Movie Blog ...

Rock On Movie Review

2008-08-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

Is
ROCK ON!! DIL CHAHTA HAI 2, one is tempted to ask. DIL CHAHTA HAI was a trendsetter when you look back, paving way for storytellers who wanted a new story to tell. Now, the DIL CHAHTA HAI team of Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar with director Abhishek Kapoor deliver ROCK ON!!, a film that makes you understand the true meaning of friendship.

Put your hands together for one of the finest films of our times. Put your hands together for a director who pulls off a challenging subject with élan. Put your hands together for the actors who pitch in superlative performances.
ROCK ON!! is not just about music. It's about relationships. And relationships can get really complicated and messy as all of us would agree. ROCK ON!! captures it so beautifully, so sensitively, so effectively on celluloid.

Everything is in sync here, everything is just perfect. Flaws? Perhaps, the slow pacing. But come to think of it, you can't play with the edit in a film like this. ROCK ON!! also works because you can relate to the characters, you can relate to the moods, the egos, the highs and the lows...

In a nutshell, here's a film you just can't afford to miss. We've had our share of masala films week after week. Now have a look at a film that India can proudly showcase to the West. ROCK ON!! simply rocks!

ROCK ON!! is the story of four friends [Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli, Luke Kenny] who put together the greatest band this country has ever seen, Magic, but never make it. Years later, fate conspires to bring them together again and set them on a journey back to where they left off... a soul-searching pilgrimage into their past.

ROCK ON!! bears some resemblance to the Hollywood film THAT THING YOU DO [Tom Hanks], but it could be a mere coincidence. Director Abhishek Kapoor sets it in the Indian milieu efficiently. Watch the bonding shatter into pieces for no fault of anyone in particular actually. It's the circumstances that play the villain here and Abhishek captures it on lens so beautifully. The fragile relationships, how piece after piece is put together and the journey to the climax… the narrative is so compelling, it makes you feel you're witnessing all of it first-hand.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is perfect. It's completely in sync with the mood of the film. Connoisseurs of music have already showered the music with rave reviews and rightly so! Jason West's cinematography is fantastic. The screenplay and dialogues are commendable.

Every performance in the film deserves brownie points. Farhan Akhtar makes his debut as an actor and he displays rare maturity for a first-timer. Known as an accomplished director all along, Farhan will now be acknowledged as a mature actor as well. Arjun Rampal delivers his finest performance to date. Watch him emote those tough emotional moments and also as a failed person in the latter parts and you'd realize that he has only grown with the passage of time. Superb is the word!

Purab Kohli is tremendous and so is Luke Kenny. Purab has always delivered fine performances, but he's touched a new high this time. Luke is equally charged.

Prachi Desai scores in her very first feature. She has a challenging role and footage-wise too, it's substantial. Prachi brings in a lot of freshness and poise. Plus, she's a competent actor. Shahana Goswami is a talent to watch out for. Her performance is one of the most difficult ones for a newcomer and the confidence with which she carries it deserves to be lauded. Koel Purie has a brief role and she enacts it quite well.

On the whole, ROCK ON!! is an amazing experience. The highpoint is the emotional quotient, the skilful performances and the superb execution of the subject. At the box-office, this urban film holds tremendous appeal for metros and mini-metros. Business at multiplexes of Mumbai, Pune, Delhi and NCR, Kolkata and South in particular should be excellent. Very strongly recommended!

Rating:4/5

'Stallone was very impressed with Indians' - Sajid Nadiadwala

2008-08-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

Producer Sajid Nadiadwala has managed to do what other Bollywood filmmakers could not -- rope in Hollywood stars in our movies. Thanks to him, we may get to see Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards mouth some Hindi dialogue in Kambakht Ishq.

Starring Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor , Kambakht Ishq almost also saw Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film. But the deal fell through.

Sajid, who flew back to Mumbai to be with his wife, who just delivered a baby boy, chats with Nithya Ramani, and talks about the Los Angeles shoot with Sly last week.

What is Kambakht Ishq about?

The film is about a stuntman, who does stunt doubles for Hollywood actors. That's why we roped in Hollywood stars -- the script demanded it.

How did you manage to rope in Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards?

We were trying to get in touch with Hollywood actors through various sources. We tried many actors and finally, we could get Stallone and Richards.

Arnold will not be a part of the film. We wanted him to play himself but things didn't work out.

What was Stallone's reaction on reading the script?

He enjoyed the script. He was very impressed with our way of working.

It was a great experience working with him. He is a director's actor. We have grown up watching his films. I have watched Rocky many times. It was like a dream come true, working with him.

How was your shoot with him?

We shot at the Kodak Theatre, Los Angeles. He was very punctual. All of us stood up in respect when he entered. Shooting with him was a very good experience. He does whatever the director asks him to.

You were shooting at the Kodak Theatre, where the Annual Academy Awards takes place. Were you filming an award function?

We were shooting the Taurus Awards, an award given for the best stunts.

How was the rapport between Akshay and Stallone?

They gelled very well. Stallone was very impressed with Indians and our way of working. Akshay and Stallone would discuss their workouts, gym routines and trainings.

Was it tough explaining the scene to Stallone, as he does not understand Indian cinema?

It was very easy. He is like a baby in front of the director. He is as simple as anybody else. The only difficult part was getting them to sign the film. Once he had signed, it was smooth.

He gifted you his Rocky boxing gloves.

Yes, that was a momento. I will always cherish that. He was so impressed with us that he gave his boxing gloves to me. India has come up in a big way off late and people look up to India. Cinema in India is growing big time and people abroad have started recognising us. It is a matter of pride to get boxing gloves from Stallone himself.

How long are their roles -- Stallone and Richards?

Denise has an important, substantial role. We have an eight days shoot with her. Stallone has approximately seven to 10 minutes of screen time. We had a three-day shoot with him.

Jaane Tu Mera Kya Hai - Video

2008-08-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

Mallika Sherawat's Ugly Aur Pagli - Review

2008-08-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

It's only fitting for a movie about slapping to show a lot of cheek.

One of the high points of Ugly Aur Pagli comes when Kabir (Ranvir Shorey) sits at Yash Ram Films, trying to get them to buy a script. The producer, a bald man with a french beard, is disappointed that the man has come only with an actual script -- where's the DVD, he asks, referring to the film the script must have been ripped off from.

It seems almost as if debutant director Sachin Khot, in a blatantly confessional moment, tossed in a slice of his life, as if he was asked to provide a reference DVD but, unlike Kabir -- who predictably sticks to his guns and writes out his life story -- the director wilfully handed over a copy of the Korean film My Sassy Girl, and assumed that with this cast, his film could be groundbreakingly awesome.

It's not a bad call, honestly. The original is a sweet, fun film about a guy hopelessly devoted to a girl, who constantly humiliates him, and who better to play loser and lioness than Ranvir Shorey and Mallika Sherawat ?

Alas, this film, like its drunken protagonist, consistently staggers.

Without going deep into the originality debate yet again -- it tires me as much as it tires you, really -- if a film does have to be ripped off, can't it be adapted sensibly, like Aamir or Dil Hai Ki Maanta Nahin, to look at diametrically different ends of the good remake section? But no, Ugly Aur Pagli falls into that same old Bollywood trap, trying to camouflage a ripoff as an 'inspired by' film by replacing plot-points with extraneous songs and playing havoc with the narrative.

As a result, a bittersweet film about an ordinary boy smitten by the girl, who harasses him, turns into an over-the-top farce, the original's charming moments here failing to work minus context. Meanwhile, the plot's roundabout logic, rudimentary even in the Sassy original, here translates into a mess of perplexity and coincidence because of the chopping and changing. (It's likely a completely desi problem, though, for a screenwriter to have to replace an inventive naked-boy-meets-girl situation around, simply because that hideous Neil N Nikki had already stolen that scene.)

Anyway, Ugly starts off all right. Kabir is a dweeb, who runs into a scarily sloshed Kuhu (Mallika Sherawat), saves her life and doesn't sleep with her, and the film is essentially a story of how the masochistically mediocre man gets to know the sadistically slap-happy siren. Yes, the bondage theme runs deep as the girl whacks the life out of the boy, and you can almost imagine him in a gimp mask -- while I'm genuinely surprised she doesn't weild an actual whip. Heh.

And the only reason this decidedly unusual undercurrent crackles -- despite the lame-duck script -- is because of the leading pair. Ranvir Shorey -- playing the single most pathetic protagonist I can remember in our cinema -- is fantastic as Kabir, his expressions striking enough to make us laugh, often despite ourselves. The role needs him to whimper and hope and desperately crave, and Shorey, an actor good enough to convince us he's still studying engineering, can carry off priceless between-the-lines moments and petticoats with equal panache.

In a way, the film is a showcase for the believably aggressive Mallika Sherawat. Well capable of giving anyone a tongue lashing, this film asks her to employ a more hands-on approach, and she clearly enjoys herself. Her Kuhu is a potentially fascinating character, an inexplicably whimsical mean girl with major psychological issues, and even though the film doesn't explore Kuhu, Mallika manages to stay natural even in this weird avatar. You believe her Kuhu even if you don't understand her; when Ranvir instinctively flinches as she merely leans toward him, you sympathise. She looks like a million bucks -- even when dressed 'superhero-style' for a day in her college -- and a significant share of the film's audiences will have cowgirl dreams for a while. Giddyap.

Yet it is a case of two strong actors with much personality trapped in a script that makes even two hours seem long. The first hour is about right, but hour two is a banal procession of more slapping mixed with a high-drama climax, memorable only because we get to see the sexiest woman of the 1970s and her modern-day successor in the same frame.

My Sassy Girl works largely because the tone of everything in the film -- save from the cocky titular heroine -- is normal as toast, which is why placing sauce on it is tasty. Here, the treatment is consistently over-the-top and gets tiresome after the first act. While some of the lines are wicked good -- especially Ranvir's VO, which quirkily once labels Mallika a cross between Medha Patkar and Keshto Mukherjee -- there just aren't enough of them.

There's also a severe need for polish. Pyaar Ke Side Effects had a waferthin plot, but was salvaged by very fresh treatment and the fourth-wall breaking narrator who spoke directly to the audience. Trying to capitalise on that film's attitude, this film loses its own. It struggles to find a voice, initially trying too hard and eventually turning into a different kind of movie. There are random pointless shots of Mumbai, a supporting cast seemingly told not to act, and a set of narrative-killing songs -- bad ones, at that -- which serve only to have Mallika dress skimpy and Ranvir dance with a filmi flair that totally defeats his loser-character. (Also, it's alarming just how much of Kabir's fantasy sequence is dominated by a Punjabi rapper.)

It's disappointing just how boring this film gets by the time the end-credits come around, and one genuinely feels bad for the lead pair. And for the throwaway lines that aren't followed up on. The DVD-seeking movie producer mentioned earlier, for example, claims that he can liken anyone's story to an existing film, and asks for his story. The dare goes by ignored. Sachin, boss, I really wanted Kabir to try and nutshell his and Kuhu's story only to be cut-off midway by the bored producer holding up a copy of the Korean DVD. Now, that would have been special.

In a crazy way, Ugly Aur Pagli could even have struck a blow for women's lib. Why can't girls beat men up, anyway? Behind me, during the first half, a half-dozen giggly schoolgirls were eagerly counting slaps, trying to see if the film lived up to its cleverly devised '99 slaps, one kiss' tagline.

Unfortunately, like the film, they stopped counting midway.

Helen makes a comeback with Bachpan

2008-08-01T11:17:00.001-07:00

Bollywood's original 'Dancing Diva' Helen will be seen making her comeback in Bollywood with a film titled Bachpan. The film is directed by debutante director Rajiv Sharma who has in the past assisted filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Satish Kaushik.

Taking on from where last year's smash hit Taare Zameen Par left, Bachpan is a musical family saga, laced with emotions, seen from the perspective of children. In fact, when Rajiv Sharma decided to debut as a director, he zeroed in on this project which reflects the sensibilities of children.

As for Helen's character, she plays the role of a grandmother in Bachpan. An elated Helen says, "The script was simply amazing. And when I read it, I was so overwhelmed, that I decided I had to do it. I have recently seen the rushes of the film and liked the way it has shaped up immensely."

Apart from Helen, the film will also star another veteran actress Padmini Kolhapure along with four talented children.

Sanjay Dutt shoots a promotional video for C Kkompany

2008-08-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Sanjay's voice is pretty unconventional for playback singing but the uniqueness of his voice has always attracted music composers. Sanjay Dutt has recorded a song for Balaji Motion Pictures' forthcoming film C Kkompany. It is the title track of the film.

The song is written and composed by Anand Raaj Anand and Sanjay also features in the video of this title track choreographed by Bosco - Caesar. While recording the song in the Studio, Sanjay looked very much in an ecstatic mood, got engaged in conversations with director Sachin Yardi, music director Anand Raaj Anand, Dharam Uberoi and Ramesh Sippy and also took out some time for the shutterbugs and media. Talking about the song, Dutt says, “I will be introducing the characters of the film C KKompany through this song and I am doing this song on the request of my friend Ramesh Sippy, CEO of Balaji Motion Pictures Ltd.”

“It has been a wonderful experience being associated with Balaji Motion Pictures in the past with Shootout. I really liked the concept of the film C Kkompany and the way they incorporated me to introduce the 3 protagonists in the title song. I enjoyed the song when I heard it and also since it was proposed by Mr. Ramesh Sippy who is like family, I immediately agreed to do it. This is just the beginning of our long association”, quips Sanjay Dutt.

C Kkompany stars Tusshar Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Rajpal Yadav and Raima Sen. The film has been produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor. It will be releasing on 22nd August 2008.

Big B's Shoebite gets a new title - Johnny Mastana

2008-08-01T11:13:00.000-07:00

Amitabh Bachchan's Shoebite was always a working title to begin with. Now as the film is more than 50% complete, it has got a final title for itself. The film would now be called Johnny Mastana.

Confirms a source closely attached to the film, "Yes, the film finally has a title now. It would now be known as Johnny Mastana. The film's first set of teaser posters are already out and they have Johnny Mastana imprinted on them. In any case Shoebite was never a confirmed title so it can't be said that the film has gone though a title change."

But why a title like Johnny Mastana? She reasons, "Doesn't Johnny Mastana sound more universal in nature? The film is meant for all segments of audience and Johnny Mastana gives just the right indications. We all love this title here and the moment it was first suggested, we just grabbed it with open arms."

Apart from Amitabh Bachchan, the film also stars Sarika, Jimmy Sheirgill and Dia Mirza in key roles. Shooting of Johnny Mastana has been on since early this year and moving on at a decent pace. Since the film is touted to be revolving around the journey of a man across the entire nation, it involves numerous location changes.

Nods Jimmy Sheirgill in agreement, "It is true. In fact for shooting certain sequences in the film, the time required to reach the location is more than the time we spend at the location. It has been a grueling, yet satisfying experience, for everyone involved."

The film is directed by Shoojit Sircar of Yahaan fame. Incidentally Yahaan starred Jimmy Sheirgill in the lead and got him nationwide recognition.

"The man is just made of something different", says Jimmy fondly, "He has an acumen for that perfect shot taking. Technically brilliant and quite well versed with the medium of cinema, it is a delight to be working with him on a subject as diverse as Johnny Mastana."

While others in the film's cast have been busy wrapping up their portions, Amitabh Bachchan would resume shooting for the film once he is back from 'The Unforgettable Tour' in the month of September. Produced by UTV Motion Pictures, Johnny Mastana which has music by Shantanu Moitra, is now confirmed for a 6th March, 2009 release.

Salman khan and Katrina Kaif in Hello - Trailer

2008-08-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

RGV to launch Homam Music

2008-08-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

Ramgopal Varma will be launching the audio of Homam, a Jagapati Babu starrer, on August 3rd in Hyderabad. This film is directed by the actor JD Chakravarthy and production is by Kiran Kumar Koneru. Nitin Raikwar scores music. Theatrical release is planned in the last week of August. The logo and posters were launched in April during the final match of Indian Cricket League. JD Chakravarty also plays another vital role. Mamata Mohandas plays the female lead.

