The eerie sound of rushes of water amidst the melody and haunting music is the stamp of genius of Magna Film’s midas composer Raju Singh. Who developed the sound, music, mood, backdrop and energetic harmony in Magna Film’s latest release Accident on Hill Road. The latest Magna Films production, promises to entertain, thrill and ignite emotions of passion, danger and lust in this fast-paced murder scenerio.
The music for the film composed by Raju Singh is energetic, emotional and supremely melodious.The music is composed by Raju Singh (who has done most of the background scores for Mahesh Bhatt's productions as well as Anurag Basu's films).
“There is only one song in the film — ‘Nasha Nasha', sung by Sonu Nigam, with lyrics by Sandeep Nath. The song is integral to the storyline — it is played in a lounge club where Celina and Abhimanyu are drinking and dancing. It is the drinking that causes the accident,” says Mahesh.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Celina to perform at Country Club on New Year's Eve
Bollywood actress Celina Jaitley will be performing at Country Club here on New Year's Eve, and not at JW Marriott as per earlier reports.
As per Celina's representative there was some mis-communication about the venue.
"There have been confusing reports recently about my performance on Dec 31. I would therefore like to clarify that I will be performing at Country club and not JW Marriot,"
As per Celina's representative there was some mis-communication about the venue.
"There have been confusing reports recently about my performance on Dec 31. I would therefore like to clarify that I will be performing at Country club and not JW Marriot,"
Katrina in London with Ranbir 30 Dec, 2009 11:15 am ISTlTNN Print EMail Discuss Share Save Comment Text: Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif I
Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif If sources are to be believed Katrina is recuperating in London with her family, but a reliable London source informs that to everybody’s surprise she is actually in New York. Coincidentally Ranbir Kapoor is also in New York shooting for Sajid Nadiadwala’s Anjaana Anjaani.
Post her surgery in Mumbai, Katrina flew off to London claiming to spend New Year’s Eve with her family. Katrina, who ushers in the New Year with her mother and siblings each year, was thrilled about the family reunion because she was looking forward to playing with her sister’s little son. But with Katrina in London, it surely raises questions about their relationship.
There is a huge debate as to how her visit to New York wasn’t out and how everybody knew that she was in London. When called up in London at her grandmother’s place, a relative informed that Katrina is in New York.
However Katrina said that she was very much in London. It is just a joke in about me being in New York because she is harassed by many calls.
Kaif also skipped her ex- boyfriend Salman Khan’s birthday in favour of New York. Ranbir and Katrina met on the sets of ‘Raajneeti’ but their friendship really took off when they shot Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. Ranbir has been in an ‘on-off relationship’ with Deepika Padukone while Katrina’s relationship with Salman Khan has slowly taken a setback.
Post her surgery in Mumbai, Katrina flew off to London claiming to spend New Year’s Eve with her family. Katrina, who ushers in the New Year with her mother and siblings each year, was thrilled about the family reunion because she was looking forward to playing with her sister’s little son. But with Katrina in London, it surely raises questions about their relationship.
There is a huge debate as to how her visit to New York wasn’t out and how everybody knew that she was in London. When called up in London at her grandmother’s place, a relative informed that Katrina is in New York.
However Katrina said that she was very much in London. It is just a joke in about me being in New York because she is harassed by many calls.
Kaif also skipped her ex- boyfriend Salman Khan’s birthday in favour of New York. Ranbir and Katrina met on the sets of ‘Raajneeti’ but their friendship really took off when they shot Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. Ranbir has been in an ‘on-off relationship’ with Deepika Padukone while Katrina’s relationship with Salman Khan has slowly taken a setback.
Akshay Kumar won't charge a single penny for two of his films
Trade circles say that Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar was reportedly signed for as high a fee as Rs 71 crore for a film, has had a change of mind.
Reliable market sources say that the entire completion cost of Akshay’s next two films –‘Khatta Meetha’ directed by Priyadarshan and ‘Tees Maar Khan’ directed by Farah Khan will reportedly not exceed Rs 35 crore.
According to one trade source the cost of making ‘Khatta Meetha’ and ‘Tees Maar Khan’ won’t include the actor’s fee.
The same source adds that when Akshay realised that his films ‘Chandni Chowk to China’, ‘Kambakkht Ishq’ and ‘Tasveer’ lost money because of his individual fee as an actor, he decided to make a market correction.
Having studied the current Bollywood trade scene, the actor has decided not to charge a single penny for his films.
However, Akki’s banner ‘Hari Om Productions’ is a co-producer of the films ‘Khatta Meetha’ and ‘Tees Maar Khan’.
The actor explains the logic behind this drastic move of not charging his market fee. He said that for both the films his fees will be Rs.0. If both films are hits, then the production house will stand to benefit by getting a part of the profits. If the film is average, the profit margin will automatically be reduced. And if the film flops, no one will lose money because the budget has been controlled. By not charging his personal remuneration as an actor, he has made sure that these films will at least romp home with no losses.
Trade sources say that the Akshay is being closely watched by all actors who have home productions.
Reliable market sources say that the entire completion cost of Akshay’s next two films –‘Khatta Meetha’ directed by Priyadarshan and ‘Tees Maar Khan’ directed by Farah Khan will reportedly not exceed Rs 35 crore.
According to one trade source the cost of making ‘Khatta Meetha’ and ‘Tees Maar Khan’ won’t include the actor’s fee.
The same source adds that when Akshay realised that his films ‘Chandni Chowk to China’, ‘Kambakkht Ishq’ and ‘Tasveer’ lost money because of his individual fee as an actor, he decided to make a market correction.
Having studied the current Bollywood trade scene, the actor has decided not to charge a single penny for his films.
However, Akki’s banner ‘Hari Om Productions’ is a co-producer of the films ‘Khatta Meetha’ and ‘Tees Maar Khan’.
The actor explains the logic behind this drastic move of not charging his market fee. He said that for both the films his fees will be Rs.0. If both films are hits, then the production house will stand to benefit by getting a part of the profits. If the film is average, the profit margin will automatically be reduced. And if the film flops, no one will lose money because the budget has been controlled. By not charging his personal remuneration as an actor, he has made sure that these films will at least romp home with no losses.
Trade sources say that the Akshay is being closely watched by all actors who have home productions.
Gulzar set to direct a film in 2010
Noted lyricist-filmmaker Gulzar’s last offering as a director was Hu Tu Tu (1999), starring Tabu and Sunil Shetty. Since then, friends and family, especially his daughter Meghna have been urging him to return to direction. However, no idea seemed to inspire him enough to make that effort. That is until now. Gulzar is set to direct a film in 2010. The film’s subject will be women-centric like his earlier films and will star Vidya Balan.
Without divulging details, Gulzar says, “My next film will star Vidya for sure. I saw portions of Ishqiya and she is truly an outstanding actress.
The fact that Gulzar’s daughter Meghna and Vidya are close friends only enhances the director’s fondness for the actress. “I have known Vidya from the time she used to drop in with Pradeep Sarkar during Parineeta. She is a lovely girl. Do you know, when an Oscar was announced for Jai Ho, Vidya came home and gave me a trophy? Yes, an actual trophy! I am happy to see her friendship with my daughter. In Vidya, my daughter has found a soul mate. It’s very rare to see two people in the film industry reaching out to one another without ulterior motives. Vidya visits Meghna more than me. In fact, my daughter’s next also stars her. So both father and daughter are working with her,” adds the filmmaker. Apparently, Meghna’s next is a hard-hitting, marital drama.
As for Gulzar, Vidya has made a promise to herself. “I will keep sending him notes to start his film with me. I still remember that one shot in Parichay where the song Beeti na beetayi raina is going on and Jaya Bhaduriji is pleating her hair. That moment has stayed with me. No one captures everyday moments with such tenderness. I will do anything to work with Gulzarsaab. To me there are three people who are the epitome of culture and grace - M S Subbalaxmiji, Waheeda Rehmanji and Gulzarsaab.”
Without divulging details, Gulzar says, “My next film will star Vidya for sure. I saw portions of Ishqiya and she is truly an outstanding actress.
