is also in my opinion THE biggest star that Indian Cinema has ever seen.”

Putting his comments on Black in perspective Aamir continues,

“My big exception towards Black is the fact that a child with severe difficulties is shown being ill treated instead of being treated with love, care and understanding. I simply cannot come to terms with that no matter what the writer and director say in defence.”

Source: Santabanta

Goal Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:33:00 +0000

Cast: John Abraham, Bipasha Basu,Arshad Warsi,Boman Irani; Director: Vivek Agnihotri;
Rating: **1/2

Think of sports-based films made in India and visuals of lagaan and chak de india flash across your mind. Will Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal fall in the same league as these immensely popular flicks, is one vital question that crosses your mind as the reels of UTV’s new sport-based film [their second this year, after HATTRICK] Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal are about to unfold.

Goal is a simple story that packs not just the sport, but also dabbles with issues like racism and fanaticism associated with this sport. Issues that Westerners can relate to more than Indians, especially racial discrimination.

As a film, Goal has its share of highs and lows. If the first hour is strictly okay, the pendulum swings in its favour in the second hour — in the last 20 minutes, to be precise. The sport succeeds in arousing patriotic feelings, besides involving the viewer in the fight-to-finish finale.

Conversely, there are times when you feel that the film falls back on the predictable, tried-n-tested mundane stuff. And packs in something [’Billo’, the song] that’s just not in sync with the mood of the film.

To sum up, Goal is a simple story, well told. Notwithstanding the hiccups, this film hits a Goal, courtesy its brilliantly executed finale.

Southall United Football Club is facing its deepest crisis ever. Bankrupt, with no stars, no coach, no sponsors, no takers, no spectators and most importantly, no owner. After the City Council sends an eviction notice, it’s the last chance to save the ground, the club and their honour. Shaan [Arshad Warsi] takes up the challenge to save the club from extinction. After a disesteemed ex-player, Tony Singh [Boman Irani], joins them as the coach, Shaan and he begin work to gather the worn out team.

Sunny’s [ John Abraham ] dreams to play for England crashes after his club does not select him. The reason is apparently not his game, but the colour of his skin. Sunny and Shaan never see eye to eye. Adding to their personal chaos is Shaan’s cousin sister Rumana [ Bipasha Basu ], who is in love with Sunny.

Tony manages to convince Sunny to play for Southall United. It takes a while before Shaan and the team warms up to Sunny. With Sunny joining Southall United, the team gradually starts climbing the points tally. The City Council is worried. Johny Bakshi [Dalip Tahil], a commentator and a frontman of the Council, plans to lure Sunny away from Southall United.

Director Vivek Agnihotri combines style and substance in his second outing Goal. Take the sequence at the very start, when an English woman and her frontman [Dalip Tahil] reveal their plans of coming up with a shopping complex on the ground. The director opens the cards at the very outset. But the narrative dips, rises, hits a low and ascends unfailingly till the first hour ends. The sequence prior to the intermission — at the Manchester United Stadium — leaves you awe-struck and makes you look forward to a powerful second hour.

Fortunately, the drama only gets exciting in the post-interval hour. The cold vibes that Arshad and John share as also John’s volte-face, when he decides to abandon his club for the riches, give the film that extra dimension, camouflaging the defects that raised their head not too long back. The film dips at times in this hour too, but the journey to the finale is well structured. Yes, John’s change of heart is slightly filmy and cliched, but the climax is astounding. The penultimate 20 minutes in the stadium are awe-inspiring and that’s what you carry back home.

Vivek Agnihotri knows what he’s talking and though you know that he got swayed by technique in his very first film chocolate, in Goal, he never lets technique overpower content. The story is simple, but absorbing and presented stylishly. He’s truly evolved into a fine storyteller.

There’re just two songs in the narrative — the anthem Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal/excellent and ‘Billo’/well-tuned, but the mujra doesn’t go well with the mood of the film. Attar Singh Saini’s cinematography is striking. The camera movements — so difficult in a film like this — are exemplary.