Ravi Teja's Baladoor on Aug 14

2008-08-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

Baladhoor, starring Ravi Teja and Anushka, on Suresh Productions banner with Uday Shankar directing it will be releasing worldwide on August 14th. Tri Color Movies is releasing the film overseas with 14 prints. The audio with music scored by KM Radhakrishna was released yesterday and is declared an instant chartbuster. After Vikramarkudu, the lead pair has come to repeat their performance in Baladhoor.

Yasho Sagar with Sekhar Kammula?

2008-08-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

Sekhar Kammula is going to direct Yasho Sagar's next film, sources said. BC Somu, the hero's father will produce the flick on their home production Amrut Arts banner. Earlier, at a press meeting, the producer himself said he was interested to make a film with Sekhar Kammula. Further details are awaited. Currently, Yasho Sagar's debut film Ullasanga Utsahanga in the direction of Karunakaran is into its sixth day run today.

Gopichand - Anushka's flick is Sowryam

2008-08-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

Gopichand-Anushka starrer on Bhavya Creations is titled Sowryam. It is produced by V. Anand Prasad in the direction Siva, a debutant. Producer said that the film is about the exploits of a daredevil youth who finally achieves a powerful goal. But for three songs, the film's shoot if finished. Songs will be canned in Swiss from Aug 10th and the film is planned to release in the second week of September. Gopichand is hopeful that the film would surpass the expectations of his previous films. Music is by Mani Sharma. Camera is handled by Vetrivel and dialogues are by M. Ratnam.

Kathanayakudu / Kuselan Movie Review

2008-08-01T01:44:00.001-07:00

Story :
Balakrishna(Jagapathi babu) is a poor barber who leads a miserable life in Sirisilla with wife Sridevi (Meena) & 3 children.His Childhood friend Ashok kumar(Rajinikanth) is now a Superstar.Ashok kumar& his film crew comes to Sirisilla for a filmshooting.So the whole village,including his family,converges around Balakrishna seeking his favour for a meeting with the Superstar. Balakrishna is reluctant to approach the star thinking that Ashok kumar may have forgotten his lowly friend in these intervening years.Does the rich n famous Superstar remember his childhood buddy?does he values friendship ? is the rest of the story.

Highlights:
It isn't a regular Rajinikanth kind of mass masala movie.But the film almost resembles his ideology as a person.The Superstar should be lauded for his bold attempt to act in an offbeat subject.(though masala incorporated !)
Unlike other Rajini's films The film has an all Telugu cast Jagapathi babu,MS Narayana,Ali, Dharmavarapu Subrahmanyam,Sunil,Brahmanandam(guest role),Ananth,Duvvasi Mohan et al.
Comedy is good,Dialogue writer Marudhuri Raja did a commendable job in this aspect.
Climax is good.Rajini's speech in the climax is the lifeline of the movie.
Cinematography(Aravind Krishna),Art(Thota Tarani) are Good.
Jagapathi babu,Meena are adequate.
Nayanatara portrayed her real life role as actress Nayanatara.

Sidelights:
There are a lot of dull and boring moments.
Comedians got more footage than the lead characters.
Screenplay isn't that good.

Etc.,Etc.,
Rajinikanth told something about his larger than life image,his frequent trips to Himalayas & his political entry .

Public Talk : Just an Ok flick.it's Watchable for Rajinikanth,Comedy & Climax if you have got 'some' patience.
Industry Talk : May not work in Telugu.Hardly an average fare.

Nitin and Bhavana in love?

2008-07-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

The latest news doing the rounds in Tollywood is that young hero Nitin has fallen for the charms of Kerala beauty Bhavana. Are they really in love or just another rumor that occasionally plagues the Tollywood?

Both of them are now acting together in a film titled ‘Hero’ directed by GV (who plays villain roles in movies) and is produced by Manyam Ramesh. Bhavana has entered into Telugu films with Gopichand’s Ontari.

Although, the film is still under progress, rumors about the off screen romance about Nitin and Bhavana are circulating thick and fast. Some see it as 'promotional gimmick' too!

Rajni’s magic: 60 minutes, 60 Crores!

2008-07-29T21:41:00.002-07:00

Tamil superstar Rajnikant means business! His last film, Shivaji, was the highest grocer in South India and stood on par with a Bollywood blockbuster. His popularity cuts across the regions. Hence even if he makes a guest appearance in a movie, the film sells like a hot cake. That is exactly what happened in the case of Kathanayakudu/Kuselan.

He is not the real ‘Kathanayakudu’ (star) of the story; he just appears for about 60 minutes in the movie. Rest of the movie is driven by Jagapathi Babu in Telugu and Pasupathi in Tamil.

Yet, both the Telugu and Tamil versions was done about Rs 60 Crores business. Pyramid Saimira has bought the theatrical exhibition rights for that sum.

That means, each minute of Rajni’s presence in the movie fetched Rs One Crore! Rajni is true superstar in South India.

Bhaskar’s next with Ram Charan Teja

2008-07-29T21:41:00.001-07:00

Director Bhaskar who made debut with Bommarillu is preparing script for his next film. Reliable sources told us that his next movie would be with Ram Charan Teja. Soon after Ram Charan finishing his current film directed by Rajamouli, he will be start working for Bhaskar’s love story. Naga Babu will produce this movie on Anjana Productions banner.

Although Lawrence and Karunakaran are also in the race to direct Ram Charan’s third movie, Chiranjeevi is in favour of Bhaskar. Chiru likes Bhasker’s way of presenting the story. Chiru liked Bhaskar’s Bommarillu and Parugu.

NTR aims for ‘Sankranthi hit’ this time!

2008-07-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

Getting blockbuster in the lucrative ‘Sankranthi’ season is like a dream come true for any hero. History tells us that Late NTR, Chiranjeevi, Balakrishna and Krishna had delivered their biggest hits during that period. So every hero tries to release their films on Sankranthi and rake in big moolah but only few succeed.

NTR too nurses the same dream. Ever since his highly hyped Naga (released on Jan 10, 2003) and Andhrawala (released on Jan 1, 2004) bombed at the Box-office, he has been trying to get a blockbuster during the Sankranthi/January period. This time he hopes to get that magic success in January with director V V Vinayak’s film. This year, Vinayak tasted big success with Krishna starring Ravi Teja during Sankranthi. So NTR believes that the same sentiment will work again in Jan 2009.

NTR and Vinayak’s film is hitting the floors on August 12th and will be wrapped up its shooting by this December. So Vinayak is confident that their film would be ready to hit the screens on Sankranthi. The untitled film has Ileana as the heroine and Devi Sri Prasad scores the music. Kodali Nani and Vamsi are producing it.

Bachna Ae Haseeno - Aahista Aahista (Video)

2008-07-29T21:35:00.001-07:00

‘Yes, I’m coming in August’ - Chiranjeevi

2008-07-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

Megastar Chiranjeevi has finally let out his political plans. On Tuesday, he interacted with a couple of journalists and cleared the ambiguity surrounding his political entry. “Yes, I am entering into politics in August,” he has confirmed the political plans. Here is sum of what he said..

Party will be announced in the third week of August
20 names are under consideration for party
After announcing the party, a huge meeting will be held in Tirupati
A whirlwind tour across the state in two months
Will take stand on Telangana according to the wishes of people
70 percent seats will be catered to youth
30 percent seats are reserved for senior politicians and mega fans

Gorintaku: Biggest hit in Rajashekar’s career!

2008-07-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

Hero Rajashekar bounces back with a bang. He is really having great time these days after the success of ‘Evdaithey Nakenti’. Now, his latest release, Gorintaku, a sentiment drama, is all set to become biggest hit in his entire career. The film is doing phenomenal business in rural areas.

The surprising news is that the film is breaking some of the records of big heroes in Andhra and Ceded areas. In Guntur district, it is doing the business in the range of top heroes’ films. Trade pundits predict that it might end up with Rs 12 Crores all over the state.

No one expected that this sentimental drama will put Rajashekar back on ‘hot seat’. Irony is that the film is co-produced by N V Prasad who is right hand man to Megastar Chiranjeevi. And as we all know, Rajashekar has been fighting against Chiru

18 Kathanayakudu prints overseas

2008-07-29T10:06:00.002-07:00

Kathanayakudu has been censored with U certificate, 2 hours and 35 minutes is the running time. Rajinikanth appears for 60 minutes, Jagapathy Babu plays the main hero role with Bramanandham and Sunil donning comedy roles. 18 Telugu Prints are being shipped from Hydrebad to US on Tuesday, the movie will release on Friday August across major cities. Expectations are high as the malayalam version was the highest grossing movie last year, in addition to Rajinikath co-starting with Jagapathy babu. Last 20 minuets, climax of the movie talks about friendship and is very emotional between Rajinikanth and Jagapathy babu, which will be highlight and stay in audience heart and mind for a while.

Nayantara starts Kuselan publicity

2008-07-29T10:06:00.001-07:00

Hot heroine Nayantara flagged off a mobile publicity van of Kuselan in Chennai. A big van with posters of Rajni in stylish attires fixed to it both sides will reach all the arterial junction in the metropolis, before taking to the overall state tour. The launch comes in the wake of the film's release on August 1. Inside the van, rare pics of Rajnikanth from the yesteryears film Apurvaragangal to the present day Kuselan has been displayed for public viewing. Director P. Vasu was also present at the function.

Sunil's Banthi from Jan 2009

2008-07-29T10:05:00.000-07:00

The buzz over SS Rajamouli's proposed film with comedian Sunil with its title in unofficial circulation – Banthi, was gone a couple of months ago. But, it has surfaced again that the flick would be launched in January 2009. It is said that star writer turned mass director Trivikram Srinivas has readied the script for this film. Though the name of Surender Reddy also surfaced in the past that he would direct the film, it didn't happen as Reddy was said to have opted out fearing being branded as comedy director. The title Banthi is based on the name of Sunil's character in Nuvvu Naku Nachchav.

Rajnikanth's heartfelt appeal

2008-07-29T05:42:00.001-07:00

Controversies seem to dog Rajnikanth's new Tamil film Kuselan. The latest is that Rajnikanth has requested the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce to facilitate the release of his film in the state on August 1.

His letter said that it was not his intention to hurt the feelings of anyone when he spoke at the protest rally organised by the Tamil Nadu Film Artists Association.

"I understand that some people in Karnataka are still feeling bitter and pained over what I spoke on the Hogenakal water issue. This has really saddened me. I am not a person who would hurt the feelings of anyone. It is not my habit to make any person bitter with my behaviour or speech. I have always believed that I should not create bitterness or difficulties to the people. This is my desire and ambition," wrote Rajnikanth in his letter addressed to Jayamala, the newly elected president of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce.

The letter written in chaste Kannada overwhelmed many in the Kannada film industry. That the superstar could be so prolific in a language he had studied in school amazed some of them.

Reiterating that his films in Karnataka are viewed not only by Tamilians but also by Kannadigas and people speaking different languages, releasing Kuselan in the state should not pose any difficulty.

Meanwhile, taking note of the letter, Jayamala said that Kuselan will be released on August 1 as planned with ten prints in thirteen theatres across Bangalore. As number of prints has been restricted, Jayamala urged the pro-Kannada activists to forget all the bitterness.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - Trailer

2008-07-29T05:39:00.001-07:00

Aishwarya, Madhuri floor Los Angeles

2008-07-28T23:39:00.001-07:00

Akshay Kumar's Khatron Ke Khiladi - Review

2008-07-28T22:57:00.001-07:00

Channel: Colors
Timing: Mon – Thu, 10 pm
Genre: Action Game Show, Reality
Host: Akshay Kumar
Contestants: Aditi Govitrikar, Anita Hasnandani, Anjana Sukhani, Dipannita Sharma, Meghna Naidu, Nethra Raghuraman, Pooja Bedi, Sonali Kulkarni, Tapur Chatterjee, Tupur Chatterjee, Vidya Malvade, Urvashi Sharma, Yana Gupta
Rating: 3/5

The Indian television scene seems to be pretty pathetic. It’s either sloppy soaps or, in recent years, reality shows that seem to rule the idiot box. While the former is intolerable till eternity, the latter too has lost its charm for the staged dramatization by the participants and the panelists to the extent that it has no ‘reality check’. In such a scenario Fear Factor comes as a refreshing breather and the format of the show is such that it doesn’t offer any scope to manipulate facts.

Fear Factor has always been a huge hit amongst action lovers for its genuinely original and meticulously designed stunts. The international show had already been adapted for the Indian subcontinent by Sony TV that was hosted by Mukul Dev. However with Akshay Kumar as the host, the show not only gets star power but also action authenticity, for one can’t think of a better anchor than Akki for a stunt-based show like Fear Factor.

Other interesting variation is too have an all-female cast and see them indulge in some precarious feats which is a pleasant change from the standard saas-bahu prototypes that the feminine form is widely relegated to on the small screen. Though the women weep in both category of shows, the tears here are real, unexaggerated and an outcome of scare over sorrow. Another addition to the show is that every contestant has an ex-army serviceman partner with whom they can swap one stunt in the entire course of the show.

From the four stunts per episode format of the original, this one has only two stunts in each episode to accommodate the 13 contestants. And one of these two stunts includes interface with a live creature that could be a snake, spider, rodent or any other being. While this segment might find varying acceptance with the Indian audience with the stunts ranging from being gruesome to gross, its ratio is clearly increased as compared to the original show, which only makes life difficult for the girls. Plunging head into a snake tank, having spiders crawling on their faces and handling rats are some examples from the first week.

On the flipside, watching 13 contestants do the same stunt, sets in a kind of monotony which will dissipate in the coming days with an elimination in every episode. With this brisk elimination frequency, the show doesn’t unnecessarily stretch itself just to gain additional episodes for telecast, a regular tendency with reality shows. Another setback for audiences who have keenly followed the international version is that many stunts would come across as repetitive.

The makers have also incorporated the ‘luck-factor’ with this Indian adaptation which can conflict with the fairness of the stunt intensity for each contestant. For example, contestants had to choose the number of spiders crawling on their face from a pack of cards which defies equal opportunity, as a lot has been left on luck. Also there are safety belts for the best performers that allow them to skip another stunt which could also dispute with parity.

However the elimination of the contestants has been almost fair so far. Clearly the ones with non-athletic bodies have been eliminated first like Sonali Kulkarni, Dipannita Sharma, Meghna Naidu and Vidya. The ones who are physically agile like Yana Gupta, Tupur-Tapur Chatterjee and Anjana Sukhani are performing pretty well.

The good part of having Akshay Kumar as the host is that he just has to be himself and not act, like Shah Rukh and Salman do in their respective shows. He encourages the girls to give their best shot and with his (in)famous flair for flirting, Akki always looks comfortable around girls. There were complains from the initial episodes that Akshay Kumar doesn’t perform any stunts but he also did that in the fourth episode.

The one big glitch is its desi title. Khatron Ke Khiladi sounds like a B-Grade Mithun Chakravarthy film from the past decade. But what in a name! It’s the game that matters.

Genelia loses her name

2008-07-28T22:55:00.001-07:00

Nothing tastes sweeter than success, and who knows it better than Genelia. After a series of duds, the young actress is basking in all the attention coming her way.

“I am so happy with the success of Jaane Tu.. that I have no problems when people on the road call me Aditi or Meeao”, says Genelia. The actress is enjoying the flowing accolades so much that fans and people who meet her call her by her screen names from Jaane Tu. So if you call the petite actress Aditi or Meeao, you might just get a big cheesy grin from her !

Abhi shakes to Akki’s song

2008-07-28T22:54:00.001-07:00

Akshay Kumar rocked the audience at Toronto at the kick-off show of the Bachchan's The Unforgettable show.

So charmed were they by him that at a performance at LA on July 26, of which Akshay was not a part, the crowd kept screaming 'Singh Is Kinng'.

Since Akshay was not there, Abhishek had to perform to the number to keep the audience amused.

Our source, who was present at the show, says, "The show at the LA Sports Arena was packed and the audience loved the performance of everyone on the show.

However, they particularly seemed to miss the Punjabi munda, Akshay Kumar on the show.

