Welcome Hindi cinema's first no-holds-barred action extravaganza. We have had our romantic weepathons, our comic blockbusters, and masala entertainers. This one is three hours of all of those, with a strong undercurrent of action. Unpretentious, it goes all out to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
Ghajini, remake of the Tamil hit of the same name, which in turn was ‘inspired’ by Christopher Nolan's cult-and-confused Memento, is perfectly suited to Hindi film audience tastes.
So you have a revenge drama, which has always worked in Hindi cinema, from Sholay to Om Shanti Om. But this one is darker and more angst-ridden than anything you have seen before. Sanjay Singhania (Aamir Khan) is a man on the prowl. Having lost the love of his life (Asin) to an assailant, Sanjay suffers from short-term memory loss and cannot remember anything for more than 15 minutes. So he clicks pictures and makes notes to remember faces, places, names, and things to do. All he remembers from his past life is the name of the man who killed his love: Ghajini. Sanjay's obsession to get to Ghajini (Pradeep Rawat) and the obstacles that crop up in the form of his own lack of memory is what the film is all about.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Spice girl scares soon to be mom Mel C
Former Spice Girl Melanie Chishholm also known as Mel C is nervous about giving birth to her first child after listening to the hospital horror stories that her bandmate Melanie Brown told her.
The British singer who is expecting her first child in February next year said in an interview to 'Reveal' magazine that she has heard terrible tales about having a baby from mum-of-two Melanie Brown also known as 'Scary Spice'.
However, the singer insists she has not been put off and the rest of her bandmates have offered her the support she needs.
She tells 'Reveal,' "The girls are really excited and supportive. I've seen quite a lot of them lately, except Victoria, obviously, because she's out in LA a lot. Mel B has been talking me through all the fine details of giving birth and has told me loads of horror stories. Well, she is Scary isn't she? So I suppose it's her job to scare me a bit."
Mel C is the last of the erstwhile all girls pop group 'Spice Girls' to become a mother. Melanie also revealed in the interview that her former bandmates have already started baby shopping
The British singer who is expecting her first child in February next year said in an interview to 'Reveal' magazine that she has heard terrible tales about having a baby from mum-of-two Melanie Brown also known as 'Scary Spice'.
However, the singer insists she has not been put off and the rest of her bandmates have offered her the support she needs.
She tells 'Reveal,' "The girls are really excited and supportive. I've seen quite a lot of them lately, except Victoria, obviously, because she's out in LA a lot. Mel B has been talking me through all the fine details of giving birth and has told me loads of horror stories. Well, she is Scary isn't she? So I suppose it's her job to scare me a bit."
Mel C is the last of the erstwhile all girls pop group 'Spice Girls' to become a mother. Melanie also revealed in the interview that her former bandmates have already started baby shopping
Britney's New Year's resolution - stop biting nails
Britney Spears has kept a rather nail-biting resolution for the New Year-the popstar wants to quit chewing her fingernails in 2009!
The 'Womanizer' singer wants to take better care of her hands starting New Year - because she longs for manicured and attractive hands.
And thus she is determined to quite her dirty habit as well as get rid of the reason behind it-not to worry anymore, reports.
"Next year, I have to learn to stop biting my nails! I would like to stop worrying so much, because I worry all the time. And to learn how to be happier, just in general. I have to learn to take things not so seriously," she said.
However, the pop superstar is not sure if she'd be able to stick to her promise, as she doesn't have a good history of keeping her resolutions.
"I end up breaking them. It's hard," she added.
The 'Womanizer' singer wants to take better care of her hands starting New Year - because she longs for manicured and attractive hands.
And thus she is determined to quite her dirty habit as well as get rid of the reason behind it-not to worry anymore, reports.
"Next year, I have to learn to stop biting my nails! I would like to stop worrying so much, because I worry all the time. And to learn how to be happier, just in general. I have to learn to take things not so seriously," she said.
However, the pop superstar is not sure if she'd be able to stick to her promise, as she doesn't have a good history of keeping her resolutions.
"I end up breaking them. It's hard," she added.
Ajay Devgan is a prankster: Asin
Working with Bollywood actor Ajay Devgan in Vipul Shah's London Dreams was an eye-opener for south Indian actress Asin.
"Working with Ajay Devgan has been a revelation. He is a prankster and not at all the quiet type of person," said Asin, who has just made her Bollywood debut in Aamir Khan-starrer Ghajini.
Asin says all of them gelled very well while shooting for the film. "The three of us including Salman (Khan) had great fun," she said.
London Dreams will be Asin's second Bollywood venture. It is about a music band formed by Asin, Salman and Ajay.
"Working with Ajay Devgan has been a revelation. He is a prankster and not at all the quiet type of person," said Asin, who has just made her Bollywood debut in Aamir Khan-starrer Ghajini.
Asin says all of them gelled very well while shooting for the film. "The three of us including Salman (Khan) had great fun," she said.
London Dreams will be Asin's second Bollywood venture. It is about a music band formed by Asin, Salman and Ajay.
Madonna biggest 2008 N. American tour attraction
Madonna's "Sticky & Sweet" concert tour was the biggest-grossing music tour of 2008 in North America, raking in $105.3 million, concert tracking magazine Pollstar said on Monday.
The Material Girl, whose 58-show world tour finished in Brazil last week, was closely followed by another solo diva -- Canadian-born Celine Dion, who made $94 million in North America from her first tour since ending an almost five-year residency in Las Vegas a year ago.
Rock veterans The Eagles were third on Pollstar's list, grossing $73.4 million for their tour to support possibly their last studio album "Long Road out of Eden".
Country music star Kenny Chesney ($72.2 million) and rock band Bon Jovi ($70.4 million) came in fourth and fifth.
The Top 10 grossing tours of North America were rounded out by Bruce Springsteen and the E street band ($69.3 million), Neil Diamond ($59.8 million), Rascal Flatts ($55.8 million), The Police ($48.0 million) and veteran rocker Tina Turner ($47.7 million).
Pollstar's Top 10 list did not include global tour earnings for the year.
The Material Girl, whose 58-show world tour finished in Brazil last week, was closely followed by another solo diva -- Canadian-born Celine Dion, who made $94 million in North America from her first tour since ending an almost five-year residency in Las Vegas a year ago.
Rock veterans The Eagles were third on Pollstar's list, grossing $73.4 million for their tour to support possibly their last studio album "Long Road out of Eden".
Country music star Kenny Chesney ($72.2 million) and rock band Bon Jovi ($70.4 million) came in fourth and fifth.
The Top 10 grossing tours of North America were rounded out by Bruce Springsteen and the E street band ($69.3 million), Neil Diamond ($59.8 million), Rascal Flatts ($55.8 million), The Police ($48.0 million) and veteran rocker Tina Turner ($47.7 million).
Pollstar's Top 10 list did not include global tour earnings for the year.
Santa Salman Khan wows kids
Fifteen kids of the Smile Foundation — a national level organisation working on children’s health and education in 21 states of the country — had a whale of a time as none other their ‘favouritest’ actor Salman Khan gave them gifts on Christmas eve. However, they did not anticipate the double-whammy when Preity Zinta joined them a little later — which was a pleasant surprise. She had dropped in to visit Salman on the way to a shoot.
The kids named Fie, Sameer, Mithilesh, Pooja, Mayuri, Jyoti and Amrish were excited and thrilled to bits as they also got to take a look at the sets of Salman’s forthcoming film, Veer. Salman asked them, “Where are the rest of the guys? I was expecting more of you. Have they all gone to see Ghajini?”
As a gesture of gratitude, the kids gifted him a lamp with a candle and sang, May God Bless You while Salman beamed and joined in with the chorus. Preity Zinta remembered, “I learned this song in school.” It was a touching day for the kids, the stars
And, of course, us. Here’s to a Merry Christmas!
The kids named Fie, Sameer, Mithilesh, Pooja, Mayuri, Jyoti and Amrish were excited and thrilled to bits as they also got to take a look at the sets of Salman’s forthcoming film, Veer. Salman asked them, “Where are the rest of the guys? I was expecting more of you. Have they all gone to see Ghajini?”
As a gesture of gratitude, the kids gifted him a lamp with a candle and sang, May God Bless You while Salman beamed and joined in with the chorus. Preity Zinta remembered, “I learned this song in school.” It was a touching day for the kids, the stars
And, of course, us. Here’s to a Merry Christmas!
The secret is out on Ash-Rajnikanth starrer
The closely guarded secret is out about India’s most expensive film Endhiran, which stars Rajnikanth and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The film has the South Indian superstar playing a double role. We also have the storyline of this film.
An informer reveals: “The film has Rajnikanth essaying two roles that of a scientist and the robot Endhiran he creates. The film is essentially about what circumstances propel Rajni to make a robot, his relationship with it and what he wants to achieve through the robot.”
“The film is set in 2200 AD and Rajni is a famous scientist who is madly in love with Aishwarya. Being the best scientist of the country, Rajni is given an important mission of creating robots which will make the living of human races easier. But trouble starts after Rajni makes the robot,” the insider adds. Endhiran has some interesting twists and turns too.
The source adds: “Every film has a twist and the twist in Endhiran comes in with the villain trying to ruin the reputation and fame Rajni garners for creating the robot by abducting it. Rajni tries to bring back his creation but realises that a robot in which he has sowed the seeds of love, has started to fall in love with the girl he loves. The robot creates more confusion in Rajni’s life by chasing Ash all around. Using this to his advantage Rajni finally manages to bring the robot back under his control. He rectifies all the anomalies in the robot’s configuration and regains his reputation in the eyes of his countrymen.”
An informer reveals: “The film has Rajnikanth essaying two roles that of a scientist and the robot Endhiran he creates. The film is essentially about what circumstances propel Rajni to make a robot, his relationship with it and what he wants to achieve through the robot.”
“The film is set in 2200 AD and Rajni is a famous scientist who is madly in love with Aishwarya. Being the best scientist of the country, Rajni is given an important mission of creating robots which will make the living of human races easier. But trouble starts after Rajni makes the robot,” the insider adds. Endhiran has some interesting twists and turns too.
The source adds: “Every film has a twist and the twist in Endhiran comes in with the villain trying to ruin the reputation and fame Rajni garners for creating the robot by abducting it. Rajni tries to bring back his creation but realises that a robot in which he has sowed the seeds of love, has started to fall in love with the girl he loves. The robot creates more confusion in Rajni’s life by chasing Ash all around. Using this to his advantage Rajni finally manages to bring the robot back under his control. He rectifies all the anomalies in the robot’s configuration and regains his reputation in the eyes of his countrymen.”
AR Rahman revamps his website for birthday
Ace music composer AR Rahman hasn’t revamped his official website for about two years, but we have news that work is on to make his website more stylish by including additional features in it. The new, improved portal will be launched on January 6, 2009, which marks Rahman’s 43rd birthday.
A close aide of Rahman revealed that the decision to upgrade his website came after Rahman was nominated for the Golden Globe awards for his score in Danny Boyle’s acclaimed film, Slumdog Millionaire.
And also through his interactions abroad he realised that his website did not have enough juice for his global audiences like his music videos, footage of live concerts, behind-the-scenes stills and videos and also Rahman’s photographs from his concerts and travels. It will also have a link called ‘Rahman’s Recommendation’ in which he will select his top 10 songs from a particular genre.
“Rahman’s official website was very basic and not a lot of work has been done on it for almost two years now. His website did not have many features like live show grabs, his chartbuster videos and even his songs that a composer of his repute should have. People in India and abroad get so much news about him and so we did not want to do anything on the news front in his new website,” says a Rahman aide.
“We wanted to stylise his website and have concert footage, his photographs etc, loaded for his international fans who are deprived of all this. It will be a very up-to-date site now. Rahman too liked the idea and gave a go ahead to the effort.”
A close aide of Rahman revealed that the decision to upgrade his website came after Rahman was nominated for the Golden Globe awards for his score in Danny Boyle’s acclaimed film, Slumdog Millionaire.
And also through his interactions abroad he realised that his website did not have enough juice for his global audiences like his music videos, footage of live concerts, behind-the-scenes stills and videos and also Rahman’s photographs from his concerts and travels. It will also have a link called ‘Rahman’s Recommendation’ in which he will select his top 10 songs from a particular genre.
“Rahman’s official website was very basic and not a lot of work has been done on it for almost two years now. His website did not have many features like live show grabs, his chartbuster videos and even his songs that a composer of his repute should have. People in India and abroad get so much news about him and so we did not want to do anything on the news front in his new website,” says a Rahman aide.
“We wanted to stylise his website and have concert footage, his photographs etc, loaded for his international fans who are deprived of all this. It will be a very up-to-date site now. Rahman too liked the idea and gave a go ahead to the effort.”
Kelly Brook has the body most admired by British women
British women crave for body like that of Kelly Brook, according to a new survey. The TV star, 29, who was voted the sexiest woman in the world in 2005, has a curvy shape most ladies dream of, reports the Sun.
Cameron Diaz’s long legs and Friends star Jennifer Aniston’s hair were also on most women’’s wish list.
The most coveted face was said to be that of Tomb Raider star Angelina Jolie. The poll of 5,000 was conducted by weight-loss pill LIPObind.
I've always wanted to work with Hrithik: Bhansali
Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali says he always wanted to work with Hrithik Roshan and he's doing exactly that in his new venture that also stars his favourite actress - Aishwarya Rai. The two have already created wonders together in Dhoom-2 and Jodhaa Akbar.
"Hrithik and I wanted to work together for a very long time. I've always been impressed by his sincerity as an actor. I was waiting for the right opportunity to sign him. Working with Hrithik would be a new and rewarding experience," Bhansali said.
The director admits that Aishwarya is "special", after having worked with her in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas.
"Aishwarya is very special to me. She suits the role in my new film to perfection. When she read the script she was deeply moved," he said.
Bhansali also rubbished reports that he had signed on Pakistani actor Imran Abbas for his next venture.
"I haven't signed anyone called Imran Abbas. I'm not making Heera Mandi right now...I met him almost a year ago, but I immediately realised he wasn't the actor I was looking for. Just because I don't speak out, people take advantage of my silence."
He also maintains that he is still proud of his Saawariya, which flopped.
"It's my rarest work in terms of treatment."
Excerpts from the interview:
You seem to have quietly signed a Pakistani actor called Imran Abbas for Heera Mandi.
So quietly that even I don't know about it. I haven't signed anyone called Imran Abbas. I'm not making Heera Mandi right now. It may happen much later.
I'm now directing another film with Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai. I'm very excited about the film, and so are they.
You continue to be fearless in spite of Saawariya?
This is the time when filmmakers need to be fearless and experiment with themes. Fearlessness is my biggest asset as a filmmaker. I will continue to make films that come from deep within me. My very first film Khamoshi: The Musical didn't do well at all. A lot of people think it's my best work.
