Pritam in music video for Akshay, Ajay or John?
July 28, 2010
After a relatively quieter first half of 2010, prolific composer Pritam is back in the limelight yet again. He has just delivered a chartbuster soundtrack in Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, the songs of which can be heard from all nooks and corners. Moreover, he has a jam packed second half of the year ahead, what with biggies like Action Replayy, Golmaal 3 and Crook: It’s Good To Be Bad in the offing.
While it is a given that there would be at the least a couple of chartbusters in each of his forthcoming films (well unless law of averages proves otherwise), there also has been a strong buzz around him doing a few promotional music videos. This is not something new for him though since in the past, he has faced the camera while shooting songs for films like Life In A Metro and Mukhbir.
No wonder, it didn’t sound improbable when news started making the rounds that he, along with one of his favourite singers Neeraj Sridhar, was roped in for promotional tracks of Action Replayy and Golmaal 3. While Pritam is working for the first time with Vipul Shah – the maker of Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai starrer Action Replayy – he has been a constant fixture with Rohit Shetty after Golmaal Returns and All The Best.
However, when enquired, Rohit dismissed the theory about Pritam being used as a face of the music as well. “No, he is not doing any music video of Golmaal 3. There was never even a plan for this so it is surprising that such a piece of news has actually floated around. In fact I am hearing it for the first time”, he says.
On the other hand Vipul couldn’t hide his amusement when ‘informed’ about the presence of Pritam in his upcoming film.
“Now this is really funny”, he says in amazement, “How could this be even a possibility? Especially so when I have Akshay and Aishwarya in my film. They are enough to be the face of the videos here. Pritam has done well in the studio while recording music and that’s good enough for me.”
Well, further investigation reveals that Pritam has indeed done a music video along with Neeraj but that’s neither for Action Replayy nor Golmaal 3. It is in fact for ‘not so usual suspect’ Aashayein (starring John Abraham), the music of which has just hit the stands. The song in question is ‘Mera Jeena Hai Kya’ which features both Pritam along with Neeraj in a specially designed music video. This is not all as there is another song in the album as well that has a promotional music video made around it. Titled ‘Dilkash Dildaar Duniya’, it features Shaan.
Incidentally, Pritam is the guest composer of the film and has contributed only two songs in an album that mainly has Salim-Suleiman as the prime composers. Pritam was unavailable for comment.
Actor Ravi Baswani passes away
July 28, 2010
What’s common to the films Chasme Budoor, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, Lucky-No Time For Love, Bunty Aur Babli, Pyar Tune Kya Kiya and terms like ‘comedy’, ‘class acting’ etc… Well, we would have loved to say that the common factor that ‘connects’ all of the above is ‘Ravi Baswani’. The sad news is that Baswani who redefined comedy in his own way in Indian films passed away yesterday.
It is indeed a tragic loss not just to Bollywood, but also to mankind, he was also known to be a simple and down to earth man. Ravi suffered a massive heart attack. We at Bollywood Babes pray for the departed soul, thus wishing that may His soul rest in eternal peace.
Chinese-American actor Tom Wu to star in Ra.One
July 28, 2010
Apart from Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal, Anubhav Sinha’s sci-fi extravaganza Ra.One will also star Chinese-American actor Tom Wu. SRK even tweeted recently about Tom joining the cast of his home production. Said the superstar, “a big welcome to Tom Wu in the film cast. He is so humble & such a sport…really nice to have him on board.”
For the uninitiated, Tom Wu is a martial arts expert who has starred in films like Revolver, Shanghai Knights and Batman Begins. Considering that Ra.One also has its fair share of heavy duty action, one can be rest assured of seeing Tom Wu kick some butt in this flick too.
TASI’s Anifest India 2010 scheduled for August 19-21
July 28, 2010
Organized with the aim of spreading animation awareness, Indian Animation fraternity’s most loved animation festival ‘Anifest India’ is back with a bang. The Animation Society of India (TASI), organizers of Anifest India 2010 have announced that the festival is scheduled for August 19-21 at Fine Arts Cultural Centre, Mumbai this year.
Talking about the plans of Anifest India 2010, Ranjit Singh, Hon. Secretary of TASI, shared with Bollywood Babes, “This year we are extending our range of focus to the unique topics like Game & Defense Animation, Medical Animation & Visualisation, Making of Stereoscopic feature animation amongst several other exciting sessions.”