After each performance, they yelled 'Singh is Kinng' and hooted for Akshay.

Abhishek Bachchan, who was scheduled to perform next, sensed that the audience wanted to see Akshay on the show.

He grabbed the mike and announced that his next performance was dedicated to his friend Akshay Kumar.

Abhishek then danced to the 'Singh is Kinng' number and the audience simply loved it. In fact Abhishek had to repeat the performance on public demand."

We contacted Sabah Joseph director of Wizkraft, the organiser of the concert, for his comment. But he did not get back to us.

Bhajji's Flame

2008-07-28T22:53:00.001-07:00

Geeta Basra

Cricketers and Indian film actresses seem to make great friends.Now gossip mills are grinding overtime with stories of cricketer Harbhajan Singh and actress Geeta Basra hitting the party and social circuit together.

Recently, Harbhajan was spotted talking to Geeta at length, outside a suburban hotel.

An eye-witness says he was so engrossed talking to her that he was oblivious to the roadblock he created by keeping his car parked in the alley for so long.

He was completely unaware of motorists honking behind him, trying to get his attention.

Says the eye-witness, “There was a big line of cars behind Harbhajan's car, but he was so immersed in his animated conversation with Geeta that he did not hear them honking.”

Eventually, Harbhajan and Geeta realised that they were creating a traffic jam and ended their conversation abruptly, and returned to their respective cars. Harbhajan was accompanied by a friend in his car.

When contacted, Geeta admits that such an episode did happen. She says, “Well, it was just a small incident. We were at a suburban hotel that day. Harbhajan and I were talking. I guess such things happen with everybody, some time or the other.”

Harbhajan Singh

However, she clarifies that she is not dating the cricketer. “Harbhajan and I are just good friends. We do hang out together but in a group.

I am also friends with Yuvraj Singh. Yuvi (as Yuvraj is fondly called), Harbhajan and I are all Punjabi, so we all bond well,” she says.

Geeta and Harbhajan have known each other for six months now. She reveals, “We met through a common friend and hit it off well. You should not read too much into my friendship with Harbhajan.

Anyway, I have a lot of male friends and we all hang out together. Does that mean I am seeing all of them? It is difficult to find female friends in the film industry where most actresses generally don’t get along with each other.

Harbhajan and I are definitely in touch, but as friends.”

Aamir rubbishes threat to Khans

2008-07-28T22:49:00.001-07:00

"I am not going to change my life because of the threat," Aamir Khan

Actor Aamir Khan has rubbished reports of superstars receiving threats from terror groups... says he continues to lead his life just as fearlessly as before.

Though they may have fought villians in reel life, but it seems the Khan's in Bollywood are face to face with the real enemy this time around.

The recent terror strikes in the country have cast an evil spell on Bollywood, with threats being issued to superstars like Aamir Khan , SRK and Salman Khan.

When quizzed about the threats reportedly recieved by some of the Bollywood biggies, CP police, Hasan Gafur said, "Like I said earlier, the warning has been issued in everyone's interest and we have beefed up secuirty for whoever needs it."

But far from being deterred, it seems Aamir Khan in particular has chosen not to get distracted by these reports. In a press meet on the issue Aamir said, " I have full faith in God and I have faith in our government and also our police force and administration. I am sure that they are doing everything that they can."

"Where the Ahmedabad blasts are concerned, it is not like the police have not done everything they possibly can. I feel that we should not get cowed down and we should not change our lives at all. I am not going to change my life because of the threat," he added.

While Aamirs reaction surely proves the indomitable Khan spirit, we would love to hear from SRK and Salman too on the threat front.

Sajid Khan confirms the cast of 'House Full'

2008-07-28T21:48:00.001-07:00

What's the final star cast of Sajid Khan's HOUSE FULL, his next venture after the immensely successful HEYY BABYY? In between there was talk that Amitabh Bachchan was expected to head the cast of this multi-starrer, which stars Akshay Kumar in the lead. Besides, Kareena Kapoor and Deepika Padukone were being considered.

"I had never confirmed Amit-ji," Sajid clarifies. So what's the final cast then? "The confirmed cast is Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Deepika Padukone, Jiah Khan and Boman Irani," he says. Kareena? "No, she isn't part of my film, she's doing KAMBAKTH ISHQ. I should finalize one more heroine in a week's time," he adds.

While HEYY BABYY was shot in Australia, HOUSE FULL will be filmed in New York and New Jersey, besides Rio and Bahamas from January/February 2009 onwards.

Rajkumar Hirani's 3 Idiots goes on floors

2008-07-28T21:47:00.001-07:00

Rajkumar Hirani's 3 Idiots starring Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, Madhavan and Boman Irani has gone on floors. The film is a feel good family entertainer. It has the same warmth, simplicity and fun associated with Raju Hirani's films.

Hirani doesn't want to give away the look of his protagonists right now, which is why the teaser doesn't have any of the actors in it.

The shoot of the film with the supporting characters has already begun. Hirani and his team will be leaving in late August for the shoot with the principal cast. The film is scheduled to be shot in Ladakh, Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai as well. Aamir and rest of the cast will begin shooting in early September. Hirani plans to wrap 3 Idiots by December.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra is producing the film. Abhijat Joshi and Raju Hirani have written the screenplay and the lyrics are by Swanand Kirkire. Shantanu Moitra is composing the music for the film.

Surprises galore with 'Kinng'

2008-07-28T21:43:00.001-07:00

That SINGH IS KINNG is eagerly anticipated by people within and outside the industry can be gauged by the fact that a number of producers are keen to launch/include the promo of their films with SINGH IS KINNG, which opens worldwide on August 8.

Since SINGH IS KINNG is being released by Studio 18, the first look of Ashtavinayak's Sanju-Imran starrer KIDNAP [also distributed by Studio 18], will also be unveiled before SINGH IS KINNG begins. That's not all, the promo of Akki's next release CHANDI CHOWK TO CHINA [the promo was launched with THE DARK KNIGHT] will also make it with the prints of SINGH IS KINNG.

Wait, there's more to follow! Promos of Rituparno Ghosh's THE LAST LEAR [Amitabh, Preity, Arjun, Shefali], Atul Agnihotri's HELLO [Salman, Katrina, Sohail, Sharman], Samir Karnik's multi-starrer HEROES and Ajit Pal's VICTORY [Harman], will also be seen, besides the promo of the newly-launched channel Colours. There's a strong possibility that the promo of Dharmendra's CHAMKU [Bobby] might be included as well. Wow, so many promos…

"I enjoy watching new promos when I watch a film. It generates tremendous excitement. I genuinely wish the distributors and multiplexes are kind enough to play all these promos," SINGH IS KINNG producer Vipul Shah tells me. Expect a bonanza with the most awaited movie of the season!

NTR releases Vishal’s 'Salute' music

2008-07-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

Hero NTR unveiled the music cassettes of Vishal’s forthcoming film - Salute. Charmee was also graced the event as the guest for the audio launch ceremony that was held today (Monday, July 28th) at Taj Krishna in a grand manner. Huge arrangements were made and gathering was also large. V V Vinayak, Suresh Krishna, G K Reddy and Dil Raju also graced the event. The film’s producer Vikram Krishna and his wife and actress Shriya Reddy attended together an event for the first time post their marriage.

NTR has all praise for Vishal. “I had seen his Pandem Kodi and felt bad not getting such beautiful film for me. It has remained one of my favorites. Vishal is doing right projects and tasting success. I wish him a great success with Salute too,” he wished.

“After D Ramanaidu, only G K Reddy has the distinction of having a popular hero and successful producer as sons. It is nice to see Vishal transforming into a macho hero,” Vinayak said.

Dil Raju informed the press that he is distributing the film in Nizam and Vizag areas.

Director Suresh Krishna shared his happiness over his disciple Rajashekar turning director. “He worked with me about 7 years as associate. Rajashekar has really come up with good product. The trailer is awesome. Vishal is a big hero in Tamilnadu. I wish him the best in Telugu too,” Suresh Krishna said.

Vishal said that the subject of the film is interesting and would surely be appreciated by the class audiences and masses as well. “I play the role of a cop. Police stories are very common but the director has dealt it uniquely. Haaris Jayaraj has given some great numbers. I believe this is my best audio,” he said.

Charmee wished the team all the best.

Film industry: No ‘Kamma’, ‘Kapu’ divide!

2008-07-28T21:30:00.001-07:00

K S Rama Rao has been elected as new President for Film Chamber of Commerce. In intense elections, he won the post by the huge margin but it was also marred by the controversies.

Rumors were rife that all the producers belonging to dominant ‘Kamma’ caste voted in favour of Rama Rao just to put Allu Aravind’s camp down. Although Allu Arvind was initially fielded for the post, he and his group walked out of the elections. But the rumors grew in thick that the increasing ‘Kamma’/Kapu divide or Pro-Chiru/Anti-Chiru divide has further strengthened with Rama Rao’s win.

Reacting to these rumors and speculation in a section of media, the industry bigwigs denied the divide in Tollywood. Speaking to reports on Monday (July 28, 2008), they said, ‘we are all one.’

Dasarath's film with Prabhas?

2008-07-28T21:29:00.001-07:00

Dasarath is going to be the captain of the ship for a film with hero Prabhas with Dil Raju producing it on his Sree Venkateswara Creations banner, sources said. Dasarath known for his soft and family-oriented subjects is said to have prepared the outline of his project with lighter vein elements, unlike Prabhas' out and out action flicks with serious tones. Though Prabhas did such soft roles in films like Krishnavamsi's Chakram, it didn't click commercially, but brought critical acclaim for him. Further details are awaited.

Sneha Ullal for Nag Chaitanya

2008-07-28T21:28:00.005-07:00

Sneha Ullal, who proved her mettle with her debut film Ullasanga Utsahanga, is mostly likely to be the heroine for Naga Chaitanya for his debut film to be directed by debutant Vasu Varma under Dil Raju's production. Of late, there has been a frantic search for the heroine for Nag Chaitanya. Sources said that Dil Raju, who released Karunakaran's UU, got impressed with Ullal's performance and the same is being welcomed by the would-be hero.

Manjari in Maska?

2008-07-28T21:28:00.003-07:00

Manjari Fadnis, one of the two heroines of and Allari Naresh's yet-to-be released film, is going to be one of the two heroines in MS Raju's film Maska, starring Ram as hero, it is learnt. The other heroine is already fixed as Hansika Motwani. B. Gopal directs the film. Manjari, who came into limelight with Jane Tu Ya Jane Na, recently, now made her debut with Siddhu from Sikakulam. Earlier, she debuted into Bollywood with the film Rok Sako To Rok Lo (2004).

Allari Naresh tilt towards direction

2008-07-28T21:28:00.001-07:00

Busy comedy hero Allari Naresh said that though he is breathlessly enaged to film after film as hero, his ultimate passion is for direction, which he would take up at a later stage in his career. Talking to reporters at Vizag, he said that he didn't want to retain himself to just comedy roles, but was desirous of proving himself in all angles of histrionics as he did in a Visakha Express or Gamyam. Replying to a question, he said his marriage was likely in 2010, after that of his brother Aryan Rajesh's. "My father, who is so careful in selection of heroines for me in films will definitely get a good heroine for me in real life," he maintained. He further said he would make it a point hereafter that all of his forthcoming films should have a schedule in Vizag, "which I like most and attached to sentimentally." His latest Siddhu from Sikakulam is ready for release on August 14.

Namita’s Jaganmohini launched

2008-07-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

SexyNamita never disappoints the men who ogle at her hot body at publicfunctions. She always grabs the attention by wearing most outrageousoutfits. At the muhurat of Jaganohini, hernew film, she was the cynosure of all eyes. She shot for the muhuratscene in her red sexy dress that revealed her booty. Dasari Narayan Raoclapped the sound board for the scene at the special launch ceremonyheld today (July 28, 2008) at Ramanaidu Cine Village, Hyderabad.

Jaganmohiniis the remake of the yesteryear classic by the same name, which wasstarred by then vamp queen Jayamalini. Namita does the role ofJayamalini’s while Meera Chopra is enacting the role that was done byPrabha. Raja steps in the place of Narasinha Raju.

Namithasaid: “It is nice that I am making comeback to Telugu films with thisbilingual. It is an exciting role but the movie is not exact remake ofJaganmohini. The director has taken only the basic line and has changedto suit the tastes of today’s audiences.”

Rajasaid he was feeling great to co-star with the sexy Namita. “She is ahuge star in Tamilnadu. I feel happy to act with her. Most of myfriends questioned my decision to star in this periodic movie. Mybelief is that an actor should do all kind of roles and it is myfortune to get such variety. I am even happier that Ilayaraja iscomposing the music,” Raja shared his feelings.

“It takescourage to do such period movies when love stories and masala dramasare ruling the roost. Am happy to be part of this unique movie,” Meera Chopra said.

The film is shot in Tamil and Telugu by director Vishwanathan and produced by H Murali.

Rajnikant launched Adivishnu music

2008-07-28T05:59:00.001-07:00

Tamil superstar Rajnikant graced the music launch of Adivishnu, starring Dasari Arunkumar and Sneha. The audio was released on Sunday night at Taj Deccan hotel in a grand style. Rajnikant who was shooting for his animation film, Sultan, in Hyderabad attended the function on the invitation of Dasari Narayana Rao. Both Rajni and Dasari are close friends. Bharat Parepalli is the director for this movie which was made on the banner of Sowbhagya Media.

Rajnikant shared his experiences with Dasari. “Dasari told me that one should not scoff at a person who is not efficient in a language. I used to laugh at person’s who speak butler English or Tamil. Now, I have stopped this on the advice of Dasari. I wish his son a great success as actor,” Rajnikant said.

K Ragahvendra Rao, Mohan Babu, Sneha, Rajasekhar, Jeevita, SVK and others attended the event.

Dasari Narayana Rao thanked Rajni for gracing the event. “Some of socalled superstars here evade when I call them. But Rajni never gives false promises. That is why he became real superstar. Regarding my son’s film, I regret for not promoting my son well. With this film, I am sure, he would arrive”, said Dasari.

Mohan Babu wished Arunkumar that he should become as big as NTR.

Hijack - Music Review

2008-07-28T03:33:00.001-07:00

Music to be composed for an action film is always a tricky business. Not many, except for perhaps Sanjay Gupta, have perfected this art when it comes to movies being made today. So, with expectations of a theme track, a hot item number and a couple of melodious number, one plays on Hijack which promises to show Shiney Ahuja do a Bruce Willis a la 'Die Hard'. Hijack has music by new finds Justin-Uday with Kumaar writing lyrics for this debut directorial venture of Kunal Shivdasani.

One minute into the song and you know that Justin and Uday have kick started Hijack well with a romantic number 'Aksar' which takes on truly from where 'Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai (Pritam composition from Woh Lamhe) left. Just the same in sound, spirit and soul, 'Aksar' gives the listener one more song to play on in a loop and be entertained for hours at a stretch. A well orchestrated number which has 'Mr. Reliable' K.K. coming up with an impressive act yet again, 'Aksar' deserves to be heard more often and aggressively promoted.

No wonder, the song is heard thrice. The 'Unplugged version' is first to come and this time around it is Shaan who goes solo for 'Aksar'. An extended guitar piece plays on (while creating a romantic scene) before Shaan is heard in this tad slower version. Even though the lyrics remain the same, the change in singer and pace of the song makes 'Aksar' a delightful composition all over. The longest composition of all with close to 7 minute duration, it is followed by a 'sad version' by Shaan which lasts only a little more than a minute. In addition, there is also a 'remix version' by KK and Joi which certainly has in it to do well, if accompanied by a promotional music video.

A quintessential number follows next and does hold promise to engage the audiences while it is accompanied by some hot visuals and aggressive choreography. With a mix of English and Hindi lyrics, 'Dekh Dekh' has Sunidhi Chauhan being largely responsible for the song with Suraj Jagan and Joi chipping in a little as well. Mainly orchestrated as a Western track with beats dominating the proceedings, 'Dekh Dekh' is seemingly a pre-climax track which solves its purpose of taking the narrative forward but that's about it. Don't expect the number to create a riot, though the faster paced 'club remix' version may just do better at nightclubs and discotheques.