So are you as proud of Saawariya as the rest of your films?
Of course. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam or Devdas can be made again, but Saawariya cannot. It's my rarest work in terms of treatment. It had beautiful performances and visuals. I tried to put a stage-play on film. Of course at the end of the day the audience decides what it likes.
So have you met Pakistani actor Imran?
Moin Beg, who has written Heera Mandi, wanted me to meet Imran. So I met him almost a year ago, but I immediately realised he wasn't the actor I was looking for. Just because I don't speak out, people take advantage of my silence.
Why don't you clarify the misconceptions when they occur?
I can't bring myself to become the master of sound bytes. But beyond a point silence is construed as a sign of acceptance. I don't even meet new actors, musicians or lyricists. I've already decided whom to work with in my next project. And why go to Pakistan to get actors? We've very talented people in our own country.
There were reports that some actors, including Ranbir Kapoor, didn't want to work with you?
People are writing tragic tales about me every day. They are even deciding what film I'm making and also casting actresses in them... Maybe stories about me sell. But when the misrepresentations go beyond my tolerance, it's time to speak up. The truth is Ranbir and Sonam would be there for me whenever I need them. However, at the moment I'm making a film with Hrithik and Aishwarya.
"Hrithik and I wanted to work together for a very long time. I've always been impressed by his sincerity as an actor. I was waiting for the right opportunity to sign him. Working with Hrithik would be a new and rewarding experience," Bhansali said.
The director admits that Aishwarya is "special", after having worked with her in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas.
"Aishwarya is very special to me. She suits the role in my new film to perfection. When she read the script she was deeply moved," he said.
Bhansali also rubbished reports that he had signed on Pakistani actor Imran Abbas for his next venture.
"I haven't signed anyone called Imran Abbas. I'm not making Heera Mandi right now...I met him almost a year ago, but I immediately realised he wasn't the actor I was looking for. Just because I don't speak out, people take advantage of my silence."
He also maintains that he is still proud of his Saawariya, which flopped.
"It's my rarest work in terms of treatment."
Excerpts from the interview:
You seem to have quietly signed a Pakistani actor called Imran Abbas for Heera Mandi.
So quietly that even I don't know about it. I haven't signed anyone called Imran Abbas. I'm not making Heera Mandi right now. It may happen much later.
I'm now directing another film with Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai. I'm very excited about the film, and so are they.
You continue to be fearless in spite of Saawariya?
This is the time when filmmakers need to be fearless and experiment with themes. Fearlessness is my biggest asset as a filmmaker. I will continue to make films that come from deep within me. My very first film Khamoshi: The Musical didn't do well at all. A lot of people think it's my best work.
So are you as proud of Saawariya as the rest of your films?
Of course. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam or Devdas can be made again, but Saawariya cannot. It's my rarest work in terms of treatment. It had beautiful performances and visuals. I tried to put a stage-play on film. Of course at the end of the day the audience decides what it likes.
So have you met Pakistani actor Imran?
Moin Beg, who has written Heera Mandi, wanted me to meet Imran. So I met him almost a year ago, but I immediately realised he wasn't the actor I was looking for. Just because I don't speak out, people take advantage of my silence.
Why don't you clarify the misconceptions when they occur?
I can't bring myself to become the master of sound bytes. But beyond a point silence is construed as a sign of acceptance. I don't even meet new actors, musicians or lyricists. I've already decided whom to work with in my next project. And why go to Pakistan to get actors? We've very talented people in our own country.
There were reports that some actors, including Ranbir Kapoor, didn't want to work with you?
People are writing tragic tales about me every day. They are even deciding what film I'm making and also casting actresses in them... Maybe stories about me sell. But when the misrepresentations go beyond my tolerance, it's time to speak up. The truth is Ranbir and Sonam would be there for me whenever I need them. However, at the moment I'm making a film with Hrithik and Aishwarya.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Vijay’s Villu stunts on Internet
Already fighting a menacing nemesis – video and audio piracy – Kollywood now has a big adversary to tackle: the booming technology at the hands of spoilsports and the adventurous! Any film crew would like to keep its work under wraps until the film’s release, especially what it deems the film’s highlights, to help maintain high curiosity levels among filmgoers and thereby increase business. But there is always someone waiting to play spoilsport. With more sophisticated gadgetry available, it has become very easy for them to leak these “highlights” on the Internet.
Recently, a very important stunt scene and a song from Vijay-starrer Villu (remake of Bollywood blockbuster Soldier) have been leaked and are available on the Internet! Yes! This has naturally shocked and perplexed Vijay and the film crew! Initially, they did not have a clue about how two important highlights of their forthcoming film ended up on the Internet – is it an spoilsport fan or a crew member?! But since this stunt scene is well edited, the crew feels that this has been done by some insider. At the moment, everyone is worried about the damage this incident could cause.
But the crew has forgotten that this kind of incident has become common in the recent past, sometimes working like a double-edged sword! Many important songs of Sivaji and Vaaranam Aayiram made it to the Internet well before their release, but that did not affect business at all – both were highly successful films. Sometimes, such leaks might work in their favour by stoking up public curiosity about the film! And just like Sivaji and Vaaranam Aayiram, Villu has a big star in the lead – Vijay. So, the film crew need not be fazed by this incident. Nevertheless, incidents such as these must be stopped.
With Ilayathapathy Vijay having so many fans, the servers of the websites that harbour this video will have a tough time handling requests for Villu stunt scenes and songs! For a while Vijay, Villu, and stunt scenes, video would be the most-searched for words on the Internet!
Recently, a very important stunt scene and a song from Vijay-starrer Villu (remake of Bollywood blockbuster Soldier) have been leaked and are available on the Internet! Yes! This has naturally shocked and perplexed Vijay and the film crew! Initially, they did not have a clue about how two important highlights of their forthcoming film ended up on the Internet – is it an spoilsport fan or a crew member?! But since this stunt scene is well edited, the crew feels that this has been done by some insider. At the moment, everyone is worried about the damage this incident could cause.
But the crew has forgotten that this kind of incident has become common in the recent past, sometimes working like a double-edged sword! Many important songs of Sivaji and Vaaranam Aayiram made it to the Internet well before their release, but that did not affect business at all – both were highly successful films. Sometimes, such leaks might work in their favour by stoking up public curiosity about the film! And just like Sivaji and Vaaranam Aayiram, Villu has a big star in the lead – Vijay. So, the film crew need not be fazed by this incident. Nevertheless, incidents such as these must be stopped.
With Ilayathapathy Vijay having so many fans, the servers of the websites that harbour this video will have a tough time handling requests for Villu stunt scenes and songs! For a while Vijay, Villu, and stunt scenes, video would be the most-searched for words on the Internet!
Is Endhiran worth Rs 165 cr?
The grapevine has it that the deal has been firmed up between the Rajinikanth-Shankar combo and Sun Pictures for a whopping Rs 165 crore, on a first copy basis.
All that Kalanidhi Maran, chairman and managing director of Sun TV Network Limited was willing to say was, “This is a big moment for Sun Pictures as we feel this is going to be India’s biggest movie. We are very happy and proud to be associated with Superstar Rajinikanth, Shankar and A R Rahman.”
Sources close to AI say the company is relieved that it is out of the project, which according to them “does not make any business sense”.
The buzz is that Shankar and Karunamoorthy of AI have parted ways over the budget of Endhiran, which was originally pegged at Rs 120 crore.
After the meltdown and global recession, the Kishore Lulla-owned Eros International, which has a stake in AI, wanted Shankar to scale down the budget.
However, sources claim Shankar was in no mood to comply. As per sources close to the production, for shooting two songs in North America, Peru and other foreign locations and some scenes in Goa, AI shelled out a whopping Rs 30 crore!
Shankar and key members of his unit travelled in style in first class, first on a recce to spot locations and then for the actual shoot. They stayed at luxury resorts and took helicopters from the US for the aerial shots for the songs. Also, sources claim they hired top technicians from Hollywood with salaries on par with what they would get for an English film!
And for an action scene to be shot in Goa, the producers were forced to buy, on the insistence of the director, three brand new luxury cars — a Mercedes, BMW and an Audi, costing nearly Rs 3 crore, when they could have hired it! And the brand new Merc was blown up for an action scene, when they could have used a dummy! It was at this stage that AI decided that enough was enough and wanted to wriggle out of the project.
A source says, “They literally blew up a fortune — nearly Rs 30 crore and hardly 25 percent of the film was over. Remember? Rajinikanth’s biggest blockbuster of all times, Chandramukhi, was made on a budget including prints for Rs 30 crore, which went on to collect between Rs 80 and 100 crore from theatricals and all other rights. In the international market, a Rajinikanth film has the potential to generate a sum of $3 to $3.5 million, roughly about Rs 15 crore, while an SRK or Aamir Khan superhit film can make anywhere between Rs 40 and Rs 50 crore.”
Meanwhile, Kishore Lulla of Eros International has been going through difficult times as his big budget Bollywood films like Drona and Yuvvraaj have bombed.
In a recent interview, Lulla was quoted as saying, “With the liquidity crunch in the market, people now have less disposable income and so, they will now spend less on luxury and entertainment. This means the movie-going clientele will decrease and so will the box-office collections.”
And the underlining factor that the parent company Eros was stressing was that Kollywood is hardly 30 percent of Bollywood in the international market. Karunamoorthy was clearly told that, this was no time for any kind of bravado.
But Maran and his team do not want to talk about the past. Instead, they are looking at the future.
They feel Endhiran has the potential to be a blockbuster and from Tamil Nadu alone, it may gross a bulk of its production cost.
Added to that, Sun DTH’s foray into north India has been a marketing success and Endhiran’s Hindi version, when it releases next year, can piggyback on it.
Shankar put it succinctly, “I am proud to join hands with Kalanidhi Maran. Working with superstar Rajinikanth is a pleasure.”
All that Kalanidhi Maran, chairman and managing director of Sun TV Network Limited was willing to say was, “This is a big moment for Sun Pictures as we feel this is going to be India’s biggest movie. We are very happy and proud to be associated with Superstar Rajinikanth, Shankar and A R Rahman.”
Sources close to AI say the company is relieved that it is out of the project, which according to them “does not make any business sense”.
The buzz is that Shankar and Karunamoorthy of AI have parted ways over the budget of Endhiran, which was originally pegged at Rs 120 crore.
After the meltdown and global recession, the Kishore Lulla-owned Eros International, which has a stake in AI, wanted Shankar to scale down the budget.
However, sources claim Shankar was in no mood to comply. As per sources close to the production, for shooting two songs in North America, Peru and other foreign locations and some scenes in Goa, AI shelled out a whopping Rs 30 crore!
Shankar and key members of his unit travelled in style in first class, first on a recce to spot locations and then for the actual shoot. They stayed at luxury resorts and took helicopters from the US for the aerial shots for the songs. Also, sources claim they hired top technicians from Hollywood with salaries on par with what they would get for an English film!
And for an action scene to be shot in Goa, the producers were forced to buy, on the insistence of the director, three brand new luxury cars — a Mercedes, BMW and an Audi, costing nearly Rs 3 crore, when they could have hired it! And the brand new Merc was blown up for an action scene, when they could have used a dummy! It was at this stage that AI decided that enough was enough and wanted to wriggle out of the project.
A source says, “They literally blew up a fortune — nearly Rs 30 crore and hardly 25 percent of the film was over. Remember? Rajinikanth’s biggest blockbuster of all times, Chandramukhi, was made on a budget including prints for Rs 30 crore, which went on to collect between Rs 80 and 100 crore from theatricals and all other rights. In the international market, a Rajinikanth film has the potential to generate a sum of $3 to $3.5 million, roughly about Rs 15 crore, while an SRK or Aamir Khan superhit film can make anywhere between Rs 40 and Rs 50 crore.”
Meanwhile, Kishore Lulla of Eros International has been going through difficult times as his big budget Bollywood films like Drona and Yuvvraaj have bombed.
In a recent interview, Lulla was quoted as saying, “With the liquidity crunch in the market, people now have less disposable income and so, they will now spend less on luxury and entertainment. This means the movie-going clientele will decrease and so will the box-office collections.”
And the underlining factor that the parent company Eros was stressing was that Kollywood is hardly 30 percent of Bollywood in the international market. Karunamoorthy was clearly told that, this was no time for any kind of bravado.
But Maran and his team do not want to talk about the past. Instead, they are looking at the future.
They feel Endhiran has the potential to be a blockbuster and from Tamil Nadu alone, it may gross a bulk of its production cost.
Added to that, Sun DTH’s foray into north India has been a marketing success and Endhiran’s Hindi version, when it releases next year, can piggyback on it.
Shankar put it succinctly, “I am proud to join hands with Kalanidhi Maran. Working with superstar Rajinikanth is a pleasure.”
Nayanthara is back in Tollywood
In a sudden turn of events, top heroine Ileana has been replaced by Nayanthara.
The buzz is that Ileana and her mother who was giving enough and more tantrums to the unit even before the shooting started, was asked to give back the advance that she had received.
Nayanthara who is director VV Vinayak’s favourite was roped in to replace Ileana. Nayantara who has just come out of a Tamil movie recently is in Kerala shooting for a Malayalam movie.
She has gone out of her way to accommodate this film for which she will be paired opposite NTR for the first time and with this film, Nayan hopes to bounce back in Telugu.
Remember that her dream was to make it big in Kollywood and after doing so, she is back to Tollywood where she has a huge fan base.
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Jim Carrey's new comedy "Yes Man" got the nod from moviegoers across North America, but brutal weather in key markets combined with holiday shopping distractions to hit overall ticket sales. According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, "Yes Man" earned $18.2 million during its first three days, winning a closely watched duel with the Will Smith drama "Seven Pounds." The decidedly downbeat film opened to a lightweight $16 million, Smith's worst performance in seven years.
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Film composers aren't exactly the most social creatures in Hollywood. But when five of this year's Oscar front-runners -- A.R. Rahman ("Slumdog Millionaire"), Howard Shore ("Doubt"), Danny Elfman ("Milk"), Alexandre Desplat ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") and Jan Kaczmarek ("The Visitor") -- sat down recently with The Hollywood Reporter, they seized the opportunity for a frank, passionate discussion of the past, present and future of film music.
Adam Sandler turns on charm in "Bedtime Stories"
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Has Adam Sandler been defanged? "Bedtime Stories" is his first family-friendly comedy, not to mention his first for Walt Disney Pictures. But if Sander can startle us in a dark, obsessive role like "Punch-Drunk Love," he can surprise us here, too. In a modern-day fairy tale about hopes, aspirations and family, Sander displays a winning form under the light and mischievous direction of Adam Shankman("Bringing Down the House").
