Salman a mature person at 40
August 30, 2006
Salman Khan is on a make up spree these days. Many of his close friends believe that Salman at 40 is now mature enough to let go the old grudges and start a fresh inning in Bollywood.
We got to see his softer side just a few days back and must admit that it shocked us like many other journos present there. His recent change of attitude was visible to one as he calmly fielded questions even about his ex-girlfriend Ash with whom he shared an extremely volatile relationship.
Salman alleged that very often he is misunderstood to be brash and blunt and often his personal life is splashed across the tabloids. As for his prior relationship with Aishwarya Rai, the star claims that he does not believe in bad mouthing anyone and so he remains silent and is also ready to accept all the blame.
Salman even said, “I don’t mind doing a film with Aishwarya.”
When queried about how many girlfriends he had in the past, the normally hot-headed Salman kept his cool and politely answered all the questions on his personal life.
Salman also claimed that he is friends with the other two Khans of Bollywood, Aamir and Shahrukh. He claims that they even call him up during his time of crisis and are always willing to lend him support.
Salman says “They do call me, but I myself tell them not to come out in support of me for you might land in trouble yourself.”
Salman claims that while Aamir and Shahrukh are the King and Badshah of Bollywood “I am the joker of the pack.”
According to the buzz, producer Vinay Kumar Sinha who produced the comedy Andaz Apna Apna with Salman and Aamir in the lead is interested in now making a sequel of the film with the two stars.
The two Khans broke apart when Aamir went ballistic and declared that he would never act with Salman again. The buzz was that Aamir was not willing to put up with Salman’s so-called temperamental and errant ways.
Whatever be the real reasons for the two falling apart, Salman has never commented on the issue while Aamir has remained categorical that he would not accept any role with Salman.
But Sinha is making an all-out effort to ensure that Raj Kumar Santoshi gets to direct the duo once again in a movie, after a long hiatus. The move is aimed at reinventing the magic that Salman and Aamir wove in Andaaz Apna Apna.
Vidya Balan plays radio jockey in Lage Raho MunnaBhai
August 29, 2006
Vidya Balan is being touted as the big surprise package in the Sanjay Dutt starrer Lage Raho Munnabhai , which releases this Friday.
Vidya, who made quite an impression in her debut Hindi film Parineeta , essays the role of a Radio Jockey – Jhanvi – in the sequel to Munnabhai MBBS .
“The film is not just a comedy. It’s about life. It’s about a subject that everybody will connect to. There is a lot of substance,” Vidya was quoted as saying about the much-awaited comic caper.
A lot of energy flows through the film and that, she says, is because of the “energetic character of Raju Hirani ” – the director of the film.
“Jhanvi is today’s girl and the clothes complement my looks,” said Vidya.
Having won almost all the best debutant awards for ‘Parineeta’, Vidya’s kitty is full. She has Vidhu Vinod Chopra ’s Eklavya , Nikhil Advani ’s Salaam-e-Ishq , Rajkumar Santoshi ’s “Halla Bol” and Mani Ratnam ’s Guru in hand.
Bengali cinema where she had made her silver screen debut sure must be missing her.
If “Lage Raho Munnabhai” is even half the success that the original was, Vidya will be on her way to clinch an enviable title of being commercially successful and critically acclaimed.
Given that Bollywood actresses have to wait decades before they can even remotely claim to be both, Vidya sure has lady luck on her side.
Shahrukh steals the show at DON music launch
August 29, 2006
The music of Farhan Akhtar’s movie Don was launched at a glittering function in Mumbai.
Thousands of fans had gathered at the Inorbit Mall in Malad in the suburbs of Mumbai on Saturday. The event was the release of the music of one of the most awaited movies of this year, ‘Don’, starring Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role.
Although the function began more than an hour after its scheduled time, the crowds did not thin out. Finally, when it was quarter to seven in the evening, music composer trio Shankar Ehsaan Loy were invited on the stage by the evening’s host, radio jockey J Harsh.
The composer trio regaled the audience with the song “Morya Re”, a befitting number on the eve of the Ganesh Chaturthi.
Although the movie’s leading actress Priyanka Chopra could not make it to the function, Isha Koppikar , who plays a marginal role in the film, performed to a number on the stage.