The fact that Gulzar’s daughter Meghna and Vidya are close friends only enhances the director’s fondness for the actress. “I have known Vidya from the time she used to drop in with Pradeep Sarkar during Parineeta. She is a lovely girl. Do you know, when an Oscar was announced for Jai Ho, Vidya came home and gave me a trophy? Yes, an actual trophy! I am happy to see her friendship with my daughter. In Vidya, my daughter has found a soul mate. It’s very rare to see two people in the film industry reaching out to one another without ulterior motives. Vidya visits Meghna more than me. In fact, my daughter’s next also stars her. So both father and daughter are working with her,” adds the filmmaker. Apparently, Meghna’s next is a hard-hitting, marital drama.
As for Gulzar, Vidya has made a promise to herself. “I will keep sending him notes to start his film with me. I still remember that one shot in Parichay where the song Beeti na beetayi raina is going on and Jaya Bhaduriji is pleating her hair. That moment has stayed with me. No one captures everyday moments with such tenderness. I will do anything to work with Gulzarsaab. To me there are three people who are the epitome of culture and grace - M S Subbalaxmiji, Waheeda Rehmanji and Gulzarsaab.”
Shahid to play Tom Cruise 'Top Gun' role
Shahid Kapoor, as Tom Cruise did in 1986 with Top Gun, is all set to wear a uniform and take to the skies in Mausam — his father Pankaj Kapoor’s directorial debut. Pankaj, who felt Shahid needs a change of image after playing roles like an aimless student in Ishq Vishq, a gangster-social activist in Kaminey, a struggling dancer in Chance Pe Dance and an entrepreneur before that in Jab We Met and Vivah, decided a uniformed soldier’s role would give his son a mature man’s image.
According to a source, the uniform has virtually been written into the script. Pankaj first toyed with the idea of making Shahid an Army officer. Then it was decided to cast him as an Air Force pilot. The last real big star to play an Air Force pilot in Hindi cinema was Rajesh Khanna in Shakti Samanta’s 1969 hit Aradhana, which itself was a copy of the 1946 Hollywood film To Each His Own.
Shahid’s role is being modelled on the lines of Tom Cruise’s from Top Gun, in which the actor played a Navy pilot training in the US Navy Fighter Weapons School known in the Pentagon as ‘Topgun’. The film was a super hit and had great music and songs apart from scintillating dogfights in mid-air and other action.
Shahid is taking the film seriously and has decided to train for the role after the release of Chance Pe Dance. Permission is being sought to make the film at the Air Force Academy in Dindigul, outside Hyderabad, much in the manner Top Gun was actually shot at the US Navy school in Miramar, California.
According to a source, the uniform has virtually been written into the script. Pankaj first toyed with the idea of making Shahid an Army officer. Then it was decided to cast him as an Air Force pilot. The last real big star to play an Air Force pilot in Hindi cinema was Rajesh Khanna in Shakti Samanta’s 1969 hit Aradhana, which itself was a copy of the 1946 Hollywood film To Each His Own.
Shahid’s role is being modelled on the lines of Tom Cruise’s from Top Gun, in which the actor played a Navy pilot training in the US Navy Fighter Weapons School known in the Pentagon as ‘Topgun’. The film was a super hit and had great music and songs apart from scintillating dogfights in mid-air and other action.
Shahid is taking the film seriously and has decided to train for the role after the release of Chance Pe Dance. Permission is being sought to make the film at the Air Force Academy in Dindigul, outside Hyderabad, much in the manner Top Gun was actually shot at the US Navy school in Miramar, California.
Avatar beauty Zoe Saldana in hot photoshoot
Avatar actress Zoe Saldana has won more admirers after shooting for a hot magazine photoshoot.
The 31-year-old, known as the computer-generated warrior Neytiri in James Cameron's latest blockbuster, posed for Complex magazine.
"Neytiri is blue, she's 9ft tall and she has bigger **** than I do," News of the World quoted the star as saying.
"But it's me - my face, my facial muscles, my expressions. And Jim captured that," she added.
The 31-year-old, known as the computer-generated warrior Neytiri in James Cameron's latest blockbuster, posed for Complex magazine.
"Neytiri is blue, she's 9ft tall and she has bigger **** than I do," News of the World quoted the star as saying.
"But it's me - my face, my facial muscles, my expressions. And Jim captured that," she added.
Aamir Khan's '3 Idiots' beats his own 'Ghajini'
Aamir Khan starrer '3 Idiots' has surpassed his last year's release 'Ghajini' in terms of weekend collection with 30% more profit at the box office.
The Rajkumar Hirani directed film, which released last Friday, has grossed Rs93 crore worldwide till Sunday.
Even the paid previews have garnered over Rs9 crore gross worldwide in collection which is above 'Ghajini's collection of Rs7 crore gross worldwide.
"Response has been overwhelming from all over the world. Aamir, Raju and I knew from the responses earlier on that people liked the film but this is something else," said Vidhu Vinod Chopra, producer of the film.
'3 Idiots', which the producers claim is the most widely released Hindi film till date, opened in India with 1550 prints in over 1760 screens and overseas 342 prints in over 366 screens in over 40 countries.
The figures from USA and Canada show the biggest opening weekend ever for a Hindi film.
"We have got reports from places like Australia that they have reduced 'Avatar' shows and increased ours. '3 Idiots' is the highest grossing Hindi film ever in Australia on its
opening weekend. Similarly in US, I have been told that 3 Idiots would be highest ever for a Hindi film," Chopra added.
In the UK, '3 Idiots' is claimed to have surpassed all other Hindi films and reached just below Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna', even though all theatres were shut down for Christmas and business has been for two days.
The Rajkumar Hirani directed film, which released last Friday, has grossed Rs93 crore worldwide till Sunday.
Even the paid previews have garnered over Rs9 crore gross worldwide in collection which is above 'Ghajini's collection of Rs7 crore gross worldwide.
"Response has been overwhelming from all over the world. Aamir, Raju and I knew from the responses earlier on that people liked the film but this is something else," said Vidhu Vinod Chopra, producer of the film.
'3 Idiots', which the producers claim is the most widely released Hindi film till date, opened in India with 1550 prints in over 1760 screens and overseas 342 prints in over 366 screens in over 40 countries.
The figures from USA and Canada show the biggest opening weekend ever for a Hindi film.
"We have got reports from places like Australia that they have reduced 'Avatar' shows and increased ours. '3 Idiots' is the highest grossing Hindi film ever in Australia on its
opening weekend. Similarly in US, I have been told that 3 Idiots would be highest ever for a Hindi film," Chopra added.
In the UK, '3 Idiots' is claimed to have surpassed all other Hindi films and reached just below Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna', even though all theatres were shut down for Christmas and business has been for two days.
The art of turning a film into a script
Nasreen Munni Kabir has emerged as an indefatigable chronicler of popular Hindi cinema. From her early breakthrough book on Guru Dutt to the Movie Mahal series which introduced Britain to Bollywood, Kabir has documented Hindi cinema's great personalities and movies.
She has also pioneered the documentation of the film script, which involves painstakingly noting down the dialogues of a film and translating them into English. She tried the experiment with Mughal-e-Azam and now she is back with the dialogue of Awaara which she calls 'Raj Kapoor's Immortal Classic'.
There is no denying Awaara's place in the Hindi film pantheon of greats, though the film can be a bit emotionally overwrought. For my money, Shri 420 is a more deeply satisfying film and is as good if not better in parts. But that is a moot debate. Awaara had a philosophical idea at its core: do genes decide a person's character or does upbringing matter, which formed the background to a love story between a rich girl and a petty thief.
All the usual ironies of Hindi cinema were present but the end result was not cliched and the credit for that goes to the then 27-year old Kapoor.
Awaara had terrific songs, stupendous acting, superb sets, breakthrough photography and most of all, bold and strong dialogues which held a deep resonance. Writer KA Abbas had imbued it with his leftist ideals, which gelled well with Kapoor's own sensibilities, and resonated with a young nation just out of the trauma of Partition. Yet questions do arise. Does the dialogue deserve a book of its own? Does the idea of printing these dialogues in four different ways -- in English, Hindi, Urdu and finally in Roman script but in Hindustani -- work?
In an industry not known for pre-scripting, any such effort can only be post-facto, i.e. taken off the film since so much is written right on the set. That shows because the cinematic instructions are few and far between and any commentary is the author's (Kabir) own comments drawn from her extensive knowledge and research. This is a strength and a weakness. In the end that really doesn't matter, because Kabir is an excellent guide and a veritable storehouse of information. The opening essay and the end notes have lovely trivia and also analyses of several scenes, including the famous dream sequence.