Both John and Arshad are the ‘Men of the Match’. John is a revelation. Wrongly dubbed as a clotheshorse in his earlier films, he hits a goal in Goal. John lends the right texture to his character. He not only looks right for the part, but also plays the sport like a pro. Goal should occupy the top slot in his body of work!

Arshad Warsi is superb. An incredibly talented actor whose versatility speaks volumes. Cast in a sober, serious role this time, Arshad enacts the part with as much ease as he portrayed Circuit. Bipasha Basu may not have a lengthy role, but she adds zing to the goings-on as and when she appears. Her love story with John is really cute.

Boman Irani is top notch. Note his roar at the intermission point or the uneasiness he displays whenever his team locks horns with the rivals on field. It’s a flawless performance. Raj Zutshi is first-rate. Dalip Tahil carries the venomous part well. The actor enacting the role of Arshad’s wife does a commendable job.

On the whole, Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal has an ordinary first hour, but the post-interval portions, especially the exhilarating climax, makes up for everything. At the box-office, the producers [UTV] have already recovered the cost of production from various sales and in-film advertising. The theatrical business will only add to the booty, considering the film has the merits to work with moviegoers. Another factor that goes in its favour — and it’s an important one — is the fact that the moviegoers haven”t seen a new release post-Diwali. That should reap dhan for Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal.

Source: OneIndia

SRK and Amitabh Bachchan cold war still on !

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 14:43:00 +0000

There are friendships and enmities galore in Bollywood, and the two are often interchangeable. In most cases, you never know which is which, since both are cloaked under the guise of professionalism.

Take Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, as examples. The rivalry between the emperor and the king began when SRK took up ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati 3′ as a host. Their on-again, off-again friendship has been in the news since then.

Recently, on the day of the release of his latest film, ‘Om Shanti Om’, Shah Rukh was the chief guest on ‘Nach Baliye 3′, on STAR Plus.

Here, he spoke about his heroine, Deepika Padukone, and mentioned that he had a blast working with her. There was one slight problem, he added, and that was her height.

“We wanted one kissing scene, but I only reached up to her stomach,” he joked. “Her height is suitable for one hero only, and that is Amitabh Bachchan,” he added.

Maybe he was joking, but if it was a dig (which only Shah Rukh can confirm), we do not think the Big B will take it lightly. Especially since much has been written about Amitabh already not being too pleased with SRK. And whatever happened to Shah Rukh’s declaration of being a happy person, and therefore wanting to spread happiness? Rajnee Gupta

Aishwarya and Salman Khan together - Thanks to London’s famous wax museum

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 14:40:00 +0000

Thanks to London’s famous wax museum, Madame Tussauds, Aishwarya Bachchan and former flame Salman Khan will get to be together.

Well, we’re talking about their wax statues at the museum. Salman’s statue at the museum will be unveiled in January 2008. Aishwarya already has a statue dedicated to her at the museum. Our source says, “This will immortalise them together.”

And the reasons for placing the statues together are purely business oriented. “After SRK’s wax figure in Madame Tussauds was unveiled, business quadrupled. If Salman and her statues are paired together, business will further multiply,” the source adds. When contacted, Salman Ahmed (Group Managing Director of Bobby Khan Holdings who now have the rights to open Madame Tussauds in Mumbai) says, “There has never been any branding here but recently, we have been inundated by offers from corporates in India. A new zone called the Bollywood Zone is being created,” he added.

When questioned about whether Salman’s statue was being placed beside Aishwarya, he said, “There is a good possibility for everything, depending on the demand and of course, Madame Tussauds authorities.”

Ranbir Kapoor - God is graceful

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 14:38:00 +0000

Where the female debutante of ‘Saawariya’, Sonam Kapoor, is going places after signing ‘Delhi 6’, the male debutante, Ranbir Kapoor, son of Rishi-Neetu Kapoor is not far behind.
The ‘chirag’ of ‘Kapoor Khandan’ has already started work for his next movie even within days of his first release. The film from Yash Raj production house directed by Siddhartha Ananad is yet untitled and interestingly, in this film the chocolate-boy Ranbir will be seen romancing not just one or two but four heroines- Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif, Minissha Lamba and Deepika Padukone. Any doubts about Gods’ grace?