The excitement of the fans reached its crescendo when Shah Rukh Khan, looking dapper in a black suit, walked on the stage. Shah Rukh crooned a few lines from one of the movie’s songs and also delivered a few dialogues.
One dialogue that evoked squeals of adulation from the crowd was : Don ke dushman is sabse badi galti hai ki woh don ka dushman hai. SRK’s dialogue went so well with the audience that there was a demand for an encore. The superstar humbly complied.
Shah Rukh also showed his sense of humour when speaking about the action scenes and stunts in the film. He said the movie’s director Farhan Akhtar was very considerate of his (SRK’s) age and mostly made him fight the ladies only.
SRK praised Farhan’s cinematic sensibilities and said ‘Don’ would appeal to younger generation very much.
Also present during the evening were Om Puri , producer Ritesh Sidhwani, Bhushan Kumar and Kishan Kumar of T-Series.
‘Don’ has five songs. Of these five, two are new compositions while three are altered versions of songs from the original movie Don (1978) that starred Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role.
The three songs taken from the original movie are Khaike Paan Banaraswala, Main Hoon Don and Yeh Mera Dil.
‘Don’ is slated to hit the theatres in October.
Bulgarian model Polina Stoynova to make her Bollywood Debut
August 29, 2006
Bulgarian model Polina Stoynova will make her Bollywood debut in a film opposite Sunny Deol .
The beautiful blonde from the Balkans has bagged a plum role in Ammtoje Mann’s in-the-making movie Kaafila .
In the film, Polina would be seen playing a Kazakhstani girl. She is paired with Sunny Deol, who plays a patriot Pakistani in the movie.
Polina was finalized for the role after auditions that had more than 60 girls contending for the part. It was her professionalism and her acting potential that got her the role.
It is learnt that Polina committed herself to the project from day one and started visiting the sets of the movie in advance in order to get the hang of the work atmosphere.
She has already shot her portions of the film in Bulgaria and Mumbai.
Interestingly, Kaafila has foreign actresses in the lead roles. Besides Polina, the film also stars two Pakistani heroines – Sana Nawaz and Mona Lisa.
Ammtoje Mann is the writer and director of the film. He also enacts a small part in it.
Kaafila is slated to release in November. The film has been shot in Mumbai, Ladakh, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and the United Kingdom.
Amrita Arora agrees to act with ex BF Upen Patel
August 29, 2006
Just a few months back Amrita Arora did not wish to be photographed with her ex-flame Upen Patel . But now, she seems open to the idea of acting with him.
It has been near about two years since Amrita and Upen parted ways. Their relationship ended on a rather bitter note. Since then, Amrita has been going steady in another relationship with the English county cricket player Usman Afzal.
Just a year ago, Amrita was averse to the idea of working with Upen in a movie. But now the actress has changed her stance.
It is learnt that Amrita and Upen are slated to share the screen space in Kalpana Lazmi’s next film.
Although the film will have other stars as well, Amrita and Upen will act together in many scenes.
Amrita says she is keeping her personal hitches aside for professionalism. Upen, on his part, is also willing to act with Amrita.
On a different front, actress Riya Sen has reportedly refused to act with her ex boyfriend Ashmit Patel again. Riya and Ashmit had split after an MMS purportedly showing the two making love was circulated on the net.
Filmmaker Ramesh Katkar has been hoping to sign Riya and Ashmit for his film Rokda. But it seems that this pairing won’t happen, at least in the near future.
Bollywood Babe Bipasha Basu to endorse clothes
August 29, 2006
Often criticised for her onscreen skimpy clothes, Bipasha Basu will be promoting an apparel brand Pantaloon now.
The company has roped in sultry siren along with Zayed Khan to endorse its retail brand. Around four or five years ago, cricketers Sanath Jayasuriya and Mark and Steve Waugh were associated with the brand. This is the first time the company has roped in two Bollywood stars to endorse the retail brand.
Will Basu and Khan fit into the brand image to push the retail business? Aggarwal says, “Bipasha is known for her own distinct sense of style that appeals to millions. Zayed, on the other hand, has a youthful persona, which we felt could be wielded for our brand.”
