Latest Bollywood News&Gossips

Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra is getting closer day by day

2011-01-30T10:17:00.003+05:30

Shahid-Priyanka getting cozier by the day… » Bollywood News and ...

posted in Bollywood Gossip |. Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra is in the news everyday and it's quite clear that are dating each other. A few days ago, he was found present in Priyanka's flat when the IT authorities raided it. ...

Publish Date: 01/29/2011 15:22

Shahid Kapoor was at Priyanka Chopra's Place During IT-Raid

IT-Officials were surprised to find Shahid Kapoor at Priyanka Chopra's place. IT-Raids were conducted on two top Bollywood actresses Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra.

Publish Date: 01/28/2011 0:04

http://bollywooders.com/bollywood-news/shahid-kapoor-was-at-priyanka-chopras-place-during-

I-T knocks Priyanka's door finds Shahid Kapoor | News

January 4, 2011 -- Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra Engagement Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra Engagement | Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra Engagement on 1st janaury 2011 | Priyanka Chopra kisses Shahid Kapoor, and not Harman Baweja

Priyanka Chopra was ready to kiss Shahid Kapoor in their upcoming film, Kaminay.

Sexy Sherlyn Chopra Skimy outfit shows her curves

2010-07-23T01:42:00.000+05:30

Aishwarya Rai shows her huge cleavage related posts: Sherlyn Chopra looks sexy in a very narrow short red dress fitness photo shoot of Bollywood hot actress Sherlyn ChopraSherlyn Chopra of Twitter for posting provocative PicturesIPL Awards red carpet at Grand Haytt HotelJohn Abraham banned and Shahid Kapoor at "PETA" AwardsClaudia Ciesla hopes "Bigg Boss" their popularity in IndiaWanted, Dil Bole Hadippa will increase! bring audience back to TheatresPlastic surgery gone wrong Bollywood stars SHARE THIS post:

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Aishwarya Rai shows your huge cleavage

2010-07-23T01:27:00.000+05:30

Priyanka's cousin Meera Chopra in a very tight short dress related posts: Abhishek, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on cover of Vogue India 'Raavan' nosedives makes 'Dragon 'Look BetterAbhishek 3-Up On DadAishwarya Rai a surprise VisitGenelia Colombo IIFA - your movies pays noticed to BannedMani Ratnam 's' Ravana 'ready for ReleaseAbhishek Aishwarya Rai 's' Ravana' movie StillsEndhiran is the highest budget science fiction movie of Indian CinemaAishwarya Rai Bachchan reveals Abhishek Bachchan Pritish Nandy's book AgainShahrukh Khan, Aishwarya teaming-Up for Yash Raj's next SHARE THIS POST:

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Priyanka's cousin Meera Chopra in a very tight short dress

2010-07-23T01:12:00.000+05:30

Latest VideosShahrukh Khan & Aamir Khan on Karan Johar's film? Rekha & Sushmita Sen parts similar love LivesHollywood for Sonam KapoorMr call. Bhatti on Chutti - film TrailerAisha movie TrailerKhatta Meetha movie TrailerLamhaa film TrailerUdaan movie TrailerTere bin Laden - movie TrailerBig B should some IIFA ColomboSalman Khan IIFA ProtestersSanjay been snubbed reveal Bipasha Lamhaa's first look at IIFAKareena Kapoor is India's most beautiful WomanIIFA Awards Bollywood charmed Sri LankaSalman Khan back most wanted at IIFA

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Akshay Kumar visited the Holy places in Nagpur

2010-07-23T00:57:00.000+05:30

Khatta Meetha '. In addition to the cycle Marathon in Pune which participated Akki, he visited also Nagpur city.

Akshay is always a more disciplined and regulated life led. Also he is pretty much spiritual be. In accordance with Akshay visited a number of religious places in the city Nagpur.In fact, he offered his prayers not only the famous Ganesh Tekdi Temple, but also to a Gurdwara and a mosque. Moreover, he made a visit of the famous Baba Saheb Ambedkar statue.

After visiting the temple, Akki Cinemax went to meet thousands of fans waiting to get a look.

With one of the songs of Khatta Meetha known Ram Mandir in Satara, paired with Akshay's visit in Nagpur's holy places was shelled, the film is already showered with blessing and is obliged to find its way to success!

-Sampurn wire

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Aamir Khan tops again in Filmfare power list, beating Shahrukh Khan

2010-07-23T00:42:00.000+05:30

Bollywood perfectionist actor Aamir Khan, which made it to the top in the Filmfare power list for the third time in a row. Beat its close competitors superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir retains its top position of the last year.

The last three films by Aamir, the 2007 includes hits Taare Zameen Par, Ghajini 2009 super hit 3 idiots, collected via RS 825 crore.Aamir has managed above with this great success sein.Seine film deserves more than 375 RS crore 3 idiots, this is the biggest hit in the history of the Bollywood so far.

Shah Rukh Khan has also retained to the second position in the ranking for the third time sein.SRK had in fact not much work in 2009, apart from a small action in Billu barbarian and a cameo appearance in a flop movie Dulha mil Gaya.Aber yet he managed to keep the second position.

Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani had taken hat-trick with the success of its two was movies and then 3 idiots made it to the third position to beat the big names like Yash Chopra Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar.

Music Maestro A. R. Rahman, that the country has two earned Oscars, jump fourth, taken from his eighth position in the power list of the 2008.

Film director Karan Johar, who no movie in 2009 directed, has managed to fifth position in the power list his production house Dharma productions, keep the awards for the production of Ranbir Kapoor deserved Wight film wake up SID.

In 2008 Yash Raj films was in third position, and this year it has moved to the sixth position.

The Aamir Khan's production house was placed at the seventh position, as it has become famous for the production of quality and box office numbers is hit.

An another superstar Akshay Kumar is the year's makes list was fehlen.Er at the seventh position in the list of 2008.

Bollywood diva has taken the eighth place Kareena Kapoor, but they should be Kareena hat.Im ensure now than nearest rival, the Katrina Kaif there where no 10 this year made last year was only women in the list.

Hrithik Roshan has maintained its no. 9 position although he had no film a cameo appearance in luck by chance.

-Sampurn wire

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Bobby Deol, Mugdha Godse at the music launch of the film ' help '

2010-07-23T00:27:00.000+05:30

Latest VideosShahrukh Khan & Aamir Khan on Karan Johar's film? Rekha & Sushmita Sen parts similar love LivesHollywood for Sonam KapoorMr call. Bhatti on Chutti - film TrailerAisha movie TrailerKhatta Meetha movie TrailerLamhaa film bin Laden TrailerUdaan movie TrailerTere - movie TrailerBig would B promote some of the IIFA ColomboPerizaad Zorabian opening TEDDYY baby DiapersAjay Devgan and Kangana Ranaut 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai' Bobby Deol, Mugdha Godse the music launch of film ' help ' by BW team Wednesday, July 21, 2010

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Riya Sen in a mini skirt exposing huge thigh

2010-07-23T00:12:00.000+05:30

Sexy Kareena Kapoor exposing huge cleavage related posts: new avatars in Benny and Babloo play Kay Kay Menon, Rajpal Yadav Bollywood stars at the Shahrukh Khan Akon BashRiya sen now game for Bengali makes movies from all GenresRiya sen Bengali film debut with Rituparno FilmBollywood stars in Bharat n Dorris AwardsLove Khichdi - ReviewLove Khichdi TrailerRaima and Riya Sen the ramp to the COKUSS fashion ShowPaying GuestsZor Lagaa Ke Haiya review SHARE THIS POST go:

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Shamita Shetty lashes out at ‘Bigg Boss’

2009-11-18T22:29:00.001+05:30

Image via Wikipedia

Mumbai: Ever since Shamita Shetty came out of the ‘Bigg Boss’ house, the starlet is rather distraught. Better known as Shilpa Shetty’s sister, Shamita is at a complete loss post her stint with ‘Bigg Boss’!
Recently, speaking on her stint with ‘Bigg Boss’ and her sister’s much talked about engagement and wedding to a news daily, a crazy Shamita said, “It’s barely hours since I came out of ‘Bigg Boss’. I’ve a migraine and I can’t think straight. I’m numb with disorientation. The first thing I did on coming out was to snatch someone’s phone and call my sister. In the 7-8 minutes that I spoke to her I wanted to know everything. I ended up more confused.”

“It was a month of my life. But it feels like a lifetime. I left a place where I went through the strangest of experiences. I was thrown into situations where we were bickering over a basic thing like food. And now my sister is getting married. I’m so disoriented it isn’t funny. I need to sit and discuss the whole experience of ‘Bigg Boss’ with my sister before we discuss her wedding. Otherwise I’m going to burst,” continued Shamita.

Talking about her eviction and the news of Shilpa’s marriage, a miffed Shamita retorted, “First of all, I was the last person to get to know about my sister’s engagement and wedding. That in itself was upsetting enough. But I can’t hold anything against her. And she’s marrying the most wonderful man, so I’m happy for her. But I’m not happy with the way I heard the news.”

Incidentally, the news of Shilpa’s wedding was broken by Pravesh Rana – a wild card entry to Shamita at ‘Bigg Boss’ as, “He casually told me my sister was getting married! He gave me a wrong date November 25, then he said it was December 25. By then I was wild with anxiety about my sister’s wedding plans. Tell me, was this way to break the news? So clumsy. It did create a friction between me and Pravesh. But eventually we were talking cordially.”

Finally, the actress is happy as she is done with ‘Bigg Boss’ as, “I had just done a Oneness (spiritual healing) course. ‘Bigg Boss’ gave me a chance to try out all that I had learnt at the Oneness course. I had to be calm, patient and fight negativity. I did a good job of it.”

Aishwarya Rai the New Head of ABCL

2009-11-18T22:27:00.001+05:30

Once in doldrums Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL) has a reason to rejoice. And the reason is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the daughter in-law of Bachchan family who has taken up the responsibility to revive the destiny of the family banner.

If sources are to be believed, Bachchans’ are extremely confident about Paa made under ABCL after series of flops, which literally bombed at the box-office. Aishwarya has played a pivotal role in planning the marketing strategies of the current film Paa under ABCL.

So, to continue with some good projects they have chosen Aishwarya to head the banner for the re-establishment.

Kareena need not convert post-marriage: Saif

2009-11-18T22:22:00.001+05:30

From playing lover boys in films like Yeh Dillagi and Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Saif Ali Khan has come a long way. Ahead of the release of Kurbaan, Saif speaks about terrorism and Islam, the film’s central theme. “Not every long-bearded mullah is an evil person,” he says. The actor in conversation with CNN-IBN Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand.

Rajeev Masand: As a Muslim what are your concerns when you are offered films whose protagonists are features as Islamic terrorists?

Saif Ali Khan: That it shouldn't be alarmist. People shouldn't stereotype and that the basic impression shouldn't be that the next time you see a woman in a supermarket in America with a Hijab, you think she might be carrying a bomb. The fact of the matter is that in recent times the religion has come under a cloud. Educated people make remarks like 'not every Muslim is a terrorist, but every terrorist is a Muslim' these days.

Naturally there seems to be a lot of grief from the Muslim world, which is being exported, to America and to the West. Religion has been a point of friction, action and violence since the dawn of time and this is the way things are right now. So without being alarmist what Kubaan does is sets a love story in a background of fundamentalist terrorism and tests that relationship, which is what any love story really is. It's a relationship being tested either by family of social disapproval.

While I say that it shouldn’t be alarmist, sometimes when you get into a subject like the world of fundamentalist terrorism, the film becomes anti-terrorist. It's almost like a moral tale of suffering. Even a film like Scarface which glamorises cocaine is actually an anti-drug film if you see.

Rajeev Masand: Films with such themes invariably tend to reiterate too many clichés. Do these stereotypes upset you?

Saif Ali Khan: Yes, not every long-bearded 'mullah' is an evil person. But due to the Taliban and certain factions in the North there are villains who are like that. And if I was making a documentary or Agent Vinod I might have one of these people as my villains. But that is not stereotyping, that is just the way it is. It's like saying a Columbian drug-dealer, which does not mean all Columbians are drug-dealers but if I had to show a drug-dealer I would perhaps show a Columbian. Stereotyping is a human tendency, but whether or not it's undeserved, the voice of moderate Islam needs to be put forward by responsible Muslims. And Muslims need to condemn people like the Taliban and terrorists in general. The most frightening thing about fanatics is that there seems to be no backlash to it.

Rajeev Masand: What did you think of Kabir Khan's New York, which is also a film about a perfectly progressive Muslim and why he turns to terrorism?

Saif Ali Khan: I didn't watch the entire movie, I'm sorry to say. But I thought it was beautifully shot and really well made. But I do agree if the West is torturing someone incessantly this might be the outcome. If I was picked up by an organisation, beaten up and tortured I might want to be destructive towards that organisation. Like there have been films made on women who have been raped and they in turn have taken violent revenge and people have enjoyed that. So I think New York is ultimately a revenge story, it’s a personal story and that is why it works.

Kurbaan is different from New York because it's about a love story that is set against the world. The girl expects heaven and ends up in hell and doesn't know how to get out. So the lovers are torn in that situation. In that sense they are very different movies.

Rajeev Masand: You find it ironic where on one hand Karan Johar is directing a film called My Name Is Khan in which Shah Rukh Khan's character is a man who goes on a rampage to make a point that all Muslims are not terrorists. On the other hand Karan has produced Kurbaan which is another film about Islamic terrorism.

Saif Ali Khan: Yes. So that is great. Like I said you can make a film like Scarface about Columbian terrorism, you can also make a love story about a Columbian couple. The fact that both films are being made underlines the fact that stereotyping is wrong. But there are certain people like this. There must have been a group involved in blowing up the train in the King's Cross in London. There must have been some serious planning going into 9/11 and 26/11. Why not make a film on that world? But by making a film on that world you are not saying that everybody is like that.

I think things need to be discussed. One needs to be a little more careful when it comes to the Middle-East and Islam. Like Salman Rushdie found out that you might find yourself in a lot of trouble if you speak too freely. Art and cinema need to discuss issues. I'm no theologian but Islam is under a cloud. There was a time when we were children and secular India embraced Islam for its food, art and poetry, which have been forgotten.

Rajeev Masand: As a broad-minded Muslim who is well-read and well-travelled, what does your religion mean to you?

Saif Ali Khan: I think a man should be loyal to his house where he was born and I'm born into a Muslim house. And I believe the Arab name for God and not just our God but also the God, the one God is Allah so that is a good thing. I believe it's a religion of submission, purity and peace. When you bow in prayer, it signifies that God is everything and I'm nothing and thank you for giving me everything that I have, which again is a wonderful thing. Beyond that the rules, regulations, any kind of organisation is not something I personally believe in.

I like having my own link with my own god. I don't believe that there is a certain building that holds more sanctity than a bathroom when it comes to me speaking to him. I think it's a beautiful ritual to cleanse yourself. When Muslims pray they ask to be in direct presence of the lord and not sending a message to him. That is why they cover their heads and cleanse themselves a bit like you would before you do something very important. Like we would do that before meeting the Prime Minister, so you do that before meeting someone more senior.

Rude SMS from Bebo to Saif leaked out

2009-11-18T22:16:00.003+05:30

Next time Kareena Kapoor needs to be extra careful in sending SMS to her beau. She was caught sending rude SMS to Saiffu dear and in turn Saif Ali Khan constantly SMSing her and seeking apology for the wrong he has done. This personal SMS between Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor was captured by a Marathi news channel while Bebo was sitting and speedily typing SMS with a cup of coffee in her hand. She kept tying SMS after SMS and unaware that a camera was zooming into her personal text.

When the lens was zoomed, it was evident that Kareena was upset with her beau and warning him regarding some issue. The message that Saif sent in her reply reads, “Sorry baby... was talking about your role only." In reply to his message, Bebo sends, "You were rude, Saif! I am hurt." From the two conversation of two sides, it was clear that Kareena was not happy with Saif.

A reporter from the channel says, "It accidentally happened that the camera zoomed into her phone. She was engrossed in typing the message, but soon realised that the camera guy was focusing on her message and told him to stop shooting. It was clear that the two had a tiff and Saif was trying to woo her by sending sweet messages. "

Hope everything is fine between Saif and Kareena.

Still looking for challenging roles: Bachchan

2008-06-16T12:52:00.000+05:30

Hyderabad (PTI): In spite of doing a wide variety of roles in his illustrious career, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan still hopes to do roles that will challenge him as an actor.

"I don't know what is there for me in the future. But I think there are roles that will challenge me as an actor," he told reporters here, when asked whether he still dreamt of doing any particular role.

Bachchan, his son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya, were in the city tonight to promote Ram Gopal Varma's new film 'Sarkar Raj'.

Talking about the movie, he said Varma has proved that a film can do well commercially though it did not have typical song and dance sequences.

Film critics in western countries earlier used to criticise Indian films for their song and dance numbers but now they have come to accept it, he said.

Varma said coming to the PVR cinema at Punjagutta Circle for the event was an emotional moment for him as he was born and brought up in the locality.

He said 'Sarkar Raj' proved that a film can do well at the box office without necessarily having comedy scenes and song and dance items.

He thanked the Bachchans for doing a great job in the film.

Asked to comment on Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek's performance, Aishwarya said Bachchan senior is an institution onto himself and still has the attitude of a student towards work, while Abhishek too worked with total commitment.

The cast of 'Sarkar Raj' and the director were in the city as part of the 'Idea Yatra for Sarkar Raj'.

Cricket cheers Ramu

2008-06-16T12:48:00.002+05:30

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is upbeat these days, and seems to be scoring with all that positive banter about Sarkar Raj . Never mind that, when we met the director over a cup of coffee, we spoke to him about cricket and the IPL.
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Aamir Khan flirts around?

2008-06-16T12:44:00.002+05:30

This was quite evident when the cast and crew of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na visited his home for the music launch of the film.
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Rajpal Yadav’s Kushti

2008-06-16T12:38:00.002+05:30

Rajpal Yadav who is known for making the audiences laugh their guts out, faces a huge challenge this time.
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Aamir Khan’s & Harry Baweja’s release battle

2008-06-16T12:32:00.002+05:30

Aamir Khan was introduced by his uncle Nasir Hussain and now Aamir is set to introduce his nephew Imraan Khan in Bollywood. Needless to say that he is not leaving a stone unturned for Imraan’s debut film.
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Vidya’s dirty dancing

2008-06-16T12:28:00.002+05:30

Now we all know that Vidya Balan is infamous for her sense of styling but there is one more thing that she is certainly lacking.
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Review Report:Anamika

2008-05-02T19:00:00.002+05:30

Cast: Minisha Lamba, Dino Morea, Koena Mitra
Direction: Anant Mahadevan
Music: Anu Malik

Director Anant Mahadevan returns this weekend with Anamika to complete the ‘A’ series trilogy after movies such as ‘Aksar’ and ‘Agar’. This time around not much has been said about the music of the film done by Anu Malik. Unlike Anant’s previous ventures the music played a key role in drawing the audiences to the cinema halls; but in this case does the movie survive without such mesmerizing music?

Here goes the synopsis…

When Jia Rao(Minisha Lamba), received a call for being an escort to Vikram Singh Sisodiya(Dino Morea) from the palatial Gajner of Bikaner, she hadn’t imagined that life would take a total turnabout. Her rendezevous with Vikram who had come to the city of Mumbai for a convention to turn his home into an international resort actually ended with Vikram proposing to her .She found herself hopelessly in love with him, despite the fact that Vikram was married and his first wife Anamika had died under mysterious circumstances.

Her arrival in Gajner wasn’t uneventful either. Mahajan the manager who seemed to know more than he should, Shekhar Rajput(Gulshan Grover) , Vikram’s brother in law a cop with an acidic tongue, Vikram’s doting sister, and Malini(Koena Mitra) the ever efficient governess were some of the characters who strangely influenced her stay in a place that hit her with its expanse, beauty and mystery.

And the biggest enigma was Anamika. Everyone seemed to be talking about her and how Jia could never step into the shoes of the charismatic socialite that Anamika was. Her efforts to live up to the foreboding image of Anamika ended up in creating a rift between Vikram and Jia .And the crunch comes when Jia is faced with the prospect of unraveling the secret of Anamika’s death…accident..suicide or murder?