Shilpa Shetty now a Flop show in UK

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 14:37:00 +0000

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty’s musical Miss Bollywood has been canceled yet again, after being severely panned by critics.

However, the reason being given for the sudden termination is the actress’ ill health.

The 32-year-old actress was forced to open her musical in Germany after she failed to receive any financial backing from London’s West End.

Her musical suffered a series of obstacles since its premiere, including harsh critical reviews, costume malfunctions and poor ticket sales.

The Celebrity Big Brother winner was due to perform in Cardiff on Nov 9 but didn’t turn up after succumbing to an unknown illness.

“Shilpa has been ill all week and it on a course of antibiotics. She needs to take a rest,” her tour organizer, Farhath Hussain, said.

Rani Mukherjee lands into trouble

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 14:35:00 +0000

Getting into a land deal has turned out to be a nightmare for Rani Mukherjee. Wanting to build a house in Shirdi near Kopargaon in Ahmednagar district, Rani purchased a 11,000 square feet land in December, 2005 for Rs. 33 lakh from one Sampat More, but unfortunately the land was non-transferable and hence non-saleable.

The scam came in the limelight only after her father Ram applied for the addition of her name on the 7/12 extract (a document proving ownership). Later, they found that the said land was conditionally leased out for tilling by the State Farming Corporation to a certain Raman Kshirsagar, and that the land can be neither bought nor sold without prior approval. Kshirsagar carved up the land on the pretext of making a kiln, and eventually, sold it to 17 buyers instead of setting up the kiln. Sampat More happened to be one of the 17 buyers, who later went on to sell the same to Rani Mukherjee. The administration has sent an inquiry notice to all 17 buyers.

The district collector of Ahmednagar, Umakant Dangat, charged the Mukherjees saying that they should have enquired before getting into a transaction. He said, “Rani Mukerji’s father had come here a few days ago to have the land registered in their names but the land was already allotted for farming purposes.”

Bipasha Basu is the world’s sexiest Asian woman in 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 14:34:00 +0000

Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu has been named the sexiest Asian woman in the world 2007 by a leading London-based asian daily.

Legendary bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit, 42, was the runner-up while last year’s winner Priyanka Chopra, 25, was placed third by the daily.

The top ten women are, Bipasha Basu, Madhuri Dixit, Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya Rai, Laila Rouass, Shilpa Shetty, Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor, Lara Dutta and Iman Ali.

Brit babes on the 2007 list include Laila Rouass (5), Amrita Hunjan (20), Sophie (33), Pooja Shah (36), Konnie Huq (40) Mia (42) Parminder Nagra (43), Selina Soopramanien (47) and Anjlee Desai (48).

It is the third time that that the daily has published a list of 50 sexiest Asian women.

The 2005 winner was also Bipasha.

Commenting on her selection, the 28 year old said, “I’m glad I got the crown back and will try and hold onto it this time. I think sexiness goes beyond just looks and is a total package, from your personality to the way you carry yourself in your every day life. I’m really grateful to whoever voted for me because I work very hard.”

Bipasha will next be seen on the silver screen in ‘Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal’, alongside her real life beau John Abraham.

Hamant Verma, editor of the daily and founder of its sexiest Asian women in the world list, said, “Bipasha Basu is a living embodiment of sexual attractiveness. Her acting ability, beauty and charm are capable of arousing great interest in her from the world’s media.”

SHOCKING: Shahid takes Vidya home?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:34:00 +0000

yesterday, an intrepid reporter told me how he caught the two travelling to the latter's home after an event. Vidya was attending a press conference for her next film Halla Bol at a suburban Mumbai hotel. After giving out sound bytes, posing for pictures and the works, she stepped into her black Honda CRV. 50 metres away from the hotel's main gate, the car stopped; the driver got off and started signalling furiously towards someone behind. Seconds later, a silver Toyota Innova pulled over and before you could say 'Jack Robinson', Vidya jumped out of her car and promptly stepped into the silver Innova. Not to be outdone, my eager beaver reporter friend decided to follow them in an auto rickshaw (oh yes, sometimes the three wheeler can work wonders in Mumbai traffic).

