Anushka turns down ‘Fans Club’ offer

These days, it isn’t just about new releases every weekend, but the ingress of more actors as well. For a greater surprise, many actors in Kollywood seems to have kick-started their “Fan clubs’ much prior to release of their debut films.
But, here we’ve the sensational Anushka treading with much difference.
The bootylicious actress is all set, making high waves in South Indian film industry. At the moment, she has completed shooting for Vijay’s “Vettaikaaran’ and has joined hands with Surya for “Singam’. Apart from these projects, she has signed for big offers in Tollywood as well.
In the recent times, some of her ardent fans requested to launch her fans club. But to a great surprise, the actress refused their petition. When we approached her pertaining to this issue, the actress replied, “It’s true that I turned down the offer, as I want to focus more into my career. For sure, I will look out into these affairs after some time…”

Off-screen I am contrast to what I am on-screen -Rajpal Yadav

ajpal Yadav has more than 87 films in his kitty and indeed he has fulfilled each and every role with full dedication and commitment, for the outcome is infront of everyone. You pick any film of Rajpal, either the character of terrorist he played in “Jungle” or role of household worker in films “Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya” or “Waqt”. His comic flicks like “Maalmaal weekly”, “Partner”, “BhulBhulaiya”, “Mujse Shaadi Karogi”, “Hungama”, “Garam Masala”, “Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya” and many more has withhold his position firm as a comedian in the industry. These days he is busy basking in the glory of his just released films “Toss” and “Yeh Mera India”.

Tell us about your film “Yeh Mera India”.

This film is very special to me and I feel proud and obliged to be associated to the film. Film showcases those questions, which we imprint on our thoughts, believes, actions, missions, visions and live life with those unsolved and unanswered questions. We the team of Y.M.I has worked as a football team where the goal is the same of building awareness, but roles are different.

How was your experience of working with Director N.Chandra?

Since childhood I use to watch films of N.Chandra. I admired him immensely for the quality of work and direction he has under his belt. He has given fabulous masterpieces like “Tezaab”, “Ankush” to the industry. And when he approached me with this film, I was more than happy and without a doubt I had to do the movie.

To believe, the film has raised the issue of North Indian and Marathi. To what extent is it true?

Such issues don’t bother common man. And a city like Mumbai has been a metropolitan one. And raising such issues are baseless and utterly misleading. Such issues are only matter of concern for politicians who bring it out for their personal benefits. And we the public knows and understands everything.

Tell us about your film “Toss” and what role you play in the film?

It is the story of childhood friends, and how an incident can change lives, beliefs, and relationships between them. All the friends tread a path where greed rules, death triumphs and relationship, bonding are buried deep inside tunnel holding no value.

How was your experience working under the direction of Ramesh Khatkar?

It is fast-paced film and Director has presented this film in a very interesting manner. He is hardworking and absolute passionate about his work.

What according you is the U.S.P of both of your films?

“Y.M.I” portrays the society and current situation and gives the answers and to solutions which we are finding within the complexities of life. On other hand, the presentation of “Toss” is the USP of the film.

People feel that in real life you are as fun loving and a comedian. What you have to say about this?

What I do in films is my work, and that is what I am good at. Professionally, I am a comedian, but in personal life I am a very subtle and serious person. What are your forthcoming films? “Do Knot Disturb”, “Chai Garam”, “Banda Yeh Bindass Hain”, “Bhopal”, “A prayer for rain”, “Fauj mein Mauj” and many more. 


Sohail Khan stands tall in ‘Kisaan’

Film: “Kisaan”; Cast: Sohail Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Jackie Shroff, Dia Mirza, Nauheed Cyrusi; Director: Punit Sira; Rating: **1/2

Sohail Khan is the most underrated Khan in the film industry. But Sohail knows his craft and he uses it with transparency in comic roles and in this intense melodrama called “Kisaan”.

Sohail had earlier done a fairly watchable take on the question of Indianness in “I… Proud To Be An Indian” with the same director. In “Kisaan”, Sohail champions the cause of rural life with a plot that nudges Manoj Kumar’s “Upkar”. It’s a nudge that doesn’t topple the patriotism over.

Set in Punjab, the story of a wizened father (Jackie Shroff, sufficiently wise in look and makeup) and his two sons. The elder Aman Singh (Arbaaz) goes to the city and eventually marries Priya (Dia Mirza) who’s blessedly not the urban predator-vamp. The other son is a quiet faithful Jiggar Singh (Sohail) who stays with his father ploughing not just the land but also goons who dare to cross their path.

The authentic Punjabi locales replete with lush stretches of ’sarson ke khet’ (mustard fields), handpumps and sugarcane juice give the film a rugged and credible climate. However, many of the peripheral characters, specially the corrupt villainous caucus, are purely caricatural. If subtlety is your big cinematic turn-on, then “Kisaan” may not be your cup of tea… or should that be glass of ‘lassi’?

“Kisaan” is like a tall spiced-up glass of ‘lassi’, without cream. It’s an unabashed celebration of old-fashioned melodrama with dollops of bone-crunching action in the last 30 minutes that leaves us wondering if Manoj Kumar ever imagined that the fight to hold on to the land could ever get so violent and bloody.

The principal characters seem to inhabit rural Punjab with comforting familiarity. The ambience is conducive to a demonstration of flamboyant emotions. The direction is often ramrod straight and literal. The film’s charm lies in its ability to be an old-fashioned cliche without getting wobbly.

However, the Punjabi songs and the hideous remix of Mahendra Kapoor’s “Mere Desh ki Dharti” get on the nerves. But Sanjoy Chowdhary’s background music is first-rate in its ability to replicate the characters’ emotional graph.

Among the actors Sohail stands tall, quite often taller than the material given to him.

Mallika can’t take away my share of limelight: Irrfan Khan

Mallika Sherawat has been grabbing eyeballs with footage of her body-hugging costumes as a snakewoman in Jennifer Lynch’s “Hisss”, but her co-star Irrfan Khan is unperturbed and says she cannot overshadow him in the movie.

“Mallika can’t steal my limelight - never - let her do whatever she does. That’s her game. That is not my game. I entertain people. I be myself, do my work in a way that I enjoy and connect with my audience so that they remember my work for at least two years,” Irrfan told IANS. He was here Saturday for the launch of the seventh season of MTV’s adventure reality show “Roadies”.

Speaking more about “Hisss”, the actor said: “It’s a different kind of action adventure film - a very nice take on a story everyone has seen - ‘Naagin’. But through that story, the writer and director have incorporated the elements of how we as human beings call ourselves advanced and evolved, but actually we have made ourselves blind to nature.

“We have become just a consumer of nature and are only concerned about extracting things for our use, and in the process we are creating a huge crisis. On the surface, it’s just an action sort of a film with lots of nudity and sex and Mallika plays a snakewoman.”

Irrfan, who played the inspector in Danny Boyle’s multiple Oscar winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire”, said it would be unfair to reveal his part as it will spoil the essence of the film.

Other films that he is looking forward to include Sanjay Gupta’s “Acid Factory” and “Paan Singh Tomar” - both of which have streaks of action and adventure.

Why this sudden inclination towards the genre?

“I have loved adventure, especially physical sports. When I went to South Africa to shoot for ‘Acid Factory’, I sky-dived 18,000 feet. It gives you an adrenaline rush. As for the choice of genre, it’s not sudden. People have always taken me as a serious actor but I was dying to tell them I am not. As an actor, I need to do all - comedy, tragedy, action and adventure. I want variety,” the actor said.

Irrfan is also excited about his stint on “MTV Roadies 7″, Indian television’s longest running reality show. He will make special appearances to throw open seven twists based on the seven sins - lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride - during the show.

“I agreed on this show for two reasons - because I love action and adventure and because I love travelling. Now I won’t be doing action, but I will be compelling the contestants to do a lot of it. I like the show as it’s a test of mental and physical endurance. It gives you a chance to challenge yourself,” he said.

“The Final Destination”: Commendable 3D Effect

The latest installment of “The Final Destination” franchise has been made into a 3D flick, to appear even more appealing to the viewers. With polarized glasses, viewers are bound to feel very much drawn “in” to the film (as in, being a part of the whole mayhem). The movie hit the theaters on Friday, August 28, and because it is a “Final Destination” franchise, it evidently drew a lot of attention to itself. Also because, it is the first in the series to be dished out in the 3D format.