Awaara became a worldwide phenomenon, a cult film in Russia, Turkey and many other countries. Students and lovers of Hindi films, especially from the Golden Age, should read and imbibe from this book. It reminds us about an era when Hindi films had style, content and heart and were not simply a gigantic marketing exercise.
She has also pioneered the documentation of the film script, which involves painstakingly noting down the dialogues of a film and translating them into English. She tried the experiment with Mughal-e-Azam and now she is back with the dialogue of Awaara which she calls 'Raj Kapoor's Immortal Classic'.
There is no denying Awaara's place in the Hindi film pantheon of greats, though the film can be a bit emotionally overwrought. For my money, Shri 420 is a more deeply satisfying film and is as good if not better in parts. But that is a moot debate. Awaara had a philosophical idea at its core: do genes decide a person's character or does upbringing matter, which formed the background to a love story between a rich girl and a petty thief.
All the usual ironies of Hindi cinema were present but the end result was not cliched and the credit for that goes to the then 27-year old Kapoor.
Awaara had terrific songs, stupendous acting, superb sets, breakthrough photography and most of all, bold and strong dialogues which held a deep resonance. Writer KA Abbas had imbued it with his leftist ideals, which gelled well with Kapoor's own sensibilities, and resonated with a young nation just out of the trauma of Partition. Yet questions do arise. Does the dialogue deserve a book of its own? Does the idea of printing these dialogues in four different ways -- in English, Hindi, Urdu and finally in Roman script but in Hindustani -- work?
In an industry not known for pre-scripting, any such effort can only be post-facto, i.e. taken off the film since so much is written right on the set. That shows because the cinematic instructions are few and far between and any commentary is the author's (Kabir) own comments drawn from her extensive knowledge and research. This is a strength and a weakness. In the end that really doesn't matter, because Kabir is an excellent guide and a veritable storehouse of information. The opening essay and the end notes have lovely trivia and also analyses of several scenes, including the famous dream sequence.
Awaara became a worldwide phenomenon, a cult film in Russia, Turkey and many other countries. Students and lovers of Hindi films, especially from the Golden Age, should read and imbibe from this book. It reminds us about an era when Hindi films had style, content and heart and were not simply a gigantic marketing exercise.
3 Idiots is cinema at its best
Title: 3 Idiots (U/A)
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Aamir Khan, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani, and others
Caution: The following review may strike you as gushy, overzealous, or exaggerated in praise. But films like these are made once in a while and, so, superlatives are in order.
Rajkumar Hirani is the best filmmaker Hindi cinema has produced in a long, long time. It's not that there aren't other mavericks, geniuses, and talented storytellers who give us some fabulous movies from time to time. But Hirani has, one film after the other, proved his mettle as a writer/director who does not believe in giving you entertainment the easy way -- he ensures that you take back home a few lessons about life, too.
Three Idiots has one of the most relevant issues of Indian society at its core, a heartwarming story woven around it and a narrative that takes you through the film effortlessly, leaving you happy, moved, and thoughtful in the end. Yes, the film has certain hard-to-digest moments -- like engineering students helping a woman to deliver a child in the campus with the help of some 'skills' -- but if the oft misused term 'cinematic liberty' has ever been put to apt use, it is here.
Ranchhoddas Chhanchad aka Rancho (Khan), Farhan Qureshi (Madhavan), and Raju Rastogi (Joshi) have got admission in ICE, the most prestigious engineering college in India. "You'll have to beat your competitor every step of the way if you want to be successful in life," dean Viru Sahastrabudhhe aka Virus (Irani) tells students on their first day in college.
While the others just follow orders, Rancho defies rules. He raises questions in class his teachers can't answer, refuses to complete assignments unless he really enjoys them, and infuriates the dean, who is a stickler for perfection. "You have the best college in the country, yet none of your students has ever invented anything of note," Rancho tells the dean straight-faced, enraging him further.
To make matters worse, he falls in love with the dean's daughter (Kapoor). The dean is out to make Rancho's life hell but is baffled how Rancho deceives him every time. The most laidback of all students, he surprises everyone by ending at the top of the class, year after year, confounding even his two friends. "We learnt an important lesson," says Farhan. "When your friend fails an examination, you feel bad. But when he tops it, you feel worse."
Rancho explains to his friends that the only reason he excels at everything he does is because he enjoys doing them. He coerces the two to follow their goals without worrying about the end result, and by the end of the four-year period, the two feel more confident of what they want to do in life than before they entered college and met Rancho. While the institute asked them to chase success, Rancho asked them to chase excellence, assuring them that success would follow.
But soon after teaching them life's most valuable lesson, Rancho disappears. Why does Rancho leave without telling anyone of his whereabouts? Where does he go?
The film starts with Farhan and Raju renewing their search for Rancho after five years, following a lead they get on his whereabouts from one of their closest competitors in college, Chatur. The movie then moves into flashback mode, returning to real time every now and then. Starting with the first scene, the screenplay moves in one fluid motion, interweaving scenes and sequences one after the other in brilliant, seamless fashion.
Writers Hirani and Abhijat Joshi (story, screenplay, and dialogues) and Vidhu Vinod Chopra (screenplay associate) have worked painstakingly on every sequence, each of which stands out for its brilliance. There are so many 'highlights' and scenes that impress you that pointing out a few would be unfair to the others. Three Idiots is, in every way, a complete film -- one that works in its entirety, be it storytelling, dialogues, acting, music, cinematography, art direction, editing, etc. At the helm of it all is the captain of the ship -- director Rajkumar Hirani.
Madhavan puts in a restrained performance and brings both the maturity and confusion that his character requires. Joshi is good. His character undergoes immense change in the film and the actor brings across those subtle differences beautifully. Kapoor, in a smaller role, does a good job. Irani's performance ranges from competent to caricaturish, but works with the mood of the film. Omi as Chatur aka Silencer gets ample screen space and performs well as the grades-hungry student everyone hates in class.
Shantanu Moitra's music blends into the film perfectly and the songs are extremely hummable. Hirani is impeccable with his editing and CK Muraleedharan's cinematography is easy on the eyes.
Aamir Khan and Rajikumar Hirani coming together was always going to be special. Three Idiots sure is. In fact, the film blends elements of Khan's Taare Zameen Par with Hirani's Munnabhai series, making a comment on the education system without going down the documentary route, but the film stands out on its own.
Even as you have come to accept Khan's genius at ensuring a good product for audiences every time, this one is a Rajkumar Hirani show all the way. And it becomes easy to say that because even if you take Khan out of the equation, the film would probably make a similar impact.
That is not to say having Khan doesn't help. The character of Rancho is the voice of the film, innocent yet intelligent, and the script demanded an actor of Khan's calibre to take across the film's message to audiences. As a younger man, Khan springs the kind of performance you associate him with. For the three hours that you are watching the film, Khan ceases to exist and Rancho takes over.
But the real hero of Three Idiots is the guy who gave us jaadu ki jhappi and Gandhigiri. Raju Hirani, you are the man! After all the terrible films and flops this year, you have ensured that in the end, Aall Izz Well.
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Aamir Khan, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani, and others
Caution: The following review may strike you as gushy, overzealous, or exaggerated in praise. But films like these are made once in a while and, so, superlatives are in order.
Rajkumar Hirani is the best filmmaker Hindi cinema has produced in a long, long time. It's not that there aren't other mavericks, geniuses, and talented storytellers who give us some fabulous movies from time to time. But Hirani has, one film after the other, proved his mettle as a writer/director who does not believe in giving you entertainment the easy way -- he ensures that you take back home a few lessons about life, too.
Three Idiots has one of the most relevant issues of Indian society at its core, a heartwarming story woven around it and a narrative that takes you through the film effortlessly, leaving you happy, moved, and thoughtful in the end. Yes, the film has certain hard-to-digest moments -- like engineering students helping a woman to deliver a child in the campus with the help of some 'skills' -- but if the oft misused term 'cinematic liberty' has ever been put to apt use, it is here.