Apparently glasses in the Innova were so tinted that absolutely nothing was visible. In fact, a small patch close to the side-view mirror was especially left uncovered for the driver to see the oncoming traffic. While this reporter friend was not quite sure about who else was in the car with the actress, his question was answered when at a particular traffic signal he saw a silhouette (which looked like Shahid's) changing position, from the navigator's to the passenger's seat.

Somewhere along, the twosome realised they were being followed and tried changing course. Of course, the measly rickshaw was no match for the mighty Innova and our friend almost lost them twice. But then again, thanks to the traffic he found himself barely inches away from the powerful machine.

The couple knew they would be on firmer grounds when they reached the area near Shahid's home, which has a lot of by lanes and trees right in the middle of the roads. Little did they realise that manoeuvring a rickshaw is far simpler than driving an SUV. So all attempts of trying to outrun the rickshaw failed.

Welcome Movie Trailer-Akshay-Katrina in Welcome

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:32:00 +0000

Salman Khan helps Broke Clark in a hit and run case

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:05:00 +0000

Salman Khan has already burnt his fingers in a hit and run case. So, no doubt the actor turned up to help a Canadian model friend of his to save her from being arrested in the same case.

Early Sunday morning, Salman Khan got a call from the Canadian model Broke Clark asking him to come to her help at Worli in Mumbai. Broke was driving a Swift car that collided against a motorbike that was being driven by two police constables; the constables were injured and rushed to the hospital.

Salman was at the scene of accident in no time and he also accompanied the model to Worli Police Station. Actor Jackie Shroff also joined him at the Police station and both of them bailed the Canadian beauty out from jail and walked out with her.

Later Salman had to pay for his generous nature as he was questioned for over an hour late Tuesday in connection with the accident case.

“Salman was seen at the accident spot within minutes of the incident and we had called him for an enquiry like in any other case as we normally do. He was busy shooting during the day due to which he came at the Worli police station at around 9 pm IST,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone 3) Ashok Deshbhratar said in Mumbai.

Broke must be truly obliged to Salman for his help. Is Katrina Listening?

Sonam Kapoor finalized for ‘Delhi 6′

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:03:00 +0000

Om Shanti Om may have overshadowed Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Saawariya’, but there is no denying to the fact that the movie has done fairly well at the box-office and both Ranbir and Sonam Kapoor have been well received by the audiences.

Now, Sonam Kapoor has apparently bagged the role of the female lead in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Rang De Basanti fame)’s semi-autobiographical film ‘Delhi 6’. Mehra took almost an year to finalize his male lead and finally zeroed in on Abhishek Bachchan.

Mehra called in Sonam and her dad, Anil Kapoor for a script hearing session where both oso them liked the script and gave a positive nod for the film. However, Sonam is yet to sign the dotted line.

No doubt, the tinsel town’s newbie is beaming!!

Laxmi Mittal and Emma Thompson at Om Shanti Om’s premier

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:57:00 +0000

The premier of Bollywood movie ‘Om Shanti Om’ at Leisceter Square London on the night of 15th November 2007 is an event of its kind in the history of Bollywood as the event is marked by the auspicious presence of celebrities like steel Magnate Laxmi Mittal and Hollywood actress Emma Thompson. According to SRK there other celebrities including the cast of the movie would be presented at the occasion of the premiere of the movie.

Om Shanti Om is not SRK’s first home production movie to be premiered in London; earlier Ashoka was also premiered at Leicester in 2002. Shahrukh favored the premier of movie in London, not only because of Indian diaspora but also for the presence of global audience there.

London has special place in Shahrukh’s kitty and hopefully would play a nice omen in the success of ‘Om Shanti Om’

2007 brings sports and Bollywood together

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 08:34:00 +0000

2007 saw them together at every opportune moment. Be it SRK adding glamour with her OSO co-star Deepika Padukone at 20-20 cricket or Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the sets of John Abraham’s ‘Aashayein’- the two worlds of Sports and Bollywood are comfortably merging together.