The name Shilpa Rao raises a lot of expectations. Very recently she has delivered a chartbuster 'Khuda Jaane' [Bachna Ae Haseeno] and now she is back with 'Koi Na Jaane' which is kick started by K.K. A situational number where the protagonist gets into a pensive mood and is looking forward to The Almighty for a direction to move ahead, 'Koi Na Jaane' is surprisingly ordinary in feel. However, what really disappoints is that Shilpa Rao is not heard in the song at all except for a faint 'alaap' at the very beginning of the song. Come on, she deserves a better outing!

One wonders if the song would play in entirety in the film's narrative since an action-thriller like Hijack risks slowing down in pace with a song like 'Koi Na Jaane' in the background. The track by itself is not a bad hear; it's just that it is core situational and doesn't make one pick it up and play on a repeat mode.

An aircraft taking off is what begins 'Theme Of Hijack' that promises to be an engaging hear, courtesy the thriller genre that the film belongs to. However, instead of being just a theme piece with only an orchestra taking charge of the proceedings, 'Theme of Hijack' turns out to be a 'Hinglish' outing with Suraj Jagan and Uday coming behind the mike. However, it isn't really an impressive tune to boast of and yet again, all would depend upon the track's placement in the film and the visuals that accompany it. And yes, just like the song preceding it, this one too doesn't make it to the wish-list of those looking at extending their collection on the iPod!

Eventually, it all boils down to the number 'Aksar' which is not just the best of the lot but in isolation too quite a good composition. With 'Dekh Dekh' being the only other number to really look forward to from the album, one now waits for the film Hijack to arrive at theaters.

Rating - 2/5

‘Kareena is great fun to be with’ - Soha Ali khan

2008-07-28T03:27:00.001-07:00

Fewwould know that actress Soha Ali Khan aspired to become a journalist and alsowrote a few articles for some national dailies.

However, sheended up picking up a Masters degree in International Relations from LondonSchool of Economics and Political Science and also worked with a corporate bankfor nearly 18 months, before joining the glamour industry.

But nowthe actress is about to fulfill her childhood dream as she plays a TV journalistin her forthcoming flick Mumbai Meri Jaan. In a freewheeling chat with NT, Sohaspeaks about her on screen experience as a journalist and her brother’scurrent love interest, Kareena...

Reel lifejournalist

Ask Soha how it felt to step into the shoes of ajourno and she says candidly, "It was quite an eye opener. There are times whenI feel that the journalists go overboard to get a bit of juicy news, but I guessthat's a part of their work." Talking about the film she adds, "The movie isbased on the July 11, 2006 serial blasts, which took place on the local trainsof Mumbai and I have a powerful role init."

On Kareena and bhai

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena are one of the hottest couples oftinseltown. Ask Soha what's the best thing she likes about her bhabhi-to-be andshe says, "The fact that Kareena loves my brother, and makes him really happy,is what I like about her. Kareena is great fun to be with. She takes a lot ofefforts with my parents too. I wish her loads of happiness."

Sheddingapprehensions

It was her mom, Sharmila Tagore, who startledthe industry by wearing a bikini in the 60s. But, it took Soha quite a few yearsto shed her inhibitions and also the clothes. Commenting on her picture in abikini, for a magazine cover she says, "I had never given a thought to wearing abikini on screen or for a photo shoot. But, when this offer came along, Ithought of giving it a try. I was a little scared initially, but then finallywent ahead with it." Speaking about her family's reaction, she says, "Bro anddad have seen the pictures, but we've never discussed it. And mom is cool aboutit." Tell her that quite a few top line actresses have worn a bikini on screenand she replies promptly, "I am not interested in doing such roles. I wouldrather do something more challenging-maybe an actionflick."

Mommydear

Speaking about mommy dear, Soha says, "Ma is my biggestcritic. When she cleans my cupboard she keeps nagging me as to why I have 20shoes or why my accessories don't match my dresses. I just keep hiding thingsfrom her. There are times when I wonder why she can't praise me like othermommies. But, in a way she is right and I like it when she corrects me."

Clearing the air

Thepretty lady clears the air about her affair with Southern heartthrob Siddharth."Oh, I have been linked with my costars Abhay Deol and Shiney Ahuja too. But,there was no truth in it. I don't like to discuss my personal life inpublic."

Stylequotient

Compliment Soha on her elegant looks and ask herabout her style statement and she says "I don't think I make any stylestatement. I am allergic to metals, so, I am minimal on accessories. Also, Idon't wear watches. And when it comes to clothes, I love the feel of cottons andmulmul. Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Manish Arora design them for me.”

Chilling out

Ask herhow she chills out and she says, "I love watching movies and I love playingtable tennis and badminton. Apart from this, I am very fond of reading books."And being a former banker do money matters interest her? "Not at all. Politicsand history excite me more than anything else, but please don't ask me tocomment on the present political scenario of the country," she says beforesigning off.

AB Baby grooves away

2008-07-28T03:25:00.001-07:00

“I have performed in Toronto and the Carribeans, and both were awesome. Its really tough to say which was one better”, opening lines from Abhishek Bachchan as he talks of his first stage performance for the first time.

“Just before the show started, the entire cast and crew got together and said a prayer. As soon as that was over I blanked out! I could not for the world of me remember any step of mine. Shaimak told me to just go out there and have a ball, so I did. Thankfully everything came back just in time and the performance went off without any glitches”, confesses the actor who was performing for the first time outside the comfort of his film fraternity.

On sharing the stage with his father and wife for the Kajra re number, AB says, “It was great fun. It took us back to the IIFA awards in Amsterdam where we performed together on stage for the first time”.

But Ash who is a great dancer did have something to say on his performance, “Initially, she couldn’t say much because she was on stage immediately after me. So by the time I came off the stage she was already in position for her entry. But after she finished she told me that she thought it was good. Although I felt she was way better.”

And with the American leg kicking off in a big way, AB concludes, “Madhuriji joined us for this leg. We’re all very excited to have her with us.”

Aamir Khan's Andaz

2008-07-28T03:24:00.001-07:00

With Aamir and Salman Khan bonding big time, the long-lost friends have chosen to work together again.

Their comeback vehicle as a pair will be a sequel to their 1994-cult movie, Andaz Apna Apna . The film will be produced by Aamir Khan and directed by Raj Kumar Santoshi (who directed the earlier version).

Says a source, “Aamir has already spoken to Santoshi about the sequel and the latter has loved the idea of directing Aamir and Salman together again.”

When contacted, Santoshi confirmed that Aamir had spoken to him about this. He said, “In fact, Aamir has been talking about this to me for some time now. I will be writing the script. However, it won’t be a sequel. Let’s leave the details for a later date.

It’s too early to talk about it now.” When we asked Santoshi what he thought of Aamir as a producer, he answered, “Aamir is a friend and a fantastic producer. He is the right guy for producing this film.”

We wonder if Aamir and Santoshi will rope in the earlier heroines Raveena Tandon and Karisma Kapoor, or will settle for younger heroines.

Imran on a high!

2008-07-28T03:23:00.001-07:00

Timewas when nephews and nieces did something right, and were treated to a bar ofchocolate from uncles and aunts.

But life is a lotfancier for Imran Khan. He was gifted a white BMW by Maamu Aamir Khan forgetting Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na right. “I wasn’t too sure it wasmine, till he gave me the keys,” smiles Imran.

This is awardenough. But with such a successful debut, is Imran ready to walk up the stage ataward shows and accept trophies for his performance, something that Aamir justwon’t do? He gets pensive, and then states, “It depends on whataward it is. I’d consider if I’m worthy enough of it or then if itis worthy enough of me.”

Nothing can match the adulation andlove of the junta. Women of all age are going gaga over him and even proposingmarriage. Never mind that, the guys have taken a liking to him as well.“Yes, that’s the interesting part. Never mind the women, the guysseem to like me, too. I guess that’s just because of my character in thefilm. I’m very non-heroic, they must’ve related to that,”explains the newbie. But no proposals from this gender? “None!” heexclaims, laughing.

Imran is a 12th pass, and has no plans tograduate. “I don’t feel the need to continue studying, simplybecause I know more than most graduates do. I read a lot. I read anything andevery thing that’s printed or written on paper. I’m eccentric. Isuffer from an obsessive compulsive disorder,” he admits, “I needeverything to be kept at right angles.”

Bombarded withscripts, and with a dozen producers queuing up to meet the boy, how has lifechanged for Imran? “Honestly, it hasn’t sunk in yet. Life’sthe same, just more SMSes, calls and yes, lots of people wanting myautograph,” he says, forgetting to mention the new car.

Harman Baweja plays cricket with Ranji players Jodhpur

2008-07-28T02:05:00.001-07:00

If Harman has the pluck to play cricket with the champs, it's because national cricketer Praveen Ambre has been taken on as the expert consultant in Victory to make sure Harman gets it right, each time.

Making a cricket movie isn't easy. So, Harman Baweja has discovered while shooting for debutant director Ajit Pal's Victory. Usually, acting is about faking it. And when Aamir Khan played cricket so expertly in Lagaan, he didn't have face up to professional players on screen.

In Victory, where Harman plays a professional cricketer he was pitched against professional real-life cricketers. After playing with pros of the field in Australia earlier this year, Harman on Thursday manoeuvred the bat with Rajasthan's seasoned Ranji Trophy players like Mohammed Ahmed and Abhijeet Sharma.

Sunburnt and suffering from a serious sun- stroke, Harman says, "Earlier in Australia I played with Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mike Hussey. I'd like to think I looked authentic enough playing with them. Now I play with Rajasthan's Ranji players since yesterday. And I'm having a ball. Because although I'm playing a cricketer, I'm playing for real. Man, you can't fake it with these guys. And considering Rajasthan has just won the IPL, you can imagine how good these guys are at the game. "

To ensure complete authenticity in the cricket scenes, cricket expert Praveen Ambre was deployed all through the shooting. "Praveen Ambre was part of the Indian team in the mid-1990s. We didn't want to falter for even a bat of an eyelid, pun intended. Hence, the expert advice," says Harman.

The cricket scenes being shot in Jodhpur show Harman's characters beginnings as a star-cricketer. "It's the story of a cricketer Vijay Shekhawat's rise from a small-town player to a national-level cricketer. My big moment came when these Ranji players said I played well. They told me there's a lot more to cricket than just the shot. They said I looked convincing in the way I wore my helmet, gloves, stood my ground, ran and connected with the field. I worked on all of that. As far as playing the game goes, I was a cricket player from school and college. So, I only needed to brush up the game. It was getting the other details about a cricketer's personality right that was tough."

Since Thursday morning, Harman was playing cricket non-stop for 12 hours. "By the end, of it I was ready to collapse. Everyone else in the crew had breaks. They ran under trees, checked the monitor in the shade while I had to stand in the burning sun and play non-stop for 12 hours, rehearsing and doing final takes…I'm so exhausted by the heat I can collapse right now," says Harman who suffers from a heat allergy.

Bachchna Ae Haseeno’s music stunt

2008-07-27T23:11:00.001-07:00

It’s a sure shot way to garner attention. Start the publicity of a film with the track of a hit yesteryear film. And Yash Raj Films is now desperate for a hit. After a series of flops, the think tank at YRF is marketing their latest film Bachchna Ae Haseeno by using the hit song of Rishi Kapoor’s Karz for the first phase of its campaign.

Taking it a step forward are the music composers of this film, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. For the original track, Kishore Kumar had lent his voice. So for the newer version the composers have roped in the maestro’s son Sumit Kumar to recreate the same magic and yet have a different flavour.

Its like old wine in a new bottle, but with the song getting the audiences excited, YRF will settle for any brickbacks so long they can finally get a hit !

SRK fails Paanchvi Paas

2008-07-27T23:08:00.001-07:00

Whether it’s his films, shows or his ad films, the Shah Rukh Khan magic never fails to work. The industry folks call him the hit machine. Amidst all this, a downer like Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hai comes as a shock. Wrapping up the finale of the show, SRK analyses what went wrong with it. To begin with, the show that was launched with loads of glitz and publicity didn’t manage to entice the viewers. Was it hard to digest the failure? “In life you can’t always be giving hits. Success and failure are part and parcel of life,” SRK says coolly.

In the past, the man has anchored Kaun Banega Crorepati which was a runaway success. So what went wrong this time? Was it the format of the show or Shah Rukh Khan himself? “This is one question I keep asking myself. Look, I don’t understand the TRP business. Personally I’ve really enjoyed working on Paanchvi Paas more than KBC . But, I do not want to play the blame game here. I’d like to believe that it was a rough patch.”

Khan has always had the courage to call a spade a spade. So, does he accept that he could be one of the reasons for the failure of Paanchvi Paas . “I’m as responsible for its failure as I am for the success of my films and shows. I shouldered the responsibility of the failure of Paheli . I understand that as a celebrity I play a larger role in the fate of a project. So, here if there is anything that’s gone wrong with Paanchvi Paas , it’s me,” he smiles.

Currently, recuperating from his knee injury, Khan is also busy winding up Biloo Barber. “After Paanchvi Paas , I had to shoot for a song in Biloo Barber . And then there is my knee that’s demanding my attention.” Style, humility and smartness all rolled in one. That’s Shah Rukh Khan for you.

Sonam still friends with Ranbir

2008-07-27T23:07:00.003-07:00

After Ranbir declared his love for Deepika and made his relationship public, rumours of him falling out with Sonam started doing the rounds. Both being close friends chose to keep quiet regarding the issue. Both started their career together not only in Saawariya as co-stars but also as assistant directors of Sanjay Leela Bhansali much before they became actors!

Sonam’s alleged rivalry with Deepika and Deepka being known as a possessive girlfriend added to the controversy!

We managed to get in touch with Sonam and ask her about the issue. “I have no issues with Ranbir and we may not be constantly in touch with each other but that doesn’t mean we are not on talking terms” she clarified.

She further added, “We were always close as friends and even if your girlfriend gets a boyfriend she is bound to give more time to him so what’s different here!”

Hopefully that reply will end the rumour of Ranbir seeing Sonam once upon a time!

Genelia’s confession

2008-07-27T23:07:00.001-07:00

Genelia is a happy girl these days. Not only for her film’s success but also for all the appreciation she has been getting from film-lovers and critics for her portrayal of Aditee aka Mau! ‘Genelia overshadowed Imran in the film’ was a common opinion and the young actress couldn’t be happier !

“I am feeling fantastic! After Jaane Tu, people have rechristened me as Meeao or Aditi and that feels great. People recognize me as Aditi now! I am glad to know that the film has clicked with almost all kinds of audiences”, says Genelia who is busy basking in the glory of her film of late.

You have tasted success today in Hindi films but your initial films didn’t click! “Working in films was never my ultimate career option. I never expected much, also I took failures in my stride back then”, comes a prompt reply.

Talking about success, do friends make for great lovers in real life as shown in her now successful film Jaane Tu? “If you have a close friend there is bound to be that attraction” says Genelia. That definitely prompts us to ask if she has felt the same for ‘good friend’ Ritesh? “Ritesh is a good friend and all the talks about our marriage are nothing but baseless rumours”, says the young actress yet again denying her alleged linkup with Ritesh.

So what’s next for Genelia? “I have ‘Life Partner’ which is an Abbas Mustan production, an untitled film with Harman Baweja which has been directed by Anees Bazmee.

So after working with Imran, she is now working with arch rival Harman! “(Smiles) both are extremely spontaneous actors, are intense and extremely focussed on their work. They are quite similar!” concludes she, trying to be at her diplomatic best!

Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam - Music Review

2008-07-27T22:48:00.001-07:00

Now this one may turn out to be a laugh-riot. And looking at the likes of Mallika Sherawat, Rahul Bose, Kay Kay Menon and Paresh Rawal coming together on a common platform for a fun ride, Maan Gaye Mughall E Azam promises a whacky soundtrack. However, there are slight apprehensions too. Anu Malik has been inconsistent in his new innings and while Ugly Aur Pagli has been doing well with Love Story 2050 doing OK, there have also been duds like Good Luck and Hastey Hastey. After listening to the soundtrack of MGMEA, one can conveniently add one more to the list.