Ranchhoddas Chhanchad aka Rancho (Khan), Farhan Qureshi (Madhavan), and Raju Rastogi (Joshi) have got admission in ICE, the most prestigious engineering college in India. "You'll have to beat your competitor every step of the way if you want to be successful in life," dean Viru Sahastrabudhhe aka Virus (Irani) tells students on their first day in college.
While the others just follow orders, Rancho defies rules. He raises questions in class his teachers can't answer, refuses to complete assignments unless he really enjoys them, and infuriates the dean, who is a stickler for perfection. "You have the best college in the country, yet none of your students has ever invented anything of note," Rancho tells the dean straight-faced, enraging him further.
To make matters worse, he falls in love with the dean's daughter (Kapoor). The dean is out to make Rancho's life hell but is baffled how Rancho deceives him every time. The most laidback of all students, he surprises everyone by ending at the top of the class, year after year, confounding even his two friends. "We learnt an important lesson," says Farhan. "When your friend fails an examination, you feel bad. But when he tops it, you feel worse."
Rancho explains to his friends that the only reason he excels at everything he does is because he enjoys doing them. He coerces the two to follow their goals without worrying about the end result, and by the end of the four-year period, the two feel more confident of what they want to do in life than before they entered college and met Rancho. While the institute asked them to chase success, Rancho asked them to chase excellence, assuring them that success would follow.
But soon after teaching them life's most valuable lesson, Rancho disappears. Why does Rancho leave without telling anyone of his whereabouts? Where does he go?
The film starts with Farhan and Raju renewing their search for Rancho after five years, following a lead they get on his whereabouts from one of their closest competitors in college, Chatur. The movie then moves into flashback mode, returning to real time every now and then. Starting with the first scene, the screenplay moves in one fluid motion, interweaving scenes and sequences one after the other in brilliant, seamless fashion.
Writers Hirani and Abhijat Joshi (story, screenplay, and dialogues) and Vidhu Vinod Chopra (screenplay associate) have worked painstakingly on every sequence, each of which stands out for its brilliance. There are so many 'highlights' and scenes that impress you that pointing out a few would be unfair to the others. Three Idiots is, in every way, a complete film -- one that works in its entirety, be it storytelling, dialogues, acting, music, cinematography, art direction, editing, etc. At the helm of it all is the captain of the ship -- director Rajkumar Hirani.
Madhavan puts in a restrained performance and brings both the maturity and confusion that his character requires. Joshi is good. His character undergoes immense change in the film and the actor brings across those subtle differences beautifully. Kapoor, in a smaller role, does a good job. Irani's performance ranges from competent to caricaturish, but works with the mood of the film. Omi as Chatur aka Silencer gets ample screen space and performs well as the grades-hungry student everyone hates in class.
Shantanu Moitra's music blends into the film perfectly and the songs are extremely hummable. Hirani is impeccable with his editing and CK Muraleedharan's cinematography is easy on the eyes.
Aamir Khan and Rajikumar Hirani coming together was always going to be special. Three Idiots sure is. In fact, the film blends elements of Khan's Taare Zameen Par with Hirani's Munnabhai series, making a comment on the education system without going down the documentary route, but the film stands out on its own.
Even as you have come to accept Khan's genius at ensuring a good product for audiences every time, this one is a Rajkumar Hirani show all the way. And it becomes easy to say that because even if you take Khan out of the equation, the film would probably make a similar impact.
That is not to say having Khan doesn't help. The character of Rancho is the voice of the film, innocent yet intelligent, and the script demanded an actor of Khan's calibre to take across the film's message to audiences. As a younger man, Khan springs the kind of performance you associate him with. For the three hours that you are watching the film, Khan ceases to exist and Rancho takes over.
But the real hero of Three Idiots is the guy who gave us jaadu ki jhappi and Gandhigiri. Raju Hirani, you are the man! After all the terrible films and flops this year, you have ensured that in the end, Aall Izz Well.
My Name is Khan selected for Berlin Film Festival
In a major coup, Karan Johar's My Name is Khan has been selected in the Berlin International Film Festival. What's more, the film has been picked for the Official Selection of the festival, which takes place from February 11-21, 2010. Karan Johar is jubilant. "It will be my first time in Berlin, and I'm so excited," he says. "Of course, I'll be going with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol! There's nothing as prestigious as presenting my film at the Berlin film festival's official selection. Even more than awards, it's getting eyeballs at such a festival that is important."
Not many Indian films have made it to the official selection in Berlin the last decade except for Farah Khan's blockbuster Om Shanti Om was - it was part of the Berlinale Special. My Name is Khan will play in the 'Out of Competition' section. Johar said that Fox (which is distributing the film), is comfortable with the 'Out of Competition' slot, as it fits into their international release dates.
My Name is Khan raises the bar for a Karan Johar film, with a love story layered with two key non-romantic issues: Shah Rukh Khan plays Rizvan Khan, a Muslim living in the US post-9/11, and he suffers from Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism.
"Regardless of the issues, I hope the film will find wide acceptance on the humanitarian aspect," Johar says. "Rizvan Khan makes very large points in the garb of simplicity and innocence. Only emotions connect, and they are universal, and I hope Rizvan Khan touches hearts everywhere. I try to raise the bar for Indian cinema with every film I make. I am young, I've got the infrastructure. Weekend box office numbers are no longer enough, I want to be acknowledged. My first concern will always be my domestic base. But within the parameters, we should try to reach a global audience by using our content, keeping the storytelling plausible, and syntax sensible."
As Hollywood major Fox Searchlight is distributing the film in the US, and Fox Star Studios in India, Johar had told the press, "This is the first time such a deal has been inked, where the film will release beyond the mainstream diaspora, and that is exciting."
As for Berlin, he adds, "I can't wait to be in Berlin, walk the red carpet, watch the film with the audience and interact with it afterwards!"
The Berlin film festival has already selected two more Indian films, Umesh Kulkarni's Vihir (The Well), produced by Amitabh Bachchan's AB Corp, and Laxmikant Shetgaonkar's Paltadacho Munis (Man Beyond the Bridge). Their selection is not yet closed.
Not many Indian films have made it to the official selection in Berlin the last decade except for Farah Khan's blockbuster Om Shanti Om was - it was part of the Berlinale Special. My Name is Khan will play in the 'Out of Competition' section. Johar said that Fox (which is distributing the film), is comfortable with the 'Out of Competition' slot, as it fits into their international release dates.
My Name is Khan raises the bar for a Karan Johar film, with a love story layered with two key non-romantic issues: Shah Rukh Khan plays Rizvan Khan, a Muslim living in the US post-9/11, and he suffers from Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism.
"Regardless of the issues, I hope the film will find wide acceptance on the humanitarian aspect," Johar says. "Rizvan Khan makes very large points in the garb of simplicity and innocence. Only emotions connect, and they are universal, and I hope Rizvan Khan touches hearts everywhere. I try to raise the bar for Indian cinema with every film I make. I am young, I've got the infrastructure. Weekend box office numbers are no longer enough, I want to be acknowledged. My first concern will always be my domestic base. But within the parameters, we should try to reach a global audience by using our content, keeping the storytelling plausible, and syntax sensible."
As Hollywood major Fox Searchlight is distributing the film in the US, and Fox Star Studios in India, Johar had told the press, "This is the first time such a deal has been inked, where the film will release beyond the mainstream diaspora, and that is exciting."
As for Berlin, he adds, "I can't wait to be in Berlin, walk the red carpet, watch the film with the audience and interact with it afterwards!"
The Berlin film festival has already selected two more Indian films, Umesh Kulkarni's Vihir (The Well), produced by Amitabh Bachchan's AB Corp, and Laxmikant Shetgaonkar's Paltadacho Munis (Man Beyond the Bridge). Their selection is not yet closed.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Rahul, Katrina top in cyberworld in 2009: Google survey
The young ruled in the Indian cyberspace in 2009, with Rahul Gandhi emerging as the most popular politician and Bollywood star Katrina Kaif the most popular celebrity, according to a Google India survey.
The new survey--The Google 'Zeitgiest'(Spirit of the times) 2009--based on Google India search queries in a reflection of what Indians were searching throughout the year, found that tennis star Sania Mirza held the top position in popular sportspersons category for the third year in a row.