The formula had been tried in box-office disasters like “Stumped“, “Say Salaam India” and “Hattrick” that had sports as a theme. There have also been successful ones like Prakash Jha’s “Hip Hip Hurray“, Ashutosh Gowariker’s “Lagaan“, Nagesh Kukunoor’s “Iqbaal” and Mansoor Khan’s “Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander“.

But never before 2007, did Bollywood and sports blend so well. This year’s biggest blockbuster so far - “Chak De! India” - was clearly a watershed sports film in Hindi cinema sans any romance. This true-blue sports film grossed more than Rs.550 million in India in its first five weeks. In Yash Raj Film’s big-budget “Ta Ra Rum Pum“, Saif Ali Khan was seen enchanting the audiences on the race track. Then there was “Apne” a family drama based on boxing, which did fairly well. Yet to come is much awaited John Abraham, Arshad Warsi and Bipasha Basu starrer “Dhan Dana Dhan Goal” based on football ready for release on Nov 23.

In the que are “Raaste“, John Abraham’s next after “Dhan Dana Dhan Goal”, Subhash Ghai’s “Cycle Kick” directed by Shashi Sudigala, comedy king David Dhawan’s “Hook Ya Crook” and newcomer Sanjay Chauhan, who directs “Lahore” about kickboxing. A multi-starrer about football - “Mazhab” that reportedly stars Nana Patekar playing the coach of a team comprising Viveik Oberoi, Suniel Shetty, Arjun Rampal, Sohail Khan, Bobby and Aftab Shivdasani is also on the avail.

Konkona Sen Sharma and Kunal Kapoor to create magic again

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 08:30:00 +0000

After ‘Laaga Chunri Mein Daag’, the jodi of dashing Kunal Kapoor and bubbly Konkona Sen Sharma will be seen together again in ‘Aaja Nachle’.

Konkona Sen plays the character of Anokhi, who cannot sing or dance to save her life. On the other hand Kunal enacts the character of Imran who is a local toughie and believes that tough guys don’t dance and romance is for wimps. How Dia (Madhuri Dixit) gets these two characters, along with others, together to save the heritage of Ajanta theatre, the once vibrant hub of the community, forms the crux of ‘Aaja Nachle’.

Miss Bollywood’ in trouble

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:20:00 +0000

Shilpa Shetty’s musical ‘Miss Bollywood’ has fallen down with a thud. After failing to receive any financial backing from London’s West End, Shilpa was forced to open her musical in Germany. The premiere received a bad response and the show has been facing harsh critical reviews, costume malfunctions and poor ticket sales.

And now lead star Shilpa is down with some mystery illness, consequently failing to show-up at Friday’s performance.

Tour organizer Farhath Hussain says, “Shilpa has been ill all week and it on a course of antibiotics. She needs to take a rest.”

When Dia Mirza slapped Manoj Bajpai

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:13:00 +0000

It so happened that Dia Mirza and Manoj Bajpai were shooting for their short film ‘Zaheer’, which is part of Sanjay Gupta’s ‘Dus Kahaniyan’.

In a scene Dia was supposed to slap Manoj. As pre-decided, Dia was to wave her hand close to Manoj’s cheek giving an impression of a slap, but while shooting Dia got so carried away that she placed a real tight slap on Bajpai’s cheek shocking him to the core. Manoj was stunned for a moment but he continued with the scene because director Sanjay Gupta did not call ‘cut’. Gupta has decided to keep the shot in the film because of its real look.

After this incident Manoj has been calling Dia by a new name – Deepak, because of her manly strength.

Hollywood eyeing Bollywood market big time

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 04:44:00 +0000

The release of “Saawariya,” the first Bollywood film to be produced by a major U.S studio, Sony, will mark a turning point in Hollywood’s relationship with the Indian film industry.

The film’s release will also mark the finale of a turbulent 18 months in which Hollywood’s major producers have been battling to invest in Indian films subsequent to corporate investments in other parts of the entertainment industry.

Executives from Disney chairman Dick Cook to Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman Michael Lynton have travelled to Mumbai in order to sign deals with the second-biggest movie industry in the world.