Classic track Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya from Mughal E Azam gets it's modern day disco avtar the moment Mallika Sherawat comes to fore. What surprises is that even though Ishg Bector sings a major part of the song (he kick starts with a rap and is present throughout the 5 minute duration), he hasn't been credited in the album. Sounding like Bali Brahmbhatt, he makes way for Anushka Manchanda and Mahalakshmi Iyer to give two different flavors to the song.

By the time Shaan joins all the fun in this item number which is meant for a stage performance, one realizes that 'Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya' is neither serious nor spoofy. Instead it is plain fun with Sanjay Chhel's lyrics being largely responsible for keeping the entertainment quotient well in place. One looks forward to the picturisation of this song which features the entire principal star cast of the film creating a riot in one common setting!

Marmari Baahen is a kind of quintessential romantic number which can't ever be hated by a listener. However, even though the number has a melodic base to it, it doesn't quite enthrall as such since it follows the basic routine of mush and romance while keeping it soft and simple. Moving at a slow pace with some ear pleasing arrangements, 'Marmari Bahen' is a decent duet by Shaan and Mahalakshmi Iyer which doesn't really have in it to go all the distance, but stays on to be an OK hearing overall! Later, Blue Zone 'remixes' the song with Anu Malik himself choosing to come behind the mike. Well, the way he goes about crooning the number, it is assured that 'Marmari Bahen' has Malik's trademark stamp to it.

It is time to expect something interesting, what with Pankaj Udhas coming back to singing for a Hindi film after ages. Anu Malik ropes him in for Ek To Sharab Kum which appears in two parts. Well, it is absolute shocking to hear the track because if at all there would be one really forgettable Pankaj Udhas number for a Hindi film, it would be this. The built up takes a horrendously long time and by the time one expects some rhythm in the proceedings, the end result turns out to be damp squib.

There are chances that 'Ek To Sharab Hai' is spoofy in nature, but that by any means doesn't turn out to be a good enough excuse for the song to be so lifeless. To give Pankaj Udhas some credit, he is decent in the way he goes about singing this 'ghazal', but it is due to some really boring arrangements which pull the track down completely. This one clearly disappoints!

With a fine track ('Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya') followed by an average number ('Marmari Bahein') and an absolute letdown ('Ek To Sharab Hai'), one is quite apprehensive before playing the last song in the album, Ishqiyaan. Well, the expectations have ebbed to such a low point by now that whatever reasonably is fine turns out to be some saving grace. This way 'Ishqiyaan' succeeds to an extent as it is not a bad hear, though being stuck in the musical style of 90s.

Primarily a rhythmic-n-peppy duet between Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan, 'Ishqiyaan' has the potential to do well on screen with some funny picturisation. Towards the end, Aftab Hashmi Sabri joins for a 'qawalli' outing while Blue Zone does chip in with a remix version as well. Also, it is exit Sunidhi Chauhan and enter Alisha Chinoy this time around.

Overall, Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam has a forgettable soundtrack which won't make any impression whatsoever in either a short or a long term. The only solace that the makers of the film can take is from the fact that a couple of tracks may well keep the audience engaged due to the funny mood of the film. However, even for that, a lot would depend upon its director Sanjay Chhel to make it happen on screen.

Rating - 1.5/5

Ranbir in Ravi Chopra's Kohinoor?

2008-07-27T22:35:00.001-07:00

Producer-director Ravi Chopra (Baghban, Babul, Bhoothnath) plans to cast Ranbir Kapoor in his next film, titled Kohinoor.

Not only that, the film will also be the launch pad for Chopra's sons Kapil and Abhay. His elder son Kapil will make his debut as an actor and the younger one, Abhay, as a director. BR Chopra will produce the movie under the banner of BR Films.

Ravi Chopra who is currently busy with Banda Yeh Bindas Hai, says, "Yes, talks are definitely on with Ranbir because he is a good friend of my sons. He has not been signed on the dotted line."

About the film, he says, "Kohinoor is a two-hero project based on the Kohinoor diamond. We plan to launch this film in August. Prakash Kapadia who has written Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas is writing the script."

If all goes well, this will be the third generation of Kapoors and Chopras working together.

Sania Mirza behind Vidya-Shahid disconnect?

2008-07-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

Post ‘Kismat Konnection’ Shahid Kapur and Vidya Balan seem to have lost the rapport that they reportedly shared during the making of the movie. According to sources, the couple is no longer on talking terms with each other. Their much hyped bonding appears to have ended with the release of the film.

An industry insider said, "Vidya and Shahid used to tease both of them a lot on the sets of ‘KK’, and even said that they are best-suited for each other. But the couple has not talked to each other after wrapping up the shooting of the film.”

The two were seen behaving very formally at the premiere of ‘KK’, which failed to set the Box Office on fire.

Grapevine has it that the much appreciated Shahid-Vidya pair has drifted apart because of Shahid’s changed attitude towards Vidya, as he is reported to have found a new ‘love’ in tennis superstar Sania Mirza. It seems that now that the movie has released all over and there is not much requirement for publicity, the actor doesn’t want to have rumours of being involved with Vidya anymore.

Sources reveal that poor Vidya, very hurt at Shahid’s coldness, is still trying to figure out the cause of the disconnect. Speculations indicate that Sania, the new romance in Shahid’s life, has asked the actor to cut off all ties with Vidya and Shahid being the obedient boyfriend that he is has been upon it since then.

It seems Vidya has lost out to Sania in this game of love. Looks like Shahid’s again getting dominated by his lady love.

Akki’s ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ runs into trouble

2008-07-27T11:49:00.001-07:00

Akshay Kumar’s much talked about flick ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ has run into rough weather. The movie, which also stars Deepika Padukone is proving to be an expensive film for the buyers. Warner Bros, who have are all set to make a mark in Bollywood are asking for a throbbing Rs 20 crore for ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ and because of the same the buyers from the Mumbai circuit are hesitant to come forth.

According to the industry insiders, unless the Warner Bros reduces the price, they might just have to release the film themselves.

‘Chandni Chowk To China’, directed by Nikhil Advani is said to be semi- autobiographical film potraying actor Akshay Kumar’s life. The story is about a chef who is mistaken to be a martial arts expert. It is an action-comedy about a simple cook from Chandni Chowk who is mistaken to be the reincarnation of an ancient peasant warrior Liu Sheng by residents of an oppressed Chinese village.

The movie is expected to hit the cinema screens sometime around Diwali.

Sallu Katrina Drifting Away?

2008-07-27T11:26:00.001-07:00

The rumours about Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif drifting away have been doing the rounds for quite a while now. But it seems that the final nail in the coffin was hammered in by Sallu himself, when he got embroiled in that ugly broil with Shah Rukh Khan at Katrina's birthday bash.

According to sources in the industry, Katrina has been feeling suffocated by Salman and his possessiveness for a while now. She is young and her career is going great guns. She wants to be doing everything that girls of her age are doing and have fun. And she definitely doesn't want a fuddy daddy like Salman hanging on and monitoring her every move. She is the one who has been wanting out in the relationship and it is Salman who is not willing to let go. In fact, Katrina's birthday bash, thrown by him, is believed to be one of his attempts to woo her back. But it probably had the opposite effect following the ugly spat. Since Salman is still the superstar, he displayed his clout as the who's who of the industry turned up at the bash. Katrina was probably a little placated by this starry turnout. But then Salman went ahead and spoilt everything by picking up a fight with SRK. Not only has the focus moved away from her birthday, but now Katrina is also left wondering whether the Salman SRK fallout will effect her career or not.

Prakash Raj to tender an apology?

2008-07-27T03:32:00.000-07:00

Prakash Raj seems to be having a tough time with his personal and professional life going haywire. To make matters worse, the Telugu Producers' Council banned him from acting in Telugu films, as the producers and directors complained that the actor did not keep up his shooting commitments. To set things right for Prakash Raj, his Telugu film producer friend acted as a conduit between him and the officials at the Film Chamber of Commerce to lift the ban. Prakash Raj and his producer friend reportedly met the officials at the film chamber recently to discuss the issue. Sources now say that the ban could be lifted if Prakash Raj tenders an apology to the producers.

Butler dropped his pants for Madonna!

2008-07-27T03:30:00.001-07:00

It’s not just Justin Timberlake who dropped his pants for Madonna, for Scottish actor Gerard Butler too did the same for the stunning singer.

The ‘300’ star revealed that the Queen of pop also asked him to bare his bottom to give him a vitamin jab.

"I got in a B-12 shot in my a-- by..." the Hollyscoop quoted him as saying.

"I was sick, and she was a nurse basically. Guy introduced me to her and she said, ''You''re the sick one?'' and I said, ''Yes.’ Well, she was amazing. She just said, ''Drop your pants,'' Butler said.

"I stood there with my little bottom out, and she gave me a shot in the bum!" he added.

Interview with Sneha Ullal

2008-07-27T03:28:00.001-07:00

How did your film career start?
I was studying at MMK College, Mumbai. That time, Salman Khan’s sister Arpita happened to see me. But, I didn’t know that she told her brother about me. One day, I came from the hospital and the phone was ringing at home. My thoughts were fully clouded with my mother, who was at the hospital taking painful chemotherapy for the cancer. I received the phone and words from the other end said: Hi, I am Salman Khan. Could I speak to Sneha Ullal – I felt that somebody was joking. I just put down the phone repeatedly. When my mom came home after several days, I told her what had happened. Casually, I gave her the incoming number and she tried it back. It was truly Salman Khan who called for me. At first, I was nervous. But, Salman was a sportive man. My parents agreed to the proposal to take me in for the film Lucky. The film brought me instant recognition and I am thankful to the Indian media which shot me to fame. Currently, I am awaiting the release of three films in the coming months. Two movies are in the pipeline in Bollywood. As you know, I am doing the lead heroine in Manoj Kumar’s Nenu Meeku Telusa.

You are having a good time there (Bollywood). Why testing luck here (Tollywood)?
I have no calculations. After all, I never thought that I would become an actress. At the same time, I have no inhibitions. I just behave like a normal girl what I was before a heroine. Karunakaran just wanted me for his project. I found it feasible and my dates didn’t clash here. I sincerely did what I could do as per the script. Now that the film (UU) was released, everybody is telling me – Hi, Sneha, you did a fantastic job … this and that. I sincerely trust them. I didn’t lose anything by coming here. As an actress, I am busy here.

Will you settle here if your position gets established here?
Why not? I am not new to South. In fact, my dad hailed from Mangalore. Let me frankly tell you. All these years, I was with my parents in the Gulf. I am not a settler in Mumbai. There also I am just an actress. Here, the same. Now that I have chosen the tinsel world as a career, I have to persist, and I shall.

Which you feel is better – Bollywood or South?
Definitely, it’s South which makes me feel happy. In Mumbai, people are very rude and that is their lifestyle. I don’t have any grumbling. As of me, I am lover of silence and wish to do things without noise. Within a short span, I finished two films without much difficulty. Moreover, people here are very flexible and don’t mind encouraging us, as we don’t know Telugu. But, there, we will always be missing the special attention. Nobody will encourage us. But, just exploit our potential. Rather, I say, it’s a raw deal sans heart and soul.

Heard you are doing a Hollywood flick. What’s it about?
Yes. I am doing a Hollywood film. It is Gandhi Park, to be completely shot in the USA. Tom George is the filmmaker. I already finished two weeks shoot. Soon, I will be resuming the shoot in the coming days. In that film, I am doing the heroine, what you say female lead. I am even happier that I could spread my arm further into the West.

What is your ambition?
This is one thing which keeps me watchful always. I can’t tolerate cruelty to animals, birds or any living creature. I have taken a vow to spread vegetarianism as best as I could. If I get sufficient money, I will start a hospital for the animals. I love them like I love human beings. Everybody is equal in the eyes of God.

Were you a born vegetarian? Or convert?
It’s like this. One day, I was driving home. I saw some guys whipping and chasing some goats. They came before my vehicle. I just chided them for being cruel to the animals. They shot back – Hello, don’t you eat mutton? Their words stung me like anything. Guilt covered me. Instantly, I decided to quit non-vegetarian food. And I did it. I am into my third year as vegetarian. When I came here (Hyderabad), I met Nagarjuna couple and got thrilled at their work. Association with them helped me to turn more resolute about my dream for a welfare animal kingdom. Of course, it might sound a fantasy, but I am hopeful of it. I also join the fight against Cancer and Aids.

Did you make any charity so far?
I did it personally. I don’t want to talk about it. I understand your suspicion. Yes. A lot many people talk about animal welfare, alleviation of poverty, fight against AIDS. Mostly, these things are just limited to mere slogans. It has also become a fashion to be a volunteer. If I could do it wholeheartedly, I don’t need to open it to the public eye.

How’s your mother now?
She is doing fine. But, she lost a lot of hair due to chemotherapy. She needs our love. And I am ready for it.

Did you ever fall in love? Your opinion about marriage?
To be frank, I never thought much about these things. I am still young. Just 20. If you insist, I just say: I love my parents a lot. My dad is so possessive of me. When I want to go on a picnic for a day or two, he doesn’t even entertain the idea of being away from me more than a couple of hours. He makes hungama like a child. Now, they are aging. Their happiness is my happiness. I am dead against the thought of marriage until and unless my parents are assured of their happy life post-retirement. I don’t mind even skipping marriage for their sake.

What is your opinion about skin-show?
Skin-show doesn’t come under entertainment. Of course, I heard a lot about this in Mumbai, Muscat and in Hyderabad. It’s everywhere. But, I am not a taker for this. You see my debut film here (UU). Karunakaran showed me very decently. The same thing is in Nenu Meeku Telusa. I was made to present some decent appeal in the song sequences, that too on the suggestion of director Karunakaran. In other sequences, you will find me very traditional. I like those roles. I wait for those roles. And I will never ever go after roles for money or career. I strongly believe that people in South really don’t like exposing. It’s more a fallacy of mediocre filmmakers, misjudging the taste of the audience.

What kind of food you like?
I already said simple vegetarian dishes. Mostly home-made food.

What’s your favorite dress?
Jeans.

What are your favorite places in Hyderabad?
So far, I saw only Golconda. Since I was working in films here, they took me to the shooting spots. Golconda is one such. I wish to see entire Hyderabad and Nizam splendor as a tourist. Or like a Hyderabadi.

Who is your favorite actor?
In Bollywood, it’s Akshay Kumar. He knew me as a child. He kissed me once. I still remember it.

Recently, SRK and Salman were at loggerheads again. Whom do you support?
I don’t know what had happened there. I can’t take sides.

Who are your friends in Mumbai and Hyderabad?
I don’t have any friends at all. I just maintain Hi-Hi relation. It doesn’t mean that I am arrogant. But, I have a good friend, our family well-wisher in Salman. Now, I feel, it’s so long that we spoke again. Of course, he is busy.

What about your studies?
I am studying degree. I just took some break. I will continue.

What is life in your dictionary?
It’s humanism. Love for all.

Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja with SRK in Paanchvi Pass - Exclusive Images

2008-07-27T03:24:00.000-07:00

Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja were a part of the penultimate show of Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai. With their laughter and fun they changed the atmosphere of the normally stressful class.

Take look at their fun moments with SRK

You are very funny!

These are our lovely students for today

I do not want to dance, says Priyanka

Let us discuss the answer

I can't remember it, says Priyanka

Don't tell me it's the wrong answer!

Finally we are right!

We will show you some steps...

It’s time for Harman to show his charm

Oops my bummy hurts!

‘I am in love with Mallika Sherawat’

2008-07-27T03:22:00.000-07:00

Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam is one of the most awaited movies of the year as it once again pairs the hit pairing of Mallika and Rahul Bose. We spoke to the man behind the film Sanjay Chhel.

Is the film anyway related to the old Mughal-E-Azam?
It is a very contemporary comedy film. Mallika, Rahul, Paresh Rawal and Kay Kay have acted very well. For the first time the audience will watch Kay Kay in a comedy film. And when you will watch the movie you will understand. But it has a strong reference of Mughal-E-Azam. It is total comedy but it has social relevance. I can say that it is on the lines of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron.