The movie has opened to mixed reviews. Though some have thrashed the movie outright, there are others who have found it to be quite endearing. A highlighted part in most talks surrounding the movie is obviously the 3D effects.

Since 3D is all about making things on screen appear to leap out and head for the viewer, with the sole aim to make the those in front of the screen flinch or duck low, “Final Destination” has proven to be a worthwhile select. Along with the untimely, unsuspected, abrupt and almost always brutal deaths of the characters on screen, the viewers get to flinch too, as objects appearing out of nowhere kill the onscreen lot one by one.

For 82 minutes, the film traces the common theme that runs in all the series’ ventures- death by destiny. The movie’s characters avoid an accident at the race track because of a premonition of one of their friends. However, deaths seem to have evaded them only momentarily and seeks them out one by one, in chilling regular incidents, which are etched out in gory details.

Films can’t change society: Rahul Bose

Actor-social activist Rahul Bose feels that movies can’t change society but can help make sensible people “more sensible”.

“Films have a small impact on society - it can be negative or positive. But the impact is very little. But at the same time I feel movies can make sensible people more sensible and that sense of compassion will make you a better human being,” said Rahul.

The actor, known for his powerful performances in “English August” and “Mr. and Mrs. Iyer”, was here for a campaign.

“I’m into activism because I just feel like it. I strongly feel it from my heart. In my opinion, if you feel like doing some change for your society, do it from your heart, not from your brain. For me, issues like gender equality, communal harmony, climate change and child rights are of utmost priority. In my case, activism comes very naturally,” he said.

Do you think that an actor should be political?

“I think everybody should be political. Politics plays a major role in our lives. What you wear, where you go, whom you meet… all these are determined by certain politics.”

Talking about the current situation of Bengali cinema, he said: “There are good commercial and art films from Bengal now. Filmmakers like Rituparna Ghosh, Gautam Ghosh, Aparna Sen and Buddhadev Dasgupta are coming with good films. Bengali art films like ‘Kalpurush’ and ‘Anuranan’ are getting critical acclaim.”

The actor says he is open to act in any language movie.

“That is just a matter of good script. If good scripts, directors and film crew are there I am ready to act in any language films, whether it is Tamil or Italian.”

Akshay Kumar finally completes 12-year-old film

A 12-year-old film finally got completed this week, thanks to its leading man Akshay Kumar’s determination not to have a single film in the cans.

This week after completing a schedule of Sajid Khan’s “Housefull”, Akshay Kumar sent Deepika Padukone packing and called producer-director Shabnam Kapoor to London to complete the long-pending “Purab Ki Laila Paschim Ka Chaila”, now called “Helloo India”.

Shabnam Kapoor flew to London and shot with Akshay Kumar for almost a week before he flew out to Italy Thursday for the next schedule of “Housefull”.

With the completion of “Purab Ki Laila…” which also stars Namrata Shirodkar and Suniel Shetty, Akshay prides himself on being the only leading man in Bollywood who has no films in the cans.

Interestingly this would be only the second film in Akshay’s career directed by a female. “Sangharsh” directed by Tanuja Chandra was the first.

Salman did not call off US trip: Boney Kapoor

Producer Boney Kapoor has slammed reports that actor Salman Khan cancelled his trip to New York for promoting his upcoming release “Wanted” in the wake of Shah Rukh Khan’s detention at a US airport earlier this month.Media reports had said that Salman called off the trip after Shah Rukh was detained and questioned by immigration officials at Newark airport for over two hours Aug 14.
“This is completely false. Not going to New York was a decision taken by the producers and Salman didn’t even know about it. He is unnecessarily being dragged into all this. We refused to go to the US because the proposal offered to us for the event there was not acceptable to us. That’s it,” Kapoor said.
“News reports said that Salman was to be in New York Sep 3. That is also completely untrue,” he added.
“Wanted”, a film by noted choreographer-turned-director Prabhu Deva, stars Salman and Ayesha Takia. The action flick is slated for release Sep 18.

Salman did not call off US trip: Boney Kapoor

Producer Boney Kapoor has slammed reports that actor Salman Khan cancelled his trip to New York for promoting his upcoming release “Wanted” in the wake of Shah Rukh Khan’s detention at a US airport earlier this month.Media reports had said that Salman called off the trip after Shah Rukh was detained and questioned by immigration officials at Newark airport for over two hours Aug 14.
“This is completely false. Not going to New York was a decision taken by the producers and Salman didn’t even know about it. He is unnecessarily being dragged into all this. We refused to go to the US because the proposal offered to us for the event there was not acceptable to us. That’s it,” Kapoor said.
“News reports said that Salman was to be in New York Sep 3. That is also completely untrue,” he added.
“Wanted”, a film by noted choreographer-turned-director Prabhu Deva, stars Salman and Ayesha Takia. The action flick is slated for release Sep 18.

Akshay Kumar cycles away to fitness

Akshay Kumar was in London recently. The actor who was shooting for Sajid Khan’s film, Housefull, was so busy with the shoots that he was left with no time for his workouts.So the actor came up with another way. He started cycling to the location of the shoot that was two hours by car. Salman Khan has also been known for his cycling habits. Maybe cycling is the best way to keep fit in these busy times

Busy Bee Shilpa Shetty laughs over Marriage Rumors

Reports that Shilpa’s dad has been applying to retrieve his passport from Surat (where the document is kept because of a pending court case) so he can be in London for his daughter’s wedding has Shilpa in splits.“The passport is certainly not meant for my wedding, please! It’s not happening in October, November, December or any of the dates that have been fixed for my wedding in the media. Raj and I will announce the date from rooftops and invite the entire press corps to be part of the baraati when it happens. In the meanwhile, please leave my father alone.”Papa Shetty’s passport needed retrieval not for Shilpa’s wedding, but for another family gathering altogether.“It’s Raj Kundra’s birthday on September 9. Our entire collective family will be bringing in the occasion at the Maldives. That’s what my dad needed his passport for.”On a more sober note Shilpa says, “We all respect the judiciary. But it’s very humiliating for any daughter to have her father rushing to another town for his passport. It’s even more humiliating to have erroneous media reports being put out about one’s father. He had applied for his passport a few months ago.”As for the wedding, “There’s no reason on earth why Raj I wouldn’t want to get married at the earliest. At the moment we’ve our hands full with many new exciting ventures. We need get the space in our lives to plan and enjoy this wonderful event. Haath peele karne ke liye haath khali to hone chahiye.”

SRK, Hrithik attend Arjun Rampal’s restaurant launch

Shah Rukh Khan was there with wife Gauri, Hrithik Roshan came with wife Suzanne and Karan Johar was in attendance too. Model-turned actor Arjun Rampal got Bollywood celebrities in the capital for the launch of his restaurant Lap in Samrat Hotel.On this red-carpet event Friday evening, Imran Khan was also there with his girlfriend Avantika.
Rampal said: “You have to become a member to know how incredible this place is. It’s for people to enjoy. India can proudly say, we have a place to party. It’s about privacy, a place to discover yourself.”
Top-notch designers like Rohit Bal, J.J. Valaya, Reena Dhaka and Tarun Tahilyani were present too.