Anant Mahadevan gets it entirely wrong this time. Firstly, ‘Anamika’ isn’t an untold story and is very much predictable. To add to all of that, there seems to be huge similarities between ‘ Anamika’ and Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Rebecca’.

The flow of events in the movie are so dull and the pace just gets you annoyed. At the cost of being a so called suspense film, the events of the film are simply dragged on and on.

No doubt the film has been shot at splendid locales of Bikaner, Bangkok etc but all of it falls flat as these beautiful locales don’t come in as a saving grace for your storytelling.

On the acting front, Dino Morea isn’t at his best and delivers a weak performance. Minisha Lamba seems to be struggling with her Hindi and is a complete let down from her performance in ‘Shaurya’. Koena Mitra is a complete waste in the film. Her role offers no substance and she just hops in and out at any point in the film. Bunty Grewal is irrelevant. The only person who does his bit with ease and conviction is Gulshan Grover. He delivers the punch as the cop and carries the desired aura.

The music of the film by Anu Malik is such a let down. The only track worth listening to is ‘Shagufta Dil’. The tracks though shot in Bangkok etc are very poorly placed and composed which is the biggest drawback for an Anant Mahadevan film whose ‘Aksar’ and ‘Agar’ are still remembered for their music.

On the whole ,’Anamika’ is a poor one from director Anant Mahadevan and the movie is further going to be affected by the ongoing IPL cricket. Looks like the bollywood draught won’t end anytime soon.

Rating: ½

Courtesy:IndiaGlitz

Review Report:Pranali – The Tradition

2008-05-02T18:55:00.002+05:30

Cast:Nargis, Upendra Limaye, Raman Trikha, Sudha Chandran, Dippsikha, Vinay Apte
Direction:Hirdesh Kamble
Music:Kailesh Kher

Pranali-a never ending journey of a devdasi releases this week. The movie releases without much promotion or hype under Nikhil Mathur’s Harward Entertainments banner. The movie marks the solo debut of Nargis who was last seen in Garam Masala.

The story revolves around Pranali(Nargis) , a girl born in a small village and soon falls prey to the downtrodden systems of society. On the account of serving God, the child is offered as a Devdasi to the high priest in the village and soon becomes an object of lust.

Life becomes much tougher when Pranali gives birth to a girl and soon struggles to educate her daughter seeking a normal life for her. On grounds of being a sex workers daughter, the girl is refused admission in school.

Soon comes in an NRI (Raman Trikha) to do a research on Sex workers in India and soon engages Pranali and the gang of sex workers including Kanchi (Rohini Kapoor) , Salma (Vaidehi Singh) ,Chanda (Dipsshikha) and Akka (Sudha Chandran) into the battle for legalization of prostitution by the government.

Sounds interesting huh? Hmm…. Well , that’s what many believe and expect it to be one of those hard-hitting films. Though the movie tackled relevant issues, the execution and direction by Hirdesh Kamble is pretty poor. The story, screenplay and dialogues by Hirdesh Kamble and Manoj Pandey literally kill the entire film.

The movie is tremendously vague and the so called journey of the devdasi leads you nowhere. The movie starts off with the little Pranali and her encounter with the high priest , minister and from there to being a sex worker and from there moves to being a mother and then fighting as a social worker etc and finally the book release makes it a complete boring and vague mix of events.

To add to it all is the boring and dull Bhaigiri sequences including Upendra Limaye as the taxi driver which makes it completely pathetic. Upendra tries to carry the film off as the solo made lead in a film overloaded with women. Upendra even gets to swing to a song sung by Kailash Kher being a complete out sync track.

The movie keeps on dragging and truly becomes a never ending journey for the audiences. On the performance scale Nargis does show us that she has immense potential but the script in this case makes us overlook all performances even that of Sudha Chandran and Dipsshika.

Music of the film by Kailash Kher and his Kailasha band members Naresh and Paresh is such a letdown and the addition of songs in the film make you yawn. No comments on the other aspects of the film.

To conclude, Pranali comes across as a very poor launchpad for Harward Entertainments. With a movie being tremendously a never ending dull, boring journey; let’s hope that their next few ventures are worth a watch. Nargis no doubt is talented but needs to select her flicks carefully.

Rating : 1/2

Courtesy:IndiaGlitz

Review Report:Tashan

2008-05-02T18:47:00.004+05:30

Film:Tashan
Banner:Yash Raj Films
Cast:Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor
Direction:Vijay Krishna Acharya
Production:Aditya Chopra
Music:Vishal, Shekhar

‘Tashan’ , a movie kept totally under wraps without any media interactions or gigs of that sort by the team at Yash Raj Films; releases this week amidst a dry spell in bollywood. With the cricket IPl mania freaking the producers out, not many biggies dare to release their films unless you are from the Yash Raj camp.

Tashan marks the debut of Vijay Krishna Acharya , the man behind the scripts of Dhoom and Dhoom2. Vijay Krishna Acharya aka Victor, who has been associated with the smash hit status of both Dhoom’s, tries his bit at direction. So, is it as enthralling as Dhoom?

What happens when you throw two guys who hate each other together...

A cool call center executive Jimmy Cliff (Saif Ali Khan), a desi wannabe gangster Bachchan Pande (Akshay Kumar) add for good measure a beautiful girl Pooja (Kareena Kapoor) who can't be trusted... on a journey across spectacular India... a journey which will alter the course of their lives in more ways than one... a journey where even enemies need to trust each other if they want to be alive...

Trouble is, in this world no one can be trusted ever!

And to top it all there is the evil eye of Bhaiyyaji (Anil Kapoor)... a maverick gangster who enjoys killing people as much as he enjoys speaking English...

What you get is... TASHAN

Firstly, Victor truly does a fine job at making Tashan live up to its title. The movie is sleek and high on style. Right from the colours , costumes , hair styling , cars , dances , guns etc everything has got its style quotient. Don’t look for similarities between Dhoom and Tashan cause the only similarity lies in the syling which in turn vary in terms of an urban look in Dhoom to a rural,semi-urban,urban look in Tashan.

Victor does well at imbibing humour in a script that involves high action and rivalry amongst various characters in the film. The lacuna comes in the form of the storytelling and screenplay done by Victor himself. The brain behind Dhoom fails to tell a story that grips the audience. The storytelling particularly in the 1st half seems dragging and gets a lift only on the introduction of Bachan Pande (Akshay Kumar) .

The proceedings in the movie tend to get vague as the movie moves ahead right from the hollywood style road chase for treasure to a typical Hindi formula film of revenge and lost love etc. Nevertheless, the action and comic sequences keep you entertained.

The cinematography by Ayananka Bose is splendid capturing the locales of Greece, Rajasthan , Kerala etc in its true essence. Editing by Rameshwar S. Bhagat and art direction by Sukant Panigrahy is what further enhances the Tashan(style) of the film.

Music by Vishal Shekar and Choreography by Vaibhavi Maerchant are definitely entertaining and foot tapping enough but tend to barge into any portion of the film making the film’s Tashan take a dip.

On the technical front, the action by Peter Hein is supreme. Peter does a splendid job at making the action look no less than any Hollywood flick (atleast close to some of the finest action flicks). For those who love playing the’ Counter Strike’ game on their PC or Playstation will surely see the resemblance in the sequence where the prime characters in the film take on the team of cops.

On the acting front, Anil Kapoor as Bhaiyya Ji , The bad guy trying to learn English is funny but only at the initial stages of the film and eventually gets monotonous and boring. But, Anil does a good job as the villain from Kanpur.

Kareena Kapoor is ok as the smart, cunning Pooja but isn’t at her best. She does very little to prove her acting credentials and more to beat the likes of people who believe that she can never dawn a Bikini.

Saif Ali Khan really struggles to make a mark in this film. Just like any other Yash Raj Film, Saif relies on his antics of being a flirt etc. Saif does his bit of action, dance and shows off his biceps but after watchin Saif in Race , one would hardly find the character of Jimmy impressive except for his looks. P.S.-One gets to see Saif’s cute little son Ibrahim as Jimmy junior in the film.

The man who steals the show and elevates the film is none other than Akshay Kumar. Though he comes in much later on in the film, he impresses with immediate ease. He makes you giggle right through with his Bachchan Pande dialogues and leaves you awestruck with his acton sequences. It’s been a long time since Akshay has done a film that involves his forte-action and indeed the action comes as a complete treat. Whether it is Akshay jumping over barrels and climbing a building or whether it is Akshay simply running about in slow motion to the howling theme of Bachchan Pande, he rocks!

On the whole, the action, styling, and a few witty lines with a superb performance by Akshay Kumar makes Tashan a movie worth watching. Though the IPl has forced producers to push their release further ahead, no doubt a movie like Tashan is sure to find audiences specially the youth who are fed up of being at home glued to cricket and the subsequent ads that come along with it.

Rating : ***

Courtesy:IndiaGlitz

Abhishek- Aishwarya agian

2008-05-02T18:37:00.000+05:30

Some years down the line Bollywood's most talked about couple most probably will be holding a record for the most number of appearances made by a real life B-Town pair as lovebirds on the big screen.

Ram Gopal Varma's latest offering 'Sarkar Raj' has not yet got released, but not itself the news of Abishek Bachchan and his Wife Aishwarya teaming up for an untitled movie of the master director Mani Rathnam is already attracting enough interest.

Seems like the directors get a spark of novel ideas, subjects, inspiration, great characters and all those other things that start of a film's journey from the creator's mind to the screen just by seeing this couple together.

Apparently the famous Director, Cinematographer Rajiv Menon who started off as a director with 'Minsara Kanuvu' starring Prabhu Deva and Kajol which came to B-Town as 'Sapnay' later on directed 'Kandukondain Kandukondain' a Tamil film with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a key role is thinking of having the Abhi-Ash team in a film of his too.

Rajiv Menon who did the duties of the cinematographer for the film 'Guru' directed by Mani Rathnam narrated the story of the film to the star couple while they were in the sets of 'Guru'.

Abhi and Ash gave the go ahead signal to the director to work on the script after liking the romantic story.

The fates of the two movies at the box office in which the most wanted couple will be seen before Rajeev Menon's film gets to the floor will have an impact on the this future project.

But as the business in Bollywood goes, drastic changes can be made with box office fortunes kept in mind.

Courtesy:IndiaGlitz

Kareena, down south?

2008-05-02T18:30:00.002+05:30

After Kareena toned down her muscles to emerge as the hottest lass in Bollywood, the Bollywood film makers are not the only one eyeing her.

According to the latest grapevine Kareena has been offered the heroine's role in a Telugu film opposite the superstar Pawan Kalyan titled 'Puli'.

A.R.Rahman is the music composer of the film and is said to be a big budget project.

Whether Kareena Kapoor can be seen speaking Telugu can be known in a few days time.

Courtesy:IndiaGlitz

Hrithik becomes dad again

2008-05-02T18:27:00.001+05:30

Sussanne Khan delivered a baby boy yesterday (May 1) at Lilavati hospital in Mumbai. Daddy Hrithik caught the first glimpse of the new born baby at 11:45 a.m.

This is the couple's second child after their son Hrehaan, who is now two years old.

Courtesy:indiafm

Saif to work with Homi Adajania again

2008-05-02T18:24:00.001+05:30

After Being Cyrus, Saif Ali Khan and Homi Adajania team up yet again with their second venture Thagi, an action flick which will be made under Saif's production house Illuminati Films.

Thagi, an action film is about a crook (thag) played by Saif who goes on a conning spree. When contacted Homi Adajania confirmed the news and said, "Yes, I am in talks with Saif about Thagi. But I can't disclose any more details at this point of time."

According to sources, Saif chose Adajania as his director because he feels their sensibilities match and work wonders together on screen. Thagi is going to be an out and out masala caper but with Saif and Homi's sensibilities.

Looks like, after his much appreciated act in Being Cyrus, Saif is all set to wow the audience with yet another maverick performance.

Courtesy:indiafm

Hectic Tuesday for Himesh...all thanks to the stars

2008-05-02T18:22:00.001+05:30

For astrological reasons, Tuesday was a day of hectic activity for Himesh Reshammiya. There were two mahurats to attend one after another. He barely finished recording the first song for Mudh Mudh Ke Na Dekh Mudh Mudh Mudh Ke at the Empire Studio in central Mumbai when he had to rush to the suburbs for the first day's shooting of Kajraare.

Explains Himesh, "We had two mahurats on the same day due to astrological reasons. It was my Mahurat shot for Kajraare and my first day of shooting with my first female director Pooja Bhatt. Actually, we had launched Kajraare with the recording of a song on 29 November 2007. In addition, we also launched Mudh Mudh Ke Na Dekh Mudh Mudh Ke on Tuesday with a song recording."

Former Femina Miss India, Niharika Singh, who's Himesh's leading lady in Mudh Mudh Ke ….adds, "It's being directed by a new duo named Seema-Sudhir. And you've to hear Himesh's title song. It's fantastic."

Niharika is also Himesh's leading lady in John Mathan's Love Issshtory. "That shooting starts on May 11. Mudh Mudh Ke… starts in June. I play an NRI who runs a café with her dad," informs Niharika happily.

Courtesy:indiafm

Chak De girl Shilpa Shukla steps into international cinema

2008-05-02T18:19:00.001+05:30

Chak De girl Shilpa Shukla is all set to enter the international cinema with a film titled Extrospection which will be directed, written and produced by Manan Singh Kotohora. It is said that the film is based on Satyajit Ray's Charulata but set in contemporary times.

The film will be shot in New York with Shilpa playing the lead role of Charu. With all praises for Shilpa Shukla, Kotohora said that he was taken aback by the actress' performance in Khamosh Pani and Chak De India. Hence, she was his natural choice for the film.

Kotohora's another project titled When Kiran Met Karen, which is based on the issue of lesbianism, is in under post production. Extrospection is expected to go on the floors this year.

Courtesy:indiafm

Anupam Kher pays a tribute to an Idol

2008-05-02T18:15:00.001+05:30

Not too many people know this but when Anupam Kher came to Mumbai from Simla, there was one journalist whom he idolized. "And that was Behram Contractor, better know as Busybee. I'd read his columns in Simla and marvel at the way he'd describe the minutest topographical details. In his interviews, the environment truly defined the personalities. Such journalism is, I'm afraid, becoming obsolete. Like other forms of entertainment interviews and columns are all about instant gratification."

On Wednesday evening, Anupam got a chance to pay a tribute to Busybee. "I've been asked by his wife Farzana to read excerpts from a new anthology of his articles Best Of Busybee. All I can say is that it's an honour. She was aware of my admiration for her husband and asked me to read out his prose," says Anupam who would've been a journalist if he wasn't an actor. "The closest I come to writing is through the syndicated news service Bollywood News Service which I started last year. I also plan to write my memoirs shortly."

Courtesy:indiafm

Vidya Balan to star opposite Abhishek Bachchan

2008-05-02T18:12:00.002+05:30

The ad maverick Balki's first feature film Cheeni Kum made a dynamic dent in audience's minds. It also made him a lifelong Amitabh Bachchan fan. Having gotten masterly performances out of Tabu and the Big B in Cheeni Kum, you'd expect him to recreate the same magic in his next feature film.

But no. Balki is on to a different route for his second film. His next film entitled Pa which begins at the end of the year features real-life father-son Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan. And no Tabu! This, in spite of her brilliant performance. "But that's because Pa has no room for Tabu at all. This time the story is a father-son one. Amitabh has no love interest in the film. And sorry about that. Abhishek does have a girl though." And for the first time Junior is being paired with the petite and lately out-of-sight Vidya Balan.

Says Balki, "We've already approached Vidya and she's more-or-less agreed. I can see her as a pair with Abhishek, can't you?" Vidya comes into the picture through her sister Priya who works with Balki at Lintas. "In fact, it's Priya I know well. I got to know Vidya only when we started talking for Pa," says Balki.

After repeated pairing with Preity, Rani and Priyanka, Abhishek is on the look-out for fresh collaborative opportunities. Vidya Balan is someone the Bachchans have admired from the time the Big B saw her in Parineeta and then worked with her in Eklavya. The Big B had compared Vidya with his favourite actress Waheeda Rehman. Both father and son adore Waheedaji.

So is Balki looking at the prospect of directing a new pair? "I don't look at it that way. Vidya suits the role. I've known her from her ad days. Though we haven't done any ad together, she has done ads for my company Lintas."

One questions remains. Why don't encore- projects happen with Tabu even after powerhouse performances the first time? Madhur Bhandarkar's Chandni Bar and Balki's Cheeni Kum led to no second project. In fact the only directors whom Tabu has worked with more than once are Priyadarshan and Gulzar.

Courtesy:indiafm

Review Report:KRAZZY 4

2008-04-12T11:17:00.003+05:30

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Arshad Warsi, Rajpal Yadav and Suresh Menon
Director: Jaideep Sen

It would be wrong to slot KRAZZY 4 as a comedy. Sure, KRAZZY 4 remains faithful to the ongoing trend of providing laughs at the oddest of things, but it's more of a masala fare that's reminiscent of the 1980s cinema. Packaged in a modern avatar, of course.

A film like KRAZZY 4 is easy on your brains. It rests on a thin plot, but the makers have tried to package the proceedings with entertaining stuff from Scene A to Z. Sometimes it works, at times it doesn't. But the pros outweigh the cons in this case. Also, let's get one thing straight. This isn't path-breaking or ground-breaking cinema by any chance. It's targeted at the aam junta, not connoisseurs of cinema.

Also, one of the trump cards… sorry, make it two, are the dance numbers filmed on the two superstars -- SRK and Hrithik. Just these two numbers are enough to satiate the hunger of an avid moviegoer. Even the Rakhi Sawant track is an asset, since it's hugely popular with the desi junta [like 'Main Aayee Hoon U.P.-Bihar Lootne' and 'Beedi'].

In a nutshell, KRAZZY 4 isn't the kind of cinema that would invite debates or discussions. Its intention is to make people leave the cineplex with a smile and it succeeds in its endeavour.

Arshad Warsi is Raja: Truly the angry young man! His blood boils, his fists clench and he's ready to beat the daylights out of anyone who upsets him in some way.

Irrfan Khan is Dr. Mukherjee: He has decided that he's the Captain of the team! But so obsessed is he by the need to be in control of a situation, he doesn't realise he's totally lost control of himself and his mind.

Rajpal Yadav is Gangadhar: He's marching to a beat only he can hear; he's fighting for a cause that's long over. But in his mind he's still fighting for Swaraj.

Suresh Menon is Dabboo: He's everybody's pet and however far gone the rest may be, when it comes to Dabboo, everybody's protective. Even if he can hear and understand, Dabboo refuses to speak. And nobody knows why!

Dr Sonali [Juhi Chawla] treats them all. She has faith that all it needs is a little time and lots of patience to make them part of the mad, mad, mad world out there…

Rakesh Roshan's story takes a leaf out of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, while Ashwani Dhir's screenplay tries to pack everything that's available on the shelf. The first hour is quite entertaining, with a few sequences compelling you to flex your facial muscles.

But the problem lies in its second hour. More specifically, the writing relies on the age-old stuff to reach the finale. Too many cinematic liberties have been undertaken in this hour, just to reach the culmination and it doesn't really work at times. Even the end outside the hospital looks contrived.

Jaideep Sen shows a flair for comedy, but had the debutante director opted for a slightly novel screenplay, it would've taken the film to another level. A few comic scenes are well executed and in terms of execution, Jaideep knows the grammar right.

Ashwani Dhir's screenplay may lack novelty, but the dialogues penned by him are witty and enjoyable. Cinematography is nice. Rajesh Roshan's music is up to the mark. The two tracks, filmed on the superstars, are top notch and what enhances the effect are the choreography and production design [of SRK track] and the visual effects [in Hrithik track].

Arshad Warsi is the best of the lot. His character is bound to work with the moviegoers. Irrfan's role doesn't offer him that much scope. Yet, the actor enacts his part with precision. Rajpal Yadav is quite funny at places. Suresh Menon is a surprise. He hardly utters one word in the film, but he delivers with expressions.

Juhi Chawla doesn't get ample opportunity. Dia Mirza is efficient. Zakir Hussain is okay. Rajat Kapoor is relegated to the backseat.