Fifty years since "Greatest Game Ever Played"
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fifty years ago the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts took the NFL title game to sudden death and launched pro football on a ride to the top of U.S. sports with what came to be known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played." The golden anniversary of that 23-17 upset win on December 28, 1958 by a Colts team led by young quarterback Johnny Unitas has inspired a passel of books this holiday season, a television retrospective and musings on how far football has come.
Ailing shows travel from TV land to limbo
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Most TV shows exit the airwaves with a flurry of headlines memorializing their demise. Sometimes, though, a program fades from the spotlight into a scheduling twilight zone: neither declared dead nor returning. Here's the lowdown on some missing-in-action titles from this year that most expected to see again but which have no airdates on the horizon:
White Zombie laid to rest on boxed set
DETROIT (Billboard) - Assembling the White Zombie boxed set "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie" was "weird" and somewhat bittersweet for Rob Zombie, the frontman for the defunct metal group that broke up in 1996. "The funny thing was when I was putting it together, it seemed so long ago," Zombie told Billboard.com. "It felt like I was putting together a box set of someone else's band. It just seemed like forever ago, and some of the early songs are, like, 20 years ago or something. It just seemed weird."
Quirky werewolf tale unleashed at Fox Broadcasting
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Talk about a hairy "Sex and the City." The Fox network has ordered a script for "Bitches," a comedy-drama about a quartet of female friends in New York who are werewolves.
Warner Music pulls videos from YouTube
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Warner Music Group ordered YouTube on Saturday to remove all music videos by its artists from the popular online video-sharing site after contract negotiations broke down. The order could affect hundreds of thousands of videos clips, as it covers Warner Music's recorded artists as well as the rights for songs published by its Warner/Chappell unit, which includes many artists not signed to Warner Music record labels.
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Film composers aren't exactly the most social creatures in Hollywood. But when five of this year's Oscar front-runners -- A.R. Rahman ("Slumdog Millionaire"), Howard Shore ("Doubt"), Danny Elfman ("Milk"), Alexandre Desplat ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") and Jan Kaczmarek ("The Visitor") -- sat down recently with The Hollywood Reporter, they seized the opportunity for a frank, passionate discussion of the past, present and future of film music.
Adam Sandler turns on charm in "Bedtime Stories"
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Has Adam Sandler been defanged? "Bedtime Stories" is his first family-friendly comedy, not to mention his first for Walt Disney Pictures. But if Sander can startle us in a dark, obsessive role like "Punch-Drunk Love," he can surprise us here, too. In a modern-day fairy tale about hopes, aspirations and family, Sander displays a winning form under the light and mischievous direction of Adam Shankman("Bringing Down the House").
Fifty years since "Greatest Game Ever Played"
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fifty years ago the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts took the NFL title game to sudden death and launched pro football on a ride to the top of U.S. sports with what came to be known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played." The golden anniversary of that 23-17 upset win on December 28, 1958 by a Colts team led by young quarterback Johnny Unitas has inspired a passel of books this holiday season, a television retrospective and musings on how far football has come.
Ailing shows travel from TV land to limbo
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Most TV shows exit the airwaves with a flurry of headlines memorializing their demise. Sometimes, though, a program fades from the spotlight into a scheduling twilight zone: neither declared dead nor returning. Here's the lowdown on some missing-in-action titles from this year that most expected to see again but which have no airdates on the horizon:
White Zombie laid to rest on boxed set
DETROIT (Billboard) - Assembling the White Zombie boxed set "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie" was "weird" and somewhat bittersweet for Rob Zombie, the frontman for the defunct metal group that broke up in 1996. "The funny thing was when I was putting it together, it seemed so long ago," Zombie told Billboard.com. "It felt like I was putting together a box set of someone else's band. It just seemed like forever ago, and some of the early songs are, like, 20 years ago or something. It just seemed weird."
Quirky werewolf tale unleashed at Fox Broadcasting
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Talk about a hairy "Sex and the City." The Fox network has ordered a script for "Bitches," a comedy-drama about a quartet of female friends in New York who are werewolves.
Warner Music pulls videos from YouTube
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Warner Music Group ordered YouTube on Saturday to remove all music videos by its artists from the popular online video-sharing site after contract negotiations broke down. The order could affect hundreds of thousands of videos clips, as it covers Warner Music's recorded artists as well as the rights for songs published by its Warner/Chappell unit, which includes many artists not signed to Warner Music record labels.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Jealous Victoria pulls plug on Beckham's Italian interview
Victoria Beckham might be the 'in girl' of fashion right now, but even she has her own insecurities. Posh spice was reportedly fuming with jealousy when she got to know that husband David has granted permission for an hour long interview with Italy's glamorous TV presenter Ilaria D'Amico.
Beckham who has recently made a move to join European football giant AC Milan was supposed to give his exclusive first interview in the city of Milan, but sources in Italy
claimed jealous Victoria was so angry she pulled the plug on the special hour-long chat.
After a day of confusion, the producers of the show finally revealed that the 'Beckham Show' would go ahead but last for only 15 minutes. The format had been changed "at the request of the Beckham camp," some sources revealed.
Though a spokesman for Posh and Becks dismissed that as "nonsense" and insisted the interview would go ahead as planned. Victoria had a right to fret as earlier David Beckhamhas been involved in some highly publicised extra marital affairs, the most well known being his affair with secretary Rebeca Loos in 2004.
Beckham who has recently made a move to join European football giant AC Milan was supposed to give his exclusive first interview in the city of Milan, but sources in Italy
claimed jealous Victoria was so angry she pulled the plug on the special hour-long chat.
After a day of confusion, the producers of the show finally revealed that the 'Beckham Show' would go ahead but last for only 15 minutes. The format had been changed "at the request of the Beckham camp," some sources revealed.
Though a spokesman for Posh and Becks dismissed that as "nonsense" and insisted the interview would go ahead as planned. Victoria had a right to fret as earlier David Beckhamhas been involved in some highly publicised extra marital affairs, the most well known being his affair with secretary Rebeca Loos in 2004.
I wanted to be an airhostess: Prachi Desai
Prachi Desai always yearned to be a glamorous actress but she had a back-up plan ready just in case her celluloid dreams failed to take off.
“I was charmed by Bollywood movies since childhood and I used to gaze at the actors and silently aspire to become like them when I grew up," she said. "I always wanted to be a glamorous girl of the industry. I really thought that one day I will become an actor.
“But obviously I could not take chances with my career and so, like everyone else, I had something in mind just in case my acting dreams didn't happen in reality."
Prachi's backup plan was to become an airhostess. "I was working towards becoming an airhostess. I was also studying German because I wanted to fly international. I also wanted to become a psychologist for children. I did a course in mass comm as I always wanted to do something with media as my career. But thankfully things feel into place and I'm living my dream now.”
But has Prachi got all the rosy things she had visualised in her childhood while working in the industry or has she got a taste of some harsh realities?
“For me living a life in the world of Bollywood was like a fairy tale come true. But yes, once you are in it, you realise what it actually is. Thankfully, I have been lucky to have not faced the things you are talking about, but like everyone I too have heard stories. But that’s about it.”
Jiah Khan talks about Ghajini
Bollywood hottie Jiah Khan says though her character Chitra in Ghajini is very close to her personality in reality, she admits that playing that role of Jia in Nishabd was more fun and challenging.
“I play a medical student in Mumbai in Ghajini who has an adventure streak in her. She is kinda geeky but she loves thrills in life. I’m quite close to her in real life. Though I’m not a very thrill-loving person but the way she dresses up, the way she talks and her get-up is quite similar to mine. However, playing Jia in Nishabd was great fun. I’m nowhere close to that character in real life so it was all the more challenging to play her, a moderately sexy girl,” Jiah tells After Hrs.
And what about her character in Ghajini? How much screen space does she share with Aamir Khan?
“There are two halves in the film. One is a more personal and love and romance sphere and the other is the thriller and adventure zone. I come in during this thriller half. I’m a medical student who has to make a case study and Aamir is my patient. What I learn, how I get involved with his is my story in the film,” she adds.
Twenty-year-old Jiah’s debut Bollywood film saw her getting cast opposite Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir lapped her up for her second. Does she consider herself to be the blue-eyed girl of Bollywood?
“I have been extremely lucky to have worked with both Amitabh and Aamir. I have learnt a lot from both of them. Amitabh is more relaxed to work with as he has got lots of experience. He has done lots of great work and with Aamir since he’s such a perfectionist, you have to be on your toes as he is always trying to do something to better his performance,” she says.
With Jiah in a very candid mood to chat, we could not resist asking her about the rumours that she and Asin aren’t getting along with each other and that Jiah is also unhappy that Ghajini is promoting Asin more than her.
“I have heard these stories and I think the press and the audiences want to think that something is wrong between us. I can tell you one thing. I have done my job. Marketing is not in my hands and there are different stages of it. Asin needs to get a lot of publicity as it is her Bollywood debut while people know me a little here. Asin is very sweet and very beautiful. I have met her couple of times and I don’t have any problem with her,” she says.
Jiah, whose next two films will see her team up with Shahid Kapur and Akshay Kumar, goes on to admit that the film-makers of Ghajini have shot a promotional video just featuring her and that it will be on air.
“It is a very Jennifer Lopez kind of a video. It is a very high energy song. I’m like covered from head to toe but still the song is very pulsating and catchy,” she says.
Ghajini actress Asin is the new face of Tata Sky
Direct-to-Home operator TataSky announced the appointment of South Indian actress Asin as its brand ambassador, who is yet to make a Bollywood debut
in Aamir Khan's forthcoming film Ghajini.
Now, Asin who is set to conquer Bollywood with her much awaited release Ghajini opposite Aamir Khan will feature across all Tata Sky brand and product communication including advertisements on TV, print, radio and other mediums, said the company in a press release.
TataSky, a joint venture between Tata and media major Star has already signed Aamir Khan earlier July this year. Speaking on it chief marketing officer, Tata Sky Vikram
Mehra said Asin would be very influential for the brand of the company.
"Tata Sky and Asin have a lot in common. Both are young, energetic, achievers, and both enjoy a high degree of credibility with consumers. As our new face, she will be
influential in reinforcing the attributes of the Tata Sky brand and reiterate our positioning," said Mehra.
At present, TataSky with a three million subscriber base is at number two in the DTH market.
in Aamir Khan's forthcoming film Ghajini.
Now, Asin who is set to conquer Bollywood with her much awaited release Ghajini opposite Aamir Khan will feature across all Tata Sky brand and product communication including advertisements on TV, print, radio and other mediums, said the company in a press release.
TataSky, a joint venture between Tata and media major Star has already signed Aamir Khan earlier July this year. Speaking on it chief marketing officer, Tata Sky Vikram
Mehra said Asin would be very influential for the brand of the company.
"Tata Sky and Asin have a lot in common. Both are young, energetic, achievers, and both enjoy a high degree of credibility with consumers. As our new face, she will be
influential in reinforcing the attributes of the Tata Sky brand and reiterate our positioning," said Mehra.
At present, TataSky with a three million subscriber base is at number two in the DTH market.
Who is the bigger brand, Aamir or Shah Rukh?
The cold war between Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan over their films Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Ghajini just took a new turn with the former proclaiming himself as the biggest brand and saying there cannot be any competition with him. Do you agree with his claim? Who do you think is the bigger brand of the two stars?
POST YOUR COMMENT
Hindi version of Canadian movie for Mumbai terror victims
A Canadian film production house Saturday said it will dedicate the Hindi version of Robin Hood: The New Zen Warrior to Mumbai terror attack victims.
Production house Zen Duke Entertainment, which is making the movie in English, is shooting the film in 12 different countries, including India. The version dubbed in Hindi will be titled Robin Hood: Bodhisattva, said a statement by Zen Duke Entertainment mailed from Beverly Hills, California.
It said the saga of English folk hero Robin Hood has been set against the Buddhist background. Actor-director Zen Duke, a Canadian of Indian origin, is portrayed "as a leather-clad Buddhist superhero possessing extraordinary prowess in martial arts, who follows the code of Bodhisattva used by the greatest Zen warriors from the Shaolin monks to the Japanese Samurai."
"Expected to be completed next year, the movie pays homage to the Buddhist origins of Kung Fu and explains the strong connection between Indian spirituality and martial arts," the release added.
The movie has elements of the Kama Sutra and features futuristic fashion ensembles as well.
Production house Zen Duke Entertainment, which is making the movie in English, is shooting the film in 12 different countries, including India. The version dubbed in Hindi will be titled Robin Hood: Bodhisattva, said a statement by Zen Duke Entertainment mailed from Beverly Hills, California.
It said the saga of English folk hero Robin Hood has been set against the Buddhist background. Actor-director Zen Duke, a Canadian of Indian origin, is portrayed "as a leather-clad Buddhist superhero possessing extraordinary prowess in martial arts, who follows the code of Bodhisattva used by the greatest Zen warriors from the Shaolin monks to the Japanese Samurai."
"Expected to be completed next year, the movie pays homage to the Buddhist origins of Kung Fu and explains the strong connection between Indian spirituality and martial arts," the release added.
The movie has elements of the Kama Sutra and features futuristic fashion ensembles as well.
SRK is scared to work with me: Aamir Khan
The infamous rivalry between the two superstars of Bollywood- Aamir and Shahrukh- is once again hogging the limelight with the former revealing that King Khan is "scared" to work with him.
On the eve of the release of Ghajini, starring Aamir Khan, the actor says he has no qualms about working with Shahrukh, however the actor kept saying no.
"SRK is scared to work with me what to do?" Aamir told Rajeev Masand in a television interview.
Masand had asked the actor on whether audiences could expect to see both the stars together in the near future. The Khans were supposed to work together for director
Rajkumar Santoshi who was apparently writing a script for both of them.
Even director Mansoor Ali Khan and Aamir's cousin wanted to make 'Josh' starring both the Khans but apparently Shahrukh had disagreed.
"He (Shahrukh) kept saying no" said Aamir. However the perfectionist actor Aamir said that he and Shahrukh might work together in future if there is a good script.
"If something interesting comes up and if the script is nice and both of us like our roles, I don't see a problem!" he said.
The Khans were embroiled in a tug-of-war earlier this year with Aamir revealing on his blog that he had named his pet dog as Shahrukh. Meanwhile, Shahrukh Khan had in a public function in Mumbai recently claimed that he was currently the biggest brand in the country and there was no other brand bigger than him.
Now as the year ends the rivalry between the Khans has once again become the talk of the town as Shahrukh's Rab ne bana de jodi which released recently is pitted against Aamir Khan's Ghajini that will hit theatres on Christmas Day.
On the eve of the release of Ghajini, starring Aamir Khan, the actor says he has no qualms about working with Shahrukh, however the actor kept saying no.
"SRK is scared to work with me what to do?" Aamir told Rajeev Masand in a television interview.
Masand had asked the actor on whether audiences could expect to see both the stars together in the near future. The Khans were supposed to work together for director
Rajkumar Santoshi who was apparently writing a script for both of them.
Even director Mansoor Ali Khan and Aamir's cousin wanted to make 'Josh' starring both the Khans but apparently Shahrukh had disagreed.
"He (Shahrukh) kept saying no" said Aamir. However the perfectionist actor Aamir said that he and Shahrukh might work together in future if there is a good script.
"If something interesting comes up and if the script is nice and both of us like our roles, I don't see a problem!" he said.
The Khans were embroiled in a tug-of-war earlier this year with Aamir revealing on his blog that he had named his pet dog as Shahrukh. Meanwhile, Shahrukh Khan had in a public function in Mumbai recently claimed that he was currently the biggest brand in the country and there was no other brand bigger than him.
Now as the year ends the rivalry between the Khans has once again become the talk of the town as Shahrukh's Rab ne bana de jodi which released recently is pitted against Aamir Khan's Ghajini that will hit theatres on Christmas Day.
Bollywood's leggy beauties
Thankfully Deepika Padukone is dating tall dude Ranbir, or her long legs may have caused her beau some embarassment
Rising star Katrina Kaif is yet another Bollywood diva with amazing legs.
Priyanka Chopra's gorgeous legs have taken her far this year. With the coming of Fashion and Dostana she has now been established as an A-league actress
Model turned actress Mugdha Godse showed off her model's legs in Fashion
Check out the Bollywood beauties with the sexiest legs. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan may look a tad short next to hubby Abhishek but she has still got the legs of a world-class model.
In the past year Shilpa Shetty's life has been just perfect and that includes her legs.
Budding actress Jiah Khan too can boast of really gorgeous legs
Bipasha Basu too was a model in her pre-Bollywood days and she has made it a point to retain her perfect legs.
Actress Neha Dhupia needs to train her legs to direct her towards some success in tinsel town.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Sachin Tendulkar to Aamir Khan: Buddy, what a body!
They are similar is several ways — both have grown up in Mumbai, are perfectionists, and are superstars in their respective fields, both with that elusive little thing called the X factor. But there’s another similarity between Sachin Tendulkar and Aamir Khan — they are both of average height and have a tendency to put on weight. More so Sachin, who is painfully conscious about gaining any extra bulk because he’s worried it will compromise his on-field agility.
So when Sachin saw Aamir’s beefcake look in Ghajini, he just couldn’t believe his eyes. Just a while ago, he’d met Aamir (at the IPL matches) and was convinced that the pictures were digitally enhanced. Incidentally, Aamir and Sachin are good friends — Aamir had invited the batting great and his wife for his very wedding to Kiran Rao.
“Sachin Tendulkar sent a text message to Aamir Khan last month saying that he was looking nice in the ‘digitally manipulated pictures’. Aamir was quick to point out that it was actually the result of a year’s rigorous training that helped him get a body like that,” says a source. So both the stars decided to meet up, once the shooting of Ghajini was over.
After Hours has learnt that the two had some rounds of ‘secret meetings’ to share fitness tips before Sachin flew off to Chennai for the ongoing Test series against England..
Apparently, Aamir had promised Sachin that he would be the first person to see the first cut of Ghajini. Immediately before Ghajini was sent to the Censor Board, Aamir invited Sachin to the editing studio in Bandra to see the film. Sachin — who was accompanied by wife Ajali — not only was floored by Aamir’s very real muscles, but also the film.
After several attempts to get Aamir’s version, he finally confirmed: “Sachin, along with Anjali, saw the film although there’s still some work left. They loved the film. And yes, Sachin finally believed that it was actually my body on the posters of the film.”
So are we going to see Sachin sporting the Ghajini physique and doing a Ganguly?
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, good hai ji!
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharnma, Vinay Pathak
Aditya Chopra
Last week, I spotted Aditya Chopra at a multiplex. The maverick filmmaker is known to make a trip to cinema halls every week and watch the audience react to all films - romantic, comic or downright sleazy. Although I had an itch to go and have a chat with him, I wanted to give the man what he likes – his privacy – something he's been guarding fiercely since the release of his first film, the eternal blockbuster Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ). After all, in spite of all his extraordinary achievements, Aditya prefers the life of an ordinary man, in some ways like Surinder Sahni in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (RNBDJ).
Surinder ((Shah Rukh Khan, who else!) is a 9-to-5 man: simple, unheroic and ageing. Circumstances compel Surinder to marry Taani (Anushka Sharma, perfect casting), after she loses her lover in an accident. Taani surrenders herself to be a duty-bound wife, complying with traditions and being the perfect spouse in every way possible. But she can never love Surinder, she tells him a day after their marriage. Surinder, having fallen head-over-heals for Taani, has no hopes of her ever developing feelings for him due to his ordinary looks and nature.
But he has to tell her how much he loves her, and he needs an outlet. Surinder then transforms in to Raj, who is everything Surinder isn't. Loud, flamboyant and sometimes vulgar, Surinder lives the life he always wanted to through Raj. He gets to flirt with Taani, be her partner on a dance competition and express his love in a way he can never imagine doing as Surinder.
The problem arises when Taani starts falling in love with Raj. Although Raj is really Surinder's alter ego, Taani doesn't know that and her loving Raj reflects her lack of wanting to be with Surinder.
Aditya Chopra keeps it simple this time. The film is not very high on grandeur, style and designer clothes and revolves mainly around the two characters, three if you take into account Shah Rukh's dual roles. Aditya doesn't deviate much from the plot and sticks to linear form of storytelling. Having said that, the single-track nature of the story also makes it a tad too long at 2 hours and 45 minutes. The same story, told in a little over two hours, would have done wonders.
However, you have to give it to Aditya to attempt a love story that's drastically different from the one he set the trend of in the first place. Coming back after a span of eight years, Aditya chooses a subject that may not set the cash registers ringing in a way, say, a Om Shanti Om did, but tells a heartwarming love story of a middle-class, middle-aged man that needs to be applauded for its minimalism. It reflects the director's own maturity as a person and in spite of not being as engrossing as DDLJ, the film manages to keep you entertained.
Certain sequences, of course, are outstanding. The entire build-up to Surinder's character, his transformation into Raj and moments between husband and wife at home are brilliant. A surprise 'bike' sequence is among the film's other highlights. But the biggest of them all is Shah Rukh gyrating with some of today's top heroines (we won't take names) to a medley of songs – from Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand to Rajesh Khanna, Shammi and Rishi Kapoor - that will bring the house down. In fact, the song is a clear indication of Shah Rukh's star power and could do for the movie what Mere Angne Main did for Amitabh Bachchan and Laawaris.
Just like Aditya chooses a road-less-travelled for his comeback, Shah Rukh performs a role that must have required tremendous introspection. As Surinder, he plays it down and delivers a performance that is among the best in Hindi films. As 'lover boy' Raj, although he is on more familiar territory, the earthy accent and walk is what gives it a distinct style. In other words, Shah Rukh betters himself in many ways and provides his fans with a full paisa vasool performance.
Anushka Sharma seems tailor-made for the role and does well to stand up to Shah Rukh in many scenes. Sweet and vulnerable, you wish that Anushka's career doesn't slump like Gracy 'Lagaan' Singh after the high RNBDJ will be for her. Vinay Pathak, as Surinder's best friend, performs the kind of role he should be doing more: a supporting actor. He is competent as usual.
In the end, RNBDJ is a veritable treat for Shah Rukh fans. Simpler than DDLJ and superior to Mohabbatein, the film establishes Aditya Chopra's talents as one of the best in the industry.
Give this one a shot!
Source http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1213471&pageid=2
I'm a feminist: Kate Winslet
Hollywood actress Kate Winslet insists that she is a 'feminist'.
The 33-year-old actress plays the role of an emotionally cramped woman in her new film Revolutionary Road, based on the 1963 feminist classic by Betty Friedan.
The book lifted the lid on a generation of educated, 1950s women, condemned to housewifery, and deeply unhappy.
When asked about if she feels that she's a feminist the actress replied, "probably I am", though not a strong one.
"I think I probably am," Guardian.co.uk quoted her as saying, to which her assistant quickly added, "In a loose, unofficial kind of way."
However, Winslet continued to ponder and say, "I think I probably am. I mean, not in a bra-burning way. But I think I am a feminist, yeah," she added.
Helmed by Winslet's husband Sam Mendes, the Revolutionary Road also reunited the Titanic star with her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio.
The 33-year-old actress plays the role of an emotionally cramped woman in her new film Revolutionary Road, based on the 1963 feminist classic by Betty Friedan.
The book lifted the lid on a generation of educated, 1950s women, condemned to housewifery, and deeply unhappy.
When asked about if she feels that she's a feminist the actress replied, "probably I am", though not a strong one.
"I think I probably am," Guardian.co.uk quoted her as saying, to which her assistant quickly added, "In a loose, unofficial kind of way."
However, Winslet continued to ponder and say, "I think I probably am. I mean, not in a bra-burning way. But I think I am a feminist, yeah," she added.
Helmed by Winslet's husband Sam Mendes, the Revolutionary Road also reunited the Titanic star with her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio.
Demi Moore's daughter flaunts an enviable figure
Rumer Willis, the daughter of Hollywood superstars Demi Moore and Bruce Willis flaunted her red locks and perfect figure at the opening of the D&G flagship boutique in Los Angeles.
The star studded event included celebrities like Paris and Nicky Hilton, Nicole Richie, The Hills' Lauren Conrad and former star of The OC Rachel Bilson.
The 20-year-old Rumer displayed her freshly dyed red locks on show as she paraded around the red carpet in a backless halter-neck dress which revealed her 'Be present' tattoo, the Daily Mail reported.
Rumer is trying her hand at acting and has so far appeared in the movie Bunny Girl. She has also made a cameo appearance in the US show CSI:NY.
She is scheduled to play the lead role in the film Slightly Single in LA, in which she is an aspiring photographer looking for love.
Father Bruce Willis recently revealed he is nervous about his daughter's foray into the Hollywood scene.
"I worry about her being in show business. It is full of people like me, " the actor said insisting that his daughter's budding career had anything to do with nepotism.
"She has turned out so well. We did not push her into acting. She just sat me and Demi down and said 'Look, I know you both think you're big shots but I don't want any help. I want to do this by myself."
"She went out there and did it by herself and I am sure she can look after herself," Bruce said.
The star studded event included celebrities like Paris and Nicky Hilton, Nicole Richie, The Hills' Lauren Conrad and former star of The OC Rachel Bilson.
The 20-year-old Rumer displayed her freshly dyed red locks on show as she paraded around the red carpet in a backless halter-neck dress which revealed her 'Be present' tattoo, the Daily Mail reported.
Rumer is trying her hand at acting and has so far appeared in the movie Bunny Girl. She has also made a cameo appearance in the US show CSI:NY.
She is scheduled to play the lead role in the film Slightly Single in LA, in which she is an aspiring photographer looking for love.
Father Bruce Willis recently revealed he is nervous about his daughter's foray into the Hollywood scene.
"I worry about her being in show business. It is full of people like me, " the actor said insisting that his daughter's budding career had anything to do with nepotism.
"She has turned out so well. We did not push her into acting. She just sat me and Demi down and said 'Look, I know you both think you're big shots but I don't want any help. I want to do this by myself."
"She went out there and did it by herself and I am sure she can look after herself," Bruce said.
Aamir Khan shed tears to get eight-pack-abs in Ghajini
No pain, no gain. The saying couldn't be more true for Aamir Khan and the team that painstakingly sculpted those eight-pack-abs, snipped up four different hairstyles and designed the actor's varied looks in Ghajini that have become a rage among his fans.
"It took Aamir 13 months of workout, with a daily regime of about four hours, to achieve the next to impossible look for Ghajini," Satyajit 'Satya' Chaurasia, who trained the actor for the film, said.
"He used to get tired exercising and sometimes even used to shriek in pain and cry doing the stomach crunches, but he did not skip a single day. Every week his body used to show results and that kept him going," added Satya.
Getting eight-pack-abs was not a cakewalk for 'perfectionist' Aamir. Other than rigorous workouts, the actor also had to go through the pain of "a disciplinary regime of following a proportionate balanced diet."
"He had to give up on oil, sugar and alcohol consumption and late night parties as I strictly asked him to sleep for eight hours at a stretch before the workouts," said Chaurasia.
Releasing December 25, Ghajini is the much-hyped Hindi remake of director AR Murugadoss' Tamil hit with the same name. The film was simultaneously released in Telugu in 2005.
While the original Ghajini featured south Indian actor Surya along with actress Asin Thottumkal, Murugadoss cast Aamir to play the main lead in the Hindi remake and retained Asin as his co-star.
Apart from his physique, what has also been the talk of the town is Aamir's scarred and buzzed off hair in the forthcoming film.
"The buzzed hair style is given to suit both Aamir's character and him as a person. It's basically for the second half of the film where he has a situation that requires him to shave off his hair.
"It took us around an hour and a half to give him the look and get the scar lines on his head with thickness variations as per the director," revealed Avan Contractor, hairstylist for the actor in the film.
"We took liberty with the lines on his head and tweaked the look a little bit from the original Ghajini, where the actor has only one big scar," she added.
On being asked how she managed to give the actor numerous hairstyles for the song Behka behka, Contractor said: "The song was shot over a period of five days and we had to work with Aamir's hair, whatever he had at that time. We just dressed it up differently and played around with it."
To spice up Aamir's multiple avatars in the film, stylist Arjun Bhasin was roped in to design "realistic" but "fashionable" costumes for him.
"He plays a corporate executive who is very rich. So his corporate look is stylish. However, at the same time, it is very realistic. He sports a casual office look, but with a quirky edge to it," Bhasin said.
The stylist also predicts that Aamir's business look from the film will inspire people to change their wardrobe.
"There are many elements from Aamir's corporate look that people are going to adapt in their lives like short sleeves, slim ties and waistcoats with lapels," he said.
"His other looks in the film are only in a song that are fantasies," he added.
Bhasin also said the film didn't require much going into books for Aamir's dresses.
" 'Ghajini' is one of my few films where not much research has gone into the costumes. It was a very organic process that Aamir and I went through. We read the script and decided to just work upon it. All we knew was that his looks should be attractive and at the same time meaningful."
"It took Aamir 13 months of workout, with a daily regime of about four hours, to achieve the next to impossible look for Ghajini," Satyajit 'Satya' Chaurasia, who trained the actor for the film, said.
"He used to get tired exercising and sometimes even used to shriek in pain and cry doing the stomach crunches, but he did not skip a single day. Every week his body used to show results and that kept him going," added Satya.
Getting eight-pack-abs was not a cakewalk for 'perfectionist' Aamir. Other than rigorous workouts, the actor also had to go through the pain of "a disciplinary regime of following a proportionate balanced diet."
"He had to give up on oil, sugar and alcohol consumption and late night parties as I strictly asked him to sleep for eight hours at a stretch before the workouts," said Chaurasia.
Releasing December 25, Ghajini is the much-hyped Hindi remake of director AR Murugadoss' Tamil hit with the same name. The film was simultaneously released in Telugu in 2005.
While the original Ghajini featured south Indian actor Surya along with actress Asin Thottumkal, Murugadoss cast Aamir to play the main lead in the Hindi remake and retained Asin as his co-star.
Apart from his physique, what has also been the talk of the town is Aamir's scarred and buzzed off hair in the forthcoming film.
"The buzzed hair style is given to suit both Aamir's character and him as a person. It's basically for the second half of the film where he has a situation that requires him to shave off his hair.
"It took us around an hour and a half to give him the look and get the scar lines on his head with thickness variations as per the director," revealed Avan Contractor, hairstylist for the actor in the film.
"We took liberty with the lines on his head and tweaked the look a little bit from the original Ghajini, where the actor has only one big scar," she added.
On being asked how she managed to give the actor numerous hairstyles for the song Behka behka, Contractor said: "The song was shot over a period of five days and we had to work with Aamir's hair, whatever he had at that time. We just dressed it up differently and played around with it."
To spice up Aamir's multiple avatars in the film, stylist Arjun Bhasin was roped in to design "realistic" but "fashionable" costumes for him.
"He plays a corporate executive who is very rich. So his corporate look is stylish. However, at the same time, it is very realistic. He sports a casual office look, but with a quirky edge to it," Bhasin said.
The stylist also predicts that Aamir's business look from the film will inspire people to change their wardrobe.
"There are many elements from Aamir's corporate look that people are going to adapt in their lives like short sleeves, slim ties and waistcoats with lapels," he said.
"His other looks in the film are only in a song that are fantasies," he added.
Bhasin also said the film didn't require much going into books for Aamir's dresses.
" 'Ghajini' is one of my few films where not much research has gone into the costumes. It was a very organic process that Aamir and I went through. We read the script and decided to just work upon it. All we knew was that his looks should be attractive and at the same time meaningful."
I have no need for money in my life: Emma Watson
Harry Potter star Emma Watson has revealed that she has "no need for money in her life" and financial gains would not determine her choice of films.
The 18-year-old, estimated to have a £13 million fortune, told USA Today that she has not been affected by her wealth and will continue to make choices in their own rights.
"The wealth side of it hasn't hit me yet because I have no need for money in my life," she said. "My life will not be motivated by money. I will never do a film because they are going to pay me a certain amount of money. It's liberating. It means I can hopefully make great choices."
The France-born British actress, who played the role of Hermione at the age of nine and has starred in six Harry Potter films alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, said she likes to be grounded and still prefers to use public transport.
"I have a more normal life than people expect," she said. "When I take public transport, people are like, 'That girl looks like the girl from Harry Potter, but it can't be her on the train.'
"I get stopped by people, but that's fine. I'd never want to be so famous that I couldn't live a normal life to a certain extent. I can't imagine anything lonelier, just not being able to be part of the real world and being trapped and locked in hotel rooms and cars."
The 18-year-old, estimated to have a £13 million fortune, told USA Today that she has not been affected by her wealth and will continue to make choices in their own rights.
"The wealth side of it hasn't hit me yet because I have no need for money in my life," she said. "My life will not be motivated by money. I will never do a film because they are going to pay me a certain amount of money. It's liberating. It means I can hopefully make great choices."
The France-born British actress, who played the role of Hermione at the age of nine and has starred in six Harry Potter films alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, said she likes to be grounded and still prefers to use public transport.
"I have a more normal life than people expect," she said. "When I take public transport, people are like, 'That girl looks like the girl from Harry Potter, but it can't be her on the train.'
"I get stopped by people, but that's fine. I'd never want to be so famous that I couldn't live a normal life to a certain extent. I can't imagine anything lonelier, just not being able to be part of the real world and being trapped and locked in hotel rooms and cars."
Sam Worthington favourite to play the Phantom
Australian actor Sam Worthington is a strong favourite to play the coveted character of the Phantom in the latest movie adaptation of the comic book.
The actor recently won a vote of confidence from the film's screen writer.
Tim Boyle, who has been handed the job of taking the superhero to the big screen in The Ghost Who Walks, is keen to work with fellow Australian, the 'Contactmusic' reported.
The duo had worked together in a low budget action flick Fink and if everything goes well, the pair may be reunited once again.
The two have yet to discuss the role and Boyle has yet to learn from studio chiefs if he will also be allowed to direct the movie.
Worthington's next film is Terminator: Salvation with Christian Bale.
The actor recently won a vote of confidence from the film's screen writer.
Tim Boyle, who has been handed the job of taking the superhero to the big screen in The Ghost Who Walks, is keen to work with fellow Australian, the 'Contactmusic' reported.
The duo had worked together in a low budget action flick Fink and if everything goes well, the pair may be reunited once again.
The two have yet to discuss the role and Boyle has yet to learn from studio chiefs if he will also be allowed to direct the movie.
Worthington's next film is Terminator: Salvation with Christian Bale.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
£100m appeal to keep Titian works
Two galleries are hoping to raise £100m to buy a pair of paintings by Italian Renaissance artist Titian.
The Duke of Sutherland is offering the works to the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Gallery in London for £50m each.
If the galleries raise the funds to buy Diana and Actaeon, then the second painting - Diana and Callisto - will be offered for sale in four years.
The figure represents one third of their estimated open market value.
The paintings were created as part of a cycle of works for King Philip II of Spain from 1556 to 1559.
They form part of the historic Bridgewater collection owned by the duke and on display at the National Gallery of Scotland.
The collection also includes three paintings by Raphael, a Rembrandt, a Van Dyck, a Tintoretto and two more Titians.
'Most important'
The 7th Duke of Sutherland has decided to sell some of the collection to raise £100m.
His offer comes with the added incentive that, should the two galleries manage to raise the necessary funds, the entire collection will remain on long-term loan to the Scottish gallery.
"The Bridgewater Loan ... is the most important Old Master paintings loan to any public museum in the world," said the gallery's director, John Leighton.
Losing Diana and Actaeon, he added, "would be like the Mona Lisa being taking out of the Louvre".
Speaking to the BBC's Today programme, Mr Leighton maintained the investment was essential, despite current pressure on public spending.
"We would never argue that expenditure should be diverted from all those important areas - whether it's health, defence, or whatever - but we do have to keep spending on culture," he said.
"Every so often you just have to make a major investment in the quality of our National Collections.
"Not every year, not every ten years, [but] once or twice a century and that moment is now."
Under the deal, the galleries will be offered each painting in turn. They have until the end of this year to commit to buying the first.
Titian (Tiziano Vecellio) is acknowledged as one of the greatest colourists of all time, who pioneered the use of oil paints, and paved the way for generations of artists to come.
The Duke of Sutherland is offering the works to the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Gallery in London for £50m each.
If the galleries raise the funds to buy Diana and Actaeon, then the second painting - Diana and Callisto - will be offered for sale in four years.
The figure represents one third of their estimated open market value.
The paintings were created as part of a cycle of works for King Philip II of Spain from 1556 to 1559.
They form part of the historic Bridgewater collection owned by the duke and on display at the National Gallery of Scotland.
The collection also includes three paintings by Raphael, a Rembrandt, a Van Dyck, a Tintoretto and two more Titians.
'Most important'
The 7th Duke of Sutherland has decided to sell some of the collection to raise £100m.
His offer comes with the added incentive that, should the two galleries manage to raise the necessary funds, the entire collection will remain on long-term loan to the Scottish gallery.
"The Bridgewater Loan ... is the most important Old Master paintings loan to any public museum in the world," said the gallery's director, John Leighton.
Losing Diana and Actaeon, he added, "would be like the Mona Lisa being taking out of the Louvre".
Speaking to the BBC's Today programme, Mr Leighton maintained the investment was essential, despite current pressure on public spending.
"We would never argue that expenditure should be diverted from all those important areas - whether it's health, defence, or whatever - but we do have to keep spending on culture," he said.
"Every so often you just have to make a major investment in the quality of our National Collections.
"Not every year, not every ten years, [but] once or twice a century and that moment is now."
Under the deal, the galleries will be offered each painting in turn. They have until the end of this year to commit to buying the first.
Titian (Tiziano Vecellio) is acknowledged as one of the greatest colourists of all time, who pioneered the use of oil paints, and paved the way for generations of artists to come.
Twilight sequel's director named
Chris Weitz, of About a Boy and The Golden Compass fame, has been named as the director of New Moon, the sequel to vampire hit Twilight.
The announcement followed last week's news that Catherine Hardwicke would not be returning for the next instalment in the supernatural film franchise.
"I am honoured to have been entrusted with shepherding New Moon from the page to the screen," said Weitz.
"I will put every effort into realising a beautiful film," he continued.
The 39-year-old, who left The Golden Compass in 2004 only to later return, said the job of filming Stephenie Meyer's novel was "not a task to be taken lightly".
Werewolf
"The extraordinary world that Stephenie has created has millions of fans," he said.
"It will be my duty to protect on their behalf the characters, themes and story they love."
Twilight, which tells of the romance between a young girl and a dashing vampire, has been a huge success at the US box office.
Producers Summit Entertainment hope to have its sequel ready for either late 2009 or early 2010.
In New Moon, heroine Bella - played by Kristen Stewart - finds a new beau who turns out to be a werewolf.
Hardwicke reportedly quit the production because she felt she needed more time to work on the film.
The announcement followed last week's news that Catherine Hardwicke would not be returning for the next instalment in the supernatural film franchise.
"I am honoured to have been entrusted with shepherding New Moon from the page to the screen," said Weitz.
"I will put every effort into realising a beautiful film," he continued.
The 39-year-old, who left The Golden Compass in 2004 only to later return, said the job of filming Stephenie Meyer's novel was "not a task to be taken lightly".
Werewolf
"The extraordinary world that Stephenie has created has millions of fans," he said.
"It will be my duty to protect on their behalf the characters, themes and story they love."
Twilight, which tells of the romance between a young girl and a dashing vampire, has been a huge success at the US box office.
Producers Summit Entertainment hope to have its sequel ready for either late 2009 or early 2010.
In New Moon, heroine Bella - played by Kristen Stewart - finds a new beau who turns out to be a werewolf.
Hardwicke reportedly quit the production because she felt she needed more time to work on the film.
Titian announcement expected soon
The National Gallery of Scotland and London's National Gallery are poised to reveal whether Titian's Diana and Actaeon has been saved for the nation.
The two institutions are hoping to raise £50m to jointly buy the painting before a deadline of 31 December.
But a spokeswoman for the National Gallery said an announcement would "ideally" be made this week.
The campaign, launched in August, was recently boosted by a £10m pledge from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.
At the time, the galleries said it took them "significantly" closer to their target.
A statement for the National Gallery of Scotland said: "The campaign to save Diana and Actaeon is ongoing. The target has not yet been met. We will make an announcement when we are in a position to do so."
The Scottish Government is also expected to reveal a "significant" pledge to the fund soon.
Private buyer
The painting has been on public display at the National Galleries of Scotland and London for more than 200 years but it is now being sold by its private owner, the Duke of Sutherland.
If the galleries raise the funds to buy Diana and Actaeon, then a second Titian painting - Diana and Callisto - will be offered for sale in four years.
If they fail to raise the required £50m then Diana and Actaeon could be sold to a private buyer.
The two Titians were created as part of a cycle of works for King Philip II of Spain from 1556 to 1559 and form part of the Bridgewater collection, which has been on loan to the National Galleries of Scotland since 1945.
The collection also includes three paintings by Raphael, a Rembrandt, a Van Dyck, and a Tintoretto.
Government pledge
Some newspaper reports have suggested the Scottish Government will give a further £10m to the fund.
A spokesman said: "The Scottish Government recognises the national importance of the Bridgewater Collection to Scotland as the greatest private collection of old masters on loan to a public gallery anywhere in the world.
"That is why we acted decisively, giving the National Galleries a significant funding pledge which was essential to get its fundraising campaign off the ground. We will make a further announcement soon.
"We are determined to do everything we can to ensure that this world-class collection remains on view for visitors and for the enjoyment of the people of Scotland."
Should the two galleries manage to raise the necessary funds, the entire Bridgewater collection will remain on long-term loan to the Scottish gallery.
The two institutions are hoping to raise £50m to jointly buy the painting before a deadline of 31 December.
But a spokeswoman for the National Gallery said an announcement would "ideally" be made this week.
The campaign, launched in August, was recently boosted by a £10m pledge from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.
At the time, the galleries said it took them "significantly" closer to their target.
A statement for the National Gallery of Scotland said: "The campaign to save Diana and Actaeon is ongoing. The target has not yet been met. We will make an announcement when we are in a position to do so."
The Scottish Government is also expected to reveal a "significant" pledge to the fund soon.
Private buyer
The painting has been on public display at the National Galleries of Scotland and London for more than 200 years but it is now being sold by its private owner, the Duke of Sutherland.
If the galleries raise the funds to buy Diana and Actaeon, then a second Titian painting - Diana and Callisto - will be offered for sale in four years.
If they fail to raise the required £50m then Diana and Actaeon could be sold to a private buyer.
The two Titians were created as part of a cycle of works for King Philip II of Spain from 1556 to 1559 and form part of the Bridgewater collection, which has been on loan to the National Galleries of Scotland since 1945.
The collection also includes three paintings by Raphael, a Rembrandt, a Van Dyck, and a Tintoretto.
Government pledge
Some newspaper reports have suggested the Scottish Government will give a further £10m to the fund.
A spokesman said: "The Scottish Government recognises the national importance of the Bridgewater Collection to Scotland as the greatest private collection of old masters on loan to a public gallery anywhere in the world.
"That is why we acted decisively, giving the National Galleries a significant funding pledge which was essential to get its fundraising campaign off the ground. We will make a further announcement soon.
"We are determined to do everything we can to ensure that this world-class collection remains on view for visitors and for the enjoyment of the people of Scotland."
Should the two galleries manage to raise the necessary funds, the entire Bridgewater collection will remain on long-term loan to the Scottish gallery.
Actor Hugh Jackman to host Oscars
Australian actor Hugh Jackman will be the host of the 2009 Academy Awards, organisers have announced.
The 40-year-old star has not hosted the event before, although he presented the award for best original score in 2007.
Best known for playing Wolverine in the X-Men films, the actor can currently be seen in Baz Luhrmann's epic Australia.
His involvement marks a change of pace for the ceremony, which in recent years has employed a comedian or comic actor as master of ceremonies.