Basu and Khan will endorse the entire range of Pantaloon garments, all the collections stored under the Pantaloon brand: casual wear, formal wear, Western wear, ethnic wear, party wear and sportswear.
Basu endorses another garment brand, Levi’s, but it is learnt that her contract with that retail brand has ended. So, there won’t be any conflict between the two brands.
Currently, Basu also endorses Clinic All Clear, while Khan endorses Provogue.
Lage Raho MunnaBhai better than the original one
August 29, 2006
Now that the hype has reached feverish pitch, the day of reckoning for Lage Raho Munna Bhai (LRMB) is close at hand.
Stakeholders must be heartened by the fact that a Mumbai multiplex has sold out 13 shows of the film, thanks largely to internet and SMS bookings. The all-new chapter in the life of Munna is attracting mounting enquiries for block bookings.
Producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra seems to be confident that he has a winner on his hands. He has repeatedly stated that he believes LRMB is a better film than Munnabhai, MBBS. Ironically, he seems to be putting your money where his mouth is! There have been reports that he is seeking a rate hike of multiplex tickets for LRMB, just as the Yash camp did for Fanaa.
Taking a cue from the success of Rang De Basanti, LRMB will attempt to stir up nationalistic fervor that will hopefully keep cash registers ringing at box offices for many weeks. Loftily enough, it will endeavor to sell the line that the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation, continue to have relevance even today.
The build up hasn’t been perfect though. The music for the film didn’t get rave reviews. A TV channel dubbed it as ‘better than mediocre’. However, Music director Shantanu Moitra is confident his work will be well received by audiences.
The title track of LRMB is hummable at best. The song that is better placed to rule the airwaves is ‘Pal, har Pal’. However, there is a problem. Once again Moitra seems to have cloned his number from popular English music tracks, like he did in Parineeta. The lilting Pal, har Pal is a clean lift of Cliff Richard famous ‘Theme for a Dream’.
It may be recalled that Munnabhai M.B.B.S, was released with no fanfare whatsoever in the winter of 2003 and it went on to become a blockbuster.
The movie also set high standards for Indian cinema to follow. What remains to be seen is whether movie audiences will once again script the success saga of LRMB when it opens on September 1.
John Abraham linked to Bollywood Babe Vidya Balan
August 28, 2006
Bollywood Babe Vidya Balan is being touted as the big surprise package in “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”. The newcomer, who made quite an impression in her debut Hindi film “Parineeta”, essays the role of a Radio Jockey – Jhanvi – in the sequel to “Munnabhai M.B.B.S”.
“The film is not just a comedy. It’s about life. It’s about a subject that everybody will connect to. There is a lot of substance,” Vidya was quoted as saying about the much-awaited comic caper.
A lot of energy flows through the film and that, she says, is because of the “energetic character of Raju Hirani”.
“Jahnvi is today’s girl and the clothes complement my looks,” said Vidya.
Having won almost all the best debutant awards for “Parineeta”, Vidya’s kitty is full. She has Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s “Eklavya”, Nikhil Advani’s “Salaam-e-Ishq”, Rajkumar Santoshi’s “Halla Bol” and Mani Ratnam’s “Guru” in hand.
Bengali cinema where she had made her silver screen debut sure must be missing her.
If “Lage Raho Munna Bhai” is even half the success that the original was, she will be on her way to clinch an enviable title of being commercially successful and critically acclaimed. Given that female actors have to wait decades before they can even remotely claim to be both, she sure has lady luck on her side.
Often touted as a plain Jane, Balan has earned herself a few controversies during her stint in Bollywood as well. Though just a one film old, she already has been linked with some of the topmost actors.
The actress was first linked with her ‘Parineeta’ director Pradeep Sarkar. Next Balan was linked with none other than our Sanju Baba, as she did first Prineeta and then Lage Raho Munnabhai opposite him.
Well now Vidya has been linked with the hunk of bollywood John Abraham, her co-star from Salaam-E-Ishq. Vidya and John have an amazing on-screen chemistry and according to sources they also share a great off-screen camaraderie too.
Unfortunately Bipasha is not too happy about their close friendship. Perhaps the recent rumour linking John and Mallika Sherawat during their worldwide tour has left the sultry Bipasha feeling insecure.