On the whole, KRAZZY 4 is slightly above the average mark, but the brand [Rakesh Roshan] coupled with the presence of the two superstars in its songs and of course, some great actors in comic roles should ensure positive returns at the box-office.

By Taran Adarsh

Review Report:U Me Aur Hum

2008-04-12T11:01:00.003+05:30

Cast: Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Divya Dutta
Director: Ajay Devgan

Aamir Khan has raised the bar with TAARE ZAMEEN PAR. Comparisons between Aamir and Ajay Devgan, who makes his directorial debut with U ME AUR HUM, would be erroneous, but you can't turn a blind eye to the fact that the viewer would expect an encore with U ME AUR HUM. Will U ME AUR HUM live up to the humungous hype and expectations? Does Devgan have the trappings of a fine storyteller? Oh yes, he does!

Let's come to the point right away. Devgan needs to be lauded for choosing a daringly different theme in his debut film and most importantly, doing justice to it, handling it with extreme care. We know him as a powerful actor, now there's yet another designation added to his name -- avant-garde director.

Let's move on to the next query! Is the real-life couple -- Ajay and Kajol -- as dynamic yet again? The answer is, they're electrifying. Both pitch in bravura performances, reaffirming the fact that this jodi is amongst the finest of this generation.

One of the prime reasons why U ME AUR HUM works, and works big time, is because it's aimed at the heart. Anyone who's into relationships, anyone who believes in love, anyone who thinks from the heart, anyone who has watched his/her partner grapple a grave disease, will identify with a film like U ME AUR HUM.

To cut a long story short, U ME AUR HUM marks the birth of a powerhouse of talent. Watch U ME AUR HUM for various reasons, but most importantly, watch it for a new director who respects your 2.30 hours and the hard-earned bucks that you invest on watching his movie. It's time to fall in love with love… again!

The first time Ajay [Ajay Devgan] saw Pia [Kajol], she served him drinks. She affected him more than the alcohol, it was love at first sight. The first time Pia saw Ajay, he had a drink too many. She watched him make a fool of himself and was relieved when he passed out.

Ajay is on a cruise with his friends -- Nikhil [Sumeet Raghavan] and Reena [Divya Dutta], unhappily married, and Vicky [Karan Khanna] and Natasha [Isha Sharwani], happily unmarried. Ajay is having a wonderful time dealing with martial strife, lots of bad language and huge hangovers, when he finds Pia and time stands still.

After a disastrous first meeting, Ajay tries everything to woo her. He wants her, by hook, crook or even her little private notebook. She's not an easy catch at all, but finally, by sheer perseverance, he dances his way into her heart. Ajay and Pia develop a strong and special bond.

Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love, and they blossom when we love the ones we marry. And Ajay-Pia love each other dearly, but no marriages can be complete without problems, and Ajay and Pia have also have to face hurdles. Kajol is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. How does the couple face the crisis?

The one thing you must carry when you set out to watch U ME AUR HUM is a kerchief. For, this film makes you shed a tear at times, cry at places and weep in at least two vital sequences. But it's not just rona-dhona that you get to see in U ME AUR HUM.

The first hour, strictly average in terms of writing, has several sunshine moments. It's breezy, funny, at times silly, but interesting. What also catches your eye is the eye-filling cinematography [Aseem Bajaj in top form, yet again] on the cruise. The songs, the glam look, the subtle humor… you don't take to the film instantly, but you know for a fact that a volcano is brewing.

And the volcano does erupt in the second hour! Ajay Devgan, the director, shows his expertise in this hour as the story does an about-turn, exposing the delicate, sensitive and fragile relationships. Devgan reserves the best for the concluding reels and you finally get the answers in the end.

U ME AUR HUM is more of a director's film, than anyone else's. A theme like the one projected in this film could go dangerously haywire if entrusted in inept hands, but Devgan seems to have done his homework well. The only glitch is the length in its second hour. A shorter narrative would've only helped!

Robin Bhatt, Sutanu Gupta and Akarsh Khurana's screenplay casts a hypnotic spell in the second hour. Sure, the germ stems from THE NOTEBOOK [2004; James Garner, Gena Rowlands, Rachel McAdams], but the writers have altered the screenplay keeping Indian sensibilities in mind. It works! Ashwani Dhir's dialogues touch the core of your heart. Every spoken sentence has a meaning. Vishal Bhardwaj's music may not be a chartbuster, but it alternates between soulful and melancholic beautifully. Aseem Bajaj's cinematography is topnotch. Monty Sharma's background score is effective.

Now to the performances! U ME AUR HUM is like a medal that glimmers on Ajay Devgan's body of work. He's exceptional! Kajol, well, what can you say of an actress who has proved herself time and again? That she's undoubtedly the best has been proved yet again. Sumeet Raghavan is first-rate. Divya Dutta gets into the groove in the subsequent portions. Karan Khanna and Isha Sharwani are okay. Sachin Khedekar does a fine job. Aditya Rajput and Hazel get minimal scope.

On the whole, U ME AUR HUM is a well-made, absorbing love story that's high on the emotional quotient. And that holds tremendous appeal for ladies/families mainly. At the box-office, it's the kind of film that will gather more and more speed with each passing show. Its business at multiplexes should be fantastic. Overseas too should be excellent.

Very strongly recommended!

By Taran Adarsh

Karan Patel admits he irked Ekta

2008-04-06T23:15:00.001+05:30

By indiaabroad

Mumbai,(IANS) TV Actor Karan Patel, the rebellious Robby of 'Kasturi', is becoming tardy, and Ekta Kapoor does not like it one bit.

With surprising candour, Karan admits that there was indeed a problem at Balaji Telefilms.

'Yes, I did come late for the shoot. But that's because I've taken on another show, 'Kaho Na Yaar Hai'. And initially there was some problem synchronising the two schedules although they're both shows for the same channel. I'm sure it'll be sorted out very shortly. For now I regret the inconvenience caused to the 'Kasturi' team and to Ekta,' Karan told IANS.

Karan admits things reached a head and the entire cast walked away en masse.

'Yes, the 'Kasturi' cast did walk out en masse because I arrived late. Then Ekta and I had a meeting and I explained my situation. And she's okay now. But it's not something I could help. Or something that I'd do intentionally.'

Kasturi's bad boy turned angel makes another strangely disarming confession.

Amita Chandekar, who has a vamp's part in 'Kasturi' and who partnered him in 'Nach Baliye 3' was never his real-life girlfriend.

'I'd like to clarify that I don't have a girlfriend. This was something I needed to clear for a long time. It's a misunderstanding that has been allowed to go on for too long. Amita and I are close friends. And we were together for some time, though not as a couple. Our togetherness was mistaken for something else. I'm much relieved to clear this notion,' Karan said.

So how did they end up being a couple on 'Nach Baliye'?

'We were friends and we suited the rules and regulations of 'Nach Baliye'...you could say we were a pair or you could say were never a pair. I never proposed to her. There was never a girlfriend-boyfriend tag. We were two people who hung out together quite often.'

Karan is currently one of Indian television's most coveted stars.

'Really?' he feigns disbelief. 'Now that you've brought it to my notice, I'm flattered and thrilled. Yeah, the change has been quite sudden, though I hardly get time off from television to see what I've achieved. I was just one of the bit players on 'Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki' where I was almost a junior artist. I was suddenly pulled out of the backbench to play the lead in 'Kasturi'. I never thought the serial would fetch me so much recognition. It just boosts your morale to know you've finally arrived. I guess I've made big progress,' says the scion of a Gujarati business family.

The young actor says he was always confident of his success. 'But I never knew it would happen so suddenly. One day I was just another face on television. The next day I was Robby in 'Kasturi'. Then 'Nach Baliye' happened. Now I'm anchoring a show for STAR. I couldn't have hoped for more.'

He admits the fan attention has multiplied. 'I'm now craving to make the next move...to cinema. Insha Allah, it should happen soon. Yes, television has its own place now. But when you do a lot of television, you become identified as the character you play in the soaps. Smriti (Irani) will be known as Tulsi no matter what she does in the future. But age and time are on my side. So I can be patient. I'll have to cut off from television, re-invent myself for the big screen. Yes, I do have film offers.'

He admits 'Nach Baliye' added to his popularity. 'Weekdays, I was seen on a soap. And during weekends I was seen as dancer on a reality show. So I was there in viewers' faces throughout the week. It gave me a chance to dance, something I am very fond of. I used to dance for Shiamak Davar's troupe earlier. Yes, I was preparing for stardom from my childhood.'

Very few can perform like Kajol: Ajay Devgan

2008-04-06T23:12:00.000+05:30

By indiaabroad
New Delhi,(IANS) Kajol is a director's delight, says Bollywood actor Ajay Devgan of his talented wife whom he has cast in his directorial debut 'U, Me Aur Hum'.

'Very few actresses can perform like her. Doesn't every director want to work with Kajol?' Ajay told IANS.

'Working with her is a delight. When a writer writes his book, he uses words to express himself and when a director makes a film, actors like her help convey the message rightly,' added Devgan, who was in the capital Saturday to promote his upcoming film.

The actor denies he would only select Kajol for his future projects.

'Taking her in my first film doesn't mean that I would only work with her. Casting depends on who suits the role most, and for this character she fitted the bill.'

Apart from Ajay and Kajol, the movie also stars Divya Dutta, Karan Khanna, Isha Sharvani and Sumeet Raghavan. It narrates the story of three couples and how the successful marriage of one couple helps mend another's relationship and how the third is urged to tie the knot.

'I have not tried to make a pseudo intellectual film, instead a commercial one. 'U, Me Aur Hum' is about love, life and relationships. The aim is that people must come out of the theatre with a smile and feel good,' the national award winner said.

Ajay believes directing a film and acting in it is not difficult.

'Doing two things at a time requires a lot of hard work but once you are clear about what you want to do it is not that difficult.

'Moreover, direction wasn't a big change for me. I started my career as a director. I used to make small films and would do everything except acting in them. I always wanted to direct a full-length film,' he said.

'It all started with a thought that gradually took shape. Only when a second thought comes along will I roll out my next film.'

Commenting on whether his role in the film is a reflection of his personal life, he said: 'No, there are no similarities.'

'For instance, in the film the character falls in love at first sight but nothing like this has ever happened to me in real life. However, I believe in what the character believes in.'

Shilpa to do a song with Abhishek, John

2008-04-05T23:52:00.000+05:30

IndiaFM
Post Celebrity Big Brother, Shilpa Shetty seems to be on a professional high. The tall and beautiful actress continues to make news, even though it's been more than a year since she stormed UK winning the reality show.

Now Shilpa, whose last release was Apne, surely seems to have jumped into the big league. The actress will be seen doing a 'special song' in Dharma Productions' Dostana starring Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles. This Karan Johar production, directed by Karan's erstwhile assistant Tarun Mansukhani is currently being shot in Miami. "Yes, Shilpa is currently shooting in Miami along with Abhishek and John for a really special song for the film Dostana. I wouldn't really call it an item number,” said Shilpa's publicist Dale Bhagwagar. “However, the song is indeed going to be one hell of a sensational chartbuster. Let me put it this way, if she won over the nation with her UP- Bihar song you can expect her to win a reasonable part of the world with this song."

So what else is Shilpa up to these days? "Shilpa would be starting work on her film The Man opposite Sunny Deol. It's a Vijeta films production and co-directed by Sunny Deol and Neeraj Pathak. Her role in the film is quite similar to what happened to her in real life [read the instant worldwide fame]. She would also be seen in the international flick Hanuman where she plays Sita. They are in talks with Keanu Reeves to play the role of Lord Ram"

What about her plans of getting into production? "Yes, Shilpa is starting her own production called S2 Global Production. The first thing that was made under S2 global Production was Shilpa's Yoga DVD, which mainly released in the UK & international market,” said Dale. “The first film under her banner is an action comedy to be directed by Manish Jha (Matrubhoomi, Anwar). It's a two heroine project with Shilpa playing one of the heroines. The second female lead would also be a very famous Bollywood actress. I can't reveal much now."

For all those who are eagerly waiting for Shilpa's Yoga DVD in India, there is good news on that front. "Yes, she is going to release her Yoga DVD in India. Shemaroo has bought the rights at an astronomical price. Shilpa will be dubbing for it in Hindi when she returns from Miami,” he added. “The DVD got a fabulous response in the UK. It was a sell-out among the non-fiction DVD charts. So we are looking forward to its release in India."

Well, after speaking to her publicist all we can say is that Shilpa surely has her plate full and the next few months are bonanza time for her die-hard fans.

Amitabh Bachchan cleared in tobacco ad case

2008-04-05T23:49:00.000+05:30

Panaji,(PTI) In a relief for superstar Amitabh Bachchan, a local court has cleared him in a case of an alleged violation of Goa's law against smoking after a poster showed him puffing a cigar. National Tobacco Eradication Organisation (NOTE), an anti-tobacco organisation, had filed a suit against Bachchan along with others objecting to his poster on the hoarding which showed him smoking a cigar and accusing him of violating Goa Prohibition of Smoking and Spitting Act, 1997.

District and Sessions Judge U V Bakre nullified the legal process against Bachchan initiated by judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) in the case. NOTE had accused the actor of indirectly suggesting and promoting smoking on a multi-coloured billboard advertisement that depicted him puffing a cigar while endorsing a brand of electric appliances.

The board was prominently displayed on Goa's national highway. NOTE had asked the court to prosecute Bachchan for violations the Goa Prohibition of Smoking and Spitting Act.

Bachchan's lawyer had in a revision petition filed before sessions court said the criminal case was registered despite the actor conveying in writing that he was not a party to the hoarding. PTI.

Review Report : 'Shaurya'

2008-04-05T23:43:00.002+05:30

Film: 'Shaurya';
Cast: Rahul Bose, Javed Jaffrey, Kay Kay Menon, Minissha Lamba, Deepak Dobriyal;
Director: Samar Khan;
Rating: *** 1/2

It takes vision and courage to make a film about the de-escalating valour and plummeting morale of the Indian Army. 'Shaurya' is about the army, but it isn't a war film. The battles are all fought at the level of individual conscience. But never does it get preachy.

It's a film about the Indian Muslim's identity. But it steers miraculously clear of taking sides or becoming hysterically passionate on the subject. There have been significant films on the isolation of the Indian Muslim as seen through the eyes of a persecuted individual. One can immediately think of John Matthew Matthan's 'Sarfarosh' and Raj Kumar Santoshi's 'Khakee'.

In 'Shaurya', Deepak Dobriyal as Javed Khan, the Muslim army man accused of terrorist activities, reminds you of Atul Kulkarni in 'Khakee'.

There's even a predictable sequence where the mother of the accused comes visiting the lawyer's home in the dead of the night. Seema Biswas' cameo as Javed's mother is surprisingly lacklustre.

She demonstrates unnecessary restraint where a more dramatic pitch for the distraught mother would have carried the theme of persecution and isolation further.

Samar Khan seems exceptionally shy of emotional display. The relationships that grow within Joydeep Sarkar's intricately plotted courtroom drama seek solace in silences rather than dramatics.

Even the relationship that grows between the hero Major Siddhanth Chowdhary (Rahul Bose) and the journalist (Minissha Lamba) resonates with restraint rather than rhetoric. Buddies Bose and Javed Jaffrey, we are told, are inseparable. But that level of camaraderie isn't evident in the film.

The cloudbursts are saved up for the entire climactic interlude. The last 45 minutes are so stunningly honest that you wonder if the dormant spirit of the rest of the narrative was meant to mislead us.

The wake-up call - how a certain section of the government-sponsored agencies look upon the Indian Muslim - is hurled into our face with a ferocity that leaves us in state of stunned incredulity.

Credit must go to the writer, director and the dialogue writer (Aparna Malhotra) for telling it like it is about the alienation of a community.

More than Rahul Bose, who's remarkably in-sync and uniformly vibrant in playing his character, it's Kay Kay Menon as the biased army officer who imbues a compelling credibility to Samar Khan's honourable and brave intentions.

It would be no exaggeration to say that 'Shaurya' and its theme of the Indian Muslim's self-worth would not have worked without Menon's vital presence.

In the courtroom, when he spews venom against the community for 'polluting and poisoning' the country, Menon sounds frighteningly Hitlerian.

Again, we must stress that the director doesn't try to get fashionably polemical in addressing the sensitive issue of communal angst. Samar Khan mostly remains non-judgemental in his treatment of characters and their blemishes.

The trial of the silently smouldering Muslim is punctuated by bouts of humour between Bose and his screen-friend Javed Jaffry.

'Shaurya' reveals sparks of master storytelling and doesn't hide away from uncomfortable truths - from its opening titles, when on a wet, windy, and slippery night out in Srinagar, Javed Khan pulls the trigger on his senior, to the stunning finale when Shah Rukh Khan's voice recites poignant poetry defining valour and courage not as we see it but as the conscience knows it.

But the director could have easily avoided the limp pockets in the narrative, those telltale breathers when the buddies bond, lovers sing and the fringe characters try to get a face from the edges.

Forget the humbug. Just watch 'Shaurya' for its compelling and positively gripping insight into the heart and mind of the average Indian who hides his subconscious biases in the garb of fashionable liberalism.

The film's army backdrop is authentically captured by Carlos Catalan's panoramic cinematography. It captures the feelings and failings of the characters as fluently as the cascading tranquillity of the Srinagar backdrop.

Mughal descendant moves court against `Jodhaa Akbar'

2008-04-05T23:37:00.002+05:30

Agra, (IANS) Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy, the great grandson of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court against what he calls 'molestation of history and character assassination of emperor Akbar' in Ashutosh Gowariker's 'Jodhaa Akbar'.

In his writ petition filed Thursday, Tucy prayed to the apex court to direct the producers of the film to change the name of the character 'Jodha' to 'Harkha' or some other fictitious name which 'does not distort history and defame the name of Akbar or the illustrious Mughal dynasty'.

Talking to IANS from Hyderabad, Tucy said he presented documents and statements of prominent historians like Jadunath Sarkar, Satish Chandra, Ashirwadi Lal Srivastav, and R. Nath to establish that emperor Akbar had nothing to do with Jodha Bai 'who was actually the daughter of Udai Singh and daughter-in-law of Akbar.'

He objected to the distortion of history in the movie, which the producers were promoting as a 'period film'.

Tucy said he wanted the film's screening to be stopped as it was misleading people and creating a wrong image of the Mughal dynasty.

Noted Mughal historian R. Nath said 'Jodhaa Akbar' is an example of perverted history for entertainment.

'The film by Gowariker is no match to K. Asif's 'Mughal-e-Azam'. No doubt Asif added characters and events to romanticise the film, but hardly ever did he try to transgress the limits of history or outrage its sensitivity or authenticity. That was how Anarkali was permanently imprinted on the collective psyche of people.'

Nath said 'Jodhaa Akbar' is a poor imitation of 'Mughal-e-Azam' and without any historical basis whatsoever.

'In history, there was only one Jodha Bai, daughter of Mota Raja Uday Singh Rathor of Jodhpur, and was married to Salim (Jahangir, 1628-58).

'She was called Jodha Bai because she belonged to Jodhpur. Jahangir bestowed upon her the title of Jagat Gosain, as he styled himself as Jagat Guru. Jahangir's queen Jodha died in 1619 and her son Shah Jahan built for her a magnificent tomb at Agra.'

Akbar had four wives and with none did he have any romance as 'all these were political marriages'.

Nath said Gowariker had done 'injustice' to Mughal emperor Akbar whose dignity, majestic looks and grandeur had been 'caricatured' in the form of Hritik Roshan.

Even the inscription outside the so-called Jodha Bai palace in Fatehpur Sikri clearly mentions that Jodha Bai has been mistakenly called Akbar's wife, said Tucy. With such material proof how can filmmakers claim they had researched and presented true Mughal history, he asked.

No one needs to question what I've done: Big B

2008-04-05T23:32:00.000+05:30

Stung by comparisions with superstar Rajnikanth, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan said no one had the right to question what he has done for Mumbai.

"No one needs to question what I have done for Mumbai, for I know what I have done," Bachchan said.