After months of talks, some of the projects are being fully financed by the Hollywood studios, while in other cases they are joint investments, with the studios frequently putting in 50 percent of the finance.

Warner Bros. have signed a deal to fund three films made by veteran producer Ramesh Sippy, with the first, “Made in China,” due to start shooting in January.

Paramount Pictures parent Viacom has formed Viacom-18, a joint venture with local television broadcaster TV18, and might make features through its subsidiary.

Meanwhile Sony has signed a deal with Eros International, an India-based production company, to make as many as six pictures during the next year.

“India is a huge subcontinent and it has a huge moviegoing population. Even if you forget the little pictures, it still supports 400 movies a year,” the Hollywood Reporter quoted Gareth Wigan, vice chairman of Sony’s Columbia TriStar division, as saying.

Richard Fox, executive vp international at Warners, says that his studio aims to make three to seven pictures annually in India.

“If you are in the business of local-language production — which we are — you can’t exclude Hindi-speaking movies, or movies in any of the top two or three languages in India,” he said.

Experts say that changes in the Indian economy and film business have made this trend more feasible than ever before, as the cronyism that once marked the Indian industry is passé.

“They all think that India is booming, which it absolutely is. Real estate, information technology, software, the telecom industry — it is just growing in a way I have never seen before,” said Ashok Amritraj, the best-known Indian producer based in Los Angeles.

For Disney president Mark Zoradi, the key to tap into the huge Indian movie market, is to invest in local product by teaming with established Indian producers.

“Our strategy is to make movies in India, for India. We are not trying to make global exports; we are looking to do Indian movies that can play locally in India and to Indian audiences in the U.S. and the U.K. and a few other markets. If we end up with a movie that can travel, that’s great. But our primary objective is to make movies that work for India,” Zoradi said.

However, some Indian filmmakers are sceptical of Hollywood’s long-term commitment.

“The Hollywood studios are here purely for commercial and not artistic reasons. They are here to cater to the Indian market with formulaic films. I don’t think they would be interested in offbeat and edgy fare,” said Vishal Bharadwaj, one of India’s most acclaimed filmmakers.

More insiders fear that Hollywood’s arrival will lead to price inflation, a trend that is already troubling many Indian filmmakers.

“A year ago, the most expensive films were probably around 10 million dollars; today it is commonplace for a movie to be between 10 million dollars-15 million dollars. Actors have gotten a 100 percent raise in the last year. The problem is that there are only probably 10 actors and five or six directors who are names of consequence. They are very sought after, and their prices have risen dramatically,” Amritraj said.

I'm in Bollywood because of Aishwarya Rai: Deepika Deepika Padukone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 13:42:00 +0000

Actress Deepika Padukone is making her debut with the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Om Shanti Om. We caught up with the actress and asked her about the film, fellow actress Sonam Kapoor and her date for the London premiere of the film

Om Shanti Om Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 11:58:00 +0000

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Shreyas Talpade, Kiron Kher, Malaika Arora, Javed Shaikh, Arjun Rampal, Zayed Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Dino Morea, Bindu, Satish Shah, Yuvika Chaudary, Shawar Ali, Asawari Joshi; Director: Farah Khan; Rating: ****A kitschy present-day, Farah Khan take-off on the ultra-popular ’70s Bollywood potboiler that, in her own words is a tribute to filmmaking. Om (Shah Rukh Khan) is a struggling junior artiste who is a regular on the sets of RC Studios. The son of junior artistes themselves, he aspires to become a big star any day and his dreams are bolstered by his filmy best friend Pappu (Shreyas Talpade) and his even more OTT filmy mother (Kirron Kher). He is also madly in love with Bollywood’s heartthrob, the ‘Dreamy Girl’ ShantiPriya (introducing Deepika Padukone!). Alas, she is someone else’s and he doesn’t get a chance to tell her about his love as his life comes to an untimely halt.

But this is a Hindi movie and you have to leave your brains out, or so the filmmaker is telling you. So, Om takes re-birth (in the film industry itself) as a former superstar’s superstar son. And God (or the filmmaker) gives him a second chance to make the wrongs of his past life, right. And now, if we tell you anymore about the film, it will be too obvious! (It is, after all, a full filmy flick!).