The Saif Ali Khan-Deepika Padukone starrer 'Love Aaj Kaal' was the most searched movie, the survey, which was released today, said.
The results, based on a study of aggregation of billions of queries people typed into Google search in 2009, showed that global economic downturn and local implications were clearly on India's mind as 'Budget 2009' and 'Satyam share price' emerged as the fastest rising queries.
Young politicians like Congress leaders Rahul and Sachin Pilot made their mark among the netizens. Rahul was the most searched politician in India, his grandmother and late prime minister Indira Gandhi was at the second position.
At the third spot was Pilot, followed by Sarah Palin, P Chidambaram, Mayawati, Barack Obama, Sonia Gandhi, Rajesh Pilot and Maneka Gandhi. Interestingly, Palin, the Republican vice presidential candidate for the 2008 elections in America, was searched more than Obama, the US president.
The new survey--The Google 'Zeitgiest'(Spirit of the times) 2009--based on Google India search queries in a reflection of what Indians were searching throughout the year, found that tennis star Sania Mirza held the top position in popular sportspersons category for the third year in a row.
The Saif Ali Khan-Deepika Padukone starrer 'Love Aaj Kaal' was the most searched movie, the survey, which was released today, said.
The results, based on a study of aggregation of billions of queries people typed into Google search in 2009, showed that global economic downturn and local implications were clearly on India's mind as 'Budget 2009' and 'Satyam share price' emerged as the fastest rising queries.
Young politicians like Congress leaders Rahul and Sachin Pilot made their mark among the netizens. Rahul was the most searched politician in India, his grandmother and late prime minister Indira Gandhi was at the second position.
At the third spot was Pilot, followed by Sarah Palin, P Chidambaram, Mayawati, Barack Obama, Sonia Gandhi, Rajesh Pilot and Maneka Gandhi. Interestingly, Palin, the Republican vice presidential candidate for the 2008 elections in America, was searched more than Obama, the US president.
Review: Magnificent Anime Wonder
Film: Avatar (U/A)
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez
Director: James Cameron
It took him 12 years (after Titanic)and many dreams to create this technological marvel and the long wait, I must say,was definitely worth it! Cameron kept himself occupied in the intervening years with underwater explorations, lending his name to several other movie productions, while nurturing this baby to completion. His coming back to the helm, as director with Avatar, is definitely a moment worth rejoicing. The story is basically a reverse of the aliens invading earth plot
Avatar, set in year 2154 has earthlings as the aliens invading a lush, beautiful and serene Pandora, a planet several light years away from Earth, hoping to mine it for its rich deposits of unobtanium - a much sought after energy source mineral that sells at several thousand dollars per kilo, on Earth. A paralysed Marine veteran confined to a wheelchair, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who was not supposed to be part of the Avatar project, is roped inwhen his scientist twin brother is killed. To add teeth to the story, there's a scientist Dr Grace (Sigourney Weaver) researching the planet and its species and the usual warriors led by Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who are looking for all-out massacre while Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribbisi) retains the guiding influence. Matters are further complicated by the developing relationship between a fierce Na'vi beauty Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and the virtualised Jake Sully.
The movie kicks off with glimpses of intergalactic spaceships, weightless crew members and avatars floating in liquid-filled cylinders. The story has shades of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, dollops of philosophy, spiritualism and psycho-babble thrown in for added measure, but these elements never really get the full-on treatment. They are just relegated to the backburner, while the narrative gets fuelled into a brilliant fire by some astounding visuals of breathtaking majesty.
As a viewer, you are bound to be completely entranced by the technique that the story itself is almost rendered redundant. The detailing is exquisitely layered while the background story development is wonderfully crisp and believable. The Na'vi speak, the creatures inhabiting the planet, the flora and fauna, the history of the race, are all remarkably entrenched within the narrative. Not for a minute do you doubt the veracity of such a unique world. Even James Horner's background score and Leona Lewis' 'I See You' lends romance to the visual grandeur.
The technological transitions are seamlessly incorporated - live-action, CGI backdrops, animation, performance capture and post-production effects conjure up imagery that makes every frame look even more beautiful and exciting than the previous one. The 3D imagery has incredible depth and finesse and the action especially when seen on Imax 3D renders close-in experiences like never before. This is by far the most expensive, technically ambitious and superbly realized film ever made. James Cameron's creation simply boggles the mind with its amazing virtuosity and unalloyed beauty. He must be congratulated for having pulled it off so splendidly!
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez
Director: James Cameron
It took him 12 years (after Titanic)and many dreams to create this technological marvel and the long wait, I must say,was definitely worth it! Cameron kept himself occupied in the intervening years with underwater explorations, lending his name to several other movie productions, while nurturing this baby to completion. His coming back to the helm, as director with Avatar, is definitely a moment worth rejoicing. The story is basically a reverse of the aliens invading earth plot
Avatar, set in year 2154 has earthlings as the aliens invading a lush, beautiful and serene Pandora, a planet several light years away from Earth, hoping to mine it for its rich deposits of unobtanium - a much sought after energy source mineral that sells at several thousand dollars per kilo, on Earth. A paralysed Marine veteran confined to a wheelchair, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who was not supposed to be part of the Avatar project, is roped inwhen his scientist twin brother is killed. To add teeth to the story, there's a scientist Dr Grace (Sigourney Weaver) researching the planet and its species and the usual warriors led by Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who are looking for all-out massacre while Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribbisi) retains the guiding influence. Matters are further complicated by the developing relationship between a fierce Na'vi beauty Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and the virtualised Jake Sully.
The movie kicks off with glimpses of intergalactic spaceships, weightless crew members and avatars floating in liquid-filled cylinders. The story has shades of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, dollops of philosophy, spiritualism and psycho-babble thrown in for added measure, but these elements never really get the full-on treatment. They are just relegated to the backburner, while the narrative gets fuelled into a brilliant fire by some astounding visuals of breathtaking majesty.
As a viewer, you are bound to be completely entranced by the technique that the story itself is almost rendered redundant. The detailing is exquisitely layered while the background story development is wonderfully crisp and believable. The Na'vi speak, the creatures inhabiting the planet, the flora and fauna, the history of the race, are all remarkably entrenched within the narrative. Not for a minute do you doubt the veracity of such a unique world. Even James Horner's background score and Leona Lewis' 'I See You' lends romance to the visual grandeur.
The technological transitions are seamlessly incorporated - live-action, CGI backdrops, animation, performance capture and post-production effects conjure up imagery that makes every frame look even more beautiful and exciting than the previous one. The 3D imagery has incredible depth and finesse and the action especially when seen on Imax 3D renders close-in experiences like never before. This is by far the most expensive, technically ambitious and superbly realized film ever made. James Cameron's creation simply boggles the mind with its amazing virtuosity and unalloyed beauty. He must be congratulated for having pulled it off so splendidly!
Rush is one 3-D Avatar Bangalore city had not seen
Director James Cameron's 1998 film Titanic bagged 11 Oscars; with science-fiction epic Avatar, set for release in city theatres this Friday, will he score even better? That's the question Bangaloreans are asking, as they queue for tickets. Multiplexes and theatres in the city have been flooded with advance booking requests.
Vishal Vikram, manager, Priya Village Roadshow (PVR) said, "About 75% of the tickets have been booked till the weekend. For paid reviews, the tickets are already completely sold out. We are installing a three-dimensional screen only for the gold class; so the cost of tickets in that class will be higher -- Rs700 each for a weekday, and Rs1,000 for the weekend." Other screens at the PVR will be playing the movie on the two-dimensional screen, and you can watch the film there at Rs250 on a weekday and Rs450 on a weekend.
Owner of Urvashi theatre, Amit Gowda, said, "We have already sold 4,500 tickets for Avatar. We've received a tremendous response, and tickets here will cost Rs200-Rs250, and the tickets will come with some freebies too -- popcorn and coke."
Monish Nipani, unit manager, INOX, said, "About 95% of the first-day shows are booked; 80% of the tickets are already booked for the weekend shows. We will have one 3-D screen; cost of the tickets there will range from Rs120-350. We will also be providing a special glasses to our viewers. These will be sterilised and packed. We will be collecting Rs200 as a refundable advance for the use of these glasses, just to ensure their safety."