‘Daddy Cool’ - this farcical funeral is deadly uncool

Film: Daddy Cool
Cast: Suniel Shetty, Aftab Shivdasani, Javed Jaffry, Rajpal Yadav, Prem Chopra, Aarti Chabria, Kim Sharma, Sophie Chowdhary
Director: K. Murali Mohan Rao
Why remake a shoddy, tasteless British comedy? Why be so fixated on Western entertainment when we’ve so much literary and pulp talent out here?
Just leave aside these vital questions and focus on the ensemble cast of “Daddy Cool” that sparkles with borrowed wit. The Goan setting and the quaint rooms housing distraught emotions keep us smiling.
The setting is a Christian funeral. But at times the funeral jokes have us coughing in embarrassment. The dead man has two sons - a responsible, young bespectacled householder (Suniel Shetty) and a carefree cassanova novelist (Ashish Chowdhary) who flies in jetlagged just in time for daddy’s funeral.
And Sharad Saxena is deadly in his stillness as the dead man.
Interestingly, daddy has a secret in his closet. And that’s Rajpal Yadav, his gay lover.
“Isska matlab tum dono gay ke bete ho!” squeals Aarti Chabria to her screen-husband Suniel Shetty and his brother Ashish.
Ironically after copying everything in sight in the original - from the characters to the dialogues - the desi adaptors get cold feet and decide the gay lover was an imposter.
To be fair to this feisty farce, “Daddy Cool” makes you smile, specially Aftab Shivdasani as a drugged-out goofy lover-boy. He is better than the actor who played the role originally.
Shetty as the responsible son, who is a little tired of shouldering family responsibilitie but nonetheless determined to see the show through, is controlled and comically karmic. His climactic speech in praise of his father is rousing. Rajpal Yadav as the gay lover is superbly restrained.
And then there’s Sophie Chowdhary as the suitably sexy airhead.
Blessedly this farce doesn’t opt for desperate measures. It keeps it cool most of the way.

Very few comedies are worth watching now: Suniel Shetty

He loves doing comedies and has in the past made audiences laugh in movies like “Hera Pheri”, but Suniel Shetty says he is unhappy with the quality of humour in films nowadays.

“There are very few good comedy films. They are mostly crap in the name of comedies. Even though so many are coming out each day, only a limited few are worth watching,” Suniel said in an interview.

“I truly believe…I’m not being arrogant…but I believe that my film ‘Daddy Cool’ is a very nice comedy and will be appreciated,” he added.

Suniel was in the capital for the promotion of “Daddy Cool”, a co-production of Big Pictures and Maruti Pictures. Slated for release Aug 28, the fun flick that revolves around a funeral also stars Aftab Shivdasani, Javed Jaffrey, Aarti Chhabria, Prem Chopra and Chunky Pandey among others.

Throwing light on his role, the 48-year-old said: “I play Steven in the film…he is the older son. He is someone who truly loved his father and hence with his death, his world comes to an end. Whatever happens in that funeral and how he handles the situation is basically what the film is about.”

“Daddy Cool” is loosely based on the 2007 British comedy “Death At A Funeral” directed by Frank OZ and Suniel says he gave his nod because of that reason.

“The script really excited me and also the team behind it. Another reason was that I have seen ‘Death At A Funeral’ and I simply love the film. I was dying to do a role like this. So when I was offered this role, it took me less than a minute to say yes,” the actor explained.

Suniel made his acting debut with action movie “Balwaan” in 1992 and was later seen in high-paced action thrillers like the 1994 hit “Mohra”. After that he came to be known as the action star and did films like “Dilwale”, “Border”, “Prithvi”, “Kaante” and “Main Hoon Na” among others.

But he also tickled the funny bones of viewers with comedies such as “Hera Pheri”, “Awara Paagal Deewana” and “Phir Hera Pheri”.

The actor says he hasn’t completely shown his back to the action genre and two of his hardcore action films will go on floors next year. But he adds that comedy is something that he loves to do because its not physically taxing.

“I love doing comedies. It is not taxing on the body at all. Of course it’s tough as a performer, a lot of homework, but then physically it is not very burdensome. When you are doing action, you are breaking some or the other bone, scratching some part of your body or the other. So comedies are far more relaxed,” he said.

After “Daddy Cool”, Suniel will be seen in a bouquet of films like “De Dana Dan”, “Loot”, “Red Alert” and “Tum Milo Toh Sahi”.

‘Wake Up Sid’ not about handsome guy-plain Jane: Director

Debutant director Ayaan Mukherjee admits his “Wake Up Sid” is about a younger man dating an older woman but he is appalled by rumours that it revolves around a handsome guy and a not-so-good looking girl.

“All I can tell you is that this marketing pitch didn’t come from me or Karan (Johar). You think I’d dare to call my heroine, who I think is awesome, not good-looking?” Mukherjee asked angrily.

Starring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma, the romantic comedy is produced by Karan Johar and is scheduled for release Oct 2.

“It came from a Facebook ‘Wake Up Sid’ fan club started on the website. Someone just saw Ranbir and Konkona together and decided to draw their own conclusions…To me Konkona is at the moment the most gorgeous woman I’ve met. In fact, my last shot was with her and I just couldn’t stop gawking,” Mukherjee, who is actress Kajol’s cousin,said.

So is “Wake Up Sid” about an older woman in love with a younger man?

“Yes, Konkona’s character Ayesha is a few years older than the guy. But it’s not ‘Summer Of 42′, please! Nor is the age difference concealed here as it was between Ranbir and Bipasha in ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’. What happened was that we wrote in the age difference because I wanted only these two to be in my film.

“When I saw Ranbir in ‘Saawariya’, I knew this was my Sid. He was young, energetic and hungry to seize life. He was like me. You’ve to admit Ranbir and Konkona together are a pair that no one would imagine. I liked that challenge. And I also saw Konkona has been around in the industry longer than Ranbir. So I conveniently turned the character into a slightly older woman,” Mukherjee said.

Ranbir’s dad Rishi Kapoor has done a very fine film about falling in love with an older woman called “Doosra Aadmi” where Raakhee Gulzar played the unusual love interest.

So doesn’t he plan to work with cousin Kajol?

“The thought didn’t strike me for my first film. I wrote ‘Wake Up Sid’ as this young new-age ‘Dil Chahta Hai’. It’s about today’s youngsters. Kajol? Yeah. Maybe in my next film… if I’m allowed to make another film,” he said.

At the moment Mukherjee is worried about how the audience would take to the title.

“But it had to be ‘Wake Up Sid’. It’s a wake-up call for this rather laidback hero who meets an unusual woman. It’s a real film with no lip-sync songs,” he said.

The director was so sad on completion of his film that he got dead drunk.

“I’m very sad that it has ended. Now everyone will move away. It’s a heartbreaking process. I don’t know how Karan goes through it over and over again,” Mukherjee said.

Nausheen’s Striking The Right Chords

Bollywood actors work really hard to get into the skin of their character. No different was the experience of Nausheen Ali Sardar while preparing for her character in her upcoming film “Three- love, lies and betrayal’.

Produced by Vikram Bhatt, the film stars Ashish Chowdhry and Akshay Kapoor opposite her. Nausheen, who plays a violin teacher, apparently took violin lessons to make her character appear realistic. And yes, learning the musical instrument is not an easy task, but Nausheen worked really hard to learn the technicalities of playing a violin.

“It’s absolutely not an easy instrument. But I was quite passionate about learning it and according to my guru; I have been a good student. I did picked up early. It’s all right if I didn’t get to play it in my movie Three, but I’m sure I will continue practicing it,” says Nausheen.

Ironically, Nausheen’s enthusiasm for playing the violin did not receive its due, as none of the scenes in the film required her to play the instrument ultimately.

No use harping the strings now dearie

Balle balle Hard Kaur getting jiggy with Akshay

Anything for Akshay Kumar; that seems to be Hard Kaur’s mantra these days. The Punjabi singer was recently asked to cut short her US tour and head to London immediately. Why? Because they had just got a day’s permission to shoot at London’s busy Picadilly Square and Akshay also had only one day to do it.

“Yes, we had to take a flight back home from Los Angeles, where I was performing. I am heading to London to shoot a special promotional song with Akshay Kumar for the film Hello India. It is a bit hectic for me, but I don’t mind,” says Hard Kaur on the shoot, which is shot from 23 August to 30 August.

She says that she cut her tour short, but admits it’s for a ‘bigger cause’. “It doesn’t matter whether I am cutting short my tour. We will be dancing on the streets of Picadilly Square and other than fitting into Akshay’s busy schedule; we also had to keep in mind that you cannot get permission to do a bhangra on the streets in London. It requires a lot of permissions and they got just one day.”

Hip hop with Eminem, pop with Pussy Cat Dolls and now Bhangra with Akshay, must say Hard Kaur is providing the right mix of entertainment to the audience.