Last year's event was hosted by Jon Stewart, presenter of satirical US programme The Daily Show.
Musical appearances
Jackman, whose other film credits include Van Helsing and The Prestige, was recently named People magazine's "sexiest man alive".
His presenter experience includes three years as host of the Tony Awards between 2003 and 2005.
He also took home an award in 2004 for his role in Broadway musical The Boy from Oz.
He has also trod the boards in London, playing the lead role in a National Theatre revival of Oklahoma! in the late 1990s.
Early reports had linked British comedian Ricky Gervais to the post, filled in previous years by Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and the late Bob Hope.
Gervais, though, subsequently distanced himself from the role, saying he feared he might not get the "freedom" he would need.
The 40-year-old star has not hosted the event before, although he presented the award for best original score in 2007.
Best known for playing Wolverine in the X-Men films, the actor can currently be seen in Baz Luhrmann's epic Australia.
His involvement marks a change of pace for the ceremony, which in recent years has employed a comedian or comic actor as master of ceremonies.
Last year's event was hosted by Jon Stewart, presenter of satirical US programme The Daily Show.
Musical appearances
Jackman, whose other film credits include Van Helsing and The Prestige, was recently named People magazine's "sexiest man alive".
His presenter experience includes three years as host of the Tony Awards between 2003 and 2005.
He also took home an award in 2004 for his role in Broadway musical The Boy from Oz.
He has also trod the boards in London, playing the lead role in a National Theatre revival of Oklahoma! in the late 1990s.
Early reports had linked British comedian Ricky Gervais to the post, filled in previous years by Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and the late Bob Hope.
Gervais, though, subsequently distanced himself from the role, saying he feared he might not get the "freedom" he would need.
Brown is named artist of the year
R&B singer Chris Brown has been named Billboard magazine's artist of the year for the second time.
The 19-year-old also won the accolade in 2006.
Rapper Lil' Wayne, whose hits this year include Lollipop, was the number two artist with Brown's girlfriend Rihanna at three.
Billboard's artist rankings are determined by album sales as well as digital downloads, radio airplay and internet streams.
Rounding out the top five were Alicia Keys and country singer Taylor Swift.
'Unexpected'
Brown has had a successful 2008 with solo hits With You, Forever and No Air, a collaboration with American Idol winner Jordin Sparks.
Last month, he also won three awards at the American Music Awards, including artist of the year.
But the star says he's still not used to all the honours.
"It's bigger than what I can ever imagine. It's unexpected totally, so it's a surprise," he said.
Billboard named Low, by Flo Rida, as the year's top song, followed by Leona Lewis's Bleeding Love.
Rockers Bon Jovi were also named 2008's top touring act in the world, based on data reported to Billboard Boxscore.
More than two million fans attended the 100 sold-out dates on the band's Lost Highway World Tour.
The 19-year-old also won the accolade in 2006.
Rapper Lil' Wayne, whose hits this year include Lollipop, was the number two artist with Brown's girlfriend Rihanna at three.
Billboard's artist rankings are determined by album sales as well as digital downloads, radio airplay and internet streams.
Rounding out the top five were Alicia Keys and country singer Taylor Swift.
'Unexpected'
Brown has had a successful 2008 with solo hits With You, Forever and No Air, a collaboration with American Idol winner Jordin Sparks.
Last month, he also won three awards at the American Music Awards, including artist of the year.
But the star says he's still not used to all the honours.
"It's bigger than what I can ever imagine. It's unexpected totally, so it's a surprise," he said.
Billboard named Low, by Flo Rida, as the year's top song, followed by Leona Lewis's Bleeding Love.
Rockers Bon Jovi were also named 2008's top touring act in the world, based on data reported to Billboard Boxscore.
More than two million fans attended the 100 sold-out dates on the band's Lost Highway World Tour.
Move over Harry Potter...
"There was something about Rob.
"Among his many other talents, he had something otherworldly that he brought to the screen.
"Something special, and tortured, and interesting and strange…" says Twilight director, Catherine Hardwicke.
So how does a boy from Barnes become this autumn's hottest vampire and the talk of American fan sites?
Robert Pattinson first came to public attention playing Cedric Diggory in 2005's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth film in the series.
In a noteworthy, if short-lived performance, Diggory lost his life and the girl to bespectacled love rival, Potter.
But Pattinson is having the last laugh - his new role as vampire Edward Cullen has seen him crowned Rolling Stone's hottest actor of the year.
The 22-year-old British star beat 3,000 hopefuls to land the role of the "vegetarian" vampire Cullen - the youngest of a surrogate family of vampires who have chosen to renounce human blood.
Twilight has been hugely successful in the US, where it set a new record for the biggest opening weekend for a movie directed by a woman - and toppled James Bond from the top spot.
"Seeing my face on buses - it's like being in 1984," says Pattinson, from under a mass of hair. "It's not good for someone who suffers from extreme paranoia.
"I can go on the tube and hardly anyone knows who I am, but then you go to these screenings where people scream at you. Sometimes I wonder if they have all been paid to be there!"
Love story
Based on the hit book series from author Stephenie Meyer, Twilight is being cited as the next Harry Potter, with sequels already in the pipeline.
Essentially a love story, it sees Edward fall in love with schoolgirl Bella and struggle to protect her from the sinister world of vampires.
"When I read the books and the fan sites, you could see there was so much passion for these books," says director Hardwicke.
"People got so involved, they were swept away in this romance… and I wanted to bring that crazy, giddy feeling to the screen."
Hardwicke found her Bella in 18-year-old Kristen Stewart, probably best known from her turn as Jodie Foster's screen daughter in The Panic Room.
"You have to find the chemistry or the whole movie wouldn't work," explains Hardwicke.
"I knew Kristen had to be Bella, and then the search was on for the perfect Edward.
"So many cute guys would walk in the room, but they just looked like the cute guy that could be at your high school."
"But from the moment they [Robert and Kristen] first met, you could really feel that there was something going on."
The film appears to embrace the idea of sexual abstinence, in line with the author's Mormon beliefs, but the stars play down the connection.
"It's about the anticipation - walking that knife edge. How close can Edward get without killing her. It's much more exciting than the actual act," says Hardwicke.
"Yeah, I mean, have you ever tried to watch a feature-length porno?" laughs Pattinson.
An upcoming star with the world seemingly at his feet, Pattinson has also contributed music to the film soundtrack.
"I grew up with a whole bunch of musicians, and I thought this would be good for them," he explains.
"I'd like to do an album, but there is such a stigma attached to actors who release music maybe I should do it anonymously, or just wait until I am unemployable."
But that may be sometime off. Both actors are set to return for the second and third movies, New Moon and Eclipse.
Typecasting fears
"I usually only get to follow a character for six weeks or so," explains the shy and earnest Stewart.
"I do little movies, and typically they never even see the light of day, and I have this huge grieving process afterwards. But in this case I get to follow her for an incredibly long time, hopefully - so I'm rather excited.
"It's terrifying as well, because you really have nothing to lose with the first one," says Pattinson. "But now it will be harder to build up the same kind of hype, especially in America."
Despite the comparisons to Harry Potter - Twilight was released in the week that would have seen the US debut of the sixth Harry Potter film - its stars insist it is not a teen film.
"We never thought of it as a teen movie - in the US, 45% of the audience is over-25. It's for all ages, even men like it!" says Hardwicke.
"It's funny, when you have a film that has children in it, it becomes a kid movie," says Stewart. "But we didn't have this frame that we had to fit into in."
"There is a large group of people that will always consider us as these characters," she continues "but the only thing that you can do is try to work on different things in between.
"In my next film, Welcome to the Rileys, I play a 16-year-old runaway street kid, and she could not be more different from Bella.
"If it was just Twilight for the rest of my life as an actor, I would be quite miserable."
"Among his many other talents, he had something otherworldly that he brought to the screen.
"Something special, and tortured, and interesting and strange…" says Twilight director, Catherine Hardwicke.
So how does a boy from Barnes become this autumn's hottest vampire and the talk of American fan sites?
Robert Pattinson first came to public attention playing Cedric Diggory in 2005's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth film in the series.
In a noteworthy, if short-lived performance, Diggory lost his life and the girl to bespectacled love rival, Potter.
But Pattinson is having the last laugh - his new role as vampire Edward Cullen has seen him crowned Rolling Stone's hottest actor of the year.
The 22-year-old British star beat 3,000 hopefuls to land the role of the "vegetarian" vampire Cullen - the youngest of a surrogate family of vampires who have chosen to renounce human blood.
Twilight has been hugely successful in the US, where it set a new record for the biggest opening weekend for a movie directed by a woman - and toppled James Bond from the top spot.
"Seeing my face on buses - it's like being in 1984," says Pattinson, from under a mass of hair. "It's not good for someone who suffers from extreme paranoia.
"I can go on the tube and hardly anyone knows who I am, but then you go to these screenings where people scream at you. Sometimes I wonder if they have all been paid to be there!"
Love story
Based on the hit book series from author Stephenie Meyer, Twilight is being cited as the next Harry Potter, with sequels already in the pipeline.
Essentially a love story, it sees Edward fall in love with schoolgirl Bella and struggle to protect her from the sinister world of vampires.
"When I read the books and the fan sites, you could see there was so much passion for these books," says director Hardwicke.
"People got so involved, they were swept away in this romance… and I wanted to bring that crazy, giddy feeling to the screen."
Hardwicke found her Bella in 18-year-old Kristen Stewart, probably best known from her turn as Jodie Foster's screen daughter in The Panic Room.
"You have to find the chemistry or the whole movie wouldn't work," explains Hardwicke.
"I knew Kristen had to be Bella, and then the search was on for the perfect Edward.
"So many cute guys would walk in the room, but they just looked like the cute guy that could be at your high school."
"But from the moment they [Robert and Kristen] first met, you could really feel that there was something going on."
The film appears to embrace the idea of sexual abstinence, in line with the author's Mormon beliefs, but the stars play down the connection.
"It's about the anticipation - walking that knife edge. How close can Edward get without killing her. It's much more exciting than the actual act," says Hardwicke.
"Yeah, I mean, have you ever tried to watch a feature-length porno?" laughs Pattinson.
An upcoming star with the world seemingly at his feet, Pattinson has also contributed music to the film soundtrack.
"I grew up with a whole bunch of musicians, and I thought this would be good for them," he explains.
"I'd like to do an album, but there is such a stigma attached to actors who release music maybe I should do it anonymously, or just wait until I am unemployable."
But that may be sometime off. Both actors are set to return for the second and third movies, New Moon and Eclipse.
Typecasting fears
"I usually only get to follow a character for six weeks or so," explains the shy and earnest Stewart.
"I do little movies, and typically they never even see the light of day, and I have this huge grieving process afterwards. But in this case I get to follow her for an incredibly long time, hopefully - so I'm rather excited.
"It's terrifying as well, because you really have nothing to lose with the first one," says Pattinson. "But now it will be harder to build up the same kind of hype, especially in America."
Despite the comparisons to Harry Potter - Twilight was released in the week that would have seen the US debut of the sixth Harry Potter film - its stars insist it is not a teen film.
"We never thought of it as a teen movie - in the US, 45% of the audience is over-25. It's for all ages, even men like it!" says Hardwicke.
"It's funny, when you have a film that has children in it, it becomes a kid movie," says Stewart. "But we didn't have this frame that we had to fit into in."
"There is a large group of people that will always consider us as these characters," she continues "but the only thing that you can do is try to work on different things in between.
"In my next film, Welcome to the Rileys, I play a 16-year-old runaway street kid, and she could not be more different from Bella.
"If it was just Twilight for the rest of my life as an actor, I would be quite miserable."
Dark Knight makes best film list
Batman film The Dark Knight has been named as one of the Top 10 movies of 2008 by the American Film Institute.
Others include political biopic Milk, animated fantasy Wall-E and Brad Pitt's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino and comic book blockbuster Iron Man also feature alongside the independent dramas Frozen River and Wendy and Lucy.
Frost/Nixon and The Wrestler complete the list, compiled by a panel of filmmakers, reviewers and academics.
Unlike other awards bodies, the institute does not rank films or pick one as the year's best.
The filmmakers behind the AFI's Top 10 choices will be honoured at a luncheon on 9 January.
Longlist
Meanwhile, The Dark Knight has also been named as one of the 15 semi-finalists for the best visual effects Oscar.
Others include the second Chronicles of Narnia film, Prince Caspian, and the latest James Bond adventure, Quantum of Solace.
Cloverfield, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the fourth Indiana Jones film also feature on the longlist, to be whittled down to seven in early January.
Three will then be nominated for the Visual Effects prize, to be handed out at the Oscar ceremony on 22 February.
Last week, the late Heath Ledger was nominated for a posthumous Golden Globe for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.
Others include political biopic Milk, animated fantasy Wall-E and Brad Pitt's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino and comic book blockbuster Iron Man also feature alongside the independent dramas Frozen River and Wendy and Lucy.
Frost/Nixon and The Wrestler complete the list, compiled by a panel of filmmakers, reviewers and academics.
Unlike other awards bodies, the institute does not rank films or pick one as the year's best.
The filmmakers behind the AFI's Top 10 choices will be honoured at a luncheon on 9 January.
Longlist
Meanwhile, The Dark Knight has also been named as one of the 15 semi-finalists for the best visual effects Oscar.
Others include the second Chronicles of Narnia film, Prince Caspian, and the latest James Bond adventure, Quantum of Solace.
Cloverfield, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the fourth Indiana Jones film also feature on the longlist, to be whittled down to seven in early January.
Three will then be nominated for the Visual Effects prize, to be handed out at the Oscar ceremony on 22 February.
Last week, the late Heath Ledger was nominated for a posthumous Golden Globe for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.
Tollywood’s Peace Procession On Dec 14
The president of Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce, KS Rama Rao organized a press meet today on 11th Dec, to brief the press about a peace procession that has been planned. The entire Telugu cinema comes together for this event to condemn the Mumbai carnage and to express homage to the brave soldiers.
During the meet, he told that the procession will be taking place on Dec 14th. And members from every division of the film industry will be a part of it.
President of MAA Murali Mohan, President of Directors Association N.Shakar, Chief Secretary AP Film Employees Federation Venu, C.Kalyan, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Benarjee, Hema, Vijayanand, Kadambari Kirankumar, Vijayendar Reddy and other members participated in the meet.
During the meet, he told that the procession will be taking place on Dec 14th. And members from every division of the film industry will be a part of it.
President of MAA Murali Mohan, President of Directors Association N.Shakar, Chief Secretary AP Film Employees Federation Venu, C.Kalyan, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Benarjee, Hema, Vijayanand, Kadambari Kirankumar, Vijayendar Reddy and other members participated in the meet.
Madonna gives Guy £50m in divorce
Madonna has paid former husband Guy Ritchie around £50m as part of their divorce settlement.