Amit Gowda, owner of Urvashi theatre, said, "For the first time, we will be getting the 3D screen from the US; we will also be providing what are called 'active shutter glasses' with the LCD crystalline glass, which will prevent bacteria from entering the eye. We are equipped to sterilize the glasses after each use."
Gowda added that at Urvashi, booking for the film opened on Tuesday, and nearly 30% of the tickets have already been sold for the first three days.
"We will be charging Rs100 extra for the 3D glasses," he said.
Don't let Avatar leave you poorer. Watch out that you return the special glasses you are provided for the 3-D effect in good shape. You might end up paying much more than the price of the ticket for a damaged pair of glasses--theatres are planning to impose a
fine of Rs2,500 for any damage. Urvashi theatre is even equipped with a device to identify the extent of damage.
The film will soon play in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu at city theatres. Meanwhile, it has already been nominated for four categories of the Golden Globe awards.
Vishal Vikram, manager, Priya Village Roadshow (PVR) said, "About 75% of the tickets have been booked till the weekend. For paid reviews, the tickets are already completely sold out. We are installing a three-dimensional screen only for the gold class; so the cost of tickets in that class will be higher -- Rs700 each for a weekday, and Rs1,000 for the weekend." Other screens at the PVR will be playing the movie on the two-dimensional screen, and you can watch the film there at Rs250 on a weekday and Rs450 on a weekend.
Owner of Urvashi theatre, Amit Gowda, said, "We have already sold 4,500 tickets for Avatar. We've received a tremendous response, and tickets here will cost Rs200-Rs250, and the tickets will come with some freebies too -- popcorn and coke."
Monish Nipani, unit manager, INOX, said, "About 95% of the first-day shows are booked; 80% of the tickets are already booked for the weekend shows. We will have one 3-D screen; cost of the tickets there will range from Rs120-350. We will also be providing a special glasses to our viewers. These will be sterilised and packed. We will be collecting Rs200 as a refundable advance for the use of these glasses, just to ensure their safety."
Amit Gowda, owner of Urvashi theatre, said, "For the first time, we will be getting the 3D screen from the US; we will also be providing what are called 'active shutter glasses' with the LCD crystalline glass, which will prevent bacteria from entering the eye. We are equipped to sterilize the glasses after each use."
Gowda added that at Urvashi, booking for the film opened on Tuesday, and nearly 30% of the tickets have already been sold for the first three days.
"We will be charging Rs100 extra for the 3D glasses," he said.
Don't let Avatar leave you poorer. Watch out that you return the special glasses you are provided for the 3-D effect in good shape. You might end up paying much more than the price of the ticket for a damaged pair of glasses--theatres are planning to impose a
fine of Rs2,500 for any damage. Urvashi theatre is even equipped with a device to identify the extent of damage.
The film will soon play in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu at city theatres. Meanwhile, it has already been nominated for four categories of the Golden Globe awards.
Both stars were camping in the village on Tuesday as part of their clandestine promotional tour when impoverished weavers of the village sought their
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan says his upcoming film 'My Name is Khan', which pairs him with co-actor Kajol after an on-screen hiatus of eight years, does not have terrorism as its main theme and is mostly a love story.
"This film is first and foremost a love story. In fact this is one of the nicest love stories I have ever participated in – and I have participated in some of the best love stories that have been made here," Khan told reporters on Wednesday night after the first look of the film was released.
Directed by Karan Johar, 'My Name is Khan' tells the story of an autistic man Rizwan Khan (played by Shah Rukh Khan), who is caught in the aftermath of the September 11 militant attacks in the United States.
Khan, co-actor Kajol and Johar are teaming up after more than eight years, in what has been billed as one of the biggest releases to come out of Bollywood in a while.
The film is widely anticipated by fans of Khan and Kajol, whose great on-screen chemistry have helped deliver several hits in the past.
Fox Star Studios has signed a deal to finance and distribute the film, which unconfirmed media reports have pegged at 21 million USD.
However, both Johar and Fox have refused to confirm the figure, which, if true would be the highest ever for a Bollywood film.
"This film will be a step towards Indian cinema reaching worldwide," Khan said. India, home to the world's most prolific movie industry, has long tried to draw wider audiences, including by forging ventures with Hollywood studios looking to offset sluggish box-office sales with new markets and cheaper production costs.
My Name is Khan releases worldwide on February 12, 2010.
"This film is first and foremost a love story. In fact this is one of the nicest love stories I have ever participated in – and I have participated in some of the best love stories that have been made here," Khan told reporters on Wednesday night after the first look of the film was released.
Directed by Karan Johar, 'My Name is Khan' tells the story of an autistic man Rizwan Khan (played by Shah Rukh Khan), who is caught in the aftermath of the September 11 militant attacks in the United States.
Khan, co-actor Kajol and Johar are teaming up after more than eight years, in what has been billed as one of the biggest releases to come out of Bollywood in a while.
The film is widely anticipated by fans of Khan and Kajol, whose great on-screen chemistry have helped deliver several hits in the past.
Fox Star Studios has signed a deal to finance and distribute the film, which unconfirmed media reports have pegged at 21 million USD.
However, both Johar and Fox have refused to confirm the figure, which, if true would be the highest ever for a Bollywood film.
"This film will be a step towards Indian cinema reaching worldwide," Khan said. India, home to the world's most prolific movie industry, has long tried to draw wider audiences, including by forging ventures with Hollywood studios looking to offset sluggish box-office sales with new markets and cheaper production costs.
My Name is Khan releases worldwide on February 12, 2010.
Aamir Khan-Kareena Kapoor weave some magic
It was a call that Sabyasachi was definitely not expecting this Tuesday. On the other hand, both Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor were trying desparately to get across to the rest of the world from the remote village of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh.
Both stars were camping in the village on Tuesday as part of their clandestine promotional tour when impoverished weavers of the village sought their help to help save their endangered traditional art. The weavers of this non descript village are synonymous with the famous Chanderi saree that is a dying art thanks to faulty marketing plans, numerous middle-men and no government support. Aamir in fact was the guest of a weaver couple Kamlesh Koli and Hukum Koli.
"Aamir discussed the matter with Kareena and they both agreed that it would be a good idea to get a known designer who speacialises in ethnic wear to lend synergy to market Chanderi sarees. It was Kareena who suggested Sabyasachi's name," says a source.
So after struggling with bad network, Aamir managed to speak to Sabyasachi. "On Aamir's insistence, Sabya will design these sarees and market them internationally.
Kareena, on her part, has promised to wear the hand woven saree at public events," the source added. It is understood that Sabyasachi is already planning his trip to the village with his close associates to get a first-hand idea of the handloom cloth and figure out how it can be used for creating designer ensembles.
Apparently Aamir and Kareena also tried their hand at weaving sarees. They managed to weave a little piece which will now be auctioned for charity to benefit the weavers there. Aamir is also reportedly going to start a trust for the local weaver community with a personal donation. When messaged, Kareena SMSed back, confirming the development.
Both stars were camping in the village on Tuesday as part of their clandestine promotional tour when impoverished weavers of the village sought their help to help save their endangered traditional art. The weavers of this non descript village are synonymous with the famous Chanderi saree that is a dying art thanks to faulty marketing plans, numerous middle-men and no government support. Aamir in fact was the guest of a weaver couple Kamlesh Koli and Hukum Koli.
"Aamir discussed the matter with Kareena and they both agreed that it would be a good idea to get a known designer who speacialises in ethnic wear to lend synergy to market Chanderi sarees. It was Kareena who suggested Sabyasachi's name," says a source.
So after struggling with bad network, Aamir managed to speak to Sabyasachi. "On Aamir's insistence, Sabya will design these sarees and market them internationally.
Kareena, on her part, has promised to wear the hand woven saree at public events," the source added. It is understood that Sabyasachi is already planning his trip to the village with his close associates to get a first-hand idea of the handloom cloth and figure out how it can be used for creating designer ensembles.
Apparently Aamir and Kareena also tried their hand at weaving sarees. They managed to weave a little piece which will now be auctioned for charity to benefit the weavers there. Aamir is also reportedly going to start a trust for the local weaver community with a personal donation. When messaged, Kareena SMSed back, confirming the development.