Dream wedding for Shilpa Shetty

The sleek actress with the hottest curves ever seen in Bollywood- Shilpa Shetty is getting hitched with her current boyfriend- businessman Raj Kundra, this December. Shilpa, earlier in an interview with an entertainment channel revealed her wish of getting married soon, and now it seems her dream is coming true

Recently it was reported that Shilpa is going to make this event a grand one, with a lavish wedding in the posh suburbs of London. Though we haven’t received any confirmation from her official spokesperson.

Shilpa’s dad is being seen in and out of court trying to get his passport back, which ceased in 2006. This has sparked a speculation on the wedding, as what could be more urgent than his daughter’s wedding.

Everybody is keeping mum on this affair, and it looks like Shilpa and Raj want to keep it all hush-hush till the final date, and have a official announcement later.

Arre jab pyar kiya toh darna kya…

Acting in movies is most boring job: Naseeruddin Shah

After delivering superlative performances in the Indian film industry for over 30 years, veteran actor-filmmaker Naseeruddin Shah says acting in movies is the most boring job in the world.

“(I’m) terribly fatigued at the thought of acting in movies. Movie acting is the most boring job in the world. No one would do it if it weren’t for the money,” Naseeruddin said in a yet to be aired interview to NewsX.

The actor spoke about his films, the film industry and his colleagues to the channel for a show called “Naseeruddin Shah Unplugged” on the sidelines of a theatre workshop at Srinagar.

Though Naseer, who gave some of his best performances in movies like “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron” and “Masoom” is a three-time National Award winner and a recipient of the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards, he has always stayed away from the industry’s glamour. And he thanks his stars for it.

“Nature has saved me from major stardom,” he said.

According to Naseer, whose acting in Neeraj Pandey’s “A Wednesday” won critical acclaim, the Indian film industry is suffering from a sheer lack of quality scripts.

“We do not exactly produce the greatest scripts in the world. We are still content to churn out what the hacks who pass off as writers in the film industry (write based) on the last Hollywood film they have seen.”

However, he feels “there are a number of youngsters who are producing promising scripts,” especially in the comedy genre.

The show will go on air on NewsX Thursday at 8:45 a.m. and will be repeated at 11:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.

Sets Appeal: Chi chi on L’il Champs

Govinda and David Dhawan came to promote their latest flick “ Do knot disturb” on the sets of Zee TV’s Saregamapa L’il Champs. A sneak peak by India Blooms

After a long hiatus we will finally find the original comedy king Govinda doing what he does best….tickle our funny bones! The hit jodi of Govinda and David Dhawan were the guest judges this week on L’il Champs. They also did the music release of their latest flick ‘ Do Knot Disturb’ on the sets with the crew which consisted of producer Vashu Bahgnani, Lyricist Sameer, Music director Shravan and singers Neeraj Shreedhar and Anushka Manchanda…

The actor might be busy with his movie commitments but that does not keep him from doing his home work. Before coming to L’il Champs he made sure that he knew the anchors and each and every participant well. He was all praises for the L’il anchors Afsha and Dhairya. In fact he was totally zapped by the Afsha’s non stop bak bak. “ Govinda uncle ye wrong spelling hai… it should be ‘not’ and not ‘knot’…”

He spoke at length about his mother and the difference that she has made to his life. Swarit is called on the stage to sing the song ‘Maa’ from the movie Taare Zameen Par. It was a very emotional moment which left everybody teary eyed including even the master comedy maker David Dhawan who could not stop his tears.

The best moment of the episode comes when Govinda shook a leg with l’il Afsha on his latest hit number ‘ bebo’

Afsha being Afsha did not spare anyone .. not even Govinda. She makes fun of his pet name ‘ Chi Chi’… Govinda, very endearingly explains the meaning of his name. “ My mother is a great devotee of Lord Krishna. Chi Chi means the little finger of your hand. This is the same finger with which Krishna Bhagwan had picked up the govardhan Parvat to save his fellow beings; hence the name Chi Chi and Govinda. Also the fact that I am the youngest in the family…” quips the actor.

David ji talks about the beautiful bond that they have been sharing since ages now. Says the ace director, “bhale ye kitna bhi achha kaam kar le.. but he always saves his best performance for me..”

We absolutely agree with David ji. This winner jodi has always given us paisa vasool movies. Pray that the coveted stage of L’il Champs prove to be auspicious for them!

Music of Bollywood film ‘Do Knot Disturb’ released in Mumbai

The cast of the upcoming Bollywood movie ‘Do Knot Disturb’ shared the stage for film’s promotion on the occasion of its music launch in Mumbai.

Directed by David Dhawan and produced by Vashu Bhagnani, the film stars Govinda, Ritesh Deshmukh, Lara Dutta and Sushmita Sen.

Big Pictures and Vashu Bhagnani’s Puja Films promises to add moments of laughter and joy to audience’s life along with a message.

Talking about the film’s music, Bhagnani said it is a great combination of music directors Nadeem-Shravan and Sameer has given the lyrics to suit the blend of the romantic comedy.

“The music is very good. It is the combination is of two guys Nadeem and Shravan. Sameer has done the lyrics. It is not a story which I can tell you about. It is a complete comedy with a small message into it. When you see it the message will come out,” said Bhagnani.

‘Do Knot Disturb’ also marks the coming together of the super hit comedy Jodi (duo) of David Dhawan and Govinda after a gap of two years bringing out a story on mistaken identities and misunderstandings.

“I have a mixed role in the film. Inspite of different characters, the film will be entertaining which actually takes the movie along. That is the most entertaining element in the film,” said Govinda.

Though Lara Dutta and Ritiesh Deshmukh couldn’t attend the music launch, they made their presence felt through a video-conference from London.

‘Do Knot Disturb’ is slated for release on October 2 this year.

Nauheed Cyrusi happy playing small roles

Actress Nauheed Cyrusi, best remembered for her sweet and demure looks in the song “Piya basanti re”, says she prefers small parts in movies rather than a full-fledged lead role.

“I think it doesn’t make any difference if an actor is playing a tiny part in a movie. Times have changed. You don’t need to be the lead heroine to be noticed. I feel it’s better to play small roles in a good film rather than play a lead in a film that the audience will never go to watch,” Nauheed told IANS.

She has recently grabbed a part in Rensil D’Silva’s project starring Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan and is also playing Sohail Khan’s love interest in the forthcoming film “Kissan”.

Nauheed will also be seen performing daredevilry in Colors’ action adventure reality show “Khatron Ke Khiladi - Level 2″, which is hosted by Bollywood star Akshay Kumar.

o exercise without trainer for Sophie Chaudhary

Sophie Chaudhary doesn’t do her workout sincerely unless her gym trainer coaxes her to push her limits, says a source close to the VJ-turned-actress.

“Sophie usually gives up her workouts after a few counts. And the only one person who can push to her to do extra number of counts is her gym trainer Satish. In fact, Satish knows Sophie so well that she can’t even make any excuse and wriggle out of those extra workouts. Also Satish is the only one Sophie listens to,” said the source.

Apparently Sophie was also heard saying that if she obeyed any other man the way she obeyed Satish, she would land up with a boyfriend.

The actress will soon be seen in Big Picture and Maruti Picture’s “Daddy Cool”.

Priyanka Chopra not allowed to wear jeans

Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, who made a style statement with her hot pants and halter tops in “Dostana”, wasn’t allowed to wear a pair of jeans at home.

The 27-year-old actress, who was brought up in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, faced these restrictions at home after returning from the US, where she had gone to do her high school.

“I wasn’t allowed to wear short skirts and then my jeans were also confiscated. And my mother got 12 salwar kameez sets made for me so that I wore only those because when I used to go to school, guys used to follow me,” Priyanka revealed on Farah Khan’s chat show “Tere Mere Beach Mein”.

But that phase is over for Priyanka who is counted among the most glamorous actresses in Bollywood today.

She will be seen with boxing champion Vijender Singh on the show on STAR Plus Saturday 9 p.m.

Wake up Sid Director Ayaan rubbishes calling Konkona old and unattractive!

Ayaan Mukherjee’s film has been flashed in the first blurbs as the story of a younger handsome man and an older not-so-good-looking woman.

Ayaan is appalled, and not only because his leading lady Konkona has not taken kindly to this description at all.

“I don’t know where that came from. All I can tell you is that this marketing pitch didn’t come from Karan or me. You think I’d dare to call my heroine, who I think is awesome, not good-looking?” Ayaan asks angrily. And then without waiting for a reply continues, “It came from a Facebook Wake Up, Sid fan club started on the website. Someone just saw Ranbir and Konkona together and decided to draw their own conclusions on their physicality. To me, Konkona is at the moment the most gorgeous woman I’ve met. In fact my last shot was with her, and I just couldn’t stop gawking.

” So is Wake Up, Sid about an older woman in love with a younger man?

Ayaan hems and haws and then relents. “Yes, Konkona’s character Ayesha is a few years older than the guy. But it’s not Summer Of 42, please! Nor is the age-difference concealed here as it was between Ranbir and Bipasha in Bachna Ae Haseenon. What happened was, we wrote in the age difference because I wanted only these two to be in my film. When I saw Ranbir in Saawariya I knew this was my Sid. He was young energetic and hungry to seize life. He was like me. You’ve to admit Ranbir and Konkona together are a pair that no one would imagine. I liked that challenge. And I also saw Konkona was around in the industry longer than Ranbir. So I conveniently turned the character into a slightly older woman.”

Clever, you tell Ayaan. So doesn’t he plan to work with his fabulous cousin Kajol?

Sighs Ayaan, “The thought didn’t strike me for my first film. I wrote Wake Up, Sid as this young new-age Dil Chahta Hai. It’s about today’s youngsters. Kajol? Yeah. Maybe in my next film…if I’m allowed to make another film.”

At the moment Ayaan is worried about how the audience would take up to the title. “But it had to be Wake Up, Sid. It’s a wakeup call for this rather laidback hero who meets an unusual woman. It’s a real film with no lip-sync songs. You think audiences in Patna would like it?”

On the night of completion Ayaan got dead drunk. “I’m very sad that it has ended. Now everyone will move away. It’s a heartbreaking process. I don’t know how Karan goes through it over and over again.”

Ranbir’s dad Rishi Kapoor has done a very fine film about falling in love with an older woman called Doosra Aadmi, where another Bengali actress Raakhee Gulzar played the unusual love interest.

Lindsay’s neighbours want her to move out

Lindsay Lohan’s neighbours apparently want the actress to move out after being fed up with the paparazzi who take up the parking space.

The singer’s peeved neighbours said “it has been a nightmare” ever since the star, whose house has been twice burglarised, shifted in Hollywood Hills, according to RadarOnline.com.

“The truth is that this is a very quiet neighborhood and there have been no break-ins apart from at Lindsay Lohan’s house,” the New York Daily News quoted a neighbour as saying.

“Since she moved in last November it has been a nightmare with all the paparazzi parking in our driveways waiting for her,” the neighbour added.

The neighbour also said: “I’ve got nothing personal against her but she needs to find a home in a gated community with security at the main gate because all the residents are fed-up with the situation.”

Kaminey Rules Box-Office!

Grosses more than 63 crores globally in just 10 days!

After storming the box office in the very first weekend of its release, UTV Motion Pictures Kaminey has now grossed Rs 63 crores within the first 10 days of its release worldwide.

Mesmerizing audiences across the nation with its foot tapping music, ace direction and the flawless portrayal of characters by the talented cast, the film grossed over Rs 50 crores across 1200 screens at the Indian box office. Despite its Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai release being rescheduled, Kaminey continues to rake in the moolah with its stupendous success both in India and internationally.

This masterpiece from the UTV stables continues to rule the Box office with its 10 days collection recording USD 10,72,624 in the US, USD 3,49,251 across the UK and USD 6,42,233 in UAE. The box figures recorded in Pakistan were USD 1,47,000 and USD 1,83,183 in Australia

Spelling the Dhan te nan quotient all through, Kaminey received the second highest opening in India, US and UAE, the biggest Hindi film opening of the year in Pakistan and one of the highest openings of the year in Australia.

Big Brother ‘too boring’, to be scrapped

Big Brother, the British reality TV show that brought Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty into the international limelight, is to be scrapped because it is thought to be too boring, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

Britain’s Channel 4 network is to take the controversial show off air after a fall in the number of viewers, and an official announcement could come as early as Friday, The Sun said.

Around two million viewers watched the tenth series this year, compared to 8.2 million when Shetty participated in 2007.

The Sun quoted an insider as saying: “The reality is people are bored with it. Even at Channel 4 the vibe among staff is that if you like Big Brother you’re not cool.

“If the people commissioning the show don’t think it’s cool, what hope is there?”

A source told the paper that Big Brother was failing to win over the “Facebook generation” because it had been watered down following a controversial celebrity version of the show in 2007, in which Shetty was alleged to have been racially bullied by several other participants.

“The truth is nobody’s talking about Big Brother any more,” a source told The Sun.

The Big Brother show is a competition that involves strangers living together in a large specially-designed house before round-the-clock TV cameras with viewers voting them out one by one and deciding on a winner, who takes a cash prize.

Big Brother became controversial in 2007 after Shetty was alleged to have been racially bullied by British celebrities Jade Goody, Jo O’Meara and Danielle Lloyd.

As the row ballooned, Channel 4 received a record 40,000 complaints against Goody, forcing the network to ‘evict’ her from the show, which made Shetty the winner.

Although the show peaked at 8.2 million viewers, sponsors Carphone Warehouse withdrew after global protests.

At its peak Big Brother generated profits of 70 million pounds a year.

There will be one final series next year, after which the show will only go ahead if the production house can strike a deal with another channel, the newspaper said.

Manoj VS Farah: Round 2

Manoj Kumar; already miffed with Farah Khan over the Om Shanti Om controversy, has been rubbed in the wrong way by her again. She commented on Manoj Kumar’s film, Clerk, and called it a “treasure chest of ham scenes’.

Manoj Kumar was upset over her remarks and felt that she is successful and has the right to have her own opinion. But just because she is successful, if she thinks she has become a master, she should think again.

He thinks she should learn to spell choreography and take a look at choreographers of the old era. He also feels that filmmakers nowadays copy old films and simply walk away with awards.

He doesn’t think highly of them even if their film performs well at the box-office. He also believes that while Farah’s Main Hoon Na was good, Om Shanti Om was simply idli, sambar and dosa of Madhumati and many other films.

Neetu Kapoor’s mother passes away

Rajee Singh, mother of actress Neetu Kapoor, breathed her last on Tuesday morning. She was living with Rishi Kapoor and Neetu at their Pali Hill bungalow, Krishna Raj.

She died of heart attack. Her cremation was held last evening. Rishi and Neetu’s manager confirmed the news.

In the meantime, Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor’s girlfriend, rushed to her boyfriend’s family’s side on hearing the news. She was supposed to leave for Italy as the shoot of Sajid Khan’s Housefull had shifted from London to Italy. And her manager-friend Tia had delivered a baby boy yesterday.

So she was in a mood for celebration until she heard that Ranbir’s grandmother had expired. She cancelled her ticket to Italy and was with the Kapoors’ all day.

Mommy Kajol’s Book-ish Buys!

Kajol is a doting mother. After wrapping up the US shooting of Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan, she was seen book shopping at a famous Juhu store. And while she’s known to be an avid reader, this time she was shopping for daughter Nysa.

Dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and designer glasses, she left after buying practically half the store. The staff offered to help her carry her purchases, but she kindly declined.

Kristen Stewart feels lucky to have started acting early

Actress Kristen Stewart feels that she was lucky to have started acting even before she was a teenager.

The Twilight star has said that she couldn’t have handled the pressures during her adolescence.

“I think that if I had started now or just a couple of years ago, after the age of 14, if I had waited two more years, I would be wrought. I couldn’t deal with the scrutiny,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

She added: “I feel like starting out as a teenager may not have been as good. I conquered fears at a young age because I wasn’t considering them, I just took them for whatever.”

Kristen debuted in 1999 Disney movie The Thirteenth Year at the age of nine, since then she has done more than 20 films.

Miley Cyrus stalker allegedly threatens to return to ‘finish things’

‘Hannah Montana’ star Miley Cyrus’ stalker allegedly threatened to return to her movie set to “finish things” off.

Mark McLeod was remanded in custody after a judge ruled he was potentially dangerous, and there was enough evidence to send the case to trial, reports Sky News.

Cyrus’ security guard revealed that McLeod, arrested earlier this month after trying to contact the star while on a film set on Tybee Island, on Georgia’s coast, had confided to police that he planned to return.

But Municipal Court Judge Steven Scheer said that he felt McLeod had no chance of getting to the 16-year-old singer “because she can afford the best protection money can buy.”

Though he did say that he feared McLeod might be a threat to others, even if he is not a threat to Cyrus.

Cyrus embarks on her first UK tour later this year, beginning at London’s O2 Arena in December.

Harsha’s eco friendly ganesha

Harsha Khandeparker aka Rajshri of Hum Dono Hain Alag Alag the so called “Not so cool girl” or bhenji of the serial shares some customs and rituals of eco-friendly Ganeshotsav which is celebrated at her native place-Goa.

Keeping in her mind the festivity of Ganeshotsav at her inhabitant, she shared each and every experience with us. “We have very different kind of celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi then what we usually see here. We don’t bring idol of lord Ganesh but instead of that make a natural idol with picture of Ganesh covered by banana leaves and then tie it in a shape of a pillow,” she explained.

As we talked further she also informed about the immersion pattern. “The Ganapati stays at home for only one and half day as it is made of all natural things which can decompose if kept for more days. It is not immersed but is kept in front of Tulsi plant (rang puja) and that’s all immersion is,” Harsha said. “Its all in natural way,” she concluded.

This was Harsh’s contribution towards eco friendly ganesha. What is your contribution for the same?

Irrfan’s unscripted lip-lock with Dia Mirza!

Irrfan Khan is known to be a thorough professional. He is pretty serious about his job and will do whatever it takes to make his role look perfect. But recently, this dedication took an interesting course. During the shoot of Acid Factory, Irrfan kissed Dia Mirza on the lips even though the scene only required him to kiss her on her cheek. Shocked, Dia phoned producer Sanjay Gupta and informed him about the incident.

According to sources, the shoot was on in South Africa. The scene going on was when Dia introduces Irrfan to Fardeen Khan and Irrfan comes forward to kiss Dia on the cheek and make it clear to Fardeen to not enter into his territory. He has to do this because he suspects something is going on between Fardeen and Dia. However, everyone was surprised when Irrfan suddenly kissed Dia on the lips. It was unexpected, not being a part of the script, but she chose not to make an issue about it at that time and simply called up Sanjay later on.

Meanwhile, Dia doesn’t seem to be very upset. She admits she was surprised, but she thinks that he did it to establish the chemistry between them in the scene. She also thinks it wasn’t much of a kiss. Sanjay also feels that Irrfan did it to make the scene look more real. After watching the rushes, he feels Irrfan succeeded. And since Dia isn’t making an issue over it, he’s fine with it too.

Jagannath Priests Scream out Kaminey!

Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminey has angered quite a number of priests at the Jagannath temple. They burned posters of the film after they found it containing a derogatory reference to the Orissa deity. A case was filed with the local police against the film alleging sacrilege.

The part that offended them was that in the film there was the well-known Hindi phrase, Apna haath Jagannath written on a toilet door alongside a scantily clad woman. They found that it vandalizes the pure image of their God. Kalinga Sena, a cultural outfit in Puri, had lodged the police complaint. According to Puri inspector, Sudhakar Sahoo, the case was registered for hurting Hindu religious sentiments.

Shilpa Shetty thinks karma brought her, “soulmate” Raj together

Shilpa Shetty has revealed her faith in karma, and believes her husband-to-be jewellery tycoon Raj Kundra must have been part of her previous life.

The actress, who is set to tie the knot with her London-born beau by the end of this year, said she was convinced the couple knew each other in a past life.

“I feel very lucky - to the point of actually feeling a little superstitious talking about him. He’s my soulmate,” the Daily Express quoted her as saying.

“I really believe in the whole karmic circle. He must have been part of my past life and he’s come back. Maybe we have some unfinished business,” she added.

The 34-year-old further said she was yet to finalise the wedding date that would coincide with an auspicious occasion.

She said: “It will definitely be before the end of the year but it has to be on an auspicious day such as a solar eclipse.”

Randeep Hooda swinging between Love and Lust!

He has got every element of what an actor has to have in him- Looks, attitude and oodles of talent make this actor, stand apart. From Deshu in super serious D Company to 18 stupendous roles in Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye, Randeep surely has come a along way, and now is hitting back with a bang with his forthcoming film Love Khichdi. The ex-beau of ever-sensuous Sushmita Sen will be seen surrounded by many girls namely- Riya Sen, Sonali Kulkarni, Divya Dutta, Rituparna SenGupta, Kalpana Pandit and Sada. The film is slated for a August 28 release.

In a candid interview, Randeep Hooda talks about love and lust, on and off-screen!

So many girls surrounded you; they must have really showered you with attention. How did it feel getting wooed by so many women?

Well, it’s not girls who are wooing me, except for Riya’s character. In fact, it’s my character that discovers the true meaning of love. His definition of love is limited to lust, which he has for all the girls, including his bai played by Sonali Kulkarni. He goes through these seven beautiful experiences and comes across the real definition of love. So, the entire female characters; except for Riya, who is in love with me have got equal share of attention and wooing.

Have you ever been wooed by so many girls in real-life?

(Blushes) Without sounding boastful- Yes, I am used to loads of attention from the opposite sex, and I enjoy it.

Is that so… do tell us about any particular incident?

Well, that’s something I would like to keep under wraps. Honestly, I am a little skeptical and scared of whether my building residents will let me enter the building after watching this film.

You were heard of being slapped by Divya Dutta on the sets while shooting for a funny scene…any other incident that tickles your funny bone or brings a smile on your face?

Well, another lady Sada slapped me too. Sada’s character slaps me while shooting on Worli sea-face. My three and half year old nephew was present on the sets, along with my mother. As soon as Sada slapped me my nephew immediately reacted and turned to mother saying, “Nani Nani yeh ladki toh gayi, Mamu isse banduk nikalkar maar denge” (Grandmother, this girl is gone, Uncle will shoot her with a pistol). We had a big laugh on that incident. Another incident was when Kalpana was to join me in the bed in a particular scene. And she ends up bringing a whip along to beat me. I had a hearty laugh at the sight, which was so embarrassing though.

There has been a transition in your acting from some super serious roles to some lovey-dovey kinds. Was it a deliberate effort or just a coincidence?

See, serious genre of films is my forte. However, an actor is an accomplished one if he is versatile, something which gives an actor an edge over others. So, it’s very important to experiment in different genres. I have different shades of traits in my persona, which I experiment with, in reel-life.

Tell us about the other projects in pipeline?

Karma Aur Holi, Kusar Prasad Ka Bhoot, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai, Rang Rasiya- Colors of Passion are some films which are lined up for this years release.

Coming back to Love Khichdi, what do you think is the USP of the film?

Reality driven script, and most important- loads of talking with the camera; it’s a very interactive film, where audience would be involved throughout.

Prem Kahani gets September release

R Chandru’s (of Taj Mahal fame) Prem Kahani has been scheduled for a September release. The Ajay starrer has earned a U certificate from the Censor Board.

Ajay is very confident about the film, and thinks that it is going to do very well.

Iniya to release this week

Director Mahesh’s (of Mussanje Maathu fame) Iniya is scheduled to hit theatres this week, on 28 August. Starring Balaji and Pooja Gandhi, the film has been produced by Shailendra Babu.

The cast and crew of the film are awaiting its release and are very confident about its results.

Rishi ‘Chintu’ Kapoor to contest Elections!

Next Gen Films and Kaleidoscope Entertainment announced on 22nd August’09 the release of Chintuji, a humorous take on actors becoming politicians. Starring veteran actor Rishi Kapoor who plays himself (Chintu Kapoor), the hilarious satire is scheduled to release on 4th September. After being highly appreciated in the super hit Love Aaj Kal, Rishi Kapoor is all set to captivate audiences with his character driven role in Chintuji, where he plays himself Rishi “Chintu’ Kapoor.
Set in a small, but beautiful village called “Hadbahedi’, Chintuji casts Rishi Kapoor in an intriguing role, which has been very special to the actor. The film has been produced by Bobby Bedi and, written and directed by Ranjit Kapoor of cult comedy “Jane Bhi Do Yaaron’ fame of which he wrote the dialogues. In this hilarious satire on actors becoming politicians, the film takes the fun route with Rishi Kapoor playing a “reel life brat’ portraying all his “real life’ idiosyncrasies.
Speaking of his role in Chintuji, Rishi Kapoor says, “I’m thrilled with this role, as this is the first time I have portrayed a character this close to my real personality. I had a ball playing this role and it occupies a very special place in my heart. Despite being an uproarious comedy, the film still manages to remain meaningful and beautifully brings out the satire and emotions. It’s a superb blend of fiction and reality. In the words of my Father, Shri Raj Kapoor’s favorite songs– it is “Aadhi Haqeeqat, Aadha fasana”.
The film stars Rishi Kapoor as the lead protagonist, along with Priyanshu Chatterjee, Kulraj Randhawa, Grusha Kapoor and Sourabh Shukla; with a special performance by Sophie Choudhary.

Shake it Baby: Shahid Kapoor’s jig throws male security guards in tizzy!

It was an evening to remember for the winners and audience present at the 12th Annual Rajiv Gandhi awards, and making it more memorable was newly crowned superstar Shahid Kapoor.

Shahid Kapoor broke into an impromptus jig with his co-star Priyanka Chopra when she came down from the stage at the Dhan Ta Nen song from their recent super hit film Kaminey. Though this was just for a few seconds, the girls in the crowd descended on to the front row, giving a tizzy to the all male security guards, who were unable to handle the mobbing girls.

Mobbing is usually expected to be led by male fans, but with Shahid Kapoor’s “Charlie’ avatar gaining instant popularity with the girls, it’s them who end up leading the mobs. With women security usually missing at events it’s been left to his manager and publicist (both girls) to manage the unruly female attention.

Hrithik’s hi-tech chair for Guzaarish

Hrithik Roshan, who plays a paraplegic in director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish, will be seen on a wheel chair in the film. Buzz is that the actor is shooting with a specially made to order remote-controlled modernized wheel chair. Shernaaz Patel plays his doctor in the film.

Unit sources inform that an old lavish Haveli has been erected for this purpose and Hrithik and Aishwarya Rai have been shooting emotionally intense scenes for the movie and were quite comfortable in each other’s company. Since they have worked together in Dhoom II and Jodhaa Akbar earlier, this will be their third film together and they share a good rapport with each other.

Bhansali who is known for his detailing in his film has been extremely careful about the entire set and the look of the film. The entire unit has been shooting behind closed doors. Apparently, Bhansali has booked the studio till January 2010. Portions of the movie will be shot on the outdoor locales of Goa, later next month.

No Hrithik or Abhishek yet for ‘Agneepath’ remake: Karan Johar

There have been speculations about who will play the male lead in the remake of the 1990 hit “Agneepath”. While the names of Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan popped up, filmmaker Karan Johar clarifies that no one has been finalised to play the part Amitabh Bachchan immortalised in the original.

“I haven’t made any statement whatsoever around the man who would eventually be playing the role of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan that was made iconic by Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. All I have said is that, yes, we are going ahead with a remake of ‘Agneepath’ and that’s about it,” Johar said.

Whether it is Hrithik, Abhishek or someone else, Johar must be having a wish list?

“Well, the wish list is to get the screenplay right. For the moment nothing else is more important than that,” he said.

Even though the film is being produced under the banner of Dharma Productions, Johar won’t be going behind the camera for the movie.

“True, I would be stepping aside and the film would be directed by Karan Malhotra, who has assisted me on ‘My Name Is Khan’. That’s the only thing which has been finalised… everything else you hear is mere speculation. We will finalise the cast once the script is locked. Currently, it is still in the process of being written,” he added.

Malhotra is not really a novice when it comes to filmmaking. He has earlier worked as an assistant director with Ashutosh Gowariker on “Jodhaa Akbar”, Farah Khan on “Main Hoon Na”, Farhan Akhtar on “Lakshya” and Raj Kumar Santoshi “Lajja and Pukar” amongst others.

Since it is close to two decades since the release of “Agneepath”, would the remake have a different milieu to it?

“Certainly! We are adapting the film from the original, but ours would be a new age version that would fit in well with today’s time. We really hope that we are able to do justice to the original and make the remake exciting for today’s generation,” Johar said.

Dharma Productions, meanwhile, has as many as seven films that are in different stages of production. These are “My Name Is Khan”, “Wake Up Sid”, “Kurbaan”, “Koochie Koochie Hota Hai”, remakes of Hollywood flick “Stepmom” and “Agneepath” and “I Hate Love Stories”.

How is he managing it all?

“Believe me, it’s not difficult at all. All you have to do is to follow a three-point mantra - delegation, outsourcing and trust. Along with that, if you have the right vision and infrastructure in place, which we do have in Dharma Productions, it isn’t difficult to crack it all.

“That’s the way you manage things and I have been fortunate enough to have a team with which it has become possible to helm a number of projects at the same time,” said Johar.

Among the seven films, three are ready to hit the screens.

“‘Wake Up Sid’ is all set to arrive on Oct 2. ‘Kurbaan’ will come in late November. Other than that, we are looking at an early 2010 release for ‘My Name Is Khan’. Yes, these have been busy and really exciting times,” the filmmaker said.

Bollywood fever grips Malaysian students

The magic of Bollywood has even gripped Malaysian school students.

The stage at the Esplanade came to life after 18 dance students entertained guests with a variety of Indian dances, sketches, and songs.

Dance instructor Nimal Raj said that the dances and songs were based on songs from the current Hindi movies.

And most of the dancers were secondary school students.

“They usually practise for four hours four times each week to prepare for a show like this,” the New Straits Times quoted him as saying.

Three actresses booked for employing child labour

Mumbai, Aug 25 (IANS) In the wake of growing abuse of domestic help and minors, the Maharashtra government Tuesday filed cases against three actresses - Bollywood star-singer Suchitra Krishnamoorthi and television stars Laxmi and Uma Khan - for allegedly employing child labour.

“We have initiated police action against them under various sections of the Child Labour & Prohibition Act, 1986, Juvenile Justice Act and other laws for employing child labour,” Labour Secretary Kavita Gupta said.

She also promised action against television actress Urvashi Dharnorkar, who was arrested Saturday on charges of beating, burning and confining her 10-year old maid.

Earlier, Labour Minister Nawab Malik told journalists that the labour department had information that at least two actresses had employed minor girls (below 14 years of age) as domestic labour.

“We have initiated the necessary proceedings against the actresses. We appeal to people to give us information about individuals who employ child labour so we can take suitable steps,” Malik said.

Gupta said that Suchitra, former wife of film director Shekhar Kapoor, had employed a minor girl, Naranti from Meghalaya. Laxmi had employed Laila Khan while Uma Khan had employed Shanti Vishwakarma at their homes.

“Some NGOs got a tip off and managed to rescue the minor girls - Naranti, Laila and Shanti. With the help of the labour department, they have lodged police complaints against them,” she said.

Gupta said that employing children below 14 years of age in households was prohibited under law because domestic work of all kind is categorized under “hazardous activities”.

“If convicted, it attracts a penalty of Rs.20,000 and/or jail term ranging from six to 24 months,” she added.

The action comes barely three days after Dharnorkar was arrested for beating her maid. However she managed to secure bail within hours, causing a furore.

The victim, Rameshwari is lodged in a juvenile rescue home.

“The government feels that for such heinous offence, (Urvashi) should not have secured bail so easily. Now we are contemplating other serious charges against her, including laws pertaining to bonded labour and child trafficking,” Gupta said.

She said there had been many similar complaints that people from the glamour world were employing children as domestic servants.

“These famous personalities are role models for society. Whatever they do, the masses blindly follow them. This magnifies the problem,” Gupta said.

The Child Labour Prevention Act, 1986, was amended in October 2006 to ban employment of children under 14 as domestic maid and in restaurants, hotels and other hospitality sectors.

Rani’s passion for perfecting her cricketing skills

It’s now known by all that Rani Mukerji plays the role of a male cricketer in Dil Bole Hadippa. But not many are aware about Rani’s aim for perfecting the art of playing the game of cricket. It is learnt that she trained really hard for the game before beginning work on the film.

Our unit source revealed, “Rani actually started practicing the game a good six months before the film even went on the floors. The person who trained Rani to master the game is a well-known Indian cricket player, but her name is being kept under wraps since she doesn’t want people to know about her involvement in the film. The coach monitored Rani throughout her practice, and made sure that she perfected her shots well. Rani has been practicing the game wherever she traveled and has practiced on the grounds in Delhi and Punjab too.”

Well, whether Rani mastered her fours and sixes will be known only after the film releases. But for now, Rani’s current svelte figure is testimony enough that she has run across the pitch!

The film also stars Shahid Kapoor and Anupam Kher, with special appearances by Rakhi Sawant and Sherlyn Chopra.

Hrithik’s hi-tech chair for Guzaarish

Hrithik Roshan, who plays a paraplegic in director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish, will be seen on a wheel chair in the film. Buzz is that the actor is shooting with a specially made to order remote-controlled modernized wheel chair. Shernaaz Patel plays his doctor in the film.

Unit sources inform that an old lavish Haveli has been erected for this purpose and Hrithik and Aishwarya Rai have been shooting emotionally intense scenes for the movie and were quite comfortable in each other’s company. Since they have worked together in Dhoom II and Jodhaa Akbar earlier, this will be their third film together and they share a good rapport with each other.

Bhansali who is known for his detailing in his film has been extremely careful about the entire set and the look of the film. The entire unit has been shooting behind closed doors. Apparently, Bhansali has booked the studio till January 2010. Portions of the movie will be shot on the outdoor locales of Goa, later next month.

Internet a tool to connect films with youth: Sharmila Tagore

Modern-day communication tools like internet can enhance the interaction among movie buffs across the globe, said film actress Sharmila Tagore here Tuesday.

Launching the website for Big Pictures’ Marathi film “Samaantar” at a multiplex here Tuesday, Tagore said the message and trends of Indian cinema can be taken to the young generation better through the internet, as they are the most tech savvy group.

“The interaction among the eclectic audience will be enhanced due to such modern-day tools. Due to this website, the tech savvy youth will be informed of the new trends in Indian cinema,” she said, with the film’s director-actor Amol Palekar by her side.

This is Tagore’s maiden engagement with Marathi films.

Palekar and Tagore have come together after more than 30 years since pairing in their Bengali super hit film “Mother” in the late 1970s.

“Samaantar” (Parallel folds) is an intense story about the parallel lives of Keshav (Palekar) and Shama (Tagore) crossing each other in the twilight of life. It is set for release Sep 4.

Big Pictures is the motion pictures brand of Reliance Big Entertainment Ltd - the flagship media and entertainment arm of the Indian conglomerate Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group.

Suchitra faces trouble for hiring minor

The Maharashtra government Tuesday slapped a case against Bollywood actor Suchitra Krishnamoorthi and television star Laxmi for allegedly employing minors as servants at their respective residences.

“We were informed that both Suchitra and Laxmi have hired minor girls at maids. Accordingly, we have initiated necessary proceedings against the two actresses. We appeal to people to come forward and give us information about such individuals who employ child labour so we can take suitable steps in the matter,” Labour Minister Nawab Malik told reporters here Tuesday.

Krishnamoorthi is the ex-wife of filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.

The government took this step in the wake of growing abuse on minor servants in the city.

On Saturday, television actor Urvashi Danokar was arrested for physically abusing her 10-year-old maid-Rameshwari. She got a bail the same day, while the maid is presently in a juvenile rescue home.

The Child Labour Prevention Act, 1986, was amended October 2006 to ban employment of children under 14 as domestic servants and in dhabas, restaurants, hotels and other hospitality sectors. It makes their employment a punishable offence.

Sohail Khan Plays Manoj Kumar From Upkar In Kissan

It may not be official. But there is more in common between Manoj Kumar’s 1967 paean to patriotism Upkar and Sohail Khan’s Kissan than the song Mere desh ki dharti for which Sohail has officially taken the rights from Manoj Kumar.

The two films share a common theme as well, so much so that the basic plotting of the two films is almost identical.

Take a look. Upkar is about a mother Radha (Kamini Kaushal) from an agricultural family in a village. She can only afford to send one son for education to the city. While Bharat (Manoj Kumar) grows up to be an uneducated patriotic son of the soil, his brother (Prem Chopra) returns from the city burdened with the corrupt idea of progressive living with no respect for the motherland.

Cut to Kissan where Kamini Kaushal changes gender to become the farmer-father Jackie Shroff who can afford to send only one son for education to the city. Prem Chopra from Upkar transforms into the city-bred son Arbaaz Khan in Kissan, while Sohail Khan is the son who stays back in the village to be a farmer with his father.

“Till’ debt do us part? How does Sohail feel playing Manoj Kumar? The young actor is quite flattered to have elements from Manoj Kumar’s Upkar coming into his film.

Says Sohail, “Upkar, Mother India, Deewaar…now Kissan. They’re in the same mould. Emotional drama about a family torn by ideology. I’m being asked, why I’ve chosen to produce a film that has a village and a farmer family in its background. It seems our filmmakers have forgotten that a majority of India still lives in the villages. I’ll be proud of Kissan for as long as I’m a filmmaker.”

Let’s hope Manoj Kumar who took great offence to the way he was portrayed in Shah Rukh Khan’s production Om Shanti Om will be pleased with this neo-Upkar produced by SRK’s archrival Salman’s brother.

Shilpa to launch readymade meal chain in Britain

After dabbling in cricket and spas, Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is now venturing into the F&B segment with a chain of readymade meals in Britain.

“It gives me great pleasure to announce that Raj Kundra (fiance) and me have invested with the V8 Gourmet Group… Got to acknowledge the fact that Indian food is much enjoyed (chicken tikka masala becoming the nation’s favourite) and has a huge market in Britain,” Shilpa posted on her blog shilpashettylive.com/blog from London Sunday.

“… this was only a sign for us to think it right to invest and procure a 33 percent stake in V8 that encompasses Vama, The Bombay Bicycle Club and Tiffinbites. We also do airline catering and the newest plan is to introduce readymade Indian meals that will be under 10 percent fat,” she added.

Co-owned by celebrity chef Andy Varma, the 34-year-old actress has massive extension plans for the chain.

“Hoping to launch this line of readymade meals after Christmas in Britain. It’s great to know that our restaurants are frequently visited and appreciated by A-list clientele like Brad Pitt, Woody Allen, Mick Jagger, His Highness King Abdullah of Jordan, Bryan Adams, Rowan Atkinson and Uma Thurman and even our very own Amitabh Bachchan and Saif Ali Khan.

“We will be branching out to Dubai and Jordan by end of this year, and many more in years to come,” she added.

Shilpa also dismissed rumours that the food chain was in remembrance of late British reality TV star Jade Goody, whom she interacted with in “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2007 in Britain.

“I would also like to clarify all those reports and rumours about it (chain) being in honour of Jade Goody is completely and utterly baseless… you’ve heard this from me, and that’s what counts,” she said.

TV channel to hunt for biggest Jackson fan in India

All Indian fans of pop star Michael Jackson gear up. Entertainment channel Vh1 is set to host "The Search For India’s Biggest Michael Jackson Fan" contest.

The winner will represent India as Jackson’s biggest fan and will be given an opportunity to pay his/her last respects to the legend at the star dedicated to him on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

Vh1 will also give a chance to fans to pay homage to the late King of Pop by sending in a ribbon and a note in memory of Jackson and it will be delivered to the Walk of Fame.

To participate, all fans have to SMS MJ to 56882 to obtain details of the contest

"No amount of praise can possibly befit the legend that lived. We want to give our viewers the opportunity to express their love for the King of Pop with this once in a life time opportunity," said Ferzad Palia, associate general manager, Vh1 India.

The Walk of Fame currently has over 2,000 five-pointed stars featuring the names of not only human celebrities but also fictional characters honoured by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for their contributions to the entertainment industry.

Jackson died June 25 at his LA residence, leaving his family and fans shocked. He was 50.