The pop star's US spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg told The Associated Press (AP) the figure included the value of the couple's Ashcombe home in England.
She said the financial part of the settlement had been worked out but custody of the couple's children had yet to be finalised.
"I'd assume it's one of the largest payouts ever in a divorce," she said.
The payout is much larger than the £24.3m Heather Mills received from Sir Paul McCartney earlier this year.
Ms Rosenberg told AP that Ritchie had been given £50-£60m ($76m-$92m).
In an e-mail to BBC News, she said she was confirming an earlier report, which said he would get $60m-$70m (£39-£46m). She declined to give further details and was unavailable to clarify the discrepancy.
When the divorce was made official last month, Ritchie told the Daily Mirror the split was "never, ever about money".
The couple, who wed at Skibo Castle in Scotland in December 2000, were granted their divorce at the High Court in London.
A sworn statement released by the court showed the pop star petitioned for divorce on the grounds of the film director's unreasonable behaviour.
Madonna also said in the statement that they had not been living at the same address for the six months before the date of the petition.
At the time, the couple had reportedly agreed to share custody of their two boys, Rocco, eight, and three-year-old adopted David Banda, while it was reported that Madonna's daughter from an earlier relationship, 12-year-old Lourdes, would stay with her.
The singer is currently on her Sticky and Sweet world tour, and is due to perform in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday.
Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7784519.stm
Bollywood looks to make drama out of real-life tragedy
Just weeks after the gunfire stopped, some Bollywood producers have already registered film titles about the Mumbai attacks -- suggesting that the bloody events could soon be depicted on screen.
Many of the proposed names focus on the city's Taj Mahal hotel, where a tense 60-hour standoff erupted into fierce gun battles between militants who had stormed the building on November 26 and crack commandos outside.
"We've had about 20 to 25 titles registered so far," Sushma Shiromanee, vice-president of the Indian Motion Pictures and Producers' Association told AFP.
Titles include "The Taj Encounter", "Taj Terror", "Terrorist Attack on the Taj", "Operation Five Star Mumbai" and "Taj to Oberoi", the last referring to the Oberoi/Trident hotel that was also seized.
Each title has been registered for 250 rupees (five dollars). Producers retain the title for 12 months and can renew the copyright for up to three years. If the film is not made, another producer can use the name, Shiromanee said.
The response to disaster is nothing new: a similar flood of applications followed the 2006 Mumbai commuter train blasts that killed more than 180 people.
Four films on those attacks came out to critical acclaim this year alone -- "Black and White", "Aamir", "Mumbai Meri Jaan" (Mumbai My Life) and "A Wednesday" -- all emphasising the Bollywood trend towards contemporary events.
In Hollywood, real-life terror has long been used as source material.
Recent examples include director Steven Spielberg's 2005 film "Munich", recounting the events of the 1972 Olympic Games when 11 Israeli athletes were taken hostage and killed by the Black September group.
"Flight 93", a 2006 made-for-television film, dramatised the doomed attempts of passengers on board a United Airlines flight to overpower hijackers on September 11, 2001.
But with the families of the 163 people who died in the Mumbai attacks still grieving, and tensions running high, not everyone believes it is a good idea to put the events on celluloid so soon.
"It's a bad script. It's an episode of defeat. Who would want to watch it as everything ended on a sad note?" Bollywood film producer-director Vikram Bhatt told the Indo-Asian News Service earlier this month.
Speculation that a Bollywood movie was on the cards began the day after the siege ended at the Taj hotel, when filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma toured the building with the then chief minister of Maharashtra state and his son.
That provoked a storm of complaints, although Varma -- whose credits include "Satya", a well-received film about the Mumbai underworld, and "Company", about exiled mafia don Dawood Ibrahim -- insisted he was not looking to make a movie.
Indu Mirani, the entertainment editor of the Mumbai Mirror newspaper, was sceptical that any of the titles registered on the Mumbai attacks would ever see the light of day.
"Any time anything happens you get people registering titles. But they very rarely get made," she told AFP.
Yet she conceded that films about the three days of terror will eventually be produced, probably focusing on the individual stories of heroes caught up in the violence.
"Tragedies have always been used. But you have to give it time for people to get past it. Then you can make your film. I think tragedy plus time is what's needed," she added.
"Immediately after the tragedy? It's like cashing in on somebody else's loss."
Many of the proposed names focus on the city's Taj Mahal hotel, where a tense 60-hour standoff erupted into fierce gun battles between militants who had stormed the building on November 26 and crack commandos outside.
"We've had about 20 to 25 titles registered so far," Sushma Shiromanee, vice-president of the Indian Motion Pictures and Producers' Association told AFP.
Titles include "The Taj Encounter", "Taj Terror", "Terrorist Attack on the Taj", "Operation Five Star Mumbai" and "Taj to Oberoi", the last referring to the Oberoi/Trident hotel that was also seized.
Each title has been registered for 250 rupees (five dollars). Producers retain the title for 12 months and can renew the copyright for up to three years. If the film is not made, another producer can use the name, Shiromanee said.
The response to disaster is nothing new: a similar flood of applications followed the 2006 Mumbai commuter train blasts that killed more than 180 people.
Four films on those attacks came out to critical acclaim this year alone -- "Black and White", "Aamir", "Mumbai Meri Jaan" (Mumbai My Life) and "A Wednesday" -- all emphasising the Bollywood trend towards contemporary events.
In Hollywood, real-life terror has long been used as source material.
Recent examples include director Steven Spielberg's 2005 film "Munich", recounting the events of the 1972 Olympic Games when 11 Israeli athletes were taken hostage and killed by the Black September group.
"Flight 93", a 2006 made-for-television film, dramatised the doomed attempts of passengers on board a United Airlines flight to overpower hijackers on September 11, 2001.
But with the families of the 163 people who died in the Mumbai attacks still grieving, and tensions running high, not everyone believes it is a good idea to put the events on celluloid so soon.
"It's a bad script. It's an episode of defeat. Who would want to watch it as everything ended on a sad note?" Bollywood film producer-director Vikram Bhatt told the Indo-Asian News Service earlier this month.
Speculation that a Bollywood movie was on the cards began the day after the siege ended at the Taj hotel, when filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma toured the building with the then chief minister of Maharashtra state and his son.
That provoked a storm of complaints, although Varma -- whose credits include "Satya", a well-received film about the Mumbai underworld, and "Company", about exiled mafia don Dawood Ibrahim -- insisted he was not looking to make a movie.
Indu Mirani, the entertainment editor of the Mumbai Mirror newspaper, was sceptical that any of the titles registered on the Mumbai attacks would ever see the light of day.
"Any time anything happens you get people registering titles. But they very rarely get made," she told AFP.
Yet she conceded that films about the three days of terror will eventually be produced, probably focusing on the individual stories of heroes caught up in the violence.
"Tragedies have always been used. But you have to give it time for people to get past it. Then you can make your film. I think tragedy plus time is what's needed," she added.
"Immediately after the tragedy? It's like cashing in on somebody else's loss."
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Standing tall is Namitha
Namitha is upbeat for she is adored and admired by youngsters throughout Tamilnadu. The rather tall actress is currently busy acting in a host of movies which are almost ready for release.
Her 'Thee' opposite Sundar C will hit the screens followed by 'Indira Vizha' with Srikanth and 'Jagan Mohini', a remake of yesteryear hit titled the same and 'Perumal' again with Sundar C. Apart from this, she plays CJ once again in the Telugu version of 'Billa' which will be out next year.
Speaking to one of the English dailies, the actress has said that she enjoyed working in 'Thee' opposite Sundar C. 'He is one of my favourite co-stars. I play a shrewd politician in the movie,' chirps the scintillating actress.
Her Telugu venture 'Billa' features Prabhas and Anushka alongside her. 'I am really excited about the movie. I believe it go on to become a big hit in Tollywood'.
Having slimmed down a lot, Namitha hopes that she would continue to get good offers in Kollywood and Tollywood and she would have a blast.
Her 'Thee' opposite Sundar C will hit the screens followed by 'Indira Vizha' with Srikanth and 'Jagan Mohini', a remake of yesteryear hit titled the same and 'Perumal' again with Sundar C. Apart from this, she plays CJ once again in the Telugu version of 'Billa' which will be out next year.
Speaking to one of the English dailies, the actress has said that she enjoyed working in 'Thee' opposite Sundar C. 'He is one of my favourite co-stars. I play a shrewd politician in the movie,' chirps the scintillating actress.
Her Telugu venture 'Billa' features Prabhas and Anushka alongside her. 'I am really excited about the movie. I believe it go on to become a big hit in Tollywood'.
Having slimmed down a lot, Namitha hopes that she would continue to get good offers in Kollywood and Tollywood and she would have a blast.
Parvathy Omanakuttan finishes second
India's Parvathy Omanakuttan was adjudged the first runner-up at the Miss World pageant here Saturday evening, with the crown going to Miss Russia.
Parvathy impressed the jury with her looks and quick wit and was one the five finalists out of the 109 contestants at the Sandton Convention Center. However, she was finally beaten by Miss Russia.
Miss Trinidad and Tobago was named the second runner-up. The others in contention in the final five were Miss South Africa and Miss Angola.
India had high hopes on 21-year-old Parvathy to win the crown that last came to the country in 2000.
India boasts of Miss Worlds like Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra (2000).
Parvathy impressed the jury with her looks and quick wit and was one the five finalists out of the 109 contestants at the Sandton Convention Center. However, she was finally beaten by Miss Russia.
Miss Trinidad and Tobago was named the second runner-up. The others in contention in the final five were Miss South Africa and Miss Angola.
India had high hopes on 21-year-old Parvathy to win the crown that last came to the country in 2000.
India boasts of Miss Worlds like Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra (2000).
Katrina is the hottest babe on Google
Looks like Katrina Kaif has finally won the 'Race'! As per a new Google report, Indians couldn't have enough of the leggy beauty on big screen so they spent most of the 2008 searching for this Bollywood siren on the Web.
Recently declared as Asia's sexiest woman, Katrina Kaif has yet again pipped former beauty queen and Bollywood heart-throb Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the most searched for person on the Web, according to Google's India Zeitgeist list for 2008.
Interestingly, Katrina has also outdone her boyfriend and godfather Salman Khan when it comes to being googled on the Net! As for Salman, he may not have been able to set his account straight with Shah Rukh Khan in real life but on the world wide web he has elbowed King Khan, and remains the most searched for actor in India. Shahid Kapoor makes his debut on the list while Genelia D'Souza of Jaane Tu Jaane Na has been declared as one the fastest rising searched for terms on the Net besides Beijing Olympics and IPL!
Bollywood remains one of the most popular Internet search terms ahead of Tamil Cinema when it comes to netizens' interest on movies. As with most of the awards ceremonies, one name that is conspicously missing is none other than Aamir Khan's. After all, Aamir was never in the rat race, more so if it was run on people's keyboards!
Recently declared as Asia's sexiest woman, Katrina Kaif has yet again pipped former beauty queen and Bollywood heart-throb Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the most searched for person on the Web, according to Google's India Zeitgeist list for 2008.
Interestingly, Katrina has also outdone her boyfriend and godfather Salman Khan when it comes to being googled on the Net! As for Salman, he may not have been able to set his account straight with Shah Rukh Khan in real life but on the world wide web he has elbowed King Khan, and remains the most searched for actor in India. Shahid Kapoor makes his debut on the list while Genelia D'Souza of Jaane Tu Jaane Na has been declared as one the fastest rising searched for terms on the Net besides Beijing Olympics and IPL!
Bollywood remains one of the most popular Internet search terms ahead of Tamil Cinema when it comes to netizens' interest on movies. As with most of the awards ceremonies, one name that is conspicously missing is none other than Aamir Khan's. After all, Aamir was never in the rat race, more so if it was run on people's keyboards!
Miss Russia is Miss World 2008
Russia's Ksenya Sukhinova was crowned Miss World 2008 after beating scores of international beauties, including India's Parvathy Omanakuttan who finished first runner up, at a glittering African extravaganza held here.
"Miss World 2008 is Russia," announced Julia Morley, head of the Miss World committee that organises the event. The 21-year-old Parvathy, who hails from Kottayam in Kerala, narrowly missed out on joining five Indian glamour queens Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra (2000) who had won the title.
The second runners up was Gabriel Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago.
More than 100 international beauties participated in this year's Miss World pageant, hosted by South Africa.
Sukhinova, who took over the title from Zhang Zi Lin of China to become the 58th Miss World, was crowned after a two-hour long spectacle that combined elements of travelogue and reality show. She beamed as she was crowned.
Sukhinova also had won the contest's top model award and was third in the swimsuit competition. Miss South Africa Tansey Coetzee had made it to the final five.
"I think I can help people and I want to help people and today if I walk away with this crown I will do that," Sukhinova told judges through a translator after being asked why she should be crowned the winner.
India's Parvathy, who had won the Miss femina contest in April this year, said: "In India and South Africa people are warm and warm-hearted. I felt at home in Johannesburg." "Presence of two great leaders Mahatma Gandhi (India) and Nelson Mandela (South Africa) have influenced millions of people in both the countries," she said.
Asked About her experience in the beauty pageant, the 5 feet 9 inches tall dusky beauty said: "It is a great journey for me."
South Africa, who hosted the event for the sixth time, became the country that has held more Miss World pageants than any other. The event was broadcast to millions of viewers in 187 countries.
Beauties from 109 countries were whittled down to 15 semi-finalists with India, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, Angola and South Africa named the five finalists as the audience willed their favourite to go forward.
"Miss World 2008 is Russia," announced Julia Morley, head of the Miss World committee that organises the event. The 21-year-old Parvathy, who hails from Kottayam in Kerala, narrowly missed out on joining five Indian glamour queens Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra (2000) who had won the title.
The second runners up was Gabriel Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago.
More than 100 international beauties participated in this year's Miss World pageant, hosted by South Africa.
Sukhinova, who took over the title from Zhang Zi Lin of China to become the 58th Miss World, was crowned after a two-hour long spectacle that combined elements of travelogue and reality show. She beamed as she was crowned.
Sukhinova also had won the contest's top model award and was third in the swimsuit competition. Miss South Africa Tansey Coetzee had made it to the final five.
"I think I can help people and I want to help people and today if I walk away with this crown I will do that," Sukhinova told judges through a translator after being asked why she should be crowned the winner.
India's Parvathy, who had won the Miss femina contest in April this year, said: "In India and South Africa people are warm and warm-hearted. I felt at home in Johannesburg." "Presence of two great leaders Mahatma Gandhi (India) and Nelson Mandela (South Africa) have influenced millions of people in both the countries," she said.
Asked About her experience in the beauty pageant, the 5 feet 9 inches tall dusky beauty said: "It is a great journey for me."