He was reacting to a question on an article in the Sena mouthpiece Saamna that compared him with Tamil superstar Rajnikanth, who is agitating for Tamil Nadu on the issue of Hogenakkal water project.

The article: 'Rajnikanth Khalya Meethala Jaagla' (Rajnikant has been loyal) said though he was born in Maharashtra and grew up in Karnataka, he took sides with Tamil Nadu after achieving superstardom.

The article said, 'several actors who live in Mumbai achieve fame and glory. But when it comes to taking a firm stand on the issue of Marathi or regional pride many of film stars including Amitabh Bachchan backtrack'.

Reacting to the allegations, Bachchan said, "do you think I am not doing much for Maharashtra? If that's what you think, then it is unfortunate".

Review Report:Bhram

2008-04-05T23:25:00.000+05:30

Bhram
Cast: Dino Morea, Milind Soman, Sheetal Menon
Direction: Pawan Kaul
Rating: *

If this wham-Brahm-thank-you-ma'am cross-hover effort will go down in the annals, tunnels and funnels of Indian cinema history, it's simply for the fact that it has more ‘eff' words than you'd find in a country bevda bar.

Anyway, Morea (dentist's delight), Soman (call good old Nalini-Yasmin for an immediate shear) and newcomer Menon (with beer mug eyes), go on that f-and-butt spree. Oof, eff, such pelf.

Surely Kaul could have made a straight, slick whodunit, instead of making you gasp at the lingo, endless shots of a lady looking through a monsoon glass, and heavens, Simone Singh delivering angry Bachchanesque dialogue while moving around in a satiny night gown. Clown frown.

More: two lines of dialogue might actually make you fall out of your chair. Asks Dino of Menon, as saltily as Eno, "Do you like your eggs fried or fertilised?" And a reluctant cab driver is howled at, "Then just sit there and sh.." Honestly, the cabbie could have just said eff eff. For Finland, of course.

Kerala girl wins Miss World crown

2008-04-05T23:23:00.000+05:30

Mumbai,(IANS) Parvathy Omanakuttam, a 20-year-old from Kerala, was crowned as the Pantaloon Femina Miss World 2008 at a glittering ceremony here Saturday evening.

At the grand finale, Simran Kaur, a 22-year-old from Mumbai who has won the Miss India Universe 2008 title, was named the first runner-up. Harshita Saxena, 20, from Goa, was the second runner-up.

Article attacking Big B not my views: Thackeray

2008-04-05T23:19:00.000+05:30

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray distanced himself from the article on Marathi pride in party mouthpiece attacking actor Amitabh Bachchan, and said the views published in the paper were not his.

"Amitabh Bachchan is our family friend. I have neither said anything against him nor written against him in the editorial. The hue and cry which has been created by the media regarding the news in Saamna is condemnable. Our relations with Amitabh are not so weak that it can be broken by electronic media news," Thackeray said in a statement.

He said people were beginning to 'lose faith' in the electronic media because of the way they were making mountains out of molehills, but the relations between him and the Bachchan family would be unaffected 'because it is a bond of love'.

A front page article in Saturday's edition of the party organ edited by Thackeray, targeted Bachchan who was born in Uttar Pradesh but achieved stardom in Mumbai on the issue of Marathi pride.

While praising his Tamil counterpart Rajnikanth for taking the side of Tamil Nadu on the issue of Hogenakkal water project issue, it said actors like Bachchan would backtrack when it comes to taking a firm stand on the issue of Maharasthrian regional pride.

Katrina raises the price and prestige!

2008-04-05T23:17:00.001+05:30

Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network
As is known, the actress with one of the fastest ascent to the top, Katrina Kaif, has agreed to do an item number in Ashtavinayak's Sanjay Dutt and Akshay Kumar starrer, BLUE. Reliable trade sources confirm the buzz that Katrina has demanded and received a whopping 1.5 crore for the same. With that the much maligned item number has assumed a new high and also a prestigious new name- Hot and sensational dance number!
In fact, we now hear that many other top and respectable names in the industry have decided to take the plunge too. First off the block is going to be the woman of substance, Preity Zinta, who has consented to do an item number in the Salman Khan-Kareena Kapoor starrer, MR AND MRS KHANNA.

Well, we won't be surprised if more top names join the fray and agree to do (as per our new nomenclature), hot and sensational dance numbers!

Amitabh Bachchan to judge Aishwarya

2008-04-04T23:48:00.000+05:30

IndiaFM
For the Big B it seems that the reel life seems to be following the real life. We are talking about Amitabh Bachchan's relationship with the name 'Aishwarya'. At home, he is a loving father-in-law to the dutiful Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. He is also planning to start 'Aishwarya Girls School', amongst many others to follow.

At work, Amitabh is all set to be the judge to the beautifully talented Aishwarya! We are not talking about his bahu, but a contestant Aishwarya Mazmudar, the finalist of the mega reality show Amul Star Voice of India - Chhote Ustad, who is pitted against Anwesha Dattagupta, yet another volcano of talent.

The finals of this show will happen on Saturday April 5, 2008. What remains to be seen is that, after months of hard work and eliminations, who will finally be crowned the winner: Aishwarya or Anwesha?

Abhishek: I like Ash's pairing with Hrithik

2008-04-04T23:43:00.001+05:30

Guru which most consider your finest performance to date came at the start of 2007. Do you think it's forgotten at the awards at the end of the year?
Why do you say that? Rang De Basanti had also been released in January. Awards are no doubt very encouraging. But there have been many notable films in the past that haven't won awards. At the end of the day, the greatest award is a successful film.

Are you more possessive about Sarkar Raj than Jodhaa Akbar since the former stars you with your wife?
No. At the end of the day I am an actor. And we're both thoroughly professional. It would be incorrect for me to be possessive about our film together. I am both an actor and her husband. I'm possessive about her, not her films. It doesn't matter whom she works with. In fact, I really like her pairing with Duggu. I think they looked good together in Dhoom 2 and Jodhaa Akbar. I wish that pair all the best.

Interestingly the first and second turning points in your career were both courtesy Mani Ratnam, weren't they?
Yes, Yuva and Guru. Mani is very special. He had faith in me at a time when most people had lost faith, including myself. He's a friend and mentor. I hope I never let him down. I'd love to work again and again with him. He knows I'm only a phone call away. According to me, he's one of the most talented directors we've ever had. Mani is very reserved. If he has another film for me he would tell me when he's ready.

You went through a prolonged lean phase at the beginning of your career. Comment.
During the times when my films were flopping I had friends like Karan Johar who kept my morale high. I can't deny access to the industry was easier because you are a Bachchan. And I guess I did have it much easier than many people. But once you get a chance you've to prove yourself just like anybody else. I had to struggle. I almost gave up after seventeen failures. My father kept saying, just keep working and believe in yourself. Thankfully, better days were around the corner. You've to work very hard to get anywhere in this business. And I'm working hard. However, there's no formula for success. When I decided to do Guru, a lot of my friends thought it wouldn't work at all. By the grace of God it did well.

Are you pleased with your assignments?
Of course! How wonderful to be working at a time when an actor gets to do a Sarkar Raj, Drona and Dilli 6 during the same year. It's a dream come true for any actor.

Why did you initially opt out of Dilli 6?
Rakeysh Mehra mentioned the subject to me many years ago. He finally decided to shoot it in winter 2006 when I was committed to shooting Drona. I suggested he do it with someone else. He asked Duggu who asked me if it was okay. I was perfectly okay with that. But then Duggu's dates didn't work out. Then Rakeysh decided to re-write the script. By then it was December 2007 and I was thankfully able to do the film. The rest, I hope will be history. Rakeysh is a very sensitive director and I love working with him. I was meant to start my career with him.

How has the experience in Jaipur been so far?
It's like attending acting school every morning. When would I again get an opportunity to observe and work with actors like Waheeda Rehmanji, Chintu Uncle(Rishi Kapoor), Om Puriji, Deepak Dobriyal, Pawan Malhotra,, Vijay Raaz, Atul Kulkarni, K.K Raina….It's school! It's cool!

Both you and dad are huge fans of Waheedaji?
Who isn't? This is my second film with her after Om Jai Jagdish. I just keep staring at her. Actors would do anything to be in one frame with her.

And what about your co-star Sonam Kapoor?
I saw Saawariya and thought she was wonderful. When I started my career I wasn't half as good as Sonam or Ranbir. It's wonderful to see this whole eager enthusiastic new generation coming in.

source:IndiaFM

Rani moves high court in land ownership case

2008-04-04T23:42:00.001+05:30

Bollywood actor Rani Mukherji moved a petition in the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday, challenging the cancellation of her ownership of a piece of land in Maharashtra.

Rani's father Ram Mukherji arrived in Aurangabad and furnished the necessary documents pertaining to the land deal before the registrar of the court.

The petition challenging the Shrirampur sub-divisional officer's (SDO) order directing her to surrender the land in Ningaonkovali village, on the border of Nasik and Ahmednagar districts, will come up for notice before the court on Friday.

Nandkumar Suryavanshi, the SDO, said that earlier there was a sugar factory on the land that was subsequently closed. Since the factory had excess land, the government took it over in accordance with the Urban Land Ceiling Act (ULCA) and handed it over to the Maharashtra State Farming Corporation (MSFC).

As the land remained unused for a long time, the MSFC sold it to the original owner, a farmer who worked in a hotel in Shirdi town. From the farmer, Rani bought the plot in December 2005 for Rs.3.3 million.

However, when she applied for registration of the plot in her name, the revenue department refused permission and stressed that as it was an agriculture land, only a farmer could buy it.

The deputy collector of Ahmednagar district conducted an inquiry and Rani was asked to pay penalty for buying a farmland. Since the actress failed to pay the penalty, the Shrimanpur SDO ordered her name be deleted from the sale deed.

Suryavanshi told IANS that instead of going to the court, Rani could have availed of the options of either regularising the plot in her name at a reduced penalty or ask to reconsider the decision. "But as per the ULCA, the penalty on her could not have been waived totally," he said.

The actor's father Ram told the media in Aurangabad that Rani did not commit any irregularity in the land purchase.

"The deal was transacted as per the laid down procedure and the payment of the stamp duty. Rani was not the first person to purchase the land - it has changed hands at least six times before Rani bought it," he said.

"The penalty imposed on her is totally unfair. Why did the objection not come up earlier? Is it because she is a celebrity, a Bollywood star? Would this ever have happened if any common man had purchased the land?" he added.

David Dhawan is back with two films

2008-04-04T23:40:00.000+05:30

IANS
After an eight-month sabbatical, the irrepressible David Dhawan, who churned out hits like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi and Biwi No. 1, is back in the swing of things and will direct two films.

"The layoff has done me good. I needed the break from direction, yaar! It's not as if I was sitting idle at home. I was a judge on a dance show ('Nach Baliye'). That I enjoyed thoroughly. I was finalising the scripts for my next two films and spending time with my family," Dhawan told IANS.

Dhawan is teaming up with Govinda for producer Vashu Bhagnani's next film. The duo has given successful films like Hero No. 1, Coolie No.1 and last year's hit movie Partner, which also starred the director's another favourite actor, Salman Khan.

"The first would be for my friend Vashu Bhagnani with my dear friend Govinda in the lead. It'll be an out-and-out David-Govinda dhamaka, the kind that audiences will expect from us," said Dhawan.

"This would be my sixth film with Vashu - can you believe it? We still continue to believe in each other! We're looking for an interesting title for the film. But my next Hook Ya Crook written by Rensil D'Silva is a complete departure from everything I've done so far."

In Bhagnani's untitled film, Dhawan is repeating the Govinda-Lara Dutta pair after Ravi Chopra's Pappu Pass Ho Gaya. The film will also star Riteish Deshmukh.

While the Bhagnani project takes him into familiar territory, Dhawan has decided on a completely new team for Hook Ya Crook.

"Rensil wrote the full script for me immediately after Rang De Basanti. He's an amazing writer. His film for me is unbelievable. I've decided on John Abraham for the lead. One more major leading man has to be selected. This is a darkish film with violence in it. But nothing that would make the audiences alarmed, 'What's wrong with David Dhawan?'

Dhawan's son Rohit is also ready to turn director this year.

"In a couple of months, Rohit will be ready with his project. I'll most probably be producing the film along with a corporate house."

Vidya: My man can be from any walk of life

2008-04-04T23:36:00.001+05:30

With two hits - Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Heyy Babyy - in her kitty, Vidya Balan's career is going great guns and she believes the industry has started offering meaty roles to actresses.

"I'm lucky to be a part of the movie industry when leading ladies are no longer decorative. It's providential that I started with Parineeta."

So is she doing her Heyy Babyy director Sajid Khan's next film? "There's been no formal talk on this. Sajid hasn't offered me the role. I've been reading reports that I'm doing the film. Right now he's writing his next film." Vidya had five releases last year - Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Heyy Babyy, Eklavya: The Royal Guard, Salaam-E-Ishq and Guru. She also made a brief appearance in the title song of Om Shanti Om.

"I was very happy about all my five releases in 2007, though some of them didn't do well. From the very start when dada (Pradeep Sarkar) showed so much faith in me by giving me 'Parineeta', the industry has made substantial space for me.

"By the grace of god, there're lots of interesting roles happening. I'm in the process of signing some more. Since I came to cinema, my criteria for signing a role remain unchanged. I've never been in a hurry to get anywhere. Things are happening at a pace I'm enjoying. And I'm not insecure." The actress, who was seen in Rajkumar Santoshi's Halla Bol along with Ajay Devgan this year, has no regrets.

"I don't regret anything. I'm a hopeless optimist. I feel what I've to go through will happen regardless of how much I fight it."

The industry is looking at Akshay Kumar and Vidya as a hit pair after Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa.

"I'd love for us to be seen that way. Even Katrina Kaif-Akshay look great together. I'd love to work with Akshay again. Yes, we have offers together. He's a great co-star. The icing on the cake is our films together have worked."

In Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Vidya invested demoniacal energy.

"Yes, it was a frightening experience. My director Priyadarshan handled the last 20 minutes of the story when I get into a supernatural rage of dance very intelligently. I love Priyan. He's a man of few words. We even converse in Malayalam."

This year Vidya was supposed to do another film with Priyadarshan. "But there's a problem with the leading man. I'd love to work with Priyan again. I've been fortunate in the fact that directors have signed me more than once."

Any hopes for 2008?

"Add some spice to my own life and not wait for others to do it for me. I would like love to happen. But I'm not holding my breath for it. Yes, there're times when I get lonely. But most of the time I'm quite happy being with my family and myself."

Unlike Preity Zinta, Vidya has made no pledge to stay away from actors in her personal life.

"Some people are doctors, others are actors. My companion can be from any walk of life. If he's an actor we can both carry our own mirrors to the sets and be narcissistic individually. And we can have mirrors all over the house. Instead of looking into each other's eyes, we can look into the mirrors," Vidya joked.

Raj Thackeray watches excerpts from Sarkar Raj

2008-04-04T23:30:00.002+05:30

Raj Thackeray, chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the man whose remarks and activities of his followers sparked off parochial unrest in Mumbai, has met Bolloywood director Ram Gopal Varma to watch a part of Sarkar Raj.

Loosely based on Shiv Sena's chief Bal Thackeray's life, Sarkar Raj is a sequel to Varma's Sarkar and stars Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai in key roles. Raj Thackeray had also taken on Amitabh Bachchan in his diatribe.

"Raj and Varma have been friends for some time now. In fact, when Sarkar was made, it was Raj who coordinated between Varma and the Shiv Sena supremo," a source close to Varma told IANS.

"Raj is keenly interested in movies. So when after chatting up, Varma asked Raj if he wanted to watch some of Sarkar Raj, he readily agreed. He watched about 30 minutes of the film and apparently loved it," the source said.

Raj was amused to see one of the actors in Sarkar Raj resembled him. "Yes, one of the actors does resemble Raj, but his role is not modelled on him," added the source.

Interview with Emraan Hashmi

2008-04-04T23:26:00.002+05:30

Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network
2006 was an eventful year for Emraan Hashmi. Though he had three releases to his name (GOOD BOY BAD BOY, THE TRAIN, AWARAPAN), only AWARAPAN worked in his favor as it brought him immense critical acclaim. Close to a year after his last release, Emraan gets ready with his latest film JANNAT, yet again with Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt. Joginder Tuteja catches up with the young man to know more about his first release of 2008 - JANNAT.
Q: What character do you potray in JANNAT?

A: The character I play in JANNAT has a whacky and mischievous shades. It is an author backed role. How my character changes from being a street side gambler to that of a man who operates at an international platform brings a completely diverse state of affairs. It is an exciting journey for him in quest of JANNAT as he gets sucked deeper and deeper into the world of cricket.

Q: JANNAT has a lot going along with it - match fixing, betting, Bob Woolmer episode, Azhar and Jadeja scandals. Is there anything more as well?

A: See, references to number of elements that you mention are there in the film though we are not naming any people. JANNAT is not a docu-drama where we start showing the events the way they happened. We are not picking up stars and icons and making their life public. We are here to tell a tale which would certainly have fictional elements as well while keeping the commercial prospects of the film in mind.

Q: Isn't there any fear of censors or any other body?

A: I don't think that censors would have any objections to JANNAT. As I said, we are not picking up people at all. We are talking about things which have actually happened, have been talked about and are generic in nature. Everyone knows to a good extent what really had transpired.

Q: This means JANNAT would boast of yet another shock-fest from the house of Bhatts?

A: Oh, absolutely, you can expect shock value from JANNAT. The good part about the film is that the shock value of the subject is quite relevant even today. In fact if we look closely, in the months gone by, sports have been glorified in Bollywood cinema. CHAK DE INDIA is a living example. Here the world of cricket and what happens beneath will be the focal point of the movie. The film will also bring to light other issues around cricket. (Laughs) Thankfully the post World Cup slump period is over and cricket is back to riding high with India's win over Australia.

Q: With the film having cricket as a backdrop, what part does a leading lady have to play?

A: In building the character graph of the protagonist, it is essential to showcase the relationships he has shared in his life. Why just this film, even if you look at a film which belongs to the horror genre, it is but natural to have a basic premise of a man-woman relationship. There is no point getting away from that. In the film too, the girl plays an important role in the protagonist's journey in the quest for JANNAT. Newcomer Sonal Chauhan is being launched with JANNAT and she has done a very good job in the film.

Q: Other than Sonal Chauhan, even film's director Kunal Deshmukh is a newcomer. How was the experience being a veteran on the sets?

A: This may be Kunal's first film as an independent director but he is not a novice. He has assisted Mohit Suri in 3-4 films. He has done a phenomenal job in the film and that pretty much comes from the fact that he is a die hard cricket fanatic. He knows in and out about the film's subject and has done a thorough research. There was a certain look he wanted to give to the film and I am proud to see the way he has accomplished that.

Q: How exactly?

A: Well, he has got a love story imbibed well into the script even as the film has a basic wallpaper of cricket. Even though he is a debutant director, you hardly get a feel that he is handling a project for the first time. For certain projects you get a feel that things are going quite right. Positive vibes get generated, you know. JANNAT is one of those projects.

Rajnikanth blasts Karnataka over water project

2008-04-04T23:20:00.001+05:30

Chennai(IANS) Tamil film star Rajnikanth launched a blistering attack Friday against his native state Karnataka for opposing the Hogenekkal drinking water project in Tamil Nadu.

'I unequivocally condemn Karnataka for this reprehensible act of denying us what is rightfully ours,' Rajnikanth said.

Anger was writ large on the visage of the ageing superstar when he warned politicians in Karnataka against 'using a false premise for (short term gains) during elections'.

'A national political party I respect is forcing me to wonder by its despicable acts whether there is (rule of law) in this country (guaranteed by) the Supreme Court,' Rajnikanth argued.

'Don't people who indulge in mindless violence for a worthless cause deserve to be belaboured?' he asked, speaking near the Chepaul cricket stadium where Tamil film stars were on hunger strike in support of the water project in Dharmapuri district, 350 km southwest of Chennai.

'I appeal to people like (former Karnataka Chief Ministers B.S.) Yediyurappa, (H.D.) Kumaraswamy and (former prime minister H.D.) Deve Gowda to desist from whipping up (chauvinistic) sentiments purely aimed at the (ensuing) elections and nip this fissiparous tendency in the bud before the situation gets out of hand,' Rajnikanth added.

Rajnikanth, whose mother tongue is Marathi, hails from Bengalooru where he has considerable investments. He has also played the male lead in several Kannada films.

A galaxy of stars including Kamal Hassan, Vijaykanth and Sarath Kumar made an impassioned appeal to Karnataka to give up its 'unjust quest'.

At the end of the fast, a joint resolution on behalf of the Tamil film fraternity was adopted. It assured Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi of the tinsel town's total support in his fight to achieve justice for the state.

WELCOME BACK Akshay, Anil, Nana, Kat, Mallika!

2008-04-04T23:16:00.001+05:30

Bollywood Trade News Network
WELCOME enjoyed the grandeur success and rave reviews from all corners. It even broke all records turning out as a true Box-office champ.
Few days' back we even told you that WELCOME completed 100 days. It is counted as one of the solid blockbusters of 2007 grossing maximum moolah not only in India but overseas also. Later it was also released in Pakistan where it again made a good business and was well appreciated by the audience there.

Now seeing such overwhelming response Firoz Nadiadwala is so much so impressed that he is planning for the sequel titled as WELCOME BACK. This sequel will have the same star cast - Akshay Kumar, Anil kapoor, Nana Patekar, Katrina kaif, Mallika Sherawat.

So fasten your belts again for the hilarious sequel to come!

After London, Durban, Anupam's next destination is US

2008-04-04T23:13:00.002+05:30

Mumbai(IANS) Veteran Bollywood actor Anupam Kher is literally going places - setting up acting schools in London and Durban. He now plans to open a branch in the US.

'We've completed all the formalities. The school in London will start some time in June, while the one in Durban takes off in August 2008,' Anupam told IANS.

'In 2007, I started new branches of my school in Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. What started as a very small and sincere effort to share my acting skills with newcomers has now spread to three continents. For our acting school, the proudest achievement in 2007 was Deepika Padukone. Yes, she's our product,' added the actor Anupam, who was trained at the National School of Drama in Delhi.

The 'Saransh' star is the only actor in the world with acting schools in Asia, Europe and South Africa.

From Ang Lee's 'Lust, Caution' to lead India, 2007 has been an extraordinary of triumphs for the actor.

'Yes, when I look back on the year I do feel a great sense of satisfaction. I did quite a large number of films, good and not-so-good! In addition I went to Israel to do the commentary in a six-dimensional film on India and its culture, and then I gave my voice to an international animation film, in which I played an Indian horse.

'But I guess my biggest achievement is my acting school. I'm very proud of our students. The one in Mumbai is so successful that we've to take two batches of students instead one this year.'

Bachchan concerts to feature Saif Ali Khan and Madhuri Dixit

2008-04-02T18:19:00.001+05:30

Mumbai(IANS) The 'Unforgettable' concerts in July that will see the Bachchan clan of Bollywood perform live across Europe and United States has new glamour quotient.

Saif Ali Khan, Shahid Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit (Nene) will join Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai at different venues across Britain and the US, a source close to the family said.

Riteish Deshmukh, Bipasha Basu and Akshay Kumar are also part of the entourage.

'Saif and Shahid showed absolutely no hesitation in joining the Bachchans on their tour. The price being offered was fine and the dates for venues where they'll perform also worked out to their convenience. As for Madhuri, it would be the easiest thing in the world to join the Bachchans for the concerts in the US because that's where she lives,' the source said.

Lara Dutta had opted out of the concert earlier. 'There's much more to her sudden withdrawal from the concert than a painful knee,' a source said, without elaborating further.

I will make my mother watch my new movie: Esha Deol

2008-04-02T18:17:00.000+05:30

Mumbai(IANS) Actress Esha Deol, who has played a loud Tamilian in the comedy 'One Two Three', has one regret - that her mother Hema Malini, a true-blue Tamilian, was not around to watch her recently released comic caper.

'My mother has become quite a jet-setter travelling all over the place for her dance recitals. She's in Kolkata right now. I'll make her see 'One Two Three' as soon as she returns,' Esha told IANS.

The boisterous bit on screen notwithstanding, Esha stood out at the premiere of the movie in her chic makeup and elegant gown. 'I guess I wanted to create a contrast to my loud brassy character in the film. People see me as a tomboy. But I can be quite a lady if I want to be,' she said.

Esha is now gearing up for the release of her first action film 'Hijack'.

'But let me warn you, I don't do any of the kickboxing and all that stuff I'm dying to do on screen one day. Though this is a hijack-adventure story, all the action converges on Shiney Ahuja. I'm the airhostess and therefore very timid and gentle. The director, Kunal Shivdasani, made sure I don't jump out of character suddenly. It's a very realistic action drama,' the actress said.

She dismisses stories of her differences with Shiney. 'I don't know where that came from. Shiney and I had a great time shooting 'Hijack',' Esha said.

'Hijack' would be Esha's last film for a while. 'I haven't signed anything. And I won't until something worthwhile comes along.'

Preity Zinta hurt at IPL launch

2008-04-02T18:16:00.000+05:30

Mumbai(IANS) Actress Preity Zinta, co-owner of the Indian Premier League's Mohali team, suffered a minor injury during its formal launch in Mohali, on the outskirts of Chandigarh.

'I don't know how it happened,' Preity said. 'But in the melee at the launch (Monday), an elbow came and hit me straight in the eye. I had to go through the event with a black eye wearing dark glasses.'

Eyewitnesses said there was a huge rush at the launch, and somebody appeared to have thrown something at Preity. As one of her bodyguards lunged to catch whatever had been thrown, his elbow appeared to have hit Preity in the eye.

After the event, the actress spent the evening nursing her eye with ice packs.

'It will swell a bit. I guess it's bound to happen when one is in such situations,' she said.

The IPL Mohali team is led by Yuvraj Singh. The tournament starts April 18.

Sandhya Mridul oozes oomph at Lakme Fashion Week

2008-04-01T23:48:00.000+05:30

Mumbai(IANS) Bollywood actor Sandhya Mridul created a flutter at the Lakme Fashion Week as she swayed and oozed oomph on the ramp in an outfit designed by Priya Kataria Puri.

Decked in an off-white single shoulder short dress with asymmetrical hemline, the actor kicked off the show here late Sunday.

Her outfit was embellished with golden embroidery and a belt with geometric motifs. She sported a buffoon hairdo and carried an oversize golden flower clutch bag.

'Priya and I are childhood friends and she is very special to me. I usually defy glamour but when she called me up saying 'I need the attitude that you have', I couldn't refuse her,' Sandhya told IANS.

With lounge music as the background score and blue velvet curtains at the entrance to the ramp, models set the ramp ablaze sporting cowl neck dresses, two-in-one ensembles stitched like kaftans on one side and fitted on the other, dresses with puffed cap sleeves, ruffled hemlines, sash and lots of disco ball shimmer.

Models also sashayed down the runways in saris, skirts, kurtas with churidars and stoles. 'My collection, 'Bombay Glam', draws inspiration from Mumbai because as a child when I used to fly to the city with my mother, the air hostesses dressed in silk sarees and buffoon hairstyles fascinated me,' Puri said.

'Moreover, somehow or the other everyone is connected to Bollywood and Mumbai,' she added.

The colour palette was dominated by subtle hues - olives, off-whites, muted goldens, pinks, grays, greens and blacks. 'I used fabrics like Benarasi silk, taffeta, satins, chiffons, georgettes and brocades. The brocades have floral prints and have been imported from France and parts of Europe and printed in India. The fabrics are so rich in themselves that I used muted shades,' she said.

'I also wanted to revive traditional Indian fabrics that our designers are slowly forgetting,' she added. The show ended with Gregory David Roberts, author of book, 'Shantaram' and Puri's muse Francoise Sturdza, Princess of Romania, dancing for a few minutes on the runway.

'A muse makes the work of a designer so easy. Princess Francoise is a true princess by heart and that's why I selected her as my muse,' Puri said.

While Roberts sported a black suit and white shirt, Francoise was attired in a knee length beige dress in muted pink and green floral prints, highlighted with lots of shimmer.

'She creates such fantastic clothes, it can be worn anywhere - in India or outside,' Roberts said.

The princess added: 'I am not only smitten by Puri's creative brilliance, but she is also a very beautiful human being. All her designs are so feminine. I just love her collection.'

Model-turned-actor Anupama Verma was also present at the show. 'Whether I walk the ramp or not, I try my best to attend Puri's show as she is a friend of mine. I love her work.'

The five-day fashion fete, underway at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), will close April 2.

Film industry loses Rs.160 billion to pirates annually

2008-04-01T23:47:00.000+05:30

Mumbai(IANS) The Indian entertainment industry may be worth Rs.500 billion, but the movie segment loses Rs.160 billion annually to piracy.

This startling revelation was made by Ron Summers, president of US-India Business Council (USIBC), at the recent Ficci-Frames global convention on media and entertainment in Mumbai.

He said the global revenue share of the Indian film industry was only two percent of the total annual gross income of Hollywood, primarily because pirates usurped a good chunk of the Indian movie revenue earned from the domestic and international markets.

'Apart from adopting effective legal measures to pre-empt piracy, efforts should also be made to extract maximum value proposition from the entertainment content. The best way to do it is by cashing in on the technological advancement witnessed globally in electronics,' the USIBC president said.

Noted Bollywood filmmaker Yash Chopra admitted that it would not be possible to root out the external market force of piracy, which has entrenched itself too deeply over the years.

'But we can't afford to resign ourselves to this fact. We must identify measures to mitigate the hold of this force over the market. We must understand the enormous potential of the digital media and try to get value out of it.

'We have to beat pirates in their own game. But to be able to do this, we need the help of the regulatory bodies,' Chopra said.

According to the secretary in the Information and Broadcasting ministry, Asha Swarup, the only way to tackle piracy was to ensure tight security in the supply chain.

'Simultaneous or quick release of movies on the Internet or home video could be an alternative to curb piracy,' she said, citing how distributors of 'Jab We Met' benefited from this strategy recently.

Chief executive officer of Sony Entertainment, Kunal Dasgupta, also touched upon this paradigm shift in movie distribution.

'By releasing 'Jab We Met' in the home video circuit soon after its release in theatres, Moser Baer not only managed to reduce piracy, but also earned more revenue,' he said.

Dasgupta believed that a large number of people would want to watch a movie in the theatres even if CDs and DVDs were available in the market.

Notice issued to Ram Gopal Varma for cheating

2008-04-01T23:45:00.000+05:30

Noida, March 31 (IANS) The Noida Police have issued a notice to noted Bollywood filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma on a complaint from Super Cassette Industries Pvt Ltd, the maker of T-Series brand of audio and video cassettes, alleging that Varma had cheated the company of Rs.15 million.

The notice, posted by investigation officer Narendra Kumar Sharma, was sent on Saturday by registered post to Varma's Mumbai address. The filmmaker has been asked to be present before the officer within seven days of receipt of the notice to give his version.

The criminal case was filed against the noted filmmaker at the Sector 20 police station of Noida by Neeraj Kalyan, an official of Super Cassette Industries.

In his complaint, Kalyan stated that Varma June 13, 2006 inked an agreement with the company selling the rights of his upcoming 14 films. The agreement was signed at the Film City Noida on a Rs.100 non-judicial stamp paper in which Varma clearly stated that all rights, including marketing, publicity and realization of outstanding money and even copyright of his new films have been given to Super Cassette Industries. He stated that the 14 films, including, 'Nishabd', 'Aag' and 'Darwaja Bund Rakho', would be the sole proprietorship of Super Cassette.

After the agreement, the company invested Rs.14 million on a film produced by Varma, which incurred heavy losses. But in anticipation of recovering the loss in the other films, the company continued to invest in his new ventures. But Varma, breaching the contract, signed up with another company to realise the outstanding cash of his new ventures from the market. When Super Cassette came to know about his new assignment, Varma denied it and told the company that he would abide by the old agreement, Super Cassette official said in his complaint.

The company then issued public notices in newspapers saying that it holds all the rights of Varma's new films. But the company learnt later that Varma had breached the contract and signed on ADLABS to realise all payments from the market, including the copyrights of the films after terminating the old agreement with Super Cassette.

The complainant said by signing the new contract, Varma has cheated the company and requested legal action against him. The Sector 20 police registered the complaint under various sections of the Indian Penal Code against Varma, a resident of Link House, Bir Desai Road, Andheri Road, Mumbai, and some others.

Varma could not be reached for comments despite several attempts to reach him on his mobile phone.

Saif starrer "Race" making waves in Lahore

2008-04-01T23:39:00.002+05:30

Lahore, Apr 1 (ANI): Recently released Bollywood film "Race" having Pakistani pop singer Atif Aslam's romantic number "Pehli Nazar Mein" is doing a roaring business in Lahore, even as cinema halls running the film are going full to the capacity for the past two weeks.

The film stars Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor, Akshay Khanna, Sameera Reddy, Katrina Kaif and Bipasaha Basu.

Taking the popularity of the film, a number of colleges, cellular companies and government departments have booked cinema halls for their staff, the Daily Times reported.

Defence Housing Authority (DHA) spokesman Tajjamul Hussain said that a number of people had requested to help them in obtaining tickets at the DHA cinema.

Sozo cinema, with a capacity of thousands, is running three shows daily. Abdur Razzaq, the cinema manager, said that a large audience had swarmed the cinema in the last two weeks. Alina Sheikh, a cinemagoer, praised the performance of Saif Ali Khan and Atif Aslam's song. (ANI)

UP govt accusing amitabh bachchan of evading stamp duty

2008-04-01T23:36:00.001+05:30

The case against superstar Amitabh Bachchan by the UP government, accusing him of evading stamp duty of just Rs 695, is ridiculous and an attempt to defame Indian art and culture, Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh said.

"Amitabh is a personality who can pay Rs 6 lakhs. Rs 600 is nothing for him. Registration of such a case against megastar like him is ridiculous and an attempt to defame Indian art," he said.

The Barabanki district authorities on Monday issued a notice to the superstar accusing him of undervaluing the stamp duty on a plot of land he bought in the area.

Additional District Magistrate (Finance) of Barabanki Shirish Dubey said that the cost of the land purchased by Amitabh was Rs 843,639 but it was shown as Rs 6,000 less and accordingly the actor paid Rs 695 less in stamp duty.

Amar Singh, along with MPs Jaya Bachchan and Jayaprada, has arrived in Harda to campaign for the party candidate ahead of the Betul Lok Sabha bypoll.

The party MLA from Multai in Betul district Dr Suneelam is the SP candidate for the bypoll, in which the BJP has fielded Hemant Khandelwal, whose father's death necessitated the by-poll. Congress has fielded sitting MLA from Masod Sukhdeo Panse.

When asked whether Amitabh is being troubled at the behest of Gandhi family, he avoided a direct reply on the issue.

Even Jaya Bachchan refused to comment.

Uttar Pradesh government not targeting Big B: official

2008-04-01T23:34:00.000+05:30

Lucknow, April 1 (IANS) Refuting allegations that the Mayawati government was 'unduly harassing' Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, a top Uttar Pradesh bureaucrat Tuesday said the action against the actor for evading a marginal stamp duty was 'routine'.

The Uttar Pradesh government had slapped a notice on Big B for evading Rs.690 in stamp duty on registration of land bought in Barabanki for a college named after his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The case came up for hearing Monday.

Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh and Amitabh's wife Jaya Bachchan alleged that it was 'political vendetta' by the Mayawati government on account of their close proximity to the opposition Samajwadi Party.

But a top government official told IANS: 'Action would follow in a routine manner against anyone charged of undervaluing a property with a view to chopping off the stamp duty payable against a deal.'

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: 'I fail to understand how the media was trying to establish a connection between the action initiated by the Barabanki additional district magistrate (finance) and the dismissal of a Special Leave Petition moved by the state government against a high court order giving Bachchan a clean chit in a land scam in Barabanki district (about 40 km from here).'

The Bachchan family laid the foundation stone of the college on the plot of land Jan 27 at a high-profile bash in the village where they also flew in prominent politicians like Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, the party's leader Amar Singh, former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah.

The official said: 'The first notice for underpayment of stamp duty was issued to Bachchan way back on Dec 26, 2007, while the Supreme Court had dismissed the state government's petition March 31.'

When his attention was drawn to the fact that the underpayment was only Rs.690, he shot back: 'If you look into land records of any village or town, you will find umpteen such cases filed for violation of the Stamp Duty Act.'

While giving a detailed account of the case against Amitabh Bachchan, Barabanki ADM (finance) Shrish Dube told IANS: 'Bachchan had purchased three bighas (0.810 hectares) of land in Daulatpur village of Barabanki district that was registered in his name July 13, 2007 for a declared consideration of Rs.837,000.'

Dubey said: 'Subsequently during a routine cross-check, which is done in most sale deed cases, we discovered that the plot had been undervalued; as such, the stamp duty should have been paid on a value of Rs.843,695 as against Rs.837,000 shown by Bachchan.'

The case was listed for hearing before the ADM Monday.

Bachchan's counsel Ram Gopal Shukla sought to argue that the marginal difference in the valuation was attributed to the existence of a few date-palm trees on the land.

'Even if the officially estimated value was to be taken into account, the matter was too trivial. And considering that the chargeable stamp duty was only 10 percent, the total alleged default would not exceed Rs.690,' he said.

The ADM has fixed May 4 for the next hearing in the case.

Sanjay-Manyata marriage case hearing adjourned

2008-04-01T23:33:00.000+05:30

Mumbai, April 1 (IANS) A court here Tuesday adjourned to April 15 the hearing against Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt and Manyata, who have been asked to depose before it after Manyata's former husband challenged their marriage, claiming she was still his legal wife.

Satish Maneshinde, the lawyer for Sanjay and Manyata, told the Bandra metropolitan court in north-west Mumbai that the couple could not be present in court since the summons never reached his clients. He asked that hearing should be adjourned. The metropolitan magistrate accordingly fixed April 15 as the next hearing date.

Manyata's first husband, Mehraj Shaikh, had Feb 15 petitioned the Bandra metropolitan magistrate that by marrying Sanjay Dutt, Manyata violated the Muslim marriage norms as she was still his legal wife. He claimed he married Manyata in 2003 and their marriage is still valid.

Manyata has been interrogated by the Bandra police as per the court's direction and the report submitted.

Manyata and Sanjay were to state their versions in court Tuesday on the claims made by Shaikh.

Rani Mukherjee to move HC in Shirdi land deal case

2008-04-01T23:32:00.001+05:30

Bollywood actor Rani Mukherjee will move the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday to challenge Ahmednagar district collectorate's order canceling her ownership of a plot near Shirdi due to irregularities in the deal.

"We will be moving the High Court against the governments forfeiture of Rani's land," her lawyer Nanasaheb Chaudhary told PTI from Shirdi.

Rani failed to pay penalty after breaching the condition of acquiring ceiling land and thus the land was forfeited by the government earlier this year, Chaudhary added.

The Sub-divisional Officer, Srirampur had ordered the cancellation of Rani's name from the sale deed in January and taken possession of the land.

The actress is said to have paid Rs 33 lakh in December 2005 for a farmland near Shirdi. After the purchase, Rani had paid a stamp duty of Rs 1.32 lakh for registration. But the title of the land could not be transferred to her name as it was an agriculture land belonging to a farmer.

Ash turns down Will Smith - for the third time!

2008-04-01T23:30:00.000+05:30

Mumbai, April 1 (IANS) Aishwarya Rai has declined to co-star with Hollywood wonder-boy Will Smith again. This is the third time she has turned down his offer.

'That's true,' she laughed. 'I had to say no to Will for 'Tonight He Comes'. I feel awful about it, but I've my priorities very straight. Yes, family always comes first,' Aishwarya told IANS.

Two years ago the 'Men in Black' star offered Aishwarya the comedy 'Hitch', remade into Hindi with Salman Khan and Govinda as 'Partner'. She couldn't do the film due to time constraints. In quick succession, Aishwarya has turned down two Will Smith projects.

Contrary to reports, Aishwarya, who tied the knot with Abhishek Bachchan last year, didn't decline another Smith's 'The Seven Pounds' to celebrate Karwa Chauth with her husband in Mumbai.

'That's what they wrote in the US press... that I preferred to return to Mumbai to 'starve' myself for a religious occasion than to meet Smith for the film. That's completely incorrect.

'The script reading for 'The Seven Pounds' was just after Diwali when Dadimaa (Teji Bachchan)'s health dipped drastically. So I didn't make that trip out to LA for the reading session with Will. Is that wrong? Not to me. I'd any day put family over career.'

So are Ash and Smith star crossed?

'When it has to happen it will happen. We'd love to work together. There's something very charismatic about that actor. He gives off very nice vibes.

'He's very adventurous as an actor. He does 'I Am Legend' and 'Pursuit Of Happyness' at the same time. He's an actor, rapper, and a great family man. He likes to be adventurous. I like that.'

Review Report:One Two Three

2008-04-01T00:11:00.002+05:30

Movie
One Two Three
Director
Ashwani Dheer
Producer
Kumar Mangat
Music
Raghav Sachar
Cast
Sunil Shetty, Tusshar Kapoor, Sameera Reddy, Neetu Chandra

You’ve seen films with hip, classy proms promising you the same quality through the three hours in the theatre, only to be met with biting disappointment; 123 is exactly the opposite. The tacky promos on TV make you expect another no-brainer comedy with dead jokes, but this film surprises you with its originality and wit.
The film’s writing tries to marry the lowest denominator-catering comedy with the more refined humour, which is why perhaps no one will be entirely unhappy with the film. Add to that some spirited performances and you have a decent watch.

Three protagonists, apart as chalk, cheese and chana, share the same name – Laxmi Narayan. One is an aspiring supari killer (Tusshar Kapoor), another a small-time businessman dealing in undergarments (Paresh Rawal, marvelous) and yet another is a gentlemanly executive (Sunil Shetty, surprisingly adept) who’s all out to please his dominating boss.

Jia (Esha Deol) is an undergarments designer who needs the cash bad to save her late father’s hotel from being taken over. Laila (Sameera Reddy) runs a used-cars showroom and then there’s Chandni (Tanisha Mukherjee) who works in Laila’s workshop along with boyfriend Chandu (Upen Patel).

There’s also a priceless diamond that everyone’s after and underworld kingpin Bhai (Manoj Pahwa reveling in some fantastic one-liners) sends Laxmi Narayan (Kapoor) to bump off a hilarious don D’Mello (Mukesh Tiwari) for the diamond. A lady cop (Neetu Chandra) doing a Haryanavi accent adds to the fun; identities get crisscrossed and sweet confusion maintains over next few sequences.

Note the humour high-points – wannabe supari killer Laxmi Narayan’s aged mother in typical Hindi Mom style yearns for her son to “settle in life” and prays he gets his first murder soon so his career is set before she dies. Then there’s the scene where D`Mello wants Laxmi Narayan (Sunil Shetty) to tease a woman to create a diversion. He suggests he go up to a lady and ask – `Aati Kya’. But compelled by his good manners Laxmi wants to say `Aati Kya…err…Ma’am?’ Out of excess politeness, he’s used to asking too many questions (should I sit on the chair or sofa; the left or the right one?) that he’s branded `question paper’ by D` Mello’s henchmen. The film is dotted with other witty one-liners galore that pop up at the impossibly funny circumstances.

Yes, some dialogues are extremely offensive and should have been done away with. But by and large, thanks to reasonably intelligent writing and endearing performances, you tend to grit your teeth and sit through them to enjoy the better humour. For example, the premise of an avuncular man selling men and women’s inners has the potential for unlimited lewd and risqué jokes, and one cannot imagine the level of insanity another writer would have taken this. But here, thankfully, the lines here are teasing and often sweet.

Disappointingly, the drone of gay-bashing continues in this film with the standard – `Main Vaisa Nahin Hoon’ line repeated all the time. One did expect more subtle comedy from Ashwani Dheer (Office Office), but it’s obvious that commercial compulsions have won the battle many times in the script here.

Oddly, the technical aspect of One Two Three is abysmal, dating back to a decade or more. The first song that begins the story is shockingly tacky and unimaginative. Ditto goes for production value all over. Another grouse is the hurriedly wrapped up and abrupt ending, that could have been more interesting.

Songs are immensely enjoyable, even the forcibly insinuated Gotta Rock Mahiya and the title song One Two Three. Music by Raghav Sachar is above average and lyrics by Aditya Dhar and Munna Dhiman are excellent. Cinematography ranges from the unbearable, where several shots are out of focus, to just about ok.

The cast is the sparkler here – Paresh Rawal is supremely funny and carries off, what could have been a very offensive character, as an endearing one. Sunil Shetty is fabulous and this is, possibly, his most spirited performance so far.

Esha as the Tamil-spouting hotel owner is fantastic as is Sameera as the loan EMI bunking showroom owner. Even Neetu Chandra as the feisty cop is entertaining. Mercifully, unlike most mainstream comedies, here, the women characters are treated with relative respect and you can see the actors revel in their interestingly written roles. Manoj Pahwa, Sanjay Mishra, Vrijesh Hirjee, Mukesh Tiwari are all at their comedic best.

This is multi-award winning serial Office Office writer Ashwani Dheer’s directorial debut and he does fairly well. Don’t expect a comedy of the level of Office Office and you won’t be disappointed. One Two Three is a fun ride, with some dips and some highs.

Verdict: 2 stars out of five

Satish Kaushik hospitalised

2008-04-01T00:07:00.000+05:30

IndiaFM
Satish Kaushik who's currently confined to bed after a surgery plans to ask his new blue-eyed boy, Himesh Reshammiya, to compose a promotional song for Kaushik's teen romance Tere Sang.

"Tere Sang needs a promotional prop. And who better able to provide it than Himesh? Coincidentally, both me and my Tere Sang hero, Ruslaan Mumtaz, are currently confined to bed. He's so accident prone. While we were shooting Tere Sang he fell off the bicycle and had a serious injury. Now he has torn a ligament in his knee while I am recovering from a minor surgery. This is a good time for me to work on the music of our film."

Satish Kaushik who has just returned from 35 days of shooting with Himesh Reshammiya and Urmila Matondkar for Karzzzz in South Africa can't stop praising his two stars. "They're such professionals and so clued in to the technicalities of cinema. I was amazed by Himesh's ability to deliver long dialogues with the right pauses for breath and punctuation. This rhythm in the speech patterns is generally lacking in our film actors. The last time I saw an actor convey the same rhythm in speech was that other singer-actor Kishore Kumar." As for Urmila, "The last time I worked with her was when I was assisting Shekhar Kapoor for Masoom. She was just a child then. In-between we were supposed to do a full-on masala film called Bus Conductor. But she opted out. Now for Karzzzz, she's so passionately involved."

Ash, Big B at Advani's book launch

2008-04-01T00:04:00.002+05:30

IndiaFM

L K Advani has never been your conventional shrewd politician. The BJP leader is also a heartfelt writer and an author.

That could explain why actor Amitabh Bachchan, his daughter-in-law Aishwarya, ace art director Nitin Desai and Manoj 'Bharat' Kumar were in full attendance at the grand launch of Advani's book 'My Country My Life'.

It's too early to even speak about the book review, but looking at the creme de la creme who had come for the launch, this book does promise to make a good read.

I will work at my own speed: Kajol

2008-04-01T00:02:00.001+05:30

IANS
She is one of the most talented actresses in Bollywood, but Kajol, who graces the screen after a gap of two years in her home production U, Me Aur Hum, says her priority is her family.

"I am not going to do four films a year. I will work, but at my own speed," Kajol told IANS.

After marriage with Ajay Devgan in 1999, the actress cut down her film roles and was occasionally seen in hits like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Fanaa.

For U, Me Aur Hum, she teams up with hubby. The film, which releases April 11, marks Ajay's directorial debut and he has written the script too.

Asked how different this film is from her other movies, the ebullient actress says: "Well, I hope it is not so different that it becomes a bad film (laughs). I won't say it is different, but it is a very special film for me."

"While working in the film I never felt constrained. In fact, it was the other way round. I felt very comfortable and at home."

Her debut film, Bekhudi, in 1992 did fairly well, but it was Baazigar with Shah Rukh Khan a year later that was her first blockbuster. She later went on to deliver some of the biggest Bollywood hits like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham opposite Shah Rukh.

Juggling multiple roles of a wife, mother, actress and judge of a TV show, Kajol is neck deep in work. "Time management is a huge issue. I'm doing it with difficulty. Even a 15-minute delay makes a lot of difference. But I think it is not impossible to manage all this, you can do it."

Commenting on the changes in the film industry in the last one decade, Kajol says this evolution is vital.

"It is very important that things should change. We should change. You will die if you don't change. In the last few years viewers have changed, their demands have changed, the business of cinema has changed, and with so many changes the parameters of Indian cinema has changed."

On rumours that she has signed Karan Johar's next venture, Kajol said: "I have not signed the film, but I am discussing it with him. When I sign, I will certainly let everybody know about it."

She is having a ball as judge on Zee TV's new reality show "Rock n Roll" along with her husband and mother, actress Tanuja. "I'm really enjoying the reality show. There is so much positive energy," she said.

She has a high opinion of her fans. "I think we underestimate our fans. They are so level-headed and know where to draw the line. Only a very small percentage of fans go overboard."

Himesh records his career's 75th song

2008-03-31T23:59:00.000+05:30

IANS
Himesh has had enough of his status as a one-man music industry. At least for now. He wants to introduce at least one new singer in each one of his forthcoming starrers.

Himesh feels he owes it to the industry. "I think I must give new talent to the music industry because even I was a newcomer once. And fresh untried talent always works since my music usually caters to a younger audience which is always on the look-out for fresh unconventional voices."

For Mudh Mudh Ke Na Dekh Mudh Mudh Ke which is a love triangle, Himesh intends to introduce new singing talent for the two leading ladies Niharika Singh and Jennifer Kotwal. "I came across some mind-blowing female voices while I was judging Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. I'll be using these for M2KNDM2K". On Friday, Himesh Reshammiya recorded his 75th song.

"I've already released fifty songs and I intend to use the twenty-five songs that I've in my music bank for the four films Karzzzz, Kajraare, A Love Issshtory and M2KNDM2K that I'm starring in.” Himesh intends to introduce four new singers in these four films.

I want to do a full-fledged film with Arbaaz: Malaika

2008-03-31T23:57:00.001+05:30

IANS
Model-turned actress Malaika Arora has just done her first film with her husband Arbaaz Khan, however they just have an item song together. She is very keen to do more feature films with him.

She told IANS: "It's a marital comedy called Shaadi Ke After Effects. I'm not Arbaaz's wife in the film. I play the temptress and I've an item song with him.

"It was great fun working with Arbaaz. Now I want to do a full-fledged film with him. I want to do a comedy with my husband. So far no aspect of talent has been tapped except my dancing."

Now Malaika, who was seen in hit item numbers like Chaiyya chaiyya and Kaal songs, will be extremely cautious about the item songs.

"But if tomorrow a Farah Khan tells me to do a song with Shah Rukh Khan, of course I'll do it. But it has to be something worth my while. It's always been nothing but the best for me."

She is married for 10 years and and says that the secret to their successful marriage is an angel who is protecting them.

"I don't know how these ten years have passed. It's been so unreal, such a dream.

"How do we manage to avoid all temptation? I guess there's an angel watching over our marriage," she added.

The couple's top priority is their son Arhaan.

"Arbaaz and I make a conscious effort to share domestic responsibilities. When I'm out working he looks after our son. Without a doubt our baby is our top priority. And the work I do has to centre on his schedules," said the actress who plays main lead in Suniel Shetty's EMI.

I don't want to dance to colleagues' songs: Ranbir

2008-03-31T23:53:00.001+05:30

IANS
Kapoor scion Ranbir, who walked the ramp for the first time at the the Lakme Fashion Week, says he has no plans to perform live on stage for a long time.

He said 'no' to lucrative offers to dance at all awards functions at the beginning of the year.

"I'm just not ready to perform on stage. I don't have a body of songs. After my second release Bachna Ae Haseenon in August maybe I will. Until then I don't want to go on stage to dance to my colleagues' songs," Ranbir, who debuted with Saawariya last year, told IANS.

Commenting on his first ramp walk, Ranbir said: "Walking the ramp is something I would've never done so early in my career if it wasn't for Arjun Khanna. I was as nervous as I was for my first shot of Saawariya. But this was something I had to do for the sake of my friend Arjun."

Khanna and Ranbir have been friends forever. "He's my neighbour and a dear friend. I try to wear his clothes as far as possible."

Recently when Ranbir attended his best friend's wedding in Goa, he wore sherwani and other wedding clothes designed by Khanna. For a photo-shoot in Bangkok last week, all his clothes were done by Khanna.

"I try to be faithful to Arjun's clothes because he knows my likes and dislikes and styles my clothes accordingly."

Ranbir blows kiss to Deepika from ramp

2008-03-31T23:51:00.001+05:30

IANS
Making his love interest clear, Ranbir Kapoor blew a kiss straight from the ramp to actress Deepika Padukone.

Attired in a black and beige "sherwani" or Indian-style coat with intricate ethnic motifs at the hemline and sequin work at the collars, the star walked the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) ramp for designer Arjun Khanna in Mumbai late Saturday.

The sherwani was tastefully teamed with beige churidar and red scarf to give a dramatic effect, the actor's face and hair were painted golden.

"Before I came here I didn't know that my face would be painted golden. Only when I reached the venue and sat on a chair (backstage) to get the make-up done, I got to know about it. But I enjoyed the whole experience," Ranbir told IANS after the show.

He refused to comment on his romantic link-up with Deepika. Starting with his signature dance step from the title song of Saawariya, Ranbir descended on the runway.

And then he spotted Deepika sitting next to his mother Neetu Singh. Cutting short his catwalk, he blew a flying kiss towards her. Deepika blushed and hid her face behind her cascade of hair.

While Deepika sported a light grey tube top with abstract prints matched with slim fit dark blue jeans, yesteryear actress Neetu Singh was decked in white trousers and a kurta top with white, red and blue geometric prints and Swarovski work at the neckline.

"There couldn't have a better confession of love than this. Ranbir made it clear at the LFW that Deepika is his love interest," said Rashmi Singh, who attended the show.

Unlike his contemporaries, Ranbir did not take expert advice from his ladylove, who was a model by profession. "No I did not take any tips from Deepika before walking the ramp. I had never walked the ramp before. It was the first time for me but I was quite confident. It proved to be an excellent experience," Ranbir said.

"Moreover, the Indian fashion industry is growing very fast and if I can contribute a little to it, it would be great," he added.

When asked how fashion conscious he is, Ranbir said: "I am not fashionable at all. My knowledge about fashion is only through Arjun. Fashion for me is being comfortable."

After the show, Deepika left the venue with Neetu in the same car.

The five-day fashion extravaganza at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) would end on April 2. Fifty-seven designers, established and new, including the likes of Narendra Kumar, Kiran Uttam Ghosh, Neeta Lulla, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Wendell Rodricks will show their collections.

I can never say no to Ekta: Karan Johar

2008-03-31T23:48:00.001+05:30

IANS
Director Karan Johar, who teams up with TV tycoon Ekta Kapoor in her next home production C Kkompany, says he cannot refuse any offer from her.

"Ekta is a sweetheart. I can never say no to her. I don't want to divulge any details about the film. Ekta will tell you what I've to do," Karan told IANS.

Added Ekta: "C Kkompany will have Karan and also Mahesh Bhatt making appearances. I'm also there. The awards committees are going to have a tough time next year."

Ekta ventured into filmmaking with Kucch To Hai and Krishna Cottage. Last year she co-produced the box office hit Shootout At Lokhandwala with Sanjay Gupta.

This won't be Karan's first acting assignment. He started as a child actor in Anand Mahendroo's Doordarshan serial Indradhanush, and then played Shah Rukh Khan's nerdy friend in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. More recently he had a cameo in Sujoy Ghosh's Home Delivery and a voice-on-telephone part in Nikhil Advani's Salaam-e-Ishq.

However, Karan refutes recent reports that he is acting in Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion. Karan, whose last film Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was panned, has an extremely busy year ahead. Not only is he neck-deep researching for his next directorial venture titled Khan, he's also heavily into chatting up celebrities thanks to his reputation of a glorious gabber from STAR TV's "Koffee With Karan".

Sush, Ketan Desai tie up for Rani Laxmibai

2008-03-31T23:47:00.000+05:30

IndiaFM

Now that Sushmita Sen has decided to direct her dream project Rani Laxmibai herself, she has got Manmohan Desai's son Ketan Desai's MKD Productions to collaborate with her. Ketan will serve as the executive producer on the project.

Sushmita can barely contain her excitement at the collaboration. "It would've been impossible for me to look into all the nitty-gritty. I had to work with people whom I could trust implicitly. Ketan is an extremely capable and clued in man."

While Ketan will bring his cinematic expertise into Sushmita's dream project, another Desai, Nitin, is busy designing the elaborate period sets of the film. For the crucial war scenes Sushmita takes her mixed Indo-British crew to China. "The cast will be both British and Indian actors." The casting of the British actors is currently on. The celebrated British agency William Morris has been employed to find the perfect British actors for the project.

Sushmita, who's currently busy, among other things, brushing up her Urdu diction, says excitedly, "We will stick as far as possible to the language of the characters' national identity. But we've to keep the question of accessibility in mind. The film will therefore be largely in Hindi and Urdu."

Since Rani Laxmibai's husband was a man much older than the Rani, there will be no romantic interest for Sushmita in the film. And, yes, Sushmita will dedicate Rani Laxmibai to her dear friend Rajiv Narayan who died of cancer recently. "They were both such fierce warriors battling their enemies till the very end," says Sushmita who admits Rani Laxmibai has always been a role model.

Tanusree's loss is Rakhi's gain

2008-03-30T12:21:00.001+05:30

By movietalkies

Rakhi Sawant seems to be getting lucky with her growing item numbers in films. After featuring in an item number in Rakesh Roshan's Krazzy 4, she has been roped in to for yet another number in Horn OK Please. She replaces Tanusree Dutta.

Tanusree, as is known, got into a spat with the Nana Patekar on the sets of the film at Fimistan Studios on Wednesday. According to the actress, Nana passed some derogatory comments on her dress sense and that did not go down well with the actress. According to the version that Tanusree has shared with the journos, it seems that her main problem was that Nana was getting too physically close for comfort during the dance number, on the pretext of showing her certain dance steps. The producer Sami Siddiqui and director Rakesh Sarang approached Rakhi on Wednesday night and explained their dilemma to her. She is believed to have immediately agreed to do the song and even shot for the song yesterday with Nana. Meanwhile Rakhi also said that she had no qualms about doing the item number with Nana as she had great regard for him.

Finally, Rakhi to shake a leg with Nana

2008-03-30T12:09:00.001+05:30

Bollywood Trade News Network

Ex-Miss India Tanushree Dutta who showed 'Pyaar ka signal' in BHAGAM BHAG couldn't exhibit green signal with HORN OK PLEASE.
The story goes like this; Tanushree was signed by the makers of HORN OK PLEASE for an item number with Nana Patekar, who plays the lead in the movie. It seems the pretty actress started throwing tantrums from the very first day. Right from the rehearsal on the first day she had some or the other issues, as per the reports in the media. Even the makers of the movie reportedly revealed that she was well informed in advance about the item song. But once they started rehearsing she objected on a few dance steps. These dance steps required the dancers to touch her, but she claimed that Nana Patekar and other crewmembers were touching her inappropriately.

There was lot of interference on the dance steps from the crewmembers also. This was not enough to end her grief. She got more furious when she wore some skimpy clothes for the song and one of the crewmembers reportedly made a lewd remark, about the outfits. Because of this Tanushree then locked herself in her makeup van for long time wasting valuable time. Later when she stepped out of the vanity van she straight away left towards her car. This ended up creating hue and cry on the sets that resulted in a huge scene (not for the film, obviously) on the sets. And ultimately the producer roped in item queen Rakhi Sawant immediately replacing Tanushree.

Now call it Rakhi's luck or one more feather on her golden cap. Recently Rakhi did an item number for KRAZZY 4 made under Filmkraft's banner. Also, a few days back we had reported that she had been signed for an item number in Vikram Bhatt's 1920 and with Yashraj films she plays a dancer from the bhand samaj. With this we can very well see that surely Rakhi is heading northwards these days.

Govinda excited about working with David Dhawan again

2008-03-30T12:06:00.001+05:30

(IANS) Govinda is excited about getting together with director David Dhawan and producer Vashu Bhagnani again.

'We've created quite a `dhamaal' in the past with 'Hero No 1' and 'Coolie No 1'. We'll definitely be creating a full-on entertainment again. Yes, it'll be a comedy. I'll try my level-best that we come back with a film that will do justice to all three of us.'

Govinda says he owes his entire comeback to David Dhawan. 'It's something I learnt from Bachchan. When he needed to make a comeback he called Yash Chopra for `Mohabbatein'. Similarly when I needed to come back I rang up David and he gave me `Partner'.'

Govinda has no qualms admitting that the Big B influenced him. 'Yeah, I copied Bachchan. I'm not anything like Bachchan. But why shouldn't I copy a man as great as him? If he could reach out to a filmmaker, why couldn't I? David is such a big man. One call to him and my career was re-made. Today, if he asks me to do another film with him I don't even need to think about it. I'd do it blindly.'

Govinda has never been more charged up about his career. 'I don't really care what people say about me. All I know is, I'm doing my work with sincerity. And I've become very punctual. I reach my sets on time.

'I'm not here to create any problems for anyone. If I'm doing my work quietly, why are some people getting troubled by it? But I'm not going to get rattled.

'I don't regret anything, not even my entry into politics. I respect politicians because they're doing their jobs very efficiently. But the fame and fortune I've got has come through Mata Saraswati and my art (movies). No one has the right to eye my career and try to ruin it.'

Govinda's 'Money Hai To Honey Hai' producer Kumar Mangat adds: 'A miracle happened during the shooting. We finished Govinda's work in 60 days when we had reserved his dates for 85 days.

'In Mauritius where we shot most of the film, Govinda was the first of the cast to be awake. In fact he'd wake me up and we'd have our morning tea together. I remember we had to shoot at a discotheque in Mauritius. We had to reach at 8 a.m. and all we saw were the janitors at work. That's how punctual Govinda has become.'

In fact Kumar Mangat is planning another film with Govinda this year. 'He's a pleasure to work with,' says the producer.

Yet Another Historical In The Making?

2008-03-30T12:02:00.002+05:30

By movietalkies

Our filmmakers seem to be quite smitten with the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. We had Ketan Mehta making his Mangal Pandey a few years ago. If that wasn't enough, he even had plans of making a film on the Rani of Jhansi as well. That idea has probably been shelved for now by the director. But actress Sushmita Sen is quite gung-ho about forthcoming film on Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi. Now it seems that the government of India too is jumping into the fray.

As part of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the Revolt of 1857, the Information & Broadcasting Ministry is believed to be entering a tie-up with director Vinay Shukla, of Godmother fame. Shukla is expected to direct a film for the ministry which will showcase the revolt and focus on the efforts of its protagonists like Rani Laxmibai, Nana Saheb Peshwa and Tatya Tope. The bigger news is that the Om Shanti Om girl Deepika Padukone is being considered for the role of the Rani and Akshay Kumar for the role of Tatya, her childhood friend. Incidentally, if this casting goes through, it will be the second film which will see Deepika and Akshay come together on screen. The duo is currently shooting for Chandni Chowk To China being directed by Nikhil Advani.

Tanushree Not Taking It Lightly

2008-03-30T11:59:00.002+05:30

By movietalkies

The fracas between actress Tanushree Dutta and the makers of Horn Ok Please has taken on another turn with the actress refusing to let herself be maligned by the makers. She reportedly went on air last night and spoke extensively to a news channel where she reiterated her allegation of unseemly conduct by Nana Patekar.

Tanushree has also leveled allegations against the makers for damaging her car and her reputation. The actress refuted all reports of her leaving the sets midway, saying instead that she was there right till pack-up, hoping to sort out the matter. The press and the ruckus that followed thereafter, was all staged by the makers, according to her. Protecting her professional reputation, the actress said that she agreed to do the item number only after it was mutually decided that she would not do anything that she found uncomfortable or that which compromised her dignity. According to her she attended rehersals for five days, prior to the shoot. The makers had alleged that she refused to reherse for the song. The actress also said quite clearly that she was disturbed and uncomfortable by Nana's presence on the shoot. She had made it known to the choreographer Ganesh Acharya, the film's director and producer. It was only on the fourth day, that she finally voiced her objections aloud, and that too about a dance step. Meanwhile, the actress has now gone a step ahead and filed a complaint with the Cine and Television Artistes Association (CINTA), demanding that she be compensated for the damage to her property and her reputation. The artistes' body intends to issue notices to all in the case.

Mr. Bachchan, a Style Icon!

2008-03-30T11:55:00.001+05:30

By movietalkies
He came and changed the face of Indian cinema, the way we knew it. With him was born the angry young man and the new look of the rough & tough, real looking hero. And so many years later, he continues to set trends and rule our hearts with his acting skills and his sheer persona. And style is an intrinsic part of that strong personality. On one hand, filmmakers are still churning out scripts tailored for him, altering all the ground rules of popular to make an older man the central character of their plots so as to fit in the great Mr. Bachchan, on the other hand, his styling and presentation makes him a style icon for today's youth.

Be it his hip sunglasses, to the coloured spectacles, to a new colour streak in his hair, to his torn jeans look…he can carry all this and more with style and élan. He can easily eat up the gym-built able bodied newcomers of today with his style statement! Even though he is 60 plus, he still walks tall (of course) and is the heart throb of many femme fatales (Malika Sherawat included)

Mr. Bachchan is here to stay and we love him!

Upen Patel Does a Salman

2008-03-30T11:50:00.001+05:30

By movietalkies
Upen Patel tries to pull off the Sallu superstar act by turning up for a high-profile, celeb-studded event in a ganji. Even though Upen boasts of a well-toned bod, the inherent 'star' attitude that is so-very-necessary to carry off something like this is oh-so missing. So Upen boy, even though you may desperately want to fit in Salman's shoes (and wardrobe)…you still have a long way to go!

Tanushree Datta controversy threatens to take on parochial colour

2008-03-30T11:37:00.002+05:30

Mumbai, March 29 (IANS) The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has taken strong exception to allegations of 'indecent behaviour' levelled against Bollywood actor Nana Patekar by upcoming star Tanushree Datta.

The MNS has written letters to different associations of cine producers to 'blacklist' Tanushree for accusing a senior actor like Nana of bad behaviour during the shooting of an item number for the movie 'Horn O.K. Pleassse' on Wednesday.

The organisation, which was recently in the news for its violence against the north Indians living in Mumbai, has threatened to agitate against the actress if she does not give an unconditional apology to the actor, whom it describes as the 'pride of Maharashtra'.

Meanwhile, producer of 'Horn O.K. Pleassse,' Sami Siddiqui, filed a complaint Saturday with the Association of Motion Picture and TV Programme Producers (AMPTPP) against Tanushree.

He alleged that his production firm, Sunshine Pictures Pvt. Ltd, incurred a heavy loss because the actress failed to complete shooting for the item song being filmed on her and Nana.

In his complaint, Siddiqui also stated that the goodwill of his production firm was tarnished because Tanushree went to the media saying that she was 'coerced' by director Rakesh Sarang and choreographer Ganesh Acharya to do steps in the item song she did not feel comfortable doing.

Acting quickly on the complaint, the AMPTPP dashed off a letter to the actress, asking her to pay a compensation of Rs.65 million. This would include Rs.15 million to Sunrise Pictures Pvt. Ltd. and Rs.50 million for defaming it in public.

Sunrise Pictures Pvt. Ltd. had signed Tanushree for Rs.1.5 million for the item number to be shot over four days. She had been paid an advance of Rs.500,000.

According to Siddiqui, he as well as Sarang and Acharya had explained to Tanushree what her steps would be in the dance number.

'She had agreed to it,' Siddiqui said.

'They (Sarang and Acharya) also agreed when she requested them not to compel her to wear a costume she would not be comfortable with. So we were surprised when she walked out of the sets on the last day of the shooting (March 26) after taking part in it for two days,' Siddiqui told IANS Saturday.

On Friday, Tanushree shot off a letter to the Cine and Television Artistes' Association (CINTAA) explaining the sequence of events that led to her stomping out of the sets and the scuffle that subsequently took place between media persons present on the sets and her secretary.

In her letter, the actress also referred to the 'unbecoming' manner in which Nana Patekar behaved with her during shooting of the item number on the first day and why she felt the need to ask her parents and her secretary to be present during the shoots later.

CINTAA is yet to act on her letter, but it is likely to ask Patekar for his explanation.

It is rarely that a member of a cine association complains against a fellow member. In this case, what makes it unique is that an upcoming star has lodged a serious complaint against a senior member at the risk of her budding career.

Race proving to be a box-office bonanza for Katrina

2008-03-30T11:34:00.002+05:30

One actress out to give her contemporaries a run for their money is Katrina Kaif. In the recent past, she has been the only actress to have given four hits - Apne, Namstey London, Partner and Welcome-consecutively. Now make it 5 in a row with RACE turning out to be a huge success too.

With Race proving to be a box-office bonanza Katrina has certainly waltzed ahead leaving her colleagues far behind.

Critics have appreciated her performance saying that she is a perfect combo of talent and looks.

Well, she knows how to mould herself in anything you give her… That's Katrina for you!

Courtesy:IndiaGlitz

Race is doing crazy business

2008-03-30T11:29:00.002+05:30

Last week's release Race is doing crazy business with the film continuing to be on the top of the box-office charts. The film's fast cars, handsome hunks, hot babes and rocking soundtrack are the current topic of discussion among the young and the old. So, it comes as no wonder that Amul has decided to use the film poster in its new hoarding.

For those who came in late, Amul is known for covering the most topical events through its hoardings for years now. So, all you folks who enjoyed Race, take a dekko at this cute image which shows caricatures of Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Bipasha Basu and Katrina Kaif, all munching on their favorite bread butter. It does bring a smile to your face and makes you long for a bite of bread-butter too.

Courtesy:IndiaGlitz

Deepika and Akshay in Rani Laxmibai

2008-03-30T11:25:00.002+05:30

History seems to be the order of the day lately. The latest stars to join this band wagon are Deepika padukone and Akshay Kumar.

Deepika has landed for herself the role of Rani Laxmibai and Akshay will get to play the role of Tatya Tope. Reports say that Vinay Shukla has signed the dotted line for directing this film.

This flick will span the events that took place during the time of Rani laxmibhai and the contributions made by Tatya Tope, Nansahed Peshwa. Sources also suggest that while Deepika has expressed her interest to star in this film, hero Akshay Kumar is yet to confirm his dates for the flick.

The film will be made with the support from the Information & broadcast Ministry and Firoz Nadiawala might be the producer.

Courtesy:IndiaGlitz

Amitabh to play Abhishek's grand pa in the film 'Dilli 6'

2008-03-30T11:19:00.003+05:30

Confused? You should be. Bachchan Sr. who does not have any restrictions for the roles that he portrays has got a role never before attempted by him.

Yes, Amitabh has got a role to play son Abhishek's grand pa in the film 'Dilli 6'.

Acting for over four decades and reigning Bollywood, this is one role that will raise the curiosity of most of the film goers. How will it be for a dad to play the grand dad's role? Easy is what we would say, for an actor with the talent and calibre of Big B!

'Dilli 6' is Rakeysh Mehra's semi-autobiographical film and the Big B's role will be shot by the director come May. If reports are to be believed then this director has a few more films in the pipline for Big B and after 'Dilli 6' the director will cast Bachchan in 'Paanch Kaurav'. A few more films are getting ready for which the talks are going on.

This Mehra-Bachchan combo seems to be doing magic, all we hope is that this magic continues!

Courtesy:IndiaGlitz

Review Report : RACE

2008-03-28T08:58:00.003+05:30

Film: RACE

Directed by - Abbas Burmawalla,Mustan Burmawalla

Starring - Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif, Anil Kapoor, Sameera Reddy.

Post KHILADI and BAAZIGAR, Abbas-Mustan rightfully earned the tag of being the undisputed Badshaahs of Thrillers. They made a series of films thereafter -- of varied genres -- but every time they attempted a thriller, the comparisons with KHILADI and BAAZIGAR were inevitable. That’s because Abbas-Mustan couldn’t outdo these two films ever.

The director duo’s latest offering RACE, which packs glitz, glam and style with A-listers [on and off screen], carries the baggage of tremendous expectations. The stars, the stunning locales, the breath-taking visuals, the mesmeric songs, the electrifying chase, the chic styling -- everything you see on screen resembles an international flick.

But the million dollar question is, does it live up to the humungous expectations? Does it have its heart in the right place? Thankfully, it does!

RACE is Abbas-Mustan’s most accomplished work, after BAAZIGAR. Any thriller works if and only if the story has the edge-of-the-seat moments and which catches you unawares as the reels unfold. RACE has that quality. The story moves in a serpentine manner, there’s a twist every fifteen minutes and it’s impossible to guess what the culmination would be.

In a nutshell, RACE is a first-rate product all the way. It’s not just style, but there’s substance as well. It has the merits to get catapulted to the Bests of 2008, when you reflect on the year. Bravo!

Ranvir [Saif Ali Khan] and Rajiv [Akshaye Khanna] are step-brothers who own a huge stud farm in Durban, South Africa. They breed horses on their huge ranch house and are also the biggest bookies in the horse racing circuit. Ranvir, the elder of the two, is known to be a very shrewd man. He is very aggressive and is always on the move. Rajiv, on the other hand, is very laidback and is also a chronic alcoholic.

Sophia [Katrina Kaif] is Ranvir’s personal secretary. She adores her boss and loves him. Ranvir is totally unaware of her feeling and regards her adoration as her efficiency. Sonia [Bipasha Basu] is an upcoming Indian ramp model in Durban.

Sonia loves Ranvir, but through a twist of fate gets married to Rajiv. When she discovers that Rajiv is a chronic alcoholic, her world is shattered. Ranvir too is disturbed as he has sacrificed his love for his younger brother because Rajiv had promised him that if he gets married to Sonia, he will leave alcohol forever.

After marriage, Rajiv breaks his promise and the story starts getting complicated. In a weak moment, Ranvir and Sonia come very close to each other and an affair starts between the younger brother’s wife and the elder brother. When the younger brother starts suspecting his wife, all hell breaks loose.

A murder is committed, a contract killing is issued, double crossings become the order of the day… A sharp-tongued investigative officer R.D. [Anil Kapoor] starts an investigation with his brainless assistant Mini [Sameera Reddy].

Director duo Abbas-Mustan are in complete command this time around. Everything is so well synchronized that the end result leaves you awe-struck. The 2 + hours of your precious life that you’ve spent on this film are absolutely worth your while. In 36 CHINA TOWN and NAQAAB specifically, one disagreed with the climax. But the penultimate reels of RACE are foolproof.

Abbas-Mustan get it right this time. Right from the choice of subject, to the choice of actors, to the thrilling moments, music and locales, this thrill-a-minute saga works big time. The game of one-upmanship indulged by the two brothers is electrifying and easily the hallmark of the enterprise.

Writer Shiraz Ahmed’s screenplay has several moments that merit a mention. The best part is, the writing is full of energy and surprises, not once does it take the been-there-seen-that route. It would be foolhardy to single out a few sequences since the film gathers speed from its inception itself. One of its USPs is that every character is out to double cross the other, each character has grey shades and the dangerous games they indulge in make it an exhilarating cinematic experience.

Ravi Yadav’s cinematography is topnotch. The stunning locales of Durban, Dubai and India are captured lucidly by the DoP. But, most importantly, the movement of the camera at several places deserves the highest praise. Note the very start of the film [the aerial view, right till the gruesome accident] or the car chase in the climax [never seen before on the Hindi screen], the camerawork is stunning.

Pritam’s music rocks. Generally, in most thrillers, the music takes a backseat, but not here. ‘Allah Duhai Hai’ [foot-tapping], ‘Pehli Nazar Mein’ [with soulful rendition by Atif Aslam], ‘Touch Me’ [very saucy] and ‘Sexy Lady’ [the new track; trendy] are terrific compositions all and their filming and choreography are masterly. The fact that the yuppie crowd has taken to the songs in a big way, says it all. The race at the start and the chase in the climax [Allan Amin] are fantastic. You haven’t witnessed something like this ever before on the Hindi screen, that’s for sure! Hussain Burmawala’s editing is razor-sharp. It’s one of the best edited works!

Dialogues [Anuraag Prapanna, Jitendra Parmar] are excellent. Styling [Anaita Shroff Adajania] is superb. Background score [Salim-Sulaiman] has the international feel. Choreography [Bosco-Caesar and Ganesh Acharya] is top class.

Every actor in RACE puts his/her best foot forward. Saif has been coming up with sparkling portrayals and films like KAL HO NAA HO, EK HASINA THI, HUM TUM, SALAAM NAMASTE, OMKARA and EKLAVYA – THE ROYAL GUARD portrayed the actor’s acting skills to the fullest. Now add RACE to his illustrious repertoire. He’s marvelous all through and the bearded look suits him very much.

Akshaye is so perfect. To carry off a difficult character like this is a Herculean task and the supremely talented actor handles it with aplomb. He’s like a chameleon; he slips into various roles with remarkable ease. But the fact cannot be denied that Abbas-Mustan bring out the best in Akshaye. Watch his body of work and you’d agree that Akshaye’s performances in the director duo’s films have always stood out.

Anil Kapoor comes at the interval point, but takes charge in the post-interval portions. With such serious characters in the film, Anil’s role comes as a big relief. Sure, the viewers may find some of his dialogues crass, but the masses will take to his performance in a big way.

Bipasha looks stunning and delivers her best work so far. She’s superb. Katrina is a complete surprise. The actress looks gorgeous, but most importantly, her character gives her ample opportunity to shine in the latter half. Sameera excels as the dumb girl. Actually, it’s a tough job and she does it well. Johny Lever is there for one sequence and his role is aimed at the hoi polloi.

On the whole, RACE is a superb entertainer all the way. It’s not just style, it has substance as well. At the box-office, the tremendous hype coupled with the holidays in the opening week as well as the extensive release will ensure huge numbers in the initial week. But, most importantly, the film has legs to enjoy a spirited run at the box-office. Smash Hit!

By Taran Adarsh,

Review Report :BLACK & WHITE

2008-03-28T08:49:00.002+05:30

Subhash Ghai is synonymous with larger than life movies. Movies that cater to the popular tastes. With BLACK & WHITE, Ghai changes lanes. Deviating from the large canvas, extravagant sets and soulful-music-with-lavish-settings, he comes up with a film that’s real, that pricks your conscience… a film that’s in sharp contrast to his earlier accomplishments.

It truly requires courage to swim against the tide. With BLACK & WHITE, Ghai enters a lane not many master storytellers would dare to venture into.

BLACK & WHITE signifies the coming of age of a seasoned storyteller. Sure, he has made great entertainers that have tremendous recall value, but BLACK & WHITE is a gutsy step. It’s realistic, it’s thought-provoking, it’s topical, but not dark, depressing or preachy.

As a storyteller, Ghai has handled the subject with maturity and a few scenes do leave an indelible impression. But BLACK & WHITE could’ve done with a shorter length and a tighter screenplay. Yet, all said and done, Ghai deserves marks and praise for this courageous step. Watch it for a different experience!

Rajan Mathur [Anil Kapoor] is a Professor in Urdu literature. He resides in Chandni Chowk with his activist wife Roma [Shifaali Shah].

Professor Mathur comes across Numair [Anurag Sinha], who introduces himself as a victim of communal riots in Gujarat. But, in actuality, he is a suicide bomber commissioned by a Muslim fundamentalist group to detonate a bomb near Red Fort on 15th August.

During his fifteen-day journey, Numair manages to take shelter in the Professor’s house and wins the trust and fondness of the couple. While helping Numair to get an entry pass for 15th August celebrations at Red Fort, Professor Mathur introduces him to the warm and loving people of Chandni Chowk.

Amidst all the tension, he is caught in an emotional dilemma whether to go ahead with his mission. Despite his deep-rooted fundamentalist beliefs, he sees this as one of the most colorful and loving areas. Nevertheless, he moves on with his mission. But something is disturbing the mind of this young lad…

The story of BLACK & WHITE [Varun Vardhan] is one of its USPs. BLACK & WHITE tries to peep into the psyche of a human bomb, a fanatic who has a change of heart gradually. The transformation of a heartless, cold-blooded murderer to someone whose inner voice tells him to revolt against his ‘masters’, the change is well depicted on screen.

But BLACK & WHITE is not without its share of hiccups. The romantic track, for instance, stands out like a sore thumb. It could’ve been avoided. Also, the reasons that change the fanatic’s thinking aren’t powerful enough. To be specific, the portions from Shifaali’s brutal murder, to her last rites, to Anil and Anurag entering the Red Fort premises, to the cops arresting the terrorists – the sequence of events should’ve been more dramatic and convincing.

But the last few minutes, when Anurag confronts Milind Gunaji and assaults him brutally, is simply outstanding. One of the finest sequences ever filmed in this genre!

Directorially, Ghai rises beyond the script and has canned a number of sequences well. The portions depicting Afghanistan as also the pre-climax [Anil’s emotional breakdown] are exemplary. Sukhwinder Singh’s music has a soothing effect. ‘Jogi Aaya’ and ‘Main Chala’ are melodious compositions. Somak Mukherjee’s camera captures the bylanes of Delhi well. Dialogues are well worded.

BLACK & WHITE belongs to new-find Anurag Sinha. The newcomer carries the cold, murderous look with gusto, living the role with his electrifying presence. Ghai has been instrumental in carving the careers of several names in the past. Now add Anurag to this illustrious list.

Anil Kapoor proves his versatility yet again. In his last outing [WELCOME], he enacted the role of a person who was on the other side of law. In BLACK & WHITE, he’s a law-abiding citizen and Anil is memorable in this film too. This performance should occupy a coveted place in his impressive repertoire.

Shifaali Shah is excellent. Although the length of the character isn’t substantial enough, the actor stays in your memory thanks to a highly competent performance. Aditi doesn’t get much scope. The senior citizen is first-rate. Aroon Bakshi is efficient. Milind Gunaji does a good job.

On the whole, BLACK & WHITE is a fine effort from a master storyteller who dares to change lanes with this film. In that respect, an effort like BLACK & WHITE needs to be lauded. Targeted at the thinking viewer, the makers and distributors have rightly released the film at multiplexes primarily and the multiplex junta should appreciate the effort, at big centres mainly. It will have to have the backing of a strong word of mouth to climb the ladder.

More than anything else, a film like BLACK & WHITE deserves to be tax-exempted, so that it reaches out to a wider audience across the length and breadth of the country.

By Taran Adarsh,

Aamir's new avatar

2008-03-28T08:46:00.001+05:30

Only very people look good irrespective of any look they don. Especially film stars have to go through this cycle of getting a new look every now and then because so much of importance is given these days to get that right look that the script demands.

Right now we are talking about Aamir Khan who is working like a busy body for his next film which is the remake of the Tamil film 'Ghajini'. Southern siren Asin will be Aamir's heroine in this film.

If you have seen the Tamil version you would understand that the script demands two, totally different looks from the hero; both makeovers as different as the sky and earth. One look demands a close shaven head and a rugged look from the actor, and Aamir, for the perfectionist that he is known to be, has decided to shave off his silken tresses.

But even Aamir had the initial jitters when his stylist was all set to shave his hair off. It seems Aamir requested the stylist to do this job as slowly as possible. But when the job was done, the result was not bad at all.

Aamir, whom we have seen, in so many different makeovers looks really smashing with his hair closely cropped with a razor-made scar on his head. Reports indicate that the actor is really happy with the way his look has turned out to be.

With Aamir all set to take the audience by storm, all we have to do now is wait patiently for the film to hit theatres.

Courtesy:IndiaGlitz

Shilpa to file defamation suit?

2008-03-28T08:42:00.002+05:30

Shilpa Shetty is shocked to hear that she is married.

A report on a popular news and entertainment site has published a picture of Shilpa's visit to Shirdi Sai Baba Temple this week along with her family and boyfriend Raj Kundra, and speculated the actress has secretly married him.

"Shilpa is flabbergasted with such irresponsible journalism," said her publicist Dale Bhagwagar. Apart from misreporting, the piece is accompanied by dirty and derogatory comments by various surfers on a discussion board below the write-up, adding insult to injury for Shilpa.

"Many of these comments are lewd and bring shame to our culture. It is surprising how a respectable website has allowed such vulgar comments to be put up without scrutinizing them," stated Bhagwagar.

Seeking an apology from the website, the publicist has already intimated the Cyber Crime Investigation Cell and added that Shilpa may file for defamation if prompt action is not taken by the website.

"In the name of journalism, citizen journalism, discussion boards on the internet and Freedom of the Press, today's media coolly misuses these liberties to encroach upon and attack the personal lives of film stars. Most of them are paying the price for being celebrities," he added.

Courtesy:IndiaGlitz

Box office Report

2008-03-28T08:37:00.002+05:30

Months after the release of OM SHANTI OM and WELCOME, a film has managed to take a stupendous opening at the box office. RACE, the film which Bollywood was looking forward to after a relative lean 2008 (that only had JODHAA AKBAR making a mark), has got audience back into the theaters.

The film has worked all over, whether A, B or C centers, and is drawing all segments of audience with family crowds as well as student community thronging the theaters. In addition, RACE has turned out to be one of those few films which has broken single screens v/s multiplex audience and taken an exceptional opening all over.

The way things stand today, this Abbas Mustan directed film is all set to break the 35 crore barrier when it comes to first week's collections. If it does so (which looks quite positive as of now), RACE would only be the fourth film to do so after OM SHANTI OM (40 crores), WELCOME (35 crores) and DHOOM 2 (35 crores)! Abbas Mustan are certainly back in the 'race'!

Courtesy:IndiaGlitz

Himesh and Urmila in an item song!!!

2008-03-28T08:30:00.002+05:30

Singer, music composer and actor Himesh Reshammiya is all set to shoot an item song with the hot and sizzling diva Urmila Matondkar for his film 'Karzzz'. The song is titled 'Tandoori Nights' and will be shot in Mumbai. Both have recently completed a 40-day outdoor shoot for 'Karzzz' in South Africa and Johannesberg.

Urmila would be playing the role of Simi Garewal in the original film 'Karz'. However the original 'Karz' did not have an item song for Simi. This is for the first time the duo Urmila and Himesh would be seen on the screen.

The item song has been sung by Himesh himself and for the actress Sunidhi Chauhan has lent her voice. The remake 'Karzzzz', is being produced by Bhushan Kumar & Krishan Kumar and is being directed by Satish Kaushik, who is at the moment in the hospital recuperating after a surgery. The film stars the mega star Himesh Reshammiya, Debutante Shweta Kumar, Raj Babbar, Urmila Matondkar, Gulshan Grover, Danny Denzongpa and Rohini Hatangadi.

Urmila's look in the movie is being designed by Manish Malhotra on the basis of the concept Mr. Bhushan Kumar,M.D. and Chairman, T-Series had in his mind. The look will be pastels with shimmer and satin.

Well, looks like Urmila will be scorching the screen yet again!

Courtesy:IndiaGlitz

Review of Apna Asmaan

2007-09-07T22:32:00.000+05:30

Movie: Apna Asmaan
Director: Kaushik Roy
Producer: Kaushik Roy,Umang Pahwa
Cast: Shobana,Irrfan Khan,Anupam Kher,Rajat Kapoor

IndiaFM

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It's difficult to strike a balance if you sail in two boats. Apna Asmaan tries to do that and ends up being neither here (appealing to lovers of serious cinema), nor there (appealing to those with an appetite for commercial fares).
Debutante director Kaushik Roy chooses a serious theme to begin with and you expect him to stick to realism as the story unfolds. But somewhere, in between, the film changes lanes and moves away from the core issue. What it sets out to narrate (a moving story of a young boy) and what it eventually narrates (the ills of wealth) come across as two different stories packed in one film.
In a nutshell, it's the writing that lets the film down, yet again. How one wishes Roy would've stuck to the serious issue, instead of spicing up the proceedings in the second hour.
The movie is about today's urban aspirations, as represented by a young couple living in Mumbai. The wage earner (Irrfan Khan) works in the field of plastics. His wife (Shobhana), gives up her early promise as a classical dancer, in order to settle into marriage, which is threatened when their only son (Dhruv) turns out to be autistic.
His condition distances the parents, the father torn with guilt and the mother craving success points from him. But a drug works wonders on the boy, but at a severe cost.
Apna Asmaan mirrors certain truths. You identify with the goings-on initially. The portions involving the child and the anxiety of his parents are captivating. The sequence of events that lead to an angry Irrfan Khan injecting the 'Brain Booster' to his son is the highpoint. But things deteriorate the moment the son opens his eyes and become a genius within minutes. Now what was that?
That's not all! He becomes a great mathemagician and starts indulging in all kinds of vices. He even disowns his parents. That's where the writing goes haywire. How and why does he get such negative traits are left unexplained.
The end too is bizarre. The culmination to Anupam Kher's character, plus the son being administered the antidote and the sequences thereafter are difficult to absorb. Actually, it seems quite bizarre.
Director Kaushik Roy knows the technicalities right, but it's the writer in him that lets the director down. Music is strictly okay. Cinematography (Barun Mukherjee) is alright.
Irrfan Khan is good, not excellent.Nonetheless, he's brilliant in the sequence when he loses his temper and injects the booster. Shobhana does a fine job. Anupam Kher's character is half-baked. Rajat Kapoor is sidelined. Dhruv is loud.
On the whole, Apna Asmaan has precious little to offer.

Review of Dhamaal

2007-09-07T22:28:00.000+05:30

Movie: Dhamaal
Director: Indra Kumar
Producer: Ashok Thakeria,Indra Kumar
Music: Adnan Sami
Cast: Sanjay Dutt,Arshad Warsi,Javed Jaffrey,Ritesh Deshmukh,Aashish Chaudhary

IndiaFM

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It started with Partner eight weeks ago. Then Heyy Babyy three weeks back. It's Dhamaal now. Hilariously funny, Indra Kumar's latest outing completes the hat-trick of laughathons, that succeed in entertaining you from start to end. Like its predecessors, Dhamaal is abundantly rich in humor and most importantly, has the right set of actors to carry off those roles with aplomb.
Dhamaal lives up to its title. It's non-stop dhamaal for the next two hours. Sure, there're inane situations and jokes that cater to the popular tastes, but when did Indra Kumar and his team of writers (Paritosh Painter, Balwinder Suri, Bunty Rathore) ever set out to challenge Einstein? The mantra is simple: Let the auditorium reverberate with laughter.Dhamaal succeeds in its mission!
Any hiccups? The post-interval portions aren't as funny as the first hour. More on that later! But the film works in totality and that's what matters at the end of the day. With Masti, Indra Kumar proved that he knows how to tickle the funny bone. With Pyare Mohan, he tripped and ended up bruising himself. With Dhamaal, he sprints back to the junta's hearts.
So what's the final word then? Go, watch Dhamaal and have dhamaal. But do carry a rumaal since this madcap comedy is quite kamaal in parts. You'd cry laughing!
Roy (Riteish Deshmukh) believes that he is the best detective in the world. Manav (Javed Jaffrey) actually happens to be the biggest idiot in the world, but is blissfully unaware about it. His brother Adi's (Arshad Warsi] half knowledge about everything only adds to the great expertise of this group. The final component is Boman (Aashish Chowdhary), who's Mr. Scared.
These four idiots live and work together. Their idea of work? Doing small-time con jobs! The thought of earning an honest living has never even crossed their minds. One day, while trying to save a dying man, Bose (Prem Chopra), they get their big break. Their life is made! Unfortunately for them, Inspector Kabir (Sanjay Dutt) has been chasing Bose for the last ten years. He finally finds him. Only dead!
Desperate for his promotion, he questions the suspicious-looking foursome he finds next to the body. Inadvertently, they blurt out the secret before managing to escape. Now begins a marathon chase.
Dhamaal begins with gusto. The introduction of the four characters at the very start makes the viewer aware of what to expect from each of them. The sequences that follow (taking the horse painting at condolence meetings) are rip-roaringly funny. Ditto for the sequence when they're mistaken as gangsters and arrested by the cop (Murli Sharma). Another sequence that's sure to bring the house down is Asrani's vintage car going up in flames and also Sanju tying the four to a tree. The first hour rocks big time!
The writers continue to inject humor in the second hour as well. Only thing, the jokes work at times, but look forced at places. Take, for instance, the track of the robbers inside a bus and their interaction with Ritesh. Non-happening! The aircraft portion (Asrani, Aashish) is excellent, but one should know where to end a joke. Never stretch it beyond a point, but the writers do. Resultantly, the impact gets diluted. Sanju's accident and the entire cliff track, again, is mediocre. The search for the 'Big W' in the park, beneath which lies the treasure, is funny, not hilarious.
Directorially, Indra Kumar is in form. Opting for a new team of writers this time around, he gets it right on most occasions. The two songs at the very start (Adnan Sami) are interesting. Vijay Arora's cinematography is nice. Dialogues are excellent.
The one performance that stands out from the rest is that of Javed Jaffrey's. He's magnificent in a role that seems tailor-made for him. What timing! The viewers are sure to go into raptures. Arshad Warsi is not in his element. Also, why is he looking so tired? Ritesh Deshmukh is dependable yet again, although his track suffers in the second hour because it lacks meat. Aashish Chowdhary is a revelation. Confident and easygoing, he shows a flair for comedy. Sanjay Dutt is alright. Asrani is mind-blowing. It's a treat to watch this veteran in a meaty role again. Suhasini Mulay, as the landlady, is first-rate.
On the whole, Dhamaal is one joyride that should keep its investors smiling!

Review of movie Darling

2007-09-07T22:20:00.000+05:30

Movie: Darling
Director: Ram Gopal Varma
Producer: Bhushan Kumar,Krishan Kumar
Music: Himesh Reshammiya,Pritam Chakraborty,Prasana Shekhar
Cast: Esha Deol,Fardeen Khan,Isha Koppikar,Zakir Hussain,Kota Srinivasan Rao,Upyendra Limaye,Pubali Sanyal

IndiaFM

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Last Friday, RGV received flak from all and sundry for attempting a remake of Sholay. The venom spewed in views, opinions, reviews, sms-es… everywhere. RGV has lost it, was the unanimous feedback.
Yet another RGV offering hits the marquee this Friday, Darling, but this one is no remake, although it does bring back memory of two films mainly, Ghost (which, in turn, inspired a slew of Bollywood movies) and Bhatts' Raaz. Though dissimilar, flashes of Bhoot also cross your mind as you watch Darling.
It's difficult to slot Darlingin any one category. It's eerie, it's humorous, it has the song-n-dance routine (well knitted in the plot), it doesn't belong to any particular genre. Actually, Darling is a novel experience since Hindi films have rarely combined horror and comedy, two diverse ingredients, in one film. Trust RGV to think out of the box and fortunately, it works!
The eerie moments before the ghost appears don't make you break into a cold sweat, but they do make your heart beat faster. Similarly, there're ample moments in the narrative (Fardeen, Isha visiting the hospital to meet Zakir Hussain; also Isha wanting to make love to Fardeen on their anniversary and the ghost is watching it all) that are thoroughly interesting. The final scene, of course, is a brilliant stroke, with the viewer not being prepared for the turn of events.
In a nutshell, RGV can heave a sigh of relief this weekend. Last weekend was dark and depressing, this weekend should bring in sunshine for this maverick film-maker.
Aditya (Fardeen Khan) is living every man's dream. He's got a beautiful, traditional wife (Isha Koppikar) at home and a stunning wildcat girlfriend (Esha Deol) at work. Balancing the two women with clever lies, he gets to experience the best of both worlds.
The going is good. Till his girlfriend shocks him with the news that she is pregnant. Aditya is cornered. He has to confess to her that he cannot leave his wife, as he has been promising her all along. His girlfriend is devastated. She flies into a rage. A brutal fight ensues, in which she accidentally dies.
Terrified, Aditya disposes off her body and returns home, thinking that the worst is behind him. But he couldn't be more wrong. For the nightmare has only just begun. His wild girlfriend is back as a ghost…
The USP of Darling is its unpredictability. Had it been an out-and-out horror flick, you'd have guessed the sequence of events sooner or later. Had it been the story of a man torn between two women, again, it wouldn't have taken much time to guess what's in store next. But RGV steers clear of predictable stuff from the start itself.
Although the screenplay is captivating and keeps you hooked to the proceedings, the only time it takes a dip is in the post interval portions. Otherwise, the sequences involving the cop (Upendra Limaye) and his colleague (a character called Malati) are excellent. Also, the sequence when Esha's father breaks down in front of Fardeen is incredible.
Darling may not be amongst RGV's finest works, but it does rank among his better films. With a music company (T-Series) producing the flick, it ought to be embellished with a good score and at least two songs have already grown popular, Tadap and Aa Khushi se Khudkhushi Karle. Amit Roy's cinematography is splendid yet again. The background score (Prasanna Shekar) is effective.
Fardeen Khan is a revelation. The actor catches you with complete surprise as he enacts a difficult role with panache. Esha Deol is excellent, in a role that's nothing short of a challenge. It would've boomeranged had it been entrusted to any inferior actor, but Esha is in terrific form here. This should be the turning point in her career. Isha Koppikar doesn't have much to do in the first half, but more than makes her presence felt in the second hour.
Upendra Limaye is fantastic and so is his colleague (a character called Malati). Zakir Hussain is superb.
On the whole, Darling is a well-made product that will find flavor with the multiplex audience mainly. Has the merits to grow with word of mouth!

Priyanka gets ready to sing

2006-06-13T12:07:00.000+05:30

Don?t jump to conclusions with the headline. Priyanka Chopra is not rendering a song for her next film but will be essaying the role of a singer in Raj Kumar Santoshi?s London Dreams. According to her she will also be learning how to play a musical instrument for the movie as well. Another actor playing a singer is Sushmita Sen who will mimic her vocal chords in Tanuja Chandra?s Rockin.
Apart from Priyanka, London Dreams stars Ajay Devgan and Salman Khan in the lead and is slated to roll in August. The music will be composed by A.R. Rehman.

Aamir plays Ghajini in next

2006-06-13T12:04:00.000+05:30

Aamir Khan has reportedly planned to remake a Tamil thriller Ghajini. Aamir seems to have liked the Tamil film so much that he even plans to produce the film. However the film will go on floors a year from now. The director of the original Tamil film, A R Murugadoss, has been finalized to remake the film in Hindi. The cast of the film is yet to be finalized.
Says Murugadoss, Aamir was quite impressed with Ghajini and therefore, expressed his desire to remake the film in Hindi. Murugadoss met Aamir twice and says that he is a very intelligent man. The two also had a discussion on making appropriate changes in the script to make it acceptable for universal Indian audiences. Aamir has in fact, even bought the rights of the Tamil film. The director though, remains tight lipped about other details. It is too early to reveal anything more at this stage he says.
Before going ahead with the Tamil remake, Aamir will be starring in Mani Ratnam?s next which is supposed to be a comedy and is tentatively titled High Jump. This film will go on floors in October after Mani Ratnam is through with the shooting of Guru.

KAREENA"S latest pics everseen

2006-06-09T18:42:00.000+05:30

kareena

Abbas Mustan-movie gallery

2006-06-09T12:26:00.000+05:30

cast:Sanjay dutt,Bipasha

Shilpa and Sinha having an affair?

2006-06-04T12:42:00.000+05:30

The director Anubhav Sinha directed Shilpa in Das. He even wanted the actress in his recent film, Tathastu. There is a rumor that Shilpa and the director are having an affair. In order to prove the rumors wrong, he chose Amisha Patel to be in his film, Tathastu. Sinha has already been talked about having problems with his wife. So far Shilpa and Sinha denied the rumors but who knows what is going to happen. Time will show.