Ileana back to Kollywood
Ileana, one of the leading heroines in Tollywood, has at last signed her second Tamil film. She will play the heroine to Vikram in the movie 24. Ileana's first Tamil movie Kedi was a flop. Since then she refused to sign any Tamil films. Is spite of refusal, she was having numerous offers from Tamil to pair with prominent actors like Rajinikanth, Vijay, Ajith, Suriya and Dhanush.
In an interview director says, “ We have signed Ileana for 24. It will be her re-launch in Tamil. She has given us dates from February for the second schedule of the film.” According to Vikram she is one of the most beautiful women he has ever seen, and her pairing with him is will be one of the highlights of the film.
Producer refused to reveal Ileana’s salary in the film, though she is rumoured to be getting around Rs 1.50 crore in Telugu. Tamil industry sources confirmed that Ileana has been paid a little more than a crore to do 24, making her one of the highest paid actors in the industry.
In an interview director says, “ We have signed Ileana for 24. It will be her re-launch in Tamil. She has given us dates from February for the second schedule of the film.” According to Vikram she is one of the most beautiful women he has ever seen, and her pairing with him is will be one of the highlights of the film.
Producer refused to reveal Ileana’s salary in the film, though she is rumoured to be getting around Rs 1.50 crore in Telugu. Tamil industry sources confirmed that Ileana has been paid a little more than a crore to do 24, making her one of the highest paid actors in the industry.
Taylor Swift eyes Hollywood career
Taylor Swift hopes to land bigger roles in Hollywood after her cameo in new movie Valentine's Day.
The singer shares the screen with real life 'boyfriend' Taylor Lautner in the film.
"It's a small role, but it's something I'm really excited about. I'd love to explore the possibility of maybe going down that path (acting)," Contactmusic quoted her as saying.
The singer shares the screen with real life 'boyfriend' Taylor Lautner in the film.
"It's a small role, but it's something I'm really excited about. I'd love to explore the possibility of maybe going down that path (acting)," Contactmusic quoted her as saying.
Avatar premier: stars gather at Hollywood Boulevard
Hundreds of fans gathered at the Hollywood Boulevard Wednesday to catch a glimpse of their favorite stars at the opening of the most-awaited sci-fi project, Avatar.
Avatar, which is set to hit cinemas Friday, is a 3-D motion picture strongly acclaimed by its critics.
Hollywood stars gathered at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre, in the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Directed by James Cameron
, of Titanic fame, the movie had an enormous budget of $310 million!
Cameron considers himself an innovative storyteller
Cameron, who has been called a visionary, was accompanied by his wife Suzy Amis. He talked to the reporters for half an hour after which the film was scheduled to screen.
The director believed the success of the film will be due to the emerging technologies and the storyline, which he considers to be innovative.
“I'm a techno geek and I love the innovative processes, but I never put that before telling a story,” said the 55-year-old.
“I spent a lot of time in the writing; I spent a lot of time thinking about the characters. I love working with the actors finding the characters. I love the casting process, finding the actors that will bring those characters to life,” he added.
The cast
The 3-D film is expected to take cinema to newer levels. The whole cast came to support it.
Sam Worthington came with girlfriend Natalie Mark, while Sigourney Weaver, who plays Dr. Grace Augustine, came with Giovanni Ribisi.
Zoe Saldana, Michelle Rodriguez, Bill Paxton and Tom Arnold, also came to support the movie. Esteemed Fox co-Chairmen Jim Giannopoulos and Tom Rothman were also seen.
The story
The story of the multi-million project is centered around Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who is wounded in combat on Earth. He is selected to participate in the Avatar program, which could enable him to walk again.
Jake travels to Pandora, an extraterrestrial planet filled with incredible life forms. Pandora is also where the Navis (a race stronger than humans) live.
When the humans attack them, the Navis’--who are otherwise peaceful--harmony is disturbed.
Jake, however, falls in love with a young Navi girl, Neytiri, and thus gets caught in the battle to save his planet.
The term Avatar is a Sanskrit word which means “descent” or “form of oneself”.
Avatar, which is set to hit cinemas Friday, is a 3-D motion picture strongly acclaimed by its critics.
Hollywood stars gathered at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre, in the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Directed by James Cameron
, of Titanic fame, the movie had an enormous budget of $310 million!
Cameron considers himself an innovative storyteller
Cameron, who has been called a visionary, was accompanied by his wife Suzy Amis. He talked to the reporters for half an hour after which the film was scheduled to screen.
The director believed the success of the film will be due to the emerging technologies and the storyline, which he considers to be innovative.
“I'm a techno geek and I love the innovative processes, but I never put that before telling a story,” said the 55-year-old.
“I spent a lot of time in the writing; I spent a lot of time thinking about the characters. I love working with the actors finding the characters. I love the casting process, finding the actors that will bring those characters to life,” he added.
The cast
The 3-D film is expected to take cinema to newer levels. The whole cast came to support it.
Sam Worthington came with girlfriend Natalie Mark, while Sigourney Weaver, who plays Dr. Grace Augustine, came with Giovanni Ribisi.
Zoe Saldana, Michelle Rodriguez, Bill Paxton and Tom Arnold, also came to support the movie. Esteemed Fox co-Chairmen Jim Giannopoulos and Tom Rothman were also seen.
The story
The story of the multi-million project is centered around Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who is wounded in combat on Earth. He is selected to participate in the Avatar program, which could enable him to walk again.
Jake travels to Pandora, an extraterrestrial planet filled with incredible life forms. Pandora is also where the Navis (a race stronger than humans) live.
When the humans attack them, the Navis’--who are otherwise peaceful--harmony is disturbed.
Jake, however, falls in love with a young Navi girl, Neytiri, and thus gets caught in the battle to save his planet.
The term Avatar is a Sanskrit word which means “descent” or “form of oneself”.
'American Idol' creator to launch 'If I Can Dream'
"American Idol" creator Simon Fuller has a new project: a Web-based series that also will explore the desire of ordinary people to become Hollywood stars.
Fuller's "If I Can Dream," which is being billed as the first of "a new generation of post-reality entertainment," will document the story of five young people who dream of success in Hollywood. The show will allow viewers to interact with the individuals and narrative in real time, and will be seen live 24 hours a day, seven days a week at www.ificandream.com.
The series is scheduled to launch multiple platforms including online, radio, TV and mobile handsets early next year.
Fuller's "If I Can Dream," which is being billed as the first of "a new generation of post-reality entertainment," will document the story of five young people who dream of success in Hollywood. The show will allow viewers to interact with the individuals and narrative in real time, and will be seen live 24 hours a day, seven days a week at www.ificandream.com.
The series is scheduled to launch multiple platforms including online, radio, TV and mobile handsets early next year.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Taylor Swift was unlucky in love at school
Taylor Swift has revealed that she was unlucky in love with boys at school.
The Love Story hitmaker, who admits her songs are laced with feelings of rejection from her days at high school in Nashville, Tennessee, said that she used to give her crushes advice on gifts for their girlfriends.
The singer, recently linked to Twilight hunk Taylor Lautner, still remembers her bad luck with boys during her formative years.
"I used to say I had a condition called girl-next-door-itis. I'd always be really good friends with the guy and then he'd ask me what to get his girlfriend for Valentine's Day and I'd hide my feelings and smile and give him great ideas," Contactmusic quoted Swift as saying.
Another mind game in the offing
Films having psychological manipulation as the concept are not new in Tollywood. Be it Missamma, Nandanavanam or the recent Katha, such films have their niche market.
Yet another film on the subject is going to come before the audience. Titled Koffi Bar, the film stars Sashan and Biyanka Desai. It is simultaneously being made in Tamil and Kannada too. Produced and directed by Geetha Krishna of Kokila and Keechurallu fame, the film was launched in the month of January in this year, but took time to complete.
Then the director-producer said that the film will set a new trend and that it belongs to a separate genre. Reportedly, the film also stars Girish Karnard, Atul Kulkarni and others.
A multi-talented guy, Mr. Krishna is also scoring the music. Vanamali has written the lyrics. So, will Koffi Bar prove a break for Sashank?
Many can expect Geetha Krishna to become more popular with this one in the mainstream category, which so far has been limited.
Yet another film on the subject is going to come before the audience. Titled Koffi Bar, the film stars Sashan and Biyanka Desai. It is simultaneously being made in Tamil and Kannada too. Produced and directed by Geetha Krishna of Kokila and Keechurallu fame, the film was launched in the month of January in this year, but took time to complete.