“As we look at varied content and all round development of the artists, we want to focus on topics that are usually not discussed. As always, this year too we have speakers and experts from various disciplines,” he added.
As part of the festival, its animation contest – TASI Viewer’s Choice Awards (TVCA) has already started inviting entries for the festival. The categories under which the entries are accepted include Student films, Independent Professional short films, Commissioned films and Teachers films.
Explaining about the awards, Ranjit shared, “All entries received are previewed by a panel of eminent industry professionals at a special screening where the panel shortlists films for the final competition. The shortlisted films are screened at the festival for voting by the audience. Votes are counted on the spot and the entry receiving the most votes is declared the winner for that category.”
More information about the festival, TVCA and session can be obtained from www.tasionline.org
Clash averted: We Are Family to arrive a week before Dabangg
July 28, 2010
The Eid week was supposed to witness the clash of two biggies – Karan Johar’s WE ARE FAMILY and Salman Khan’s home-production DABANGG. The promotion of the two films have already commenced with a bang. While the first promo of WE ARE FAMILY, launched with I HATE LUV STORYS, came in for tremendous appreciation, the promo of DABANGG, launched some days back, created a tehalka of sorts, with everyone calling it a Hit, even before its release.
The latest is, Karan Johar and UTV have decided to bring WE ARE FAMILY one week earlier. The film will now arrive on 3rd September, not 10th September. Which means, a solo release for both WE ARE FAMILY and DABANGG. Also, there won’t be a maara-maari for screens. Plus, the business won’t get divided. A wise move, indeed!
Priyanka performs heart-in-the-mouth motorbike stunts in Bangkok
July 28, 2010
Priyanka has just returned from shooting stunts in Bangkok, and she’s super-excited. “I rode a dirt bike. I shot with an alligator and a bull. It was fun.”
Now she’s looking forward to providing a huge distraction to the contestants on Fear Factor. “That’s what my intention is. To make them so distracted they won’t be able to do their stunts.”
After a rejuvenating birthday holiday in Phuket, Priyanka Chopra flew to Bangkok to shoot the promotional video for Khatron Ke Khiladi (Fear Factor).
About the holiday, Priyanka says, “Apart from the mishap that happened when I dropped my phone in the water and couldn’t receive any birthday greetings, I had a fun time. Like I had told you before I left, I was generally not recognized. But even if I was I didn’t mind. Being recognized is part and parcel of what I do.” Priyanka feels a change within herself. “I feel I’ve become reclusive. I like to be within myself.”
The stunts involved a motorbike race where Priyanka challenged a group of punks to a race through a terrain that would scare even a Grand Prix winner. Priyanka had to ride through some of the most impossibly-rugged terrain. According to crew members who had gathered to shoot the video, the male mo’bike members used for the film were all professional riders used to riding at high speed through the most rugged hinterland.
Priyanka not only had to ride with these experts, she had to look better than them on camera. She had been secretly practising for the heart-in-the-mouth mo’bike stunts for weeks. The channel had offered to get a body-double to do the really intricate portions in the shooting. But Priyanka insisted on doing the entire mo’bike stunt-stint on her own.
So excited and charged did she get that she shot for a full twenty hours on the first of the two days of shooting in Bangkok.
Says Priyanka, “There is no challenge in half-measures. You either do the whole thing or don’t do it at all. I’ve always been fascinated by mo’bikes. I love mo’bike stunts. When I had seen Tom Cruise do the mo’bike stunts, my first thought was, ‘Gawd if only I could get to do that.’ I guess my wish came true.”
The ride was not all fun and games. Priyanka has returned to Mumbai with quite a number of bruises. “But the pain was worth it. You can’t be one of the boys on the bike and not get your share of bruises.”
She intends to wrap up all her assignments by October before heading for the shooting of Don 2 in Berlin.
‘Ishqiya 2′: Is a sequel on the cards?
July 28, 2010
Is Vishal Bhardwaj planning a sequel to the much-acclaimed ISHQIYA? At least that’s what a section of the media would like us to believe. But the news is mere speculation. “No, there are no plans to make a sequel. I read about it in the newspapers and was quite amused. The fact is, there’s no truth to it. In fact, the thought of making a sequel hasn’t even crossed my mind,” ISHQIYA director Abhishek Chaubey clarifies.