Why made you cast Mallika and Rahul for your film?
Because I think they suit the character. And I will say Mallika is a great actress. She is very good at comedy. Mallika has got the glamour. I had different characters in the film. Rahul Bose is a very good actor and a versatile one.

What’s your view on Mallika?
I must say I am in love with Mallika as a director. After Juhi Chawla if I have found any actress who is good at comedy then that’s Mallika. She doesn't have any tantrums on the sets. Which ever dress you ask her to wear she wears them… She is never late on the sets. She does have an attitude problem and she should…she is a star. But Mallika is very professional. I think that's why she is what she is today!

Is it true that Mallika made Kay Kay nervous?
Yes! Infact Mallika used to make him nervous by flirting with him. Kay Kay is a very serious guy so whenever she used to flirt he used to turn red.

Normally most Mallika films have sexual innuendos. Is it the same in this film?
There is a kissing scene between Rahul and Mallika in the film. But I have not cast Mallika to make my movie sexy. She will definitely change her image after the film releases. But because she is hot there are scenes related to love but the film is more focused on comedy.

Tell us why audience should go and watch your film?
Man Gaye Mugahll-E-Azam is not only a comedy film. It’s how a theatre group saves there country. So the film also has a message and of course the chemistry between Mallika and Rahul is brillaint And the USP of my film is Paresh Rawal! He is a versatile and great actor.

Madhuri Dixit hops on the Bachchan tour bus

2008-07-27T03:21:00.000-07:00

The Dhak Dhak girl has joined the Bachchans in LA and she will be there for the whole US leg of their Unforgettable Tour. Madhuri is all set to dance with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to the famous Dola Re dance number from Devdas. She will also be performing on her own hits.

Our source from the Wizcraft reveals, “It’s great. This is the first tour to be done on such a large scale and it will surely be unforgettable for both, the Bachchans and Madhuri. Madhuri will dance to her famous hits. Abhishek and Aishwarya are very excited that, after Akshay Kumar, she has joined them. They are mad about Madhuri.”

Speaking about the meeting between the superstars, our source says, “The Bachchans met with Madhuri in the afternoon. She was dressed casually in a white and black kurti and denims. As she walked out of her villa, she looked absolutely gorgeous. Even Abhishek was teasing Aishwarya by saying Madhuri looked stunning.”

Our source adds, “Madhuri displayed her warmth and friendliness as they got chatting about the tour and her association with it. She told them as how happy she was to be a part of it and how, in the past, there have been attempts to get her and Mr. Bachchan together but things never worked out. She will be rehearsing today for her first ever dancing tour with the Bachchans. Her husband, Dr. Shri Ram Nene will come to see her Madhuri’s first two shows, even though he has a very busy schedule.”

Detailing Dixit’s performances, our source says, “After Dola Re, she will perform with Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan on song from Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. She will then be dancing to her solo hits from Dil To Pagal Hain, Tezaab, Devdas and many more. She will be performing in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Atlantic City, New York and Vancouver.”

Madhuri will work her magic with the Bachchans on the Unforgettable Tour from July 26 to August 16.

The five stars of 2008

2008-07-27T03:16:00.000-07:00

They say success is a relative term. So is the term ‘star’ in Bollywood. The star-status of any celebrity keeps changing with every film. An actor might click one year but might not work at the box-office for many and vice-versa.

2008 saw some big stars losing it out at the box-office. Akshay Kumar could be the best example who was on a success spree with consecutive hits till last year but faced a major flop with Tashan. So did costar Anil Kapoor who faced flops in form of Tashan and Black & White. Saif Ali Khan had a huge hit with Race but his fame nullified with consecutive flops like Tashan and Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. Same was the case with Ajay Devgan who had moderate success with Sunday and U Me aur Hum but a major disaster with Halla Bol.

Here we analyze who are the top five actors who clicked at the box-office in 2008 so far.

He gave 2008 its first universal hit with Jodhaa Akbar that worked both in the Indian and overseas territory. Hrithik played the Mughal Emperor to perfection and added life in every frame of the film. Whether it was taming the elephant or waging a war, romancing Aishwarya or getting into a trance in the Khwaja Mere Khwaja song, Hrithik worked meticulously towards every scene of the film giving it his best shot.

If Jodhaa Akbar was a big hit, major credit goes to Hrithik Roshan’s superlative performance in the film.

He was the surprise packet of 2008. While big and established names didn’t cut the ice, Emraan Hashmi clicked big time as his film Jannat turned an instant hit. The success that this moderately budgeted film garnered came across as unexpected that too at a time when the nation was crazy with the IPL mania.

Emraan arrived in the league of stars where he could decide his own market value and demand remuneration. He raised his fee from Rs 1.5 crores to Rs 5 crore directly and had production houses signing him for multi-film deal. Percept Picture Company signed him for a 3 film deal at Rs 15 crores.

Another Imran who made a mark and this time with a debut film! A lot was expected from Aamir Khan’s nephew and he surely didn’t disappoint. With a natural performance, Imran won hearts unanimously. Moreover he didn’t try to hard to be cool and wannabish but just played his character.

Imran won the so-called media-made race of the newcomers. He clearly overtook debutantes like Sikander Kher (Woodstock Villa, Summer 2007) and Harman Baweja (Love Story 2050). The one question that nobody would ask about Imran’s identity is Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na.

He might come across as another surprise on the list. Not much has been written about Akshaye Khanna though a lot has been seen and heard about him. Akshaye had a big hit with Race where he repeated the negative act in Abbas-Mustan film with finesse. Add to that he is the only actor to have an additional film on his list that met with average to above average success – Mere Baap Pehle Aap .

Perhaps a list without the Bachchan cannot be complete. Add to it this time both the father-son duo feature on it simultaneously at the same position. That’s because they starred together in Sarkar Raj and are equally responsible for the success of the film.

Currently they are again tasting success with the Unforgettables tour.

"I just went blank" - Abhishek Bachchan

2008-07-27T03:15:00.001-07:00

It's amazing what a power of three can do to a film and the Tour. Yes, I am talking about the Bachchan family, Amitabh, Abhishek, and Aishwarya. First it was their film Sarkar Raj that grossed almost £400,000 in the U.K. and now it's their Unforgettable Tour which is selling like hot cakes in America. Not surprised to find out that all the shows are almost house full, I was more than curious to know Mr. Bachchan's recovery. So what if one of the power house took a back seat, we still had the power of three. This time it was Jayaji, Abhishek, and Aishwarya who took over the proceedings. Hours before his first live performance in L.A. Abhishek Bachchan sounds upbeat...and why not? He is having a great response from the Tour so far, is highly excited about his next release Drona, is desperate to perform in front of his audience in London and of course, boosting with happiness to see his dad, our very own Big B, fully recovered. All this and much more from Abhi in this exclusive chat from L.A with Bollywood Hungama's Devansh Patel.

So, how's dad and what do the doctors say?
Nothing, dad's good now. He is just at the rehearsals at the moment. He is back on his feet. He was fine yesterday and the day before. He had a bit of a cold but I forced him to stay in bed because I didn't want it to spread into something which was uncontrollable. So as a son, I demanded that he stay in his room and locked him up. Dad has got a tendency that he pushes himself so much but thankfully he is fine now.

From Toronto to Trinidad to L.A. How's the journey been so far?
The journey has been awesome. The reactions have been over-whelming. I never expected to see this kind of reaction. We were told that every centre, which was to host the show, was pretty much sold out except for the European leg because we haven't come there yet. But America is completely sold out. And all this is just so wonderful because when you get on to the stage and see the audiences reactions, you know that you are not performing for yourself but for them. This Tour is for the audiences and will always be.

First the unforgettable Sarkar Raj collections in the U.K and then this Tour. Looks like London's the hot-spot for the Bachchan's.
London is a wonderful city. A city that is very close to our hearts. We spent a lot of time there as a family during holidays, we've done a lot of work over there and we're very glad that we're going to be coming to London in August. One thing I've been saying to the members of the media that London is definitely going to be the biggest and the best. So we're saving that for the last.

And what else are you doing in your spare time?
Well, there isn't much spare time because of the nature of the Tour. The minute you reach a new destination, you first get into all this media and promotional activities after which it's just down to rehearsals. But it's also important for you to know that nobody is taking this Tour lightly. Everybody is working very hard to put up the best show. We do realize that it is a demanding schedule but the endeavor was to put up the biggest and the best show that we could possibly do and I believe we've got such a show on our hands.

Could you recall one unforgettable incident from your Tour so far?
I think that was when the first time I came on stage in Toronto, the minute the lights come on, I just went blank. I forgot everything and I had to pass through the audience. I froze because the audience was all around and they were jumping around trying to reach out and touch me and shouting slogans. I was totally blanked out. Then finally, my manager Mambo Sharma, who was also from the U.K pulled me and said, "Come on bro, you're on stage, move it". And I replied, "Wait a second. Let me enjoy this a bit more." But it was truly unforgettable. And the unforgettable moment was that I forgot everything.

Mr. Bachchan on his blog stated that Trinidad is like a homecoming for you guys. When you were a five year old, you performed along side your dad on stage for the first time in Trinidad. So how far did that memory go?
Dad used to do a track from his earlier film, Mr. Natwarlal, called, 'Mere paas aao mere dosto' in which he brought my sister and me on to the stage to introduce us to the audience. Now that's a good 25 to 27 years ago. So it was wonderful to go back to Trinidad and win the place in the audiences hearts where we had been before for such shows.

Every Bollywood actor would once dream of dancing with Madhuri Dixit. Any plan?
I have plans of dancing with Madhuriji on the stage in L.A tomorrow night. So the plan is working.

For the first time while working, the Bachchans won't be missing each other. But do you miss the hot Indian food?
No. Wizcraft made sure that wherever we travel, we were very well fed with our Indian ghar ka khaana. Can't miss that for sure!

We are also hearing rumors that Amsterdam isn't going to be the last city where you guys will be wrapping the Tour on the August 29. What else is up the sleeve?
Well, currently there are talks to do another show in Dusseldorf in Germany as they have requested us to do the show there. Plus, the second leg does start post September which will be in the Middle East, Far East and Australia and then we move on to Africa. So the Unforgettable Tour will be continuing. The exact dates though are not confirmed yet.

Everyone is talking about Big B, Abhi and Ash on the stage together. The family is incomplete without Jayaji. Is she going to shake a leg too?
She is on the Tour with us and she will be coming on stage and perform with us. You have to wait and see what song we perform on. Can't tell you now.

After performing some hot numbers on stage in hot locales, how do you plan to cool yourself down after all this tiring schedule?
To be very honest, when you're out there in the audience, you don't think about the heat or the exertion. Their love and support just carries you through every hurdle. You can't think of cooling yourself down. On my part, the minute this Tour gets over, I'll be back in Mumbai finishing my film Dostana and getting ready to release Drona which releases on October 2.

How's the response of the Drona trailer been? Any news?
It's a teaser trailer and the first look into the film Drona. The response has been really huge. On the Drona website, www.dronathefilm.in, the response has been fantastic. Even in the kind of fan mail I'm getting, people are loving the trailer which is great because we've worked hard on it and it's wonderful to see the audience liking the work we've done.

We've also seen couple of exclusive pictures of you, John and Priyanka from Miami while filming Dostana. It's all looking great. Now that you're in the U.S, does it bring back the Dostana days?
Well yeah. I was in Miami not too long ago shooting Dostana. We transited through Miami on our way to Trinidad and Tobago. It does bring back those good days.

Any last message for your fans who are going to see you next month performing in London?
To the audiences in London, we are willing to meet you all. We will hopefully make an unforgettable evening for you. It's a wonderful show and you can be rest assured of a lot of entertainment and a lot of variety. I'm really looking forward to perform at the O2 arena. Love you all.

Singh Is Kinng Starts To Break Box Office Records

2008-07-27T03:11:00.001-07:00

The craze of Singh Is Kinng is something that has never been seen before. In an unparalleled event Smruti cinema in Nagpur opened the advance for Singh Is Kinng three weeks before release and shockingly the balcony shows for the first day were sold out within an hour. The exhibitors of single screens around the country who are witnessing a never seen before craze have already started opening the advance and the results are fantastic. The multiplexes have not opened the advance booking but report tremendous interest from corporates wanting bulk bookings, no doubt the bookings will be huge when advance opens.

The corporate advance booking is normally associated with King Khan films but seems like King Kumar is no less today. Singh is Kinng is all set to create stampede at the ticket counters when released on 8th August.

Salman threatens SRK’s family at mid-night

2008-07-27T03:10:00.003-07:00

We don’t just say that Salman Khan is the bad boy of Bollywood for no reason. Many past and present records stand his identity. One recent example is his immodest behavior in front of Shahrukh’s residence. On Monday night, he got heavily drunk and asked his driver to drive him to Shahrukh’s house. On reaching there, Sallu got back into his old dirty image, yelled at his family and threatened his wife and children. At that juncture, Shahrukh was not at home.

The guard restricted him from entering his residence but Sallu was out of control. Then the guard immediately called Shahrukh and he quickly drove home. By the time, Shahrukh reached home, Salman drove back his car. Salman was heard screaming, "bahar aa sale, main tujhko dikhata hoon kaun asli Khan hai!"

For quite sometime, Salman and Shahrukh have been sharing cold vibes. Their fight gained momentum on Katrina’s birthday when Salman invited SRK and his wife Gauri Khan and insulted him in the presence of all guests. Their fight took such a bizarre turn that they were about to hit one another.

Varudu launch on Aug 20

2008-07-27T03:10:00.001-07:00

Varudu, the crazy film in the combination of Mahesh and Trivikram Srinivas is going to be launched on August 20th. There has been a simmering curiosity over the film's start in the media in the wake of the young superstar's passing hiatus post Athidi, which got released last year. Singanamala Ramesh produces the film.

Seenu Vytla to direct RCT?

2008-07-27T03:09:00.004-07:00

A popular production house is said to be making ground for its big-budget film in the combination of hero Ramcharan Tej and director Seenu Vytla. The buzz assumed immense significance in the wake of RCT's mind-blowing business record with his very debut film Chirutha, coupled with Seenu Vytla's hatrick run. Further details are awaited about this crazy happening. Currently, RCT is working for SS Rajamouli film; and Seenu Vytla, with Nag's King.

Gemini Film Circuit with NBK

2008-07-27T03:09:00.003-07:00

Gemini Film Circuit, which made Chiranjeevi's Shankar Dada MBBS, is said to have readied a suitable subject for a film with Nandamuri Balakrishna. The actor's recent film was Pandurangadu, a bio-periodic film with KRR directing it. Though reports in the recent past said he would get ready for Gunasekhar's Sadhu, now there is silence over this buzz. A concrete detail about Balakrishna's next is expected soon.

Fancy offers to Nagarjuna's King

2008-07-27T03:09:00.001-07:00

Seenu Vytla's hatrick with Dhee, Dubai Seenu and Ready clearly resulted in fancy offers to his latest with Nag – King. The film's release date is tentatively announced by the director himself as December 18th. But, its business is likely to be over in a few weeks. Made on Kamakshi Kala Movies, the flick is produced by D. Sivaprasad Reddy. It's under non-stop shoot. Trisha being the heroine, the business angle sharpened further.

Chintakayala Ravi in October

2008-07-27T03:08:00.004-07:00

Venkatesh-Yogie combine film – Chintakalaya Ravi – is racing ahead with brisk shoot schedules for an early release in October. Produced by Nallamalupu Bujji, it has music by Mumbai duo Vishal-Sekhar. The buzz is that the audio has come out well. Anushka does the heroine.

Ileana confirmed for NTR film

2008-07-27T03:08:00.003-07:00

Ileana is confirmed the heroine for NTR for VV Vinayak-directed film with presentation by Kodali Nani (who earlier produced Sambha). With this Ileana gets repeated for NTR, after Krishnavamsi's Rakhee. This Goan beauty came out with glamorous performance in Jalsa and Bhale Dongalu this year.