But Vidya obviously rubbishes all the rumours and says, “I do have some fans but apart from that not many try to woo me.”
But Bipasha has learnt alot from recent Mallika episode and has been keeping a close eye on John while he was shooting with Vidya.
Don in trouble
August 28, 2006
Reports are that the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Don may run into trouble with the health ministry.
Yes, if you have watched the promos of the film on the small screen then your guess is bang on target as reports say that ‘Don’ seems to have touched a wrong chord with Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, even before its release.
Last year Ramadoss had banned all smoking scenes in films and television and in the promos you can see SRK flinging a cigarette butt in the air and in another scene exhaling cigarette smoke on the face of the camera.
Reports are that Ramadoss is reportedly displeased with the fact that the lead character is allegedly glamourising smoking in the film.
Ramadoss’ contention, however, seems to be based solely on the promos of the film as he has not seen the movie as yet.
Producer Ritesh Sidhwani, defends ‘Don’ saying that no law had been violated and the promos of the movie had been cleared by the Censor Board before being aired.
Director Farhan Akhtar is also reportedly upset with what he calls ‘misinterpretation’ of the smoking scenes in the movie.
Sources say SRK’s character in the film was, in fact, against smoking and there is a dialogue in the movie which indicates that the actor denounces the act of smoking.
Reports say ‘Don’ went into production just after the health ministry had issued a notification banning smoking in films and the producers had taken enough care that the issue of smoking didn’t hamper the making of the film.
The remake of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Don (1978) , ‘Don’ is scheduled for a Diwali/Eid release this year.
Bas Ek Pal
August 27, 2006
After giving us a thought-provoking film like My Brother Nikhil , director Onir returns with Bas Ek Pal .
The film stars Sanjay Suri and Juhi Chawla yet again. However, it is Urmila Matondkar who plays the female lead. Jimmy Shergill is cast in a role almost parallel to Suri’s. And there is the lesser-known Rehan Engineer (from ‘Everybody Says I’m Fine’) playing an alcoholic.
The film revolves around a group of friends who cease to be friends after a tragic incident.
Sanjay Suri plays Nikhil, a US-returned MBA graduate who lost his parents in an accident. One day Nikhil runs into a girl (Urmila Matondkar) at a disco pub in Mumbai. The girl helps him get an entry into the pub and this way the ice is broken between the two. But Nikhil doesn’t get to know the girl’s name. She maintains her distance. So he decides to pursue her.
Urmila Matondkar plays Anamika, a gorgeous looking girl who knows how to handle guys well. She already has a boyfriend with whom she hardly shares any romantic sparks. When she bumps into an anonymous guy at a disco-pub, she decides to make him wait and before making her own advance.
Jimmy Shergill plays Rahul, a suave businessman and a good friend of Nikhil. The two often test their skills on a basketball court. Nikhil’s return from the US has revived their friendship. However, one tragedy separates these two friends forever.
Rehan Engineer plays Steve, an edgy, self-centered guy hooked on alcohol. His marriage with his wife is on the rocks because of his drinking habits.
Juhi Chawla plays Ira, Steve’s wife. She somehow puts up with her alcoholic husband. There is no love but just compromise in their marriage. Ira works part time as a social worker. She also works at an old age home.
The movie’s story takes its turn on a fateful night when Nikhil goes to the same disco pub again in order to meet the anonymous girl whom he can’t seem to forget.
Anamika comes to the pub with her boyfriend. When Nikhil approaches her she does entertain him and is even on the point of accepting Nikhil’s offer of a dance when her boyfriend (whom she doesn’t love) intervenes. A heated argument follows between Nikhil and Anamika’s beau. Rude words are exchanged and guns are drawn.
Accidentally, Nikhil’s gun goes off.
‘Bas Ek Pal’ is about how one moment can change people’s lives forever. It is the story of friends going astray, of love that is never found, of youth that is wasted doing time behind bars. The film’s story throws a surprise at the fag end.
The film has music by four different composers – Pritam Chakraborty, Mithoon, Vivek Philip, Eric Pillai.
‘Bas Ek Pal’ is slated to hit the theatres in mid September.
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