Then the director-producer said that the film will set a new trend and that it belongs to a separate genre. Reportedly, the film also stars Girish Karnard, Atul Kulkarni and others.
A multi-talented guy, Mr. Krishna is also scoring the music. Vanamali has written the lyrics. So, will Koffi Bar prove a break for Sashank?
Many can expect Geetha Krishna to become more popular with this one in the mainstream category, which so far has been limited.
Africa and Bhutan on Tollywood radar
Tollywood is heading for an African Safari. Soon, exotic African locales could become a feature of Bengali films and Tollywood blockbusters might ramp up the heat in African movie
markets, a la big brother Bollywood.
Priya Entertainment, one of the leading entertainment companies in Tollywood, has initiated discussions to acquire movie halls at Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, the east African country bordering the Gulf.
It is also working on a proposal of the Ethiopian government to set up an integrated film city near Addis Ababa, a five-hour flight from Mumbai. The overseas plans of Priya Entertainment include a multiplex in Bhutan’s capital Thimphu — the first for the city.
The group operates six entertainment complexes in West Bengal that include Star Theatre and Priya Cinema in Kolkata and Geetanjali in Bolpur. Each complex has a movie theatre, restaurants, banquet and conference halls.
The managing director of Priya Entertainment, Arijit Dutta, feels that Ethiopia and its neighbouring African countries, like Somalia and Kenya, could be ideal locations for outdoor shooting. “These are exotic locations and quite cheap compared to South-East Asia or even Mumbai. Ethiopia could be a distribution hub for Hindi and Bengali films in Africa as well,” he said.
Elaborating on the plans, he said that the Ethiopian government has earmarked 6,000 hectares of land for a film city near Addis Ababa. “They have asked us to set up the film city. We have two meetings scheduled with Ethiopian minister for culture, Mohd Darir. If things materialise, it could be a good location for Bengali films,” he said, pointing out that Bollywood is doing good business in Africa. Tollywood could replicate this, he said.
“We can make double version films in Bengali and Ahmaric (the Ethiopian language) and I believe that it will make good business sense to utilise some African locations also,” he said.
The company is acquiring seven cinemas in Addis Ababa for a start, the Priya MD said. “These are all owned by the government. The scope of business is quite good. The average movie ticket in Addis Ababa is around Rs 70-80 (in Indian currency) and there is a good movie crowd in the capital city,” he said.
Commenting on Bhutan, he said that Priya is joining hands with Kolkata-based Tai Industries for a multiplex in Thimphu. Tai has business interests in Bhutan. A Bhutan consulate official said there are only two single screen cinema halls in Thimphu. If the multiplex comes up, it will be the first in the Bhutanese capital.
markets, a la big brother Bollywood.
Priya Entertainment, one of the leading entertainment companies in Tollywood, has initiated discussions to acquire movie halls at Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, the east African country bordering the Gulf.
It is also working on a proposal of the Ethiopian government to set up an integrated film city near Addis Ababa, a five-hour flight from Mumbai. The overseas plans of Priya Entertainment include a multiplex in Bhutan’s capital Thimphu — the first for the city.
The group operates six entertainment complexes in West Bengal that include Star Theatre and Priya Cinema in Kolkata and Geetanjali in Bolpur. Each complex has a movie theatre, restaurants, banquet and conference halls.
The managing director of Priya Entertainment, Arijit Dutta, feels that Ethiopia and its neighbouring African countries, like Somalia and Kenya, could be ideal locations for outdoor shooting. “These are exotic locations and quite cheap compared to South-East Asia or even Mumbai. Ethiopia could be a distribution hub for Hindi and Bengali films in Africa as well,” he said.
Elaborating on the plans, he said that the Ethiopian government has earmarked 6,000 hectares of land for a film city near Addis Ababa. “They have asked us to set up the film city. We have two meetings scheduled with Ethiopian minister for culture, Mohd Darir. If things materialise, it could be a good location for Bengali films,” he said, pointing out that Bollywood is doing good business in Africa. Tollywood could replicate this, he said.
“We can make double version films in Bengali and Ahmaric (the Ethiopian language) and I believe that it will make good business sense to utilise some African locations also,” he said.
The company is acquiring seven cinemas in Addis Ababa for a start, the Priya MD said. “These are all owned by the government. The scope of business is quite good. The average movie ticket in Addis Ababa is around Rs 70-80 (in Indian currency) and there is a good movie crowd in the capital city,” he said.
Commenting on Bhutan, he said that Priya is joining hands with Kolkata-based Tai Industries for a multiplex in Thimphu. Tai has business interests in Bhutan. A Bhutan consulate official said there are only two single screen cinema halls in Thimphu. If the multiplex comes up, it will be the first in the Bhutanese capital.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
This is HOW Amitabh Bachchan became PAA......
The most Herculean task about the latest release PAA was transforming a 67-year old Amitabh Bachchan into 13-year old child Auro, suffering from a rare disorder called progeria. So come let's take a short run-through over how Amitabh became Auro.
The prosthetic makeup, as we know, has been done by Hollywood's Christien Tinsley (THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, CATWOMAN) and Dominie Till (THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY).
According to the reports Bachchan's make-up cost 10 per cent of the total budget.
The prosthetic makeup, as we know, has been done by Hollywood's Christien Tinsley (THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, CATWOMAN) and Dominie Till (THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY).
According to the reports Bachchan's make-up cost 10 per cent of the total budget.
Naai Kutty gets A Certificate
After Renigunta another movie in Kollywood gets an A certificate. Sadhaji directed movie Naai Kutty starring Selvan and Nicole was given the same due to its brutal and bloody climax. The film was released after many difficulties.
Naai Kutty is a tale of a youth brought up in a Chennai slum. Realism and commercial elements are in a right mix. The film has been facing problems right from the initial stage. Selvan has a matured performance
, while Nicole sets the screen on fire. Vijaya Bharthy is the music director.
The producer of the film VA Dorai says, “ Naai Kutty is a brave and bold film which tells the story of a youth brought up in a Chennai slum. It is a realistic film within the commercial parameters
Naai Kutty is a tale of a youth brought up in a Chennai slum. Realism and commercial elements are in a right mix. The film has been facing problems right from the initial stage. Selvan has a matured performance
, while Nicole sets the screen on fire. Vijaya Bharthy is the music director.
The producer of the film VA Dorai says, “ Naai Kutty is a brave and bold film which tells the story of a youth brought up in a Chennai slum. It is a realistic film within the commercial parameters
Asin plans return to Kollywood
After almost two years and two films in Bollywood, Asin is thinking of making a comeback to Tamil cinema. And it is learnt that Vijay has approached her with a project suited for her and that she has given the nod for it. Asin and Vijay had acted together in superhits 'Sivakasi' and 'Pokkiri'.
'Dasavatharam' was her last release in Tamil. Post Hindi 'Ghajini', starring Aamir Khan in the lead, the bubbly actress became one of the most sought after leading ladies in Bollywood and she found it hard to spare time for Tamil films. But, her second film in Hindi, 'London dreams', sank without a trace at the B.o and that would have made her rethink her priorities.
At a recent function in Chennai, at which she was conferred the 'Kalai Mamani' award by the Tamil Nadu State Government, Asin made it clear that she would accept Tamil offers, if the script was good.
'Dasavatharam' was her last release in Tamil. Post Hindi 'Ghajini', starring Aamir Khan in the lead, the bubbly actress became one of the most sought after leading ladies in Bollywood and she found it hard to spare time for Tamil films. But, her second film in Hindi, 'London dreams', sank without a trace at the B.o and that would have made her rethink her priorities.
At a recent function in Chennai, at which she was conferred the 'Kalai Mamani' award by the Tamil Nadu State Government, Asin made it clear that she would accept Tamil offers, if the script was good.
Namitha wishes to appear in Half Saree - Skirt!!
The hot babe of Kollywood, Namitha was the cynosure of all eyes in the audio launch of Nil Gavani Ennai Kathalai that held on Sunday at Four Frames theatre. The speakers at the event were praising and admiring Namitha.
When Lyricist Snehan came to the stadium, he urged Namitha to wear the traditional costume of Tamil girls, half saree and skirