With his second release HOUSEFULL (after the super successful HEYY BABYY) all set to open to a bumper response this Friday, a brimming with confidence Sajid Khan is already planning his next. And as it is known, Sajid has a good mind to cast his two favourite stars and close friends, King Khan and Khiladi Kumar. So, what is the real situation keeping in mind the so-called differences between Sajid, Farah and Shah Rukh Khan?
Sajid is quick to dismiss them as mere baseless rumours and figment of someone's imagination and says, "There are absolutely no differences at all. I am close to both of them and quite confident that I will be able to convince them to essay parallel roles in one of my upcoming projects."
Wow, we are already excited as we have already had a sneak peak of what can happen when SRK-Akki come together in DIL TO PAGAL HAI and Sajid's very own, HEYY BABBY!
Here's wishing the best to HOUSEFULL and looking forward to hearing the good news about SRK-Akki project from Sajid soon.
There is no doubt that Karan Johar's Tarun Mansukhani directed DOSTANA has gone a long way in highlighting a new facet in both Abhishek and John Abraham's acting career. And ever since a sequel to the highly successful film has been announced there is a perceptible excitement amongst the movie buffs.
It was recently heard that Abhishek had given bulk dates for DOSTANA 2 as it was all set to commence in July and as a fallout Abbas-Mustan's THE ITALIAN JOB remake (which also features Abhishek) had been stalled.
To ascertain the facts we spoke to Tarun Mansukhani. After a short pause Tarun said, "Well... I can only say that it is someone's speculation and imagination. Right now we are working/finalizing the script of DOSTANA 2 and so the question of the film commencing early or affecting the schedule of another project (featuring Abhishek) does not arise.
Well, script is the king and we don't mind waiting for another dhamaal act from Tarun in the shape of DOSTANA 2.
He may be a mega superstar but A R Rahman doesn't believe in resting on his laurels.
Recently, at the music launch of his next film RAAVAN, A R Rahman stole the audiences pulse with a breathtaking composition which has been penned down by Gulzar.
What is interesting is the fact that Rahman composed this song in the night before the event was due to happen. Rahman was awake all night to give final touches to this song which mesmerized the gathering and impressed everyone around.
Though, this particular song is not part of RAAVAN'S music album as yet, but the makers are keen to add this composition to the album at a later stage.
Who said that the actors of today's time don't value experience? They do and that too in the most passionate way.
Actress Neha Dhupia who will be seen in the upcoming film WITH LOVE TO OBAMA in the role of a dacoit took counsel from none other than veteran actress Shabana Azmi to don the role.
It's learnt that Neha wanted to portray her character with all its nuances intact and she wanted some help in making it look convincing. To do that, the actress met Shabana Azmi in order to get some more inputs about portraying such a difficult act.
Shabana Azmi, who played the role of a gangster in the critically acclaimed film FIRE, shared a few words of advice with Neha Dhupia who was more than excited to get some firsthand tips from the veteran lady.
Now, Neha is waiting for the audiences to place their verdict about her role for which she has literally left no stone unturned.
When HEYY BABYY released in 2007, the film turned out to be a huge hit. Yes, there were a few who didn't like the film but then there were also millions out there who loved the film and turned in into a huge money spinner at the box office. However, something which saw unanimous response from one and all, whether who liked or disliked the film, was the set of costumes that were selected for the leading lady of the film - Vidya Balan. The flak which came in was unprecedented and naturally, director Sajid Khan was much more careful in case of HOUSEFULL. Expectedly so because this time around, he had three leading ladies to his disposal.
"I know that in case of HEYY BABYY, there was quite some flak which we received due to Vidya Balan's costumes. I know that as a captain of the ship, I must have taken charge and ensured that everything was in place", admits Sajid Khan who is known for involving himself in every department of film making.
He isn't willing to play the blame game though. "This is why; it was neither Vidya nor Manish Malhotra's fault that her costumes didn't meet audience expectations. No wonder, I worked extra hard for HOUSEFULL. There were dress trials and photo shoots before the actual shooting", reveals Sajid.
Elaborating the look of each of his three leading ladies, Sajid says, "While Jiah is carrying an Indian look, Lara has a chic look with designer labels and Deepika has a modern athletic look. Akki Narula has done well in putting together these costumes. This time around, everyone is quite confident of how audience will respond to clothing of audience."
Gurinder Chadha's IT'S A WONDERFUL AFTERLIFE, that released in the UK this week and will release in India on May 7th is already making news for it's leading man Sendhil Ramamurthy's debut on the Indian screen. Gurinder however, spoke at length about another integral character in the movie- Goldy Notay!
At the heart of the movie lies a love story, and one that takes a while to come to the boil. Actress Goldy Notay brings Roopi, who's unlucky in love, to life on screen. "I'd seen Goldy on stage, and on TV, and she's very good at comedy and very empathetic" explains Chadha. "She's got a chubby face, but her body is really svelte-like, and she looked really pretty and svelte when I met her for the movie. In fact, I was really worried that it wouldn't work. I had to ask her to look less presentable. So she put on weight, wore bad clothes, kept her hair unkempt".
Chadha laughs. "Goldy's husband loved it. He's an Italian chef and for the first time in their married life she was eating all his pasta and food and not moaning. And of course she got an enormous bust, which he loved!" The writer-director goes on to note that Roopi's size is an important factor in the film. "You just have to look all those magazines, and all these poor girls with eating disorders, to see how unacceptable it is for someone to be overweight. That's true for all girls. It was therefore important to have a love story with a girl who doesn't necessarily lose weight in the movie. As the story progresses Roopi just gets healthier."
"Roopi's in a bit of lacklustre stage of her life," begins Notay. "Her father passed away recently and had a relationship that was sabotaged by her ex-boyfriend. And she has a very determined mum, who wants to find her a suitable match, because Roopi thinks she's not going to have that happily ever after ending, and no knight in shining armour moment that a lot of women want to experience.
"But her mum thinks that's not an option and poor Roopi follows whatever crazy idea her mum has, whether it's speed dating, or going to the Sikh temple to try and meet someone. She doesn't throw herself in with exuberance and vigour, but she loves her mum, and there is an understanding."
"The story almost feels a bit like Ugly Betty with Asian people," continues Notay, "and then with spirits and a wedding scene with a huge food fight! It's got a lot of different genres, and yet there's this pulsating heart in the middle of the movie, and that really comes from Roopi and her mum, Mrs. Sethi."
IT'S A WONDERFUL AFTERLIFE releases in India on May 7. It's an Indian Films- Studio18 release.
Asin and Dhoni are becoming thick friends by the day. Now, the latest incident to prove this fact is Dhoni's recent visit to the actresses place in Mumbai.
According to well placed sources, Dhoni paid a visit to Asin's Mumbai home to catch one of the semi finals of the IPL recently. When the society members saw Dhoni entering the premises, there was a lot of commotion in the beginning as everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the cricket superstar.
It must be mentioned that the bond between Dhoni and Asin is getting stronger by the day. Rumours about a romantic involvement between the two is also doing the rounds. Dhoni and Asin are the brand ambassadors of a common product and the bonding surely is here to stay.
Lesbian pairing of Tanushree Dutta and Neetu Chandra. DARR meeting GIRLFRIEND. Sex element. Cat fight amongst the leading ladies. Tiff between Tanushree and Rohit Roy. These are some of the many rumours that have been floating around for last 8-10 months ever since the shooting of APARTMENT kick started.
Though Neetu plays the role of a schizophrenic in APARTMENT and Tanushree is a victim, the promotional focus (whether designed or by chance) stayed on the aforementioned elements rather than the thriller quotient of APARTMENT. Naturally, Tanushree is upset.
"I feel so disappointed when I see such rumours floating around APARTMENT", says Tanushree who was recently seen as a possessed female in horror thriller ROKKK and saw some good critical appreciation coming her way, "I am also so worried about how to face people from media or industry in general because I may be asked some really uncomfortable sounding questions. When a horde of journos attack you of nowhere, it really scares me and bogs me down."
For someone who has worked in limited projects ever since her debut five years back with AASHIQ BANAYA AAPNE and CHOCOLATE, Tanushree is understandably particular about her screen image.
"Am I here to work in films dealing with subjects centred on sex? Am I indulging into fights with my co-stars all the time? Come on, at the end of the day I have to safeguard my image as well. My credibility as an actor is also associated with a film and it is not fair for me, who has worked so hard so far, to be getting dragged into something like this", fumes Tanushree, "Give me some credit for my work, talk about the way I have approached my character. But such stories just take all attention away from the relevant topics."
Over the last month, millions of Youngistaanis have played 'Pepsi The Game' using their mental smarts to come closer to winning Rs. 50 lacs. They experienced the fun and excitement of Pepsi's engaging adver-gaming TV concept; and were entertained by the awesome trio of Sanjay Dutt, Ranbir Kapoor and Jacqueline Fernandez. 22-year-old, Maria Islam from Mumbai was announced the winner of 'Pepsi The Game' and the grand prize of Rs. 50 lacs by Youngistaan's heartthrob, Ranbir Kapoor, right before the finale of the ongoing cricket tournament.
Pepsi The Game brought to life the fun of gaming through TV advertising throughout this cricket season. Set in a fantasy world, all the action took place in a castle owned by the 'Game Master' played by Sanjay Dutt who challenged Youngistaani, Ranbir to get a bottle of Pepsi from his lair.
'The Game' was played over five films with three levels, each ending with a brainteaser. As Ranbir came closer to his Pepsi, over 5 million responses poured in from viewers nationwide to help him. Over 1.2 lac Youngistaanis cleared all three levels with Ranbir and got an opportunity to win Rs. 50 lacs by taking the final tie breaker slogan challenge. Ranbir along with a panel of judges chose the final winner who had the most quirky and WOW answer.
The final question that was posed to those who cleared all three levels was, "Ad mein Ranbir, Game Master se jeetne ke baad kehta hai, 'Pepsi bhi gayi, sexy bhi gayi'. Agar aap Ranbir ki jagah hote toh Game Master ko haraane ke baad kya kehte?"
Maria's winning answer that WOWed Ranbir and the other judges was, "Loser Game Master... You gotta think faster... Aur bhi koi chunauti (challenge) ho to le AAO, par tab tak kehte raho...YOUNGISTAN KA WOW!!!"
Speaking about 'Pepsi The Game', Sandeep Singh Arora, Executive Vice-President (Colas), Marketing, PepsiCo India said, "With 'The Game', Pepsi for the first time combined the fun of gaming with TV advertising. We received a phenomenal response to the campaign, with over 5-million entries from over 2-million Youngistaanis in less than a month. Pepsi The Game has been one of the most successful consumer led initiatives this season owing to terrific reaction the campaign has generated."
"I am extremely excited as I have not only won Rs. 50 lacs but also got to meet Youngistaan's icon, Ranbir Kapoor. I really enjoyed playing each level of The Game and believe that I have shown Youngistaan Ka WOW to my friends and family who all are very happy for me", said Maria.