Almost everything (Yes, we admit, we’ve sold our souls to SRK)! Which is 98.35 per cent of the film! The film is more a take off on the re-birth formula, made famous by Karz in the ’70s than a tribute; but it does brilliantly. Farah Khan has made everyone act superbly (yes, including Arjun Rampal!). There are so many things to watch out for so we will just list a few highlights:

The cameos by almost the entire industry (Sush, where were you?!?) The fantastic one-liners from ’70s Bollywood; the digital effects ala Forrest Gump. Deepika Padukone. Deepuka Padukone. Deepika Padukone. SRK playing a brash star brat. SRK’s abs (of course!). The witty vision of the filmmaker.

And finally Farah Khan and SRK’s and the entire film industry’s sassiness to do a take off on the take off, because, when you look at it, the film is not just a take off on ’70s Bollywood but also on today’s filmy frenzy!

Well, er, um, should we say it? You know, well, er, um… Okay, well, the sort of tackiness of the first part of the film, where Farah Khan attempts to re-create ’70s Bombay. She could have done a little more and somehow you just aren’t convinced and just know it’s a big put on. But enough! The film is good and we can overlook this shortcoming. Phew!

Hit! Hit! Hit! The masses will love it; the classes will love it too! The NRIs will gobble it up and froth over it and the youth, even though they may not get certain references to the Bollywood of yesteryears and even the line “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn”, will love it! SRK is King.

Source: Buzz18

Saawariya Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 11:46:00 +0000

Cast: Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee, Zohra Sehgal, Begum Para, Achla Sachdev; Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali; Rating: **

First off, using the ever-fantastic words of Pete Townshend entirely out of context, The Kids Are Alright.

No, Ranbir and Sonam Kapoor — megahyped bachchas sharing a surname but entirely different Bollywood legacies — aren’t, as the hype might have had you believe, the instant quick-mix superstars ready to take Bollywood into the next generation. He’s occasionally likeable, she’s undeniably attractive. And that’s that. As said, they’re alright.

The problem lies with their puppeteer, the all-conquering badshah of bluster. Sanjay Leela Bhansali takes Fyodor Dostoevsky’s White Nights — a stark, lovely story about romance born and rekindled over four nights — and, picking out its barest heart, proceeds to smother it in mixed-up layers of trite melodrama. And money. And so this soft core, this tender tale, is hidden — under several reams of indiscriminately wrapped silk and velvet, of loud noise and harsh light, of bewildering backdrops and the colour blue — so deep beneath smug self-indulgence and a bizarre budget that you can’t even hear the heartbeat anymore.

The story is simple: a minstrel, full to the brim with can-do enthusiasm, falls in love with a fair maiden. All would be well, except she is awaiting her faraway lover. Doggedly the singer tries to awaken her love, while she loyally stalks the bridge assigned to the some-night rendezvous. Over four nights, love, loyalty and longing are all born and questioned.

We’re told, most redundantly, that this is a tale set in a different world. It is a fairytale realm reminiscent of the classic Prince Of Persia video game, with gondolas and prostitutes scattered around a wet Venetian nightmare. The architecture is whimsical, as is the generous use of flickery neon. Clock towers with hyperactive needles coexist merrily with sprawling mosque courtyards and numerous tiny cobalt by-lanes lead arterially out of the central tiny bridge area, most such roads seeming to lead to the exorbitantly built brothel or the one-resident-only guesthouse. It sounds fantastical and brilliant, and could certainly have been, except it doesn’t really have a concept. Or a point.

Thus Omung Kumar gets to play madman art-director, Bhansali letting him go wild and asking only that he be theatrical and sporadic. ‘Just paint everything blue and leave lots of room for Raj Kapoor film references,’ the brief could well have read. And so runs the gamut, from azure to cerulean, with walls and pillars and peculiar choices of artwork.