South Africa, who hosted the event for the sixth time, became the country that has held more Miss World pageants than any other. The event was broadcast to millions of viewers in 187 countries.
Beauties from 109 countries were whittled down to 15 semi-finalists with India, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, Angola and South Africa named the five finalists as the audience willed their favourite to go forward.
Where’s the girl next door?
Today, Kollywood heroines have to be bold and brazen, and the definition of the term ‘traditional heroine’ has changed. Actresses who were once afraid of doing bare-it-all scenes, are becoming more daring as they know that talent alone is not enough to reach the top.
Many actresses are dumping their Ms- Goody-Two-Shoes image and joining the glam bandwagon, contradicting what they once stood for. Actresses like Vijayalakshmi and Meenakshi, the proverbial demure girls next-door, are realising that glamour will take them places.
Bhavana had made it clear that shedding inhibitions in front of the camera was the virtue of the less talented. But after doing half a dozen films in Tamil, she is now cooling her heels in a newly-built bungalow in Trichur with no offers coming from Chennai. Even a casual suggestion to do a bold scene would give the lady goose bumps.
Look what happened to Ms Squeaky Clean Sneha after she changed her soft touch-me-not image and transformed herself into a sex-bomb in Lawrence’s Pandi. The film did very well in B and C stations and Sneha started her second innings as a sultry siren with offers coming her way.
The new girl, Parvathy Menon has not got a single offer after her critically acclaimed realistic portrayal sans make-up in Sasi’s Poo. The role models for the new breed of actresses are Nayanthara and Namitha. Nayanthara’s famous bikini-act and Namitha’s Amazonian sexy looks have become a rage with our audiences. The trade says that their films had a good opening, which made them demand huge salaries. The transformation of the Tamil commercial cinema heroines from plain Janes to divas has also changed story telling and the way heroines are depicted in our films. Says a leading director, who has of late gone for glamorous heroines, “Today heroines are mere eye candy, and most of them are there for item numbers and flaunting sexy attires. Please don’t blame us; everybody including the media promotes only glam girls.”
Pinky Sarkar from Kolkata, oops Meenakshi, as she’s better known, was the cynosure of all eyes at the audio launch of TN-07-AL-4777 on Friday. She came dressed in a purple off-shoulder frock, with an ample skin-show. Lensmen went berserk trying to photograph the glam girl at her sexiest. Says Meenakshi, “What’s wrong in looking glamorous? That’s what my role demands.” She is doing what Sameera Reddy did in Taxi No 9211. Meenakshi has also just done an item song with Vishal in Thoranai, and is also negotiating more glam roles.
The message is loud and clear — those who have inhibitions can stay at home, as the bold and daring look is the in-thing in Kollywood. As such there is an acute shortage of glamour heroines in Kollywood, and those who succeed here can look to Bollywood for even more glamorous roles. Says one actress, “Asin refused to show her belly button in Tamil songs, but she is more than willing to flaunt it for a Bollywood film. Watch Ghajani promo songs and see for yourself.”
With new girls storming the industry and competition hotting up, those who want to be in the race have to be daring.
Many actresses are dumping their Ms- Goody-Two-Shoes image and joining the glam bandwagon, contradicting what they once stood for. Actresses like Vijayalakshmi and Meenakshi, the proverbial demure girls next-door, are realising that glamour will take them places.
Bhavana had made it clear that shedding inhibitions in front of the camera was the virtue of the less talented. But after doing half a dozen films in Tamil, she is now cooling her heels in a newly-built bungalow in Trichur with no offers coming from Chennai. Even a casual suggestion to do a bold scene would give the lady goose bumps.
Look what happened to Ms Squeaky Clean Sneha after she changed her soft touch-me-not image and transformed herself into a sex-bomb in Lawrence’s Pandi. The film did very well in B and C stations and Sneha started her second innings as a sultry siren with offers coming her way.
The new girl, Parvathy Menon has not got a single offer after her critically acclaimed realistic portrayal sans make-up in Sasi’s Poo. The role models for the new breed of actresses are Nayanthara and Namitha. Nayanthara’s famous bikini-act and Namitha’s Amazonian sexy looks have become a rage with our audiences. The trade says that their films had a good opening, which made them demand huge salaries. The transformation of the Tamil commercial cinema heroines from plain Janes to divas has also changed story telling and the way heroines are depicted in our films. Says a leading director, who has of late gone for glamorous heroines, “Today heroines are mere eye candy, and most of them are there for item numbers and flaunting sexy attires. Please don’t blame us; everybody including the media promotes only glam girls.”
Pinky Sarkar from Kolkata, oops Meenakshi, as she’s better known, was the cynosure of all eyes at the audio launch of TN-07-AL-4777 on Friday. She came dressed in a purple off-shoulder frock, with an ample skin-show. Lensmen went berserk trying to photograph the glam girl at her sexiest. Says Meenakshi, “What’s wrong in looking glamorous? That’s what my role demands.” She is doing what Sameera Reddy did in Taxi No 9211. Meenakshi has also just done an item song with Vishal in Thoranai, and is also negotiating more glam roles.
The message is loud and clear — those who have inhibitions can stay at home, as the bold and daring look is the in-thing in Kollywood. As such there is an acute shortage of glamour heroines in Kollywood, and those who succeed here can look to Bollywood for even more glamorous roles. Says one actress, “Asin refused to show her belly button in Tamil songs, but she is more than willing to flaunt it for a Bollywood film. Watch Ghajani promo songs and see for yourself.”
With new girls storming the industry and competition hotting up, those who want to be in the race have to be daring.
‘Koundamani and I may pair up again’
Considered the Laurel and Hardy of Kollywood, Koundamani and Senthil ruled the roost for over two decades, entertaining the audience with their rib-tickling, slapstick comedy. With perfect dialogue delivery and flawless body language, the duo established a place for themselves in the heart of the audience. Ask him why he has not paired up with his partner for some time and he replies, “After my foray into politics and the small screen, we couldn’t work together. But we may pair up again,” he says. While Koundamani made a comeback with big movies like Baba and Jaggubhai, Senthil opted for lesser-known movies. “I don’t believe in small and big movies. There are only two types of movies —good and bad,” he states.
With some of the leading comedians going a bit beyond their funny self, turning heroes, has Senthil ever felt that he missed out on the opportunity? “As I never aspired to be a hero, it's not a trend that I ever missed,” says Senthil.
In Tamil cinema, comedy has always been the vital ingredient to ensure the success of a film. While Vivekh’s brand of thought-provoking comedy has earned him a huge fan following, Vadivelu has his own brand of slapstick, yet sometimes below-the-belt comedy. So, which style does Senthil prefer? “I do not have any preference. I cater to the audience. However, I prefer the comedy to be interwoven with the storyline, instead of it being a separate track altogether.”
Ask him why he has never been the moral or preachy kind when it comes to his messages through comedy and the actor is quick to react. “My comedy was always blended with the storyline,” he states.
Quiz him about the scarcity of comediennes in the industry, the actor says, “Every actress wants to become a heroine. They act in two or three films and disappear. This seems to be the trend nowadays.”
Senthil also tried to launch his son Naveen in the forgettable Unnai Enakku Pidichirukku. But, the film failed to evoke a good response in the box-office and the actor eventually disappeared from the scene. “He played the second hero in the film and is now studying. He may get back into movies if he gets a good offer,” says Senthil.
Tamil filmdom has a rich legacy of comedians. With each of them having their distinct style, Senthil is a comedian who even went to the extent of making fun of his image to make people laugh. Has he ever felt bad about it? “Never. In fact, I feel proud,” he says.
Senthil has lost track of the number of films he has done. “Can you believe something? I have never seen any of my films. After dubbing, I do not look back at any of my projects,” he quips. The actor is currently busy with Bharathi Raja’s Kallukkul Earam. Though Senthil had a humble origin from a remote village of Ramanathapuram, he went on to act for more than two decades including in an English movie as well. “I did an English movie for Ashok Amritraj and we shot in Paris. It was a great fun,” he concludes.
With some of the leading comedians going a bit beyond their funny self, turning heroes, has Senthil ever felt that he missed out on the opportunity? “As I never aspired to be a hero, it's not a trend that I ever missed,” says Senthil.
In Tamil cinema, comedy has always been the vital ingredient to ensure the success of a film. While Vivekh’s brand of thought-provoking comedy has earned him a huge fan following, Vadivelu has his own brand of slapstick, yet sometimes below-the-belt comedy. So, which style does Senthil prefer? “I do not have any preference. I cater to the audience. However, I prefer the comedy to be interwoven with the storyline, instead of it being a separate track altogether.”
Ask him why he has never been the moral or preachy kind when it comes to his messages through comedy and the actor is quick to react. “My comedy was always blended with the storyline,” he states.
Quiz him about the scarcity of comediennes in the industry, the actor says, “Every actress wants to become a heroine. They act in two or three films and disappear. This seems to be the trend nowadays.”
Senthil also tried to launch his son Naveen in the forgettable Unnai Enakku Pidichirukku. But, the film failed to evoke a good response in the box-office and the actor eventually disappeared from the scene. “He played the second hero in the film and is now studying. He may get back into movies if he gets a good offer,” says Senthil.
Tamil filmdom has a rich legacy of comedians. With each of them having their distinct style, Senthil is a comedian who even went to the extent of making fun of his image to make people laugh. Has he ever felt bad about it? “Never. In fact, I feel proud,” he says.
Senthil has lost track of the number of films he has done. “Can you believe something? I have never seen any of my films. After dubbing, I do not look back at any of my projects,” he quips. The actor is currently busy with Bharathi Raja’s Kallukkul Earam. Though Senthil had a humble origin from a remote village of Ramanathapuram, he went on to act for more than two decades including in an English movie as well. “I did an English movie for Ashok Amritraj and we shot in Paris. It was a great fun,” he concludes.
Rab Ne brings cheers to Yash Raj camp
Mumbai is still not in a cinema-going mood after the terror strikes, but movie buffs - and loyal Shah Rukh Khan fans to be precise - could not have given Yash Raj Films' much-awaited movie Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi a miss.
So if not in droves, they came in sizeable numbers for the first day first show to give the movie a decent and honourable opening in the city.
The opening collections here ranged from 70 per cent to over 80 per cent - and more in other parts of the country. According to initial reports, the collections were cent per cent in many centres in north India, especially Punjab, thanks to rapid advance bookings.
Yash Raj Films (YRF), which has suffered monetary losses after successive failures of its recent ventures, could not have asked for more.
In one quick shot, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi redeemed its prestige. The credit for this, as many in the industry said, should go to the jodi (alliance) of Shah Rukh and the industry's most private filmmaker, Aditya Chopra - the duo that have given one of the biggest hits in Dilwala Dulhaniya Le Jayenge.
The film is Shah Rukh's first release of the year. Apart from this, it is the first Shah Rukh Khan-Aditya Chopra film in over eight years. They had last collaborated for Mohabbatein in 2000.
Set in Amritsar, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is the story of a mismatched couple played by Shah Rukh and newcomer Anushka Sharma and how the two of them find love in the backdrop of a dance competition.
The trade circles, which earlier were a little circumspect in their opinion about the movie's probable box-office fate post 26/11, have now given the movie a thumbs up, saying it has brought a little cheer to Mumbai's prevailing sombre mood.
In spite of not being a run-of-the-mill Bollywood blockbuster, Rab Ne... is attracting audiences all over the country because cinegoers have been missing the nation's darling, Shah Rukh, the whole year and the breeziness he displays on the screen.
"Bollywood masala addicts may find Rab Ne... a low-key affair as it has no pungent sex and the picturesque locales YRF movies are known for, but what has marked it out is that it has identifiable characters and that makes it an intimate movie within the limited scope of the story," said trade analyst V Verma.
YRF has two weeks to cash in on the enthusiasm the movie has generated among the audience before Aamir Khan-starrer Ghajini arrives. But by that time, Rab Ne.. would have consolidated its position at the box-office and be declared a superhit," said I M Pannu, another trade analyst.
Reactions to Rab Ne..., however, was not as enthusiastic among some young audience members.
"I know 'experimental' may not be the right word to sum up the movie, but somehow I found the movie to be a tepid fare, lacking in the usual grandeur of a Bollywood movie," said 21-year-old Dipesh Vyas, a college student.
But his friend Sheetal Jain said Shah Rukh made it all up. "Even the new girl, Anuksha Sharma, is good. In totality, I would say the movie is okay " she added.
So if not in droves, they came in sizeable numbers for the first day first show to give the movie a decent and honourable opening in the city.
The opening collections here ranged from 70 per cent to over 80 per cent - and more in other parts of the country. According to initial reports, the collections were cent per cent in many centres in north India, especially Punjab, thanks to rapid advance bookings.
Yash Raj Films (YRF), which has suffered monetary losses after successive failures of its recent ventures, could not have asked for more.
In one quick shot, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi redeemed its prestige. The credit for this, as many in the industry said, should go to the jodi (alliance) of Shah Rukh and the industry's most private filmmaker, Aditya Chopra - the duo that have given one of the biggest hits in Dilwala Dulhaniya Le Jayenge.
The film is Shah Rukh's first release of the year. Apart from this, it is the first Shah Rukh Khan-Aditya Chopra film in over eight years. They had last collaborated for Mohabbatein in 2000.
Set in Amritsar, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is the story of a mismatched couple played by Shah Rukh and newcomer Anushka Sharma and how the two of them find love in the backdrop of a dance competition.
The trade circles, which earlier were a little circumspect in their opinion about the movie's probable box-office fate post 26/11, have now given the movie a thumbs up, saying it has brought a little cheer to Mumbai's prevailing sombre mood.
In spite of not being a run-of-the-mill Bollywood blockbuster, Rab Ne... is attracting audiences all over the country because cinegoers have been missing the nation's darling, Shah Rukh, the whole year and the breeziness he displays on the screen.
"Bollywood masala addicts may find Rab Ne... a low-key affair as it has no pungent sex and the picturesque locales YRF movies are known for, but what has marked it out is that it has identifiable characters and that makes it an intimate movie within the limited scope of the story," said trade analyst V Verma.
YRF has two weeks to cash in on the enthusiasm the movie has generated among the audience before Aamir Khan-starrer Ghajini arrives. But by that time, Rab Ne.. would have consolidated its position at the box-office and be declared a superhit," said I M Pannu, another trade analyst.
Reactions to Rab Ne..., however, was not as enthusiastic among some young audience members.
"I know 'experimental' may not be the right word to sum up the movie, but somehow I found the movie to be a tepid fare, lacking in the usual grandeur of a Bollywood movie," said 21-year-old Dipesh Vyas, a college student.
But his friend Sheetal Jain said Shah Rukh made it all up. "Even the new girl, Anuksha Sharma, is good. In totality, I would say the movie is okay " she added.
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