Ranbir Kapoor, Pepsi's brand ambassador, said, "The Game by Pepsi is a rocking concept and we were confident from the beginning that it would connect instantly with the Youngistaanis. I am delighted with the response and am already looking forward to what's next for me and the rest of the Youngistaan from Pepsi".
The wait is finally over!!! Venus Records and Tapes will present Split Image Pictures' HISSS, represented by William Morris Endeavor (WME), directed by Jennifer Lynch, starring Mallika Sherawat, Irrfan Khan, Divya Dutta and American character actor Jeff Doucette with a First Look for attendees of the Cannes Film Festival next month.
The film, produced by Govind Menon and Vikram Singh Lamba has hit a fever pitch of anticipation about its release which has been in post-production in Hollywood for the past several months.
Sources say the stars of the film will appear at a press photo call at the famed Majestic Hotel on the Cannes croissette, and producers will announce the release date for the film. Rumor has it that even some live snakes may be involved! The event will be followed by an exclusive cocktail party for international buyers, celebrities and festival VIPs.
Irrfan Khan has confirmed his presence for the trip, and early word has it that the film could be his best performance yet. Divya Dutta, too, has been noted with a stellar performance as Khan's wife in the film.
If unveiling a first look of HISSS wasn't enough, a second event with Mallika Sherawat for her other new film, LOVE, BARACK is also set to take place. A romantic comedy set during Barack Obama's campaign for the U.S. Presidency, the film just finished shooting last month in Los Angeles.
For the first time in her half a decade long career, Neetu Chandra is playing a central protagonist in a film. No wonder, her director Jagmohan Mundhra too has good words to say about his leading lady. Her miniscule appearance in a biggie like RANN notwithstanding, Neetu is happy that APARTMENT has managed to get her good visibility turn due to the role of a schizophrenic that she is playing in the film.
There seems to be some mutual admiration society in the making here. Jag says that he was very impressed with the way she approached the role and was totally uninhibited in front of camera. "It is nice of him to say all these things. He is a nice man and as a director if he says that he is happy with my work, I am doubly happy. As for me being uninhibited then well, that's the way I have always been ever since I did my first film GARAM MASALA. I didn't know how to swim and obviously had never worn a swimming costume. Still, I did that for the film when I was told to do so. The way it came on screen was quite classy and sweet rather than looking vulgar. It all depends upon the director. In APARTMENT too, even if there is some skin show, Jag shot it all very aesthetically. When I am 100% convinced about something, there is no question of being inhibited," Says Neetu with a glee in her voice.
Was it this trait of being uninhibited that led to some tension between her and Tanushree?
Neetu at once clarifies about her equation with Tanushree, "Please, I don't believe in any cat fights through media. If there is a fight required then I will do that and get over with it. But I don't have time and energy to encourage such random stories that keep making the rounds through various media forums. I am a straight forward person and that's the way I intend to be. If I have any problem, I talk it out."
Seems Neetu had no problem though in stepping into APARTMENT which was earlier supposed to star
Gul Panag and Raima Sen. However, Neetu isn't aware about this fact, "I have no clue if there was a different cast decided for the film. As far as I know, I was the first to be approached for the role."
Talking about casting decisions, she had replaced Raima Sen in RANN and had pined a lot of hopes on it. Unfortunately RANN couldn't live upto the expectations. Still Neetu wasn't overtly disappointed with it's non-performance at the box office, "I am happy though with the way my performance in RANN was appreciated. As for the box office fate of the film then well, working or not working of a project is not in anyone's hand. Whether it is Ram Gopal Varma or Amitabh Bachchan or Steven Spielberg or Tom Cruise starring in a film, it works only due to the collective efforts of a team."
'Slumdog Millionaire' star Freida Pinto, who was supposed to be part of the 63rd Cannes International Film Festival, will not be attending the event owing to shooting commitments.
The actress was expected to walk the red carpet with the stars of 'You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger' directed by Woody Allen.
'This is to confirm that Freida Pinto unfortunately will not be attending the Cannes film festival as she is shooting for 'Immortals' in Canada. Her film 'You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger' directed by Woody Allen will be premiering at Cannes,' said a statement from her spokesperson.
'Immortals' directed by Tarsem Singh is slated to release in 2011. The Cannes Film Festival opens May 12.
Veteran actor Hemanta Das, popularly known as the Ashok Kumar of Oriya cinema, died Tuesday, family friends said. He was 76.
Das had lost his wife and son long ago. The death took place in Khamaranga, his village in the district of Cuttack, some 30 km from here.
Das had acted in more than 40 Oriya movies.
Some of the films he featured in include 'Sesa Srabana', 'Jajabara', 'Chilika Tire', 'Nirab Jhada', 'Danda Balunga' and 'Hakima Babu'. He also played a role in Hindi film 'Shodh' that won a national award in 1979.
'His death is a great loss to the Oriya film industry,' film critic Dilip Hali told IANS.
Notch one more breathless admirer for Dippy. Sendhil Ramamurthy, star of 'The Wonderful Afterlife', has been smitten well enough by Deepika Padukone.
The H'wood dude and the B town gal were introduced at a January party… and SR hasn't gotten over the Dippy meeting, although, he hasn't watched any of her Hindi flicks.
Besides, his curiosity was fanned some more when he learnt that Dippy was a Bangalore model who's made it superrrrr in Hindi showtown. Sendhil can speak a smattering of Kannada, as his parents are from B'lore, though he doesn't grasp a word of Hindi.
Reportedly, Sendhil has expressly requested director Gurinder Chadha to rope in Dippy for the special preview of 'The Wonderful Afterlife'.
Gushes Sendhil in a tabloid chat, "Deepika is the best looking girl and actor in Bollywood. I think she's really pretty. I won't be around for the preview show of my film in Mumba, coz' of prior commitments, but I have asked my director to show the film to a few friends that I've made in India."
Salman Khan's merging his two great loves… charity and cricket… for a humanitarian cause. Come May 21, Dubai will welcome Khan for a charity cricket match for his 'Being Human'.
The prize: 'Being Human Cup' will be contended by celebs from India and Pakistan. Reportedly, Khan had been planning this move since quite a while, though he was waiting for the IPL 3 to tail off before he could announce it.
It's been touted that Sharman Joshi, Jackie Shroff, Riteish Deshmukh, Azharuddin, Govinda, Vinod Kambli, Arbaaz and Sohail Khan, among others, will represent the Indian team. The cheerleading glam gals are likely to be Zarine Khan, Riya Sen, Dia Mirza and Neha Dhupia.
A close source states, "All the proceeds from the match will be directed towards 'Being Human.' The Pakistani side will also comprise celebs such as actors Ali Zafar, Shaan Shahid and Adnan Siddiqui, among others. And among the cheerleaders will be Nadia Hussein, the musical group 'Strings' and Iman Ali."
Post match, plans are on the anvil to unveil a fashion show and a lavish dinner for team participants.
Live snakes on the red carpet... at Cannes?! Yeah, Mallika Sherawat and her reptilian saga have grand plans in store for global cinegoers.
Venus Records and Tapes will present Split Image Pictures' 'Hisss', represented by William Morris Endeavor (WME), directed by Jennifer Lynch, starring Mallika Sherawat, Irrfan Khan, Divya Dutta and American character actor Jeff Doucette with a 'First Look' for attendees of the Cannes Film Festival, next month.
Produced by Govind Menon and Vikram Singh Lamba, 'Hisss' has hit a feverish pitch of anticipation about its release which has been in post production in Hollywood for the past several months.
Sources say the stars of the film will appear at a press photo call at the famed Majestic Hotel on the Cannes croissette, and producers will announce the release date for the film. Rumour has it that even some live snakes may be involved! The event will be followed by an exclusive cocktail party for international buyers, celebrities and festival VIPs.
Irrfan Khan has confirmed his presence for the trip, and early word has it that the film could be his best performance yet. Divya Dutta, too, has been noted with a stellar performance as Khan's wife in the film.
If unveiling a first look of HISSS wasn't enough, a second event with Mallika Sherawat for her other new film, 'Love, Barack' is also set to take place. A romantic comedy set during Barack Obama's campaign for the U.S. Presidency, the film wrapped up filming last month in Los Angeles.
Presently, though, Mally's marking her bites. Er, sorry, bytes.
Akshay Kumar zoomed into suburban Mumbai… and created a starry storm! Akki, together with Arjun Rampal, Riteish Deshmukh and director Sajid Khan, landed up at their 'Housefull' lucky contestant winner's residence.
En route, as they rushed to the third floor, Action Kumar rang the doorbell of every single home… to pep up the action.
There was an excited flurry of activity, as building folks rushed out of their homes to click keepsake snaps with the 'Housefull' team and have their starry fill of autographs. And what's better, AK made time to play with the building kids too! Brand building, Akki style.
Volcanic ash clouds paved the way for the saucy gal… as a determined Jiah Khan, made her way into Mumbai as part of the promotional campaign for the howlarious 'Housefull'.
Earlier, the actress had landed up almost every single day at London's Heathrow airport… only to be sent back owing to the irksome ash clouds.
Dame Destiny smiled… and Jiah beamed as she told an eager media, "I'm glad that I could make it before the release."
Bollywood star Aamir Khan was Tuesday appointed sanitation brand ambassador to promote cleanliness in all Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools across India - but not without being mobbed by his young fans.
'We are happy to have Aamir as our brand ambassador. We hope, he will help this scheme become a success,' Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal said after launching the National School Sanitation Initiative at Vigyan Bhavan here.
He said through movies the actor had created public opinion related to education and his involvement would help the cause of sanitation. Aamir has starred in education related movies like 'Taare Zameen Par' and '3 Idiots'.
Aamir, after accepting the honour, said he would sit down with both the HRD and urban development ministries to know more about the issue and could create a 'package which will be easily available through CDs and internet for use in schools'.
However, after the programme got over, hundreds of students mobbed the actor while asking for his autograph. With little security at his disposal, the situation became quite unmanageable. But Sibal came to the rescue of the actor and took him away from the conference hall.
Earlier, Sibal had announced that health and wellness clubs would be set up in all schools for better sanitation practices.
The minister said only nine percent of school students wash their hands before eating and these clubs would promote such issues among students. 'They are the future and their good health will help a better tomorrow.'
Anshu Vaish, secretary school education, said at least 45 percent of Indian schools do not have separate toilets for girls. 'This is impacting girl students' admission and we have a long way to go in improving this situation.'
Vaish told IANS that initially the health and wellness clubs will come up in CBSE schools as it was this board's initiative. 'We will inform all the state boards and if they want all the material can be translated to desired regional languages.'
Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy, who was present at the event, said safe drinking water and sanitation were part of the millennium development goals and the government was striving to improve the situation.
'With this initiative, we will create awareness about sanitation at the school level. Students are change agents and we are targeting them,' Reddy said.
The initiative is a collaboration between the HRD ministry and the urban development ministry. It is estimated that 17 percent of the urban population in the country has no access to sanitation facilities, while 50-80 percent of the wastewater is disposed untreated.
Shooting for Divorce rap in Vipul Shah's 'Action Replayy' has been suspended for now.
The much- talked about song has Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a retro look.
The shooting was stalled because Akki got finicky about his leather jacket, which went missing.
It was initially a cause of concern for the entire unit as it was interfering with the continuity of the song, as the shooting was only half done.
What we hear is that despite frantic efforts, it still hasn't been located. Now Vipul has no option but to wait for an exact replacement so that the song can be completed. When the unit got a similar leather jacket for Akki, he flatly refused to wear it. The action hero is known to be extremely con-scious of what he wears.
Says Vipul, 'It was a unique, hand- crafted, bling- bling leather jacket. I need to shoot the balance portions of the song but suddenly there was no jacket. It will take time to get it made again, so I've requested Akshay to allot some extra dates to finish the song later.' Vipul added that the manner in which the jacket disappeared has left him puzzled. 'I need to figure this out. It might have been misplaced by some production person or it may have been stolen when it was being transported. But why point fingers? We'll just have to take it in our stride,' says the director.
Karan Johar had always wanted to be a fashion designer and he had even contemplated studying it before his friends got him back to Mumbai and films. But the bug to design never left him and he continued to design Shah Rukh Khan's clothes in many films.
Recently, the producer-director launched his own line of clothes with a friend, Varun Behl. 'We decided to come up with a men's line because we believe their fashion has been ignored as the focus has always been on women's wear,' says Karan.
He also praised Varun and said he shares his ideas. 'I have always been interested in fashion and even contemplated being a fashion designer at one point of time. So we put together my passion and his sense of fashion to come up with our new line,' adds Karan. The line of clothes is named after Karan and Varun. That's surely a dream come true for Karan.
Reproduced From Mail Today. Copyright 2010. MTNPL. All rights reserved.
Top model Naomi Campbell reportedly attacked a news cameraman as she stormed out of an interview after being questioned about allegations that she received a 'blood diamond'.
Femalefirst.co.uk reports that former Libyan president Taylor is alleged to have given Campbell a 'huge' uncut diamond in 1997 while she was staying as a guest of Nelson Mandela in South Africa.
'I didn't receive a blood diamond and I'm not going to speak about that,' the website quoted the model as saying.
Taylor is currently on trial for crimes against humanity after a bloody campaign he waged in Sierra Leone between 1997 and 2001 during which time he is alleged to have been involved with 'blood diamonds'.
'Blood diamond', also called a 'hot' or 'war' diamond, is a jewel mined in a war zone and sold to aid warlord activity or invading forces' campaigns..
He's lost a crore already. And he's earned the ire of John Abraham! Abbas Tyrewala had to accept the loss of a crore as a song number choreographed by famed choreographer Michael Gracey was scrapped and had to be reshot in Mumbai as Tyrewala found "Gracey's sensibilities too alien."
Now, '1-800-Love' Johnny Boy's flick costarring Pakhi, Tyrewala's spouse has hit a troubled note with the hunky star. A special screening of '1-800-Love' held for J Abbs, left him reeling in shock… as it turned out to be Pakhi's film all the way, with JA being sidelined severely.
Says a close source, "John was terribly upset when he saw the film because there was an overdose of Pakhi in the '1-800-Love' and John was hardly there in it! It was as if the film was a showreel for his wife."
A miffed Johnny Boy reportedly ticked off Tyrewala and made his stand clear by refusing to promote the flick. Guess, it's called double trouble.
Si, Senorita… agree Hrithik, Farhan and Abhay. The trio will be spotted speaking in Spanish in Zoya Akhtar's forthcoming flick 'Running With The Bulls', to be canned extensively in Spain. Reportedly, Zoya has zeroed in on Madrid and Barcelona, and a few quaint villages on the outskirts of these two cities to can her opus.
The male leads, together with leading femmes Katrina Kaif and Kalki Koechlin are being showcased in Zoya's film which is centred around a trio of pals who take a road trip to sort out some issues in life.
And in keeping with the script demands, Hrithik, Farhan and Abhay have told to brush up on their Spanish. Incidentally, Hrithik can manage more than a smattering of Spanish, since he picked up the basics during the filming of 'Kites'. Farhan too is clued in about the lingo… whereas Abhay is an absolute stranger to it.
Salman Khan's generosity tales continue to enthrall his fans. Case in point: the actor's recent act of benevolence at Wai, whilst shooting for 'Dabbang'.
During the filming, thronging hordes of fans would show up to have a dekko at the star, including a sizeable percentage of aged men and women. Khan interacted with many of them politely and often invited them over for lunch too. During his talks with them, he realized that most of them were ailing from poor vision or sore eyes.
Pronto… the star swung into action, had a Mumbai eye specialist summoned to Wai and conducted an eye camp on the sets!
Since a large number of them were ridden with cataract problems, Salman had them operated upon at Pune and also arranged for their post operative care.
Says a close source, "When first checked it was found that 26 aged people were suffering from cataract problems. Salman accompanied them to Pune for their surgeries. The following week he took another 22 old folks to Pune and had their cataract surgeries performed too."
Recently, SRK's 'Kolkata Knight Riders' triumphed over Shilpa Shetty Kundra's 'Rajasthan Royals' at the Eden Gardens. And a round of jubilation was in order.
The cricket boys were treated to a fashion show followed by a disco night. And insiders were privy to some spicy buzz… as cricket ace Chris Gayle took a swift shine to the
The duo took to the dance floor joined by Manoj Tiwari, Ishant Sharma and Murali Kartik. However, the saucy twosome… Sherlyn and Chris… practically scorched the dance floor with their moves, which vaulted 'dirty dancing' to a level it had never notched before!
The duo were strutting their stuff and flashing those raunchy moves that would send prudes into severe shock! Guess, Sherlyn's vows of celibacy are readying for some revamping…
Is it flourishing or has it hit Splitsville? Curiosity over the Neha Dhupia and Ritwik Bhattacharya bond is peaking… after Dhupia, the only B Town actress to have attended the prickly Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik wedding, made a late entry minus her sportsman beau.
Dhupia, who will be spotted in Vipul Shah's 'Action Replayy', did show up with Ritwik in tow for event promotions and screenings as he's an avid cinegoer too. Though, she turned charmingly evasive when it came to to talk regards matrimony.
A close source, however, has a different tale to tell, stating, "Neha has not split with Ritwik, and she has always been very open about it. Why would she keep anything under the wraps?"
Her talent spells trinitrotoluene on screen. Tabu's famed for scorching celluloid with her topline histrionics. And as per close sources, cineastes and Tabu admirers have reason to rejoice.
'Astitva', Mahesh Manjrekar's bold take on the Indian woman's sexuality and mores did fetch a truckload of acclaim for Tabu and MM. A decade later, Manjrekar is braving up to unleash 'White', a bolder, more incisive take on the sexuality and identity of the middle class woman… with Tabu in the lead!
Reportedly, Tabu baulked when she was lavished with the script, as it has her leaving an insensitive cad of a hubby… and later, opting for a more caring younger man!
"It's true that Tabu was quite shocked when she read the script," confesses MM in a tabloid chat. "But I had written the script of 'White' with her in mind. I couldn't think of anybody else who could play this startling woman who defies every norm in society to assert herself."
Adds MM with a twinge of pride in his tone, "As a director, the thought of making 'White' gives me a real high. It is a look at the feelings, dreams and also the nightmares of an Indian housewife. And it will be more hard hitting than anything that has been attempted on the subject, on screen."
Arjun Rampal's aching back… fetched the backing of close pal Shah Rukh Khan. And a recovering Rampal strode right into the high tech 'Ra.One,' the home production of SRK. A mighty fuss about Vivek Oberoi, the supposed Rampal replacement, and his exit did generate media buzz.
But if close sources are to be believed, there is another aggrieved party: Riteish Deshmukh! Reportedly, Riteish was the premier choice for the role of a baddie in the gaming based flick.
Director Anubhav Sinha who'd earlier helmed 'Cash', had a kool equation with Deshmukh and was keen on casting the architect actor. His 'look' and remuneration were under finalisation… when RD was slammed with the rude jolt!
Unceremoniously dropped in favour of Rampal, the star apparently made his displeasure clear to pals and confidantes. And the super trio of SRK, Rampal and Deshmukh have now reportedly hit a sour note in their friendship. Call it the casting ouuuuuuccccchhhhh……
Director Dilip Mehta is 'gratified' with the overwhelming response to his film 'Cooking With Stella' at the ongoing Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. He says the audiences 'fully understood the many layers in his film'.
'The gala opening of the festival with our film at Los Angeles was a smashing success,' Mehta told IANS from Los Angeles.
Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles started Tuesday and will close on Sunday.
'It was a sell-out screening and the party that followed at the Cabana Club was unbelievably riveting. The entire venue was packed to full capacity with great India cuisine and the bartenders kept every glass brimmed,' said Mehta.
'The huge theatre was packed. The audience was enormously supportive and so fully understood the many layers of our film. Even in the darkness I could make out the smiles and hear the laughter.'
The light comedy revolves around the family of a Canadian diplomat Maya (Lisa Ray), her husband Michael (Don McKellar), their cook Stella (Seema Biswas) and nanny Tannu (Shriya Saran).
Mehta says after the screening, he was mobbed by strangers.
'This is always gratifying because they give honest opinions since they don't have an axe to grind with you. The verdict was that they loved the film, they loved the dialogues and the fresh storyline because it was unlike the usual masala dished out, and they loved Seema, Shriya and Lisa's convincing performances. The compliments were many, many, many,' said Mehta.
Bollywood actor-producer Rohit Roy and his wife Manasi Joshi Roy are producing 10 movies exclusively for Zoom TV - the official announcement for which will be made in August this year.
'We are making about 10 movies of one and a half hours each for Zoom TV. This is the biggest thing we are doing as part of our production house as this sort of a concept has never come up before,' Rohit told IANS.
The actor, who was here at the sets of Imagine TV's yet to be launched reality show 'Desi Girl', insists these aren't short movies.
'I would please request you not to call these short movies. Internationally, movies are of about two hours or so only. Then why call a one and a half hour movie a short film? These are full-fledged movies and the unique thing is that these are tailor-made for TV,' he said.
Rohit has roped in directors like Shudipto Chattopadhyay and Sarthak Dasgupta of 'Pankh' and 'The Great Indian Butterfly' fame to helm these films. He himself is also going behind the camera for three of the movies, made under his banner Rohit Roy Productions.
'I am directing three of the movies and even acting in them. Manasi will also join me on screen for some of these projects apart from handling the finances,' he said.
An eclectic mix of genres, including action, comedy, romance, has been planned for each movie.
In the meantime, Rohit is busy hosting 'Desi Girl', which has eight glamorous celebrity girls living the life of a village girl.
He is already facing the after-effects of being in a village as he has lost his voice due to the dusty conditions. Yet he says he is having a gala time.
Rohit gained popularity through shows like 'Swabhimaan', 'Sarkar' and 'Viraasat'. He has also featured in a few films, but finds his true calling in direction. He directed 'Rice Plate' - one of the 10 short films in 'Dus Kahaniyaan'.
Rohit has also acted in some Bollywood movies, such as 'Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena' and 'Plan'.
Ashutosh Gowariker's forthcoming period thriller 'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey' will have a worldwide release Dec 3 and the producers describe this Abhishek Bachchan starrer as an 'inspirational movie'.
The film is jointly produced by Sunita A. Gowariker, Ajay Bijli and Sanjeev Bijli and presented by Ashutosh Gowariker Productions Pvt. Ltd (AGPPL) and PVR Pictures.
'The film is an inspirational movie. It should be watched by the current generation. It is very much in line with our philosophy to touch, move and inspire audiences through the language of films,' Ajay Bijli and Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, directors of PVR Limited, said in joint press statement.
Based on Manini Chatterjee's book 'Do And Die' that centres on the Chittagong uprising of the 1930s, the film has been shot mostly in Goa. It also stars Deepika Padukone along with Vishakha Singh, Samrat Mukherji, Sikander Kher, Maninder Singh, Feroz Wahid Khan and Shreyas Pandit.
Javed Akhtar has written the lyrics and music is by Sohail Sen. Neeta Lulla has designed the costumes, Nitin Desai is the art director and director of photography is Kiiran Deohans.
The team of 'Housefull' has come up with a unique strategy to promote their venture - the cast of the film will spend a day each with four fans in different cities.
'The cast will be on an adventurous journey across the four cities and this will give the audiences a chance to interact with them on a personal level. The team will be visiting four lucky households and spend an entire day with them,' said film's producer Sajid Nadiadwala in an statement.
Eros International and Nadiadwala have collaborated with NDTV as its media partner for the activity.
'The response to the 'Housefull' contest has been great and we're getting lots of happy mails from fans who look forward to meeting these stars,' said a spokesperson from NDTV.
Releasing April 30, 'Housefull' is a light-hearted film about people getting caught in situations triggered by a lie.
Film: 'Flood'; Cast: Robert Carlyle, Jessalyn Gilsig, Tom Courtenay, Joanne Whalley; Director: Tony Mitchell; Rating: *
Films dealing with catastrophe are a Hollywood specialty. One director, Ronald Emmirich, has even made it his business to destroy the world with newer natural calamities in his films. That a British film can match this effects extravaganza yet is wishful thinking.
The British film 'Flood' fails in every department.
A storm at sea coincides with high tide and leads to water rushing up the Thames, flooding most of London. When millions of lives are threatened, you can guess where cliched cinema will rush to - a madcap professor, Leonard Morrison, with all the right calculations and answers at the right time, a man who has pursued science at the cost of a disgruntled family.
The professor's son Rob (Robert Carlyle) doesn't even talk to his father. He works for a company providing technology to a company that is building a barrier meant to stop flooding at the Thames. While the son's estranged wife Samantha works directly for that company.
As you guessed right at this coincidence, it would be up to the Morrison family to save London city, but not without one of them heroically sacrificing his own life in the end.
Catastrophe movies are not just an opportunity for great special effect, but they also provide us with a chance to delve deeper into philosophical and existential concerns of humanity. Though most films, especially the ones by Emmerich have gone in for the special effects, others like 'Deep Impact' have indeed delved into such questions effectively.
In Emmerich's formulaic catastrophe films like 'Day After Tomorrow' and the recent '2012', he at least deals with the cause and effect cycle of natural calamities of them being caused by human actions, direct or indirect. 'Flood' does not even hint at a reason of any sort.
It is a simplistic story where there's a problem and a group of people deal with the problem. Nature is simply shown as a villain, instead of also being a probable victim of human excesses.
A good cast of some of the finest British actors has been wasted in what could have been a much better film in the hands of able writers and director. The scenes of flood are too inconsistent to leave an impact.
Attention to detail is missing. Too much time is wasted in lingering at moments which could have been easily skipped. The soundtrack has neither coherence nor consistency with what is happening on screen.
However, considering how one angry volcano in one remote corner of the world brought an entire worlds' air traffic to standstill, 'Flood' might serve as a reminder to those of us who believe in the polemic of human superiority.
We have been, despite our advances in science, and will remain at the mercy of nature. We might want to respect that fact to keep us humble and to prevent the destruction of our way of lives as shown in 'Flood' or by the ash spit out by a loud-mouthed volcano.
It is also disconcerting that a film made in 2007 finds release now in Indian theatres. The distributors wanted to capitalise upon the interest generated by '2012', obvious from their promos, not realising that that is precisely the reason a film like 'Flood' would fail.
Audiences addicted to the spectacle of a film like '2012' will not take kindly to the lack of it.
After a slew of internationally popular shows making their way to Indian television, American dance reality show 'So You Think You Can Dance?' is also set to get a desi twist on Imagine TV very soon.
'We have been doing very well on the reality TV space with new and different formats. So we are making all efforts to strengthen our position through that. We are bringing down a massive dance show. Basically an Indian version of 'So You Think You Can Dance?',' Nikhil Madhok of Imagine TV told IANS.
The show is known for getting ace salsa, ballroom, hip hop, contemporary, jazz, ballet and many other types of dancers on one stage.
While the Indian version will be in tune with the original format of the show, whether the title will be changed to something more 'desi' is a decision that will be taken in due course.
'For now, we are going to say 'So You Think You Can Dance? Now in India' but we should be able to decide and announce something about it in five to seven weeks from now,' added Madhok, who was here to announce the launch of new reality show 'Desi Girl'.
'Desi Girl', which will go on air later this year, has eight celebrity women who will undertake everyday tasks of the villagers such as milking cows, making cow dung cakes, cleaning the house and cooking food for the family to prove that they aren't just about glamour and style but also have it in them to be a true 'Desi Girl'.
Meanwhile, the channel is also planning to bring on the second season of 'RaazPichhle Janam Ka' and the third season of their infamous 'Swayamvar'.
Though Bhojpuri star Ravi Kishan has confirmed that he will make a comeback on the next season of 'RaazPichhle Janam Ka' which took many people back into their past lives, Madhok says nothing is finalised yet.
'Ravi worked very well for us last time and we will be more than happy to have him back on board, but no decision has been taken yet. Shooting schedules have to be worked out and accordingly, we should come up with something around the second half of August,' he revealed.
There is also a strong buzz that after the 'Swayamvar' of item girl Rakhi Sawant and Rahul Mahajan, the channel is going to hunt for a spouse for a popular cricketer.
'We won't take any names. But yes, we are in advance talks with a cricketer. We are also in talks with two Bollywood actors and one Bollywood actress. Let's see who gets a chance this time,' said Madhok.
He said no matter who the celebrity bride or groom would be in the next season, the channel will ensure that it eventually ends with a marriage on screen - just the way it happened with Rahul Mahajan, son of slain BJP leader Pramod Mahajan.
'We realised that there was a lot of disappointment among viewers when Rakhi did not get married in the finale of her 'Swayamvar'. But they didn't feel cheated when Rahul fulfilled his promise of taking his 'dulhaniya' home. If we don't continue the format, the audience won't stay,' he said.
Asin's make up man suffocated and fainted in her vanity van! Asin, all breathless and nearly gassed out and choked… sped towards the van door to fling it open!
Reportedly, Asin and her make up artiste and hairdresser smelt a foul stench in the vanity van…. But thought nothing much about it… until the unexpected happened!
Apparently, an insect which died in the AC vent of her vanity van was the culprit. The unfortunate incident took place on the sets of a Tamil film 'Kaavalkaran'.
Says a close source, "It was a gas leak and there was a dead insect stuck which choked the pipe and gave out the stench. All three of them were taken to a hospital which was about 15 kms away, since they were shooting on the outskirts of Karaikudi. Although Asin was sick and almost fainting, she kept enquiring about her make up man who had fainted first!"
Rahul Bose's idyllic portrayal of love in 'The Japanese Wife' has generate much more curiosity about his own sex life. Confessedly, Bose hasn't dated a single gal in the last 11 years! Besides, Bose is nowhere near his cine character in 'TJW' as he doesn't even write letters… though e mails and SMS are on the agenda for RB.
Says Bose in a tabloid talk, "My first relationship is with my work, then comes rugby and romantic relationships come far below that."
A nosey parker reporter got a candid reply about how Bose dealt with irrepressible lust. "I said I'm not dating anyone, I didn't say I'm celibate." Yooooo hoooo, babes, take your clue...
Behind the luscious persona ticks a beautiful heart too. Azhagusirai is awed over Katrina Kaif. Located 29 kms from Madurai in Tamil Nadu, the village steeped in abject poverty, finds a saviour for the girl child in the benevolent Kat.
Recently, the star boarded a private charter at the crack of dawn and zoomed into Azhagusirai to check in on her 'Little Darlings,' a department dedicated to provide skill development facilities to toddlers. Besides, the actress together with her mother Sussanne Mary Turquotte, also plans to set up a separate wing for children who are unlikely to be adopted due to physical disabilities.
Turquotte, who heads Relief India Projects (RPI) in Chennai has been fighting female infanticide for years and Kat , empathising deeply with the cause has stepped in to lend able support.
Kat and her mom have also supervised the construction of a neo natal and baby care centre at Azhagusirai where poverty has touched the lowest depths, where a girl child is killed or abandoned owing to the curse of dowry that's likely to follow in the years to come.
Apart from Tamil Nadu, the philanthropic mom daughter duo soon plan to kickstart a Mumbai chapter soon. Way to go, Kat.
Earlier (in)famous for his unprofessional ways, Govinda has turned professional with a vengeance. Case in point: Mani Ratnam's 'Raavan'.
In the freezing cold of Ooty, Govinda enacting Hanuman jumped from branch to branch and tree to tree in pursuit of Raavan. The shoots for 'Raavan,' commencing at 8 p.m and extending upto 6 a.m the next day were quite taxing… but the star was there in flesh and blood… well on time!
Says an insider, "The stunts were very difficult and Mani Sir had organised for a body double. But Govinda performed most of the stunts, about 12 to 15 of them himself! A body double was used in only two shots, as Govinda was adamant that he would do the risky stunts himself. Everyone on the sets was overwhelmed by his professionalism and clapped every time he gave a shot." Virar wonder turns wowing Govinda…
Rohit Shetty's 'Golmaal 3', being all togged up for a Diwali release is routinely in the news… and will earn the spotlight enormously as the 'Golmaal' series is all set to find a place in the 'Limca Book Of Records'!
Says elated director Shetty in a tabloid chat, "It is for the first time that a Bollywood film franchise is going into it's third part and that qualifies us for the prestigious Limca records."
Presently, the cast and crew are having a howlarious time canning scenes in Goa, and with Mithun Chakraborty, Johnny Lever and Ratna Pathak Shah being pencilled in to add to the zany fun, 'Golmaal 3' promises to be a side splitting experience.
Kareena Kapoor, who enacts a tomboyish part in 'G3', states in a media quote, "It will bring the house down."
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