Pawan's Puli on Dec 19

2008-07-27T03:08:00.001-07:00

Pawan Kalyan's underproduction film Puli under SJ Suryah direction is planned to release on December 19th, sources said. With Jalsa becoming an industry hit, expectations rose high on Puli, being the actor's second film with Suryah after a gap of seven years. Singanamala Ramesh Babu produces the film on Kanakaratna Media banner.

Teja's Kayka in Kolkota

2008-07-27T03:07:00.001-07:00

The unit of Teja's latest film with new faces – Kayka – will be engaged to a 15-day schedule in Kolkota from August 1 to 15. With this, the movie will be completing its shoot. Teja also produces the film. It's known that he announced audio release after the film's screen-hit, a different development in contrast to the present-day trend.

Salman reacts to the media allegations for the first time on his blog

2008-07-27T03:06:00.000-07:00

For the next few days you will hear and read a lot of sh*t about me, a lot of it. Keep on reading it…but don’t react to it. I don’t. Like sometimes when you are traveling in a fast car and you find a dog chasing your car…barking away. You don’t stop the car and start reacting to the dog…u don’t…there’s no point. I don’t wish to react. I don’t have the time for it. Besides, I don’t understand the language of dogs, except for my two - Myson and Myjaan.

Unfortunately in our industry the developing trend is not to celebrate others success…every time another person is successful there will be someone trying to pull him down. You don’t increase your own efforts to become successful but try to always decrease someone else’s success…that’s the mantra of the industry. A man is good they say but they say it in the past tense. A lot of people out there talk highly but only once a person’s gone…Dead! These people whoever they are - are just doing their job - only what they know to do best.
I chose to remain silent. I do not have the time to spend reacting. But even silence speaks. Silence makes more noise than thunder. …’Bandar Sher ko chidhata hai….’ Sirf aawaaz kar sakta hai... Kabhi Sher ko maar sakta hai? He can’t do anything. But when the Lion roars, a whole pack of monkeys fall from trees!

So keep on reading…read all the negatives…read till they get tired of writing. Everyone goes through this…but not for long. I say just look good feel good and do good, that’s it. I love you all.

Click Here for more

UTV amongst the top 20 in US!!

2008-07-27T03:05:00.001-07:00

UTV Motion Pictures storms into list of Top 20 distributors in the United States! Led by back to back success of TAARE ZAMEEN PAR,JODHAA AKBAR,Race,JAANE TU YA JAANE NA

UTV Motion Pictures is now amongst the top 20 film distributors in North America based on the US box office performance in the first 6 months of 2008. UTV is the first Indian film studio ever to have crossed the US $5 million revenue mark in the first half of the year. UTV releases grossed US $ 5.48 million in the first 28 weeks of the year,making the company the leading Indian motion picture distributor in the United States and the only foreign language movie distributor in the Top 20.

The Company achieved this feat with only three releases this year - JODHAA AKBAR ($ US 3.44 million),RACE ($ US 1.37 million) and JAANE TU YA JAANE NA ($ US 539,857 and counting). The box office total was also supported by Aamir Khan's TAARE ZAMEEN PAR which was released in December 2007 but it continued its run well into 2008 also.

Entering the Top 20 is a major achievement for an Indian studio,given the fact that the market for Indian movies in the US is a small fraction of the mainstream American market. This is especially remarkable considering that UTV is one of the youngest Indian film distributors in North America,having established operations in the US only four years ago in 2004.

''The US market is one of our Top 3 priority markets worldwide and our sustained and relentless drive to produce and release quality content and then market and distribute it effectively,has helped us emerge as one of the top distributors in the most competitive market in the world.''Says Siddharth Roy Kapur,CEO,UTV Motion Pictures.

UTV has followed this stellar box office performance in the first half of 2008 with the release of Shahid Kapur-Vidya Balan starrer KISMAT KONNECTION on July 18,2008. KISMAT KONNECTION has raked in over $ US 280,000 in just its opening weekend and is still going strong.

UTV's forthcoming films include Madhur Bhadarkar's latest FASHION,DELHI 6- Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's follow up to RANG DE BASANTI and a co-production with Sohail Khan Productions MAIN AUR MRS KHANNA starring Salman Khan. The company's first solo Hollywood production THE EXTERMINATORS starring Heather Graham is currently in production in the United States.

Superstar Rajnikant in Hyderabad

2008-07-27T03:03:00.000-07:00

Tamil superstar Rajnikant has been put up in Hyderabad for the last four days. He will be staying another three, four days and shooting for his daughter Soundarya's animation film - Sultan The Warrior. The animation film is based on Rajni’s character and has live action image. For this, he has been shooting for the movie under huge blue mat screens arranged at Annapoorna Seven Acres.

It is also expected that Rajni might attend the audio release function of Dasari Narayan Rao's Adivishnu on Sunday. Dasari's son Arun Kumar and Sneha are playing the lead roles in Adivishnu which is directed by Bharat Parepalli.

Reliance to back Vishnu - YVS’s film?

2008-07-27T03:02:00.000-07:00

Reliance’s Big Films, film production wing of Reliance Entertainment that belongs to Anil Ambani, is entering into Telugu film production in big way. According to our sources, Big Films will back financially Vishnu’s new film to be directed by YVS.

Although the movie is produced on Sri Lakshmi Prasanna Pictures banner, it is learnt that Big Films has come forward to fund the movie financially.

The film is likely go to the sets on August 14th. It stars Vishnu and Ileana as the lead pair while Sandeep Chowta is providing the music.

Ileana turns down Rajni's film!

2008-07-27T03:01:00.000-07:00

Tollywood top actress Ileana has turned down the offer to be part of Rajnikant’s animation movie. Rajni’s daughter approached her but the clever actress has refused it as she was offered abysmal amount.

Moreover, it doesn’t add any mileage to her career by acting in animation film as the focus is completely on Rajni. Who cares which actress does that live action episode opposite him in an animation movie, a source close to Ileana said.

Now, it seems a small time actress from Tamil is doing that role.

'Kathanayakudu' on Aug 1st !

2008-07-27T02:59:00.000-07:00

It is official now. The confusion over the release of Kathanaykudu has been put to rest with the announcement of its date. Producer Ashwini Dutt today (July 23rd) announced that the movie is hitting the screens on August 1st worldwide. 1200 prints are ordered for both Telugu and Tamil versions (Kuselan in Tamil) of the film. This is the highest ever prints for a South Indian movie.

Trailer released

Just week before the release, the film’s official trailer was also handed over to Television Channels today. Rajnikant plays the role of superstar in the movie while Jagapathi Babu and Meena have the prominent roles. P Vasu has directed it while G V Prakash Kumar has given the music. “Cinema Cinema..” song has already become very popular.

It remains to be seen whether this Kathanyakudu will topple the records created by Rajni’s previous film - Shivaji.

Sajid Khan’s Superstars

2008-07-25T23:57:00.000-07:00

You have established your credentials as a director and also plan to make more films. How did you manage time for a TV chat show amongst all this?
My film Houseful is starting only in January 2009 and I am done with its final draft of scripting. So I had sufficient time to indulge into television.

Also I did not have to shoot for the show on a weekly basis. Though it would be aired weekly, I finished shooting for it in one schedule where we shot 13 episodes over 12 days. It’s a 52 episode show and spread over four seasons each of 13 episodes. I have already completed shooting for the first season.

We are assured of the humour element. What else will set Sajid’s Superstars apart from the various other chat shows?
My show will be segmented. While we were creatively discussing the show, we had come up with distinct sections like ‘How well do you know yourself’ and ‘cross-questioning’. Then there’s a ‘jokes section’ where the celebrities come up with a joke and I assess their humour level. There’s also a ‘scandal session’ where I ask them some scandalous question. They sing, they mouth dialogues and we also review the evolution of their fashion sense over the years. If you have seen my earlier shows, you will notice lot of its elements and effect has rubbed on to this one.

Like?
Like, we have a segment for the ‘ham scene’ which was a cult hit with my first show Kehne Mein Kya Harz Hai . Here we show the ham scenes to those particular actors who have actually enacted them in films. I showed Riteish Deshmukh a scene from Out of Control and he literally wanted to hide behind the sofa. I showed Karan Johar and Farah Khan how badly they had acted in Home Delivery and Om Shanti Om and had them in splits. There’s a scene from one of Sanjay Dutt’s films from the early 80s called Mera Faisla where he dances all dressed up as a woman. Anil Kapoor was really embarrassed when I showed him a song from his film Andaz that goes as ‘Khada Hai Khada Hai’ . And Akshay Kumar just wanted to kill me when I showed him a scene from his second film Dancer .

Do you have a gift hamper for your guests? Maybe a Sajid Souvenir...
In fact I have two sections of gifts. The first is the fun session where I have gifted Viveik Oberoi a book on ‘How to win friends and influence people’, Anil Kapoor a book on ‘The fountain of youth’ and distributed diapers to Farah for her babies. Then there are real gifts like laptops and hi-fi music systems.

With your wacky sense of humour, weren’t you ever apprehensive of rubbing your guests the wrong way?
I will never do that for fun. When I call celebrities on my show, it’s like inviting friends to home for dinner. And you never rub your friends the wrong way. And my show is not like some Janta Ki Adalat where you get into intense interrogation or are on a mission to change-the-world.

But did you ever end up offending any of your guests?
Yes, Riteish Deshmukh was quite upset when I asked him about his sexuality. That’s the first episode of the season and you should watch it to catch his reaction.

Who came up with the wackiest answers?
Anil Kapoor for sure! When I asked him if he had a gay relationship with Jackie Shroff in the 80s, he replied that their relationship still exists today and they enjoy their moments in Goa now.

Did you have to persuade Ranbir Kapoor to take the towel?
Not at all! Ranbir’s was the easiest episode to shoot. He was sweet and very sporting.

Currently, blogging has become a trend of sorts in Bollywood. Didn’t you ever feel like starting with your own blog?
I have got a couple of offers but will go ahead only if the money is right.

But isn’t blogging more of a medium to connect with your fans. Aren’t you being upfront while asking money?
Let’s face it, if people want me to host shows or film awards, it’s because I have made my own brand today. And each brand comes with a price tag.

On an ending note, if you have to invite your all time favourite actor Joginder on Sajid’s Superstars, what will be the one question you would ask him?
(Laughs hysterically) I will ask him in the same laughing tone... ‘Are you from Mars?’

Beckham, Jolie among 'World's Sexiest People'

2008-07-25T23:55:00.003-07:00

Hollywood stars Jennifer Aniston, Johnny Depp, David Beckham and Angelina Jolie are among the ''World''s Sexiest People'', according to WHO magazine.
Australian models Megan Gale and Lara Bingle are also included in the list, reports News.com.au. The mag''s annual edition, this year expanded from 25 people to 100, also names Aussies Kristy Hinze, Melissa George and Tasma Walton in 2008''s sexiest people list.

Hinze, Bingle, George and Jodi Gordon posed in swimwear for the mag''s cover. The list also features Olympians like Matthew Mitcham; basketball beauty Penny Taylor; towering volleyballer Tamsin Barnett and aqua man Eamon Sullivan.

WHO''s Red-hot casts include Home and Away and the Perfect Partners include rock-star newlyweds Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz and super-toned Eva Longoria and Tony Parker.

Farhan, Arjun will perform at London's Leicester Square

2008-07-25T23:55:00.001-07:00

We did tell you that Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal;, Purab Kohli, Luke Kenny... form the Magik band in the film Rock On , and that they intend to have live shows and concerts in various cities of India. Well, there's more news. Producer Ritesh Sidhwani is taking this quartet to London and urging it to perform live at Leicester Square.

Ritesh tells us from London, "Doing a concert here in London on Leicester square fits in so well with the spirit of the film. In summer, you have a lot of musicians performing at Leicester Square. So I thought why not our guys, and our band from the film? So they'll perform at the Square for a live audience and their fans, who can then go to the theatre and attend the premiere, and watch the movie."

So it's a London premiere for Rock On , and a lot of rock-n-roll before it hits the big screens back home.

RGV doesn’t need black magicians

2008-07-25T23:54:00.003-07:00

Bollywood’s dark-films’ director, Ram Gopal Varma is ready with yet another film, this one titled ‘Phoonk’, a super-natural thriller that stars debutantes and stage artistes and toys with the existence of black magic.

Now with a subject as dark and mysterious as this one, it almost comes across as obvious that RGV would have had a hard time throwing light on this subject. But ask the man himself and he says, “Well, most of my research was about the reactions people develop when they come across something super natural, especially something that’s evil.”

So does that mean that RGV did not interact with any supposed black magicians during the pre-production course or even while making the film? A nonchalant RGV replies, “I did not stumble upon any such black magic practitioners while making Phoonk . Nor did I feel the need to go and interact with so-called black magicians. Thank you very much but I wouldn’t need them around my film.”

So while that translates Phoonk into a work of imagination based on emotions encountered by RGV on mere mention of super-natural incidents, we wonder if the director believes in the existence of black magic at all. And once again, Ramu doesn’t fail to amuse us with his whims.

“I don’t believe in the existence of super-natural powers, be it evil or divine. Honestly, I am too small in the universe’s scheme of things for my take to matter. Whether I believe in black magic or not, I have to admit that the thought of it being real is spine-chilling and that exactly the focus of Phoonk too,” concludes Ramu.

Shah Rukh Khan's tantrums

2008-07-25T23:54:00.001-07:00

There are standing instructions given to the catering guys of Billo Barber by Shah Rukh Khan's staff. Apparently, the star has categorically said that he will not touch food that is rich in oil.

Khan who has become a health freak after building muscles says that his wife too if fed up with his demands. "Its called taking liberties," he smiles. "Look, I'm not a big eater so whatever little I eat it better be healthy," says SRK.

Tossed veggies, grilled chicken, boiled dal and other bland stuff is what the King Khan is currently gorging on.

Batman goes laughing to the bank

2008-07-25T23:53:00.001-07:00

Will 2008 go down in box office history with two completely different films creating records that have managed to beat the recessionary trends in industry?

On the one hand, there is Hollywood which has already witnessed a new record first-day opening with 'The Dark Knight' raking in $67.3 million at the box office.

And on the other hand there is Bollywood on the brink of a bonanza with the runaway hit 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' pitched to become one of the biggest hits of the year with a three-week gross of Rs 37 crore. And the two films have simply nothing in common, except the stupendous response they have managed to elicit amongst the 'aam janta'.

Batman's new adventure which has a staggering production cost of $180 million has created a furore that has already outstripped the frenzy created by 'Spiderman 3' . Spidey's third adventure in 2007 had the highest opening day record till now with collections measuring upto $59.8 million.

But the Joker's histrionics seem to have taken the world by storm, which is queuing up for a taste of Heath Ledger's mindblowing interpretation of Batman's arch rival. This post 9/11 'agent of chaos' - that's what he calls himself - might just end up as the biggest anti-hero of all times. In the 'Dark Knight' , he is already walking away with most of the applause, leaving the superhero to walk away into the horizon, even as the film concludes with an ambiguous end.

The Joker signs off with a maniacal grin, dangling against the skyline of Gotham City. Sadly, he may return, but minus the mesmerism of Heath Ledger.

Closer home, 'Jaane Tu' ...has managed to strike a chord with the burgeoning youth population of cine-goers with it's twenty-something look, lingo and longings. Till now, the box office record for love stories featuring a lead pair is held by the Rishi Kapoor-Dimple Kapadia teen romance, 'Bobby'. The 1973-film has an adjusted gross of Rs 85 crore.

While Imran Khan's 'Jaane Tu' might not be able to match this figure, it could well cross the record earnings of ' Maine Pyar Kiye' , the all-time blockbuster which is the second highest earner in this category. The Rajshree film which introduced Salman Khan and Bhagyashree in the classic rich boy-poor girl story grossed Rs 67 crore in its silver jubilee run.

The other two popular first-timer romances are 'Love Story' (Kumar Gaurav and Vijeyta) and 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak' (Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla). Although the film seems to have taken the metros by storm, with maximum impact in Mumbai and Mysore, the smaller towns haven't been too ecstatic, according to box office reports.