And while dollars are positively dripping from the scenery, nothing is spectacular. Remember MF Hussain’s Gajagamini? Now replace the high concept in that film with a big budget. The result is Saawariya, an underwhelming waste. Thousands of Bollywood songs are shot with madcap little unreal backdrops; Bhansali has just used one of those for his entire film. One imagines it’ll be a while before Sony Pictures grandly bankrolls another Indian project.

Black, flaws and all, was very well shot. Here one can imagine cinematographer Ravi K Chandran stifling a yawn. And if, for God’s sake, you’re building an absurdist city-of-many-cities, at least leave physical room for some mindblowing camerawork. There are a few — four, count them — well-executed shots in Saawariya, most of them simple cutaway shots. What in the world has been thought-through in this movie?

Not the characters, certainly. Ranbir’s Ranbir Raj tells Sonam’s Sakina that she knows everything about him: his name, where he lives, what he does. One assumes that is all there exists in their character sketches as well. Oh, and the boy is told to be restless, the girl, patient. Outside of that, there is no depth, despite the actress’ limpid eyes and the actor’s sometimes cheeky grin. These are cardboard characters, lazily written and ineffective. In a stylised world impossible to relate to, at least the protagonists should have been flesh and blood.

Instead, the director hams.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali needs to be thwacked with a subtlety stick, much like Sakina messily beats carpets hanging around her. Everything is overblown and hyper-real in the director’s head, and there is no room for soft reality. The characters populating his movie, therefore, cannot sob without hysteria or laugh without sliding off a chair. A glare is held for ten minutes, a coy glance for five. And the dialogue is immeasurably grating, making the film’s sub-130 minute length seem twice as long.

It is a testament to the star-kids, then, that they’ve gamely gone through these dizzying motions without afflicting career hara-kiri. Ranbir, playing a character labeled over-lovable from start to scratch, is often painfully exaggerated and moronic, but he does salvage a few moments of charm where you feel for him — even if only sympathy at his debuting in this production. There might be hope, sure. But then there’s that towel song, the most homoerotic picturisation in Hindi cinema, which could likely take a few years to live down.

The gorgeous Sonam Kapoor is armed with a great laugh — almost as infectious as her father’s — and one wishes she was allowed to simper softly, instead of having a clearly overdubbed plastic giggle plastered onto her. She has the worst lines and moments in the script — save for Rani Mukerji’s where Bhansali clearly cashed in all his Black chips — but there is a merciful agility to her movement, a fluidity to her style. It is a character impossible to like, and yet she warms you up to her.

The only times in the film the kids really, really work are when the tension abruptly breaks and they burst into laughter. It is almost as if — or, possibly, because — the director yelled cut and two old friends dropped the painful masks and chilled. God, how much better a Jab We Met style debut would have been for these two.

It’s hard to fathom what Bhansali expects anybody to like in this film. With close to a dozen songs assaulting us once every seven minutes, on average, there is no room for the narrative to flow. The background score is deafening, and the writing is so emotionally manipulative — wait for the way Ranbir convinces Zohra Sehgal to let him bunk with her — it makes you want to pen down an alternate script in immediate protest. And, despite conjuring up moments with legends like Sehgal and Begum Para — irresistible when devoutly mouthing Mughal-E-Azam dialogues — these are too few and far between. Are we actually supposed to enjoy Ranbir doing dad Rishi’s rabblerousing lines from Karz, or laugh at Rani’s pathetic half-malapropisms? Please.

What’s the deal, Mr Bhansali? This isn’t a Luchino Visconti remake, as many had feared, but a bizarre reworking, an overbaked version of a very simple romance. Dozens of dancing prostitutes do not a Federico Fellini make, sir.

This film opens with Ranbir, off-screen, persuading a whore to listen to two lines of song. She deigns to listen and he picks up his blue six-string. And instead of an eager-to-please youth fumbling with a scratchy guitar, we get — after a sudden title screen with the star-kids’ name, a la Rajnikanth — a mega song-and-dance production, a full-blown intro. No wonder the heartbeat is muted.

As Gulabjee, lady of the night, would say, I don’t likes.

Source: Rediff

Saawariya Movie Wallpapers