So what is the talented director making next? “I have commenced writing my next script. This one’s set in North India. The screenplay will take another two months to complete and only then will we take it further,” Abhishek divulges. Is his mentor Vishal Bhardwaj producing the film? “Yes, he is. I will narrate the screenplay to Vishal-ji once I am done,” he adds.
‘Kajraare’ will not arrive on 6th Aug., shifted ahead’
July 28, 2010
KAJRAARE has been pushed ahead! Initially slated for release on 6th August, the film will now release on Eid, on 10th September. That’s the buzz in the industry. The postponement has come as a surprise, since the promotion of the film is in full gear.
Bhushan Kumar, the producer of KAJRAARE, sheds light on the issue, “Yes, we are not releasing the film on 6th August. In fact, we haven’t taken a call on the new date yet.” The buzz is that the film will now hit the screens on Eid. Will it withstand the tough competition posed by DABANGG and WE ARE FAMILY? “It’s uncertain at the moment. We will arrive at a decision [on the new date] within a week or so,” he states.
Why this sudden shift? “Our distributors are of the opinion that we shouldn’t release the film during the holy month of Ramzan. Also, since we are planning to have a really big release in Pakistan, releasing the film during Ramzan would’ve hampered the business prospects. In view of the fact, we decided to shift the film to a latter date,” the head honcho of T-Series reveals.
Yash Chopra conferred with an honorary doctorate by SOAS, U.K.
July 28, 2010
At an inspiring and solemn graduation ceremony befitting the University of London, Mr. Yash Chopra was awarded an honorary higher doctoral degree, a DLit, a Doctor of Letters honoris causa, for having made an outstanding contribution to the field of cinema in his six decades of work in the Hindi film industry, by the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).
The function held on Friday, 23rd July 2010, opened with an impressive procession, which included Heads of Departments, Senior Management and the Presidents of the Students’ Union, entering the Hall to a musical accompaniment. The Director and Principal of SOAS, Professor Paul Webley and The President of SOAS, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, welcomed the graduates and their guests. One of the highlight of the ceremony was the Presentation of an honorary doctorate to Mr. Yash Chopra. Professor Rachel Dwyer, the public orator, read a citation in tribute to Mr. Chopra and the President, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, presented the degree.
Mr. Yash Chopra’s career and his work was compared with the greats of the Indian film industry. Professor Dwyer said that his films use a melodramatic form to show emotions at their deepest and rawest and that the dialogues and the song lyrics of Yash Chopra’s films are remembered and recited almost as mantras, as they describe things that are hard to say, using language, imagery and music in a perfect balance. She pointed out that Yash Chopra continues to innovate with every film he makes and remains young at heart, always interested in how people think, feel and behave.
Mr. Yash Chopra’s love of London and his connections with SOAS, one of the first universities to offer a course in mainstream Indian cinema, began in 1992. Professor Dwyer further said the graduates should be inspired by Mr. Yash Chopra’s success, learn his dedication, hard work, focus and his ways of rising above failure, saying that his films have brightened the lives of people from the poorest to the richest, from heads of states to humble people. He has been honoured by royalty, presidents and prime ministers and this DLit was a mark of the esteem in which the academic community of professors and students holds him.
Mr. Chopra in his response said, “I am humbled by this honour and would like to thank SOAS for this recognition. My filmmaking has always been from the heart and I would like to pass on this same message to students all over the world”.
Mr. Yash Chopra has previously been conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by The Leeds Metropolitan University, UK in 2007, The Punjab University, Chandigarh, India, in 2008 and The Guru Nanak University, Amritsar, India, in 2004, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.
YRF’s Anushka – Ranveer Singh starrer titled Band Baajaa Baaraat?
July 28, 2010
While the promos of Yash Raj Films’ next big release Lafangey Parindey is on in full swing, the production house is also busy with its forthcoming film starring Anushka Sharma and newcomer Ranveer Singh. The untitled film tells the story of two just out of Delhi University students, Shruti (Anushka Sharma) and Bittoo (Ranveer Singh) who reluctantly set out on their tumultuous entrepreneurial venture. Together their friendship and business enters the ups and downs of the lavish world of the glamour and glitz of Delhi baaraats and weddings!
There have been a lot of speculation doing the rounds on the title of the film with the latest being that the film is titled Band Baajaa Baaraat. When we got in touch with Rafiq Gangjee, VP, Marketing and Communications at YRF, he said, “This is one of the titles being strongly considered for the film. We will be taking a final decision by the end of this week.”
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