This could be one of the reasons why 'Jaane Tu' might not be spoken in the same breath as Bollywood's blockbuster romances: 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun' (Rs 110 crores), 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge' (Rs 98 crores), 'Raja Hindustani' (Rs 83 crore). But the film has already overtaken last year's hot love story, 'Jab We Met' , which reaped a rich haul of Rs 30.59 crores at the box office.

Singh Is Kinng - Theatrical Trailer

2008-07-25T23:23:00.000-07:00

Taare Zameen Par DVD Launch

2008-07-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

Aamir Khan launched the DVD for his directorial debut Taare Zameen Par in Green lawns Scool in South Mumbai. Darsheel Zafary, Tisca Chopra and Vipin Sharma were also present.

Arjun Rampal readies to Rock On

2008-07-25T20:53:00.001-07:00

Arjun Rampal, who was last seen in a villainous role of Mukesh Mehra in OSO, will be seen as a guitarist in Farhan Akhtar’s Rock On. Arjun says doing the role for him was a complete treat considering he gets to play a rock star.

"Its quite a different movie from whatever I have done in past. This film is a full on musical. Here I play a guitarist and it was really a great experience as for the first time I learned how to play a guitar. It’s the story of four friends who after 10 years start their own rock band...so it was great pleasure to be the part of this movie," says Arjun, "I play the lead guitarist of the band and so before the start of the shooting we had done practice sessions. We trained a lot with the instruments that our characters were playing and so after all the hard work finally, I can say that I play the guitar very well."

Speaking about Farhan who debuts as an actor in the film, Rampal says “I have worked with him when he directed Don and now I’m playing his friend in his acting debut.. and I must say he is simply great in acting also! He has also sung few songs which required a lot of dedication on his part. The songs are looking great and his voice is also being appreciated.”

Apart from Rock On, Arjun will also be seen in an English movie Last Lear with Amitabh Bachchan and Preity Zinta and in EMI with Maliaka where he is playing a Dj.

Rock On! is releasing on August 29th.

Fun on the Unforgettable Tour

2008-07-25T20:52:00.001-07:00

The stars on the Unforgettable Tour enjoyed a few days off between their Trinidad and Los Angeles performance. We caught Ash, Abhishek, Ritieish, Preity and Madhuri enjoying some time off in the LA sun.

Ash still can't stop dancing!

Abhishek shares a joke with the man behind everything - Andre Timmons

Ek dooje ke liye... Ash and Abhi have eyes just for each other.

Madhuri and hubby Dr. Nene spotted at the hotel

Aishwarya, Riteish and Abhishek have some fun!

Ash can't stop smiling... is it being with Abhi or Riteish's sense of humour?

Ab bas bhi kar yaar...

RT and Ab Jr. are all smiles!

I'm toh off shopping, says Preity

Ullasanga Utsahanga - Review

2008-07-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

Cast: Yasho Sagar (Debutant), Sneha Ullal, Brahmanandam, Chandra Mohan, Sunil, Venu Madhav, Satya Krishna, Ping Pong, Suman Shetty, Kavitha and others
Dialogues: Chintapalli Ramana
Music: G V Prakash Kumar
Lyrics: Anantha Sriram
Cinematography: I Andrew
Editing: Marthand K Venkatesh
Action: Vijay
Choreography: Kalyan
Executive producer: Vinay
Producers: B P Somu, G S Ranganath
Banner: Amruth Amarnath Arts
Story, screenplay and directed by: Karunkaran
Release Date: July 25, 2008
CBFC Rating: U

What’s it about
Aravind (Yasho Sagar) is happy go lucky guy. He falls in love with Dhana Lakshmi (Sneha Ullal) who comes to her friend’s home in the same locality. He makes friendship with her and proposes his love but she refuses on the ground that she has already fallen in love with her childhood friend Balaji and waiting for his call. Dhanalakshmi asks Aravind to remain just friends but he says he continues to love her. He leaves for Culcutta to get a job while She is off to the same city as she finds that her Balaji is residing there. Both board on the same train and then friendship blooms into love. Will she choose Balaji or Aravind?

Analysis

Ullasanga Utasahnga is romantic fun film that explores love and friendship in cool manner. Director Karunakaran presents the movie entertainingly with cool visuals and peppy music. Despite wafer thin storyline, the narration is impressive. Karunkaran has packaged it in chic style. Second half peters out but on the while he succeeds in holding the audience’s interest. Highlights of the movie are good visuals, music (especially the songs) by G V Prakash Kumar and the romantic thread between the lead pair.

Karunakran has cleverly focused more on visuals and romantic scenes between newcomers Sneha Ullal and Yasho Sagar. Heroine searching for her childhood friend seems to be inspired by Only You (1994).

On the down side, the movie has nothing new to tell and has the hangover of Toliprema. Second half has some heavy scenes and unnecessary fight sequences. Some scenes are also very theatrical too.

One of the best scenes is a parody on Hutch ad commercial.

Performances

Yasho Sagar makes debut in the movie as lead hero. He is good in the second half and also has done well in songs. But he should focus more on performance. Shivaji has lent his voice for him. He looks like Nitin in most scenes. Sneha Ullal in typical Karunakaran’s movies makes confident debut in Telugu. She is charming both in traditional and modern attire. Comedy by Sunil and Suman Shetty is good.

Technically, full marks go to G V Prakash Kumar for his peppy numbers particularly the “Priayatama..” and “Chakori..” song are impressive. But background score is not that effective. Andrew’s visuals are mint cool. Digital Intermediative has further enhanced them.

Bottom-line!

Don't expect another Toliprema, but Karunkaran comes with good youthful entertainer this time. Ullasanga Utsahanga has cool visuals and peppy music. Good time pass and urban movie.

Rating - 3.25/5

Puri Jagannath's Neninthe shoot in progress

2008-07-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

Shooting of Neninthe, starring Ravi Teja and Siya, is under brisk shoot at Sarathy Studios, Hyderabad. A special set has been erected there for a 15-day schedule. The part includes talkie and some family-oriented scenes on the character artistes and the lead pair. Direction is by Puri Jagannath.

Akshay fights with WWE wrestlers in Singh Is Kinng

2008-07-25T20:45:00.001-07:00

On the small screen, Akshay 'Khiladi' Kumar may be seen encouraging 13 beautiful ladies to do some daredevil stunts in his new reality show Fear Factor- Khatron Ke Khiladi. However, when it comes to the big screen, Akki himself would be seen doing some really brave stunts and action scenes in his forthcoming release Singh Is Kinng.

Bollywood's favorite action hero would be seen fighting with eight WWE wrestlers from Australia in an action sequence in Vipul Shah's Singh Is Kinng.

Says director Anees Bazmee," We had called some eight wrestlers who all are from WWE. They were all very excited to be a part of Singh Is Kinng. Apart from shooting with Akshay, they all spoke to him at length about his films. I was surprised that few of them had even seen his films. They all shared a very good rapport with Akshay and there was this very famous wrestler called Chris who even taught him some tricks in arm-wrestling."

Akshay sure has a special interest in WWE. A few years back, he had fought against famous the WWE wrestler 'The Undertaker' for a fight sequence in Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi. Now in Singh Is Kinng, he is seen fighting eight WWE wrestlers from Australia. One can't wait to see when Akshay will take on our very own- The Great Khali - (on screen of course). That would be one fight we can't wait to watch.

Posani Krishna Murali in and as Mental Krishna

2008-07-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

Writer turned director and actor Posani Murali Krishna is coming up with another movie after the successful Operation Duryadhona. His new film as director is titled Mental Krishna. He also plays the lead role in it while Satya Krishna is the heroine. Posani has the image of temperamental guy in the film industry and he believes that such title Mental Krishna will be an advantage for the movie.

Naga Babu is playing the role of a commissioner of Police but he will be seen in the attire of Bhavani Mala sans Khaki dress.

"Pritam's music is largely responsible for Kismat Konnection's success" - Ramesh Taurani

2008-07-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ramesh Taurani can't help grinning from ear to ear. After producing the biggest money spinner of the year so far (Race), he has now tasted success yet again with his second film in a row. The opening weekend collections of Kismat Konnection are second only to that of Race while surpassing the numbers of biggies like Jodhaa Akbar, Jannat and of course the flavor of the season Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na. Though there are still a few more days to go in the remainder of the week, at the least Kismat Konnection has succeeded in proving to be a safe box office bet.

Says an exhilarated Ramesh Taurani, "Kismat Konnection has taken yet another huge opening for the year and it is so satisfying to see that both the films that have boasted of a great opening this year have come from our production house TIPS. The film has seen the biggest ever release for a Shahid Kapoor starrer as we flooded the market with prints. However, what is heartening is that in spite of a large print count, the film has seen more than 80% collections all over."

What are the factors that he finds responsible for the huge opening that the film has taken? "There was an all-around positive energy associated with the film and regardless of what some were heard complaining, Shahid and Vidya always made for an interesting 'jodi'. Also, Pritam's music has been largely responsible for the film's success. Each of his songs is chartbuster material and now as the film has released, 'Is This Love' is also catching up well. His compositions have done the trick for us once again after Race which I hear is now biggest musical success of the year", informs Taurani.

How about the promos of the film? Weren't they superb enough to mark a great kick start to the film's promotion? "Yes, the promos were interestingly done but here I wish to highlight a point", Taurani draws your attention. Please continue. "See, a promo can never ever be bigger than a movie", Taurani philosophizes, "Yes, you have to do a good job in cutting a promo intelligently so that the audience is attracted towards the film. But at the end of the day, it is the final product which does the talking. Aakhir promo nikalta toh movie se hi hai naa, woh alag se to shoot hota nahi hai. You can choose the best frames from a film and showcase them to the audience but ultimately when a two hour product starts doing the talking on the big screen, you can't really fool the audience. We had a great publicity design and promos but eventually it was Aziz Mirza's work which did the talking."

With more than half the battle being already won due to a stupendous opening weekend, is he sighting a 20 crores net from the Indian market alone once the first week is through?

"Perhaps even more than that", smiles Taurani, "I see 20 crores as a given for Kismat Konnection and looking at the way the film is sustaining itself at the box office even on weekdays, there is no reason why it should do anything lesser in it's first week."

DVD Review Of Taare Zameen Par

2008-07-25T04:16:00.000-07:00

Mission Istanbul Movie Review

2008-07-25T04:08:00.001-07:00

Terrorism is a global issue and varied film-makers across the globe continue to make movies/documentaries/short films that expose the ghastly face and effects of terrorism. Apoorva Lakhia charters that path as well in MISSION ISTAANBUL.

In MISSION ISTAANBUL, there's an Osama replica, bunkers in Afghanistan where he is supposedly hiding, also a television channel that telecasts exclusive footage from the terrorists [its called Al Johara here], a George Bush lookalike… Lakhia seems to have incorporated snippets and vignettes from real-life to celluloid in an effort to make the goings-on relatable and believable.

ut, somewhere in between, the fight against terrorism becomes too Bollywoodish as the two heroes eliminate an entire army of terrorists and put an end to the nefarious activities of a TV channel. And that's difficult to gulp!

Perhaps, Lakhia's intentions are right, to make a hard-hitting film that marries realism and fiction beautifully, but the writing indulges in too many cinematic liberties and that's precisely why MISSION ISTAANBUL goes off target.

However, lovers of action fares are in for a treat, since the stunts, action and chase sequences in MISSION ISTAANBUL are truly captivating. Sure, a few sequences aren't for the faint-hearted, but you can't help but put your hands together for these sequences and the men behind those death-defying stunts.

All said, MISSION ISTAANBUL goes off target!

Vikas [Zayed Khan] is one of the most promising journalists in the country. Owais [Suniel Shetty], who heads a controversial Istanbul-based news channel Al Johara, makes him an offer to head the channel. This offer comes at a time when Vikas is undergoing a divorce with his wife Anjali [Shriya Saran].

But little does Vikas know that the decision will change his life forever. Owais is killed and Turkish commando Rizwan [Vivek Oberoi] tells Vikas that if he decides to quit as well, he would be bumped off as well. In a place where the gun has the last laugh, will a journalist survive or will he fall prey like many others?

MISSION ISTAANBUL unravels at a feverish pace and that's most important for a thriller. The story travels from India to Turkey to Afghanistan to Turkey again, in the very first hour. The characters are well-established, the script is laced with incidents that seem straight out of newspapers. Coupled with Lakhia's execution, top notch cinematography and stylish action, the film begins to grow as reel after reel unspools.

But, alas, the film goes for a toss in the second hour. Things actually stagnate as the two heroes turn into super-heroes and combat an army of villains on land, sea and air. By the way, they don't get bruised even once! Lakhia and writer Suresh Nair seem to have substituted action for content and that's the most glaring flaw. In fact, you feel that Lakhia and Nair must've decided to go on a vacation in the second hour, entrusting the responsibility on the stunt directors to conclude the second hour.

There's not much scope for music in the film, but in terms of composition, just one track -- 'Jo Gumshuda' -- is easy on your ears. The Abhishek Bachchan track is such a waste. Even the tune is completely forgettable. Gururaj R.J.'s cinematography is top notch. Action, as mentioned earlier, is the hallmark of the enterprise.

Both Vivek and Zayed come up with competent performances. Vivek does a fine job, essaying his part with ease. But why does he sport a smirk on his face most of the times? The director could've avoided that! Zayed is equally charged. In fact, you witness a new Zayed in this film, the renewed confidence shows. Shriya Saran is wasted. Shweta Bhardwaj does well in stunts, but wears one expression all through.

Suniel Shetty [sp. app.] is as usual. Nikitin Dheer is effective. First JODHAA AKBAR, now MISSION ISTAANBUL, this boy's going from strength to strength. Shabbir Ahluwalia is another talent that needs to be tapped by film-makers. He's very good!

On the whole, MISSION ISTAANBUL rests on action and only action to salvage the show. But that's not enough. At the box-office, this mission won't work!

Rating: 1.5/5

Aamir, SRK, Salman, Hrithik, Big B in Singh is Kinng

2008-07-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Om Shanti Om made a record of sorts by getting together several Bollywood stars for the Deewangi song. Vipul Shah’s Singh is Kinng goes one step further and gets together all the big names from Bollywood that you missed in that song for one of its scenes. So you have Amitabh Bachhan, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Anil Kapoor and Sunny Deol coming together for a scene in Singh is Kinng . Add to it Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt from the original. This one’s not for a song sequence like in Om Shanti Om but for a kidnapping scene. Ok, before we take things too far here’s the real story.

There’s a kidnapping scene in Singh is Kinng where Akshay Kumar and his gang cover their face with masks to hide their identity. In this particular scene the gang wears the masks of Bollywood superstars including all the above mentioned names. Apparently it happens to be one of the most hilarious scenes from the film. It is heard that the scene is so funny that not just the Indian team but even the Aussie crew almost fell down laughing, though they had no clue about the language.

Director Anees Bazmee can’t control his laughter while recollecting the scene and says, "The actors are not only wearing masks of Bollywood personalities but also imitating the respective actors in the scene. While filming this kidnapping sequence even I couldn’t recognize who was who on the sets. They all were just too good. The scene shaped up very well and the whole cast and crew just couldn’t stop laughing".

Incidentally the Hollywood film Point Break starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze had a similar sequence where a group named ‘Ex-Presidents’ robs banks wearing masks of ex-US Presidents Reagen, Nixon, Carter and Johnson.

Aamir Khan plans to direct Bachchan's next?

2008-07-24T23:59:00.000-07:00

True, false or in-between, we don't really know. But B-wood's rumour mills suggest that there's something cooking between Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan, and that plans to work together may just be it!

The Khan-Bachchan relationship was strained at one time, when Aamir made some spiteful remarks of Bachchan's stint in Black. Of course later, there were apologies, and several visits to Bachchan's home, where he probably made up over cups of coffee.

This in turn paved way for a new found friendship and Amitabh and Aamir formed what we call a mutual admiration society. And now the two may even work together, what with Aamir directing and producing a film that stars the Big B!

Well, no one is willing to comment on anything as of now, but this is one association you simply don't want to brush away! So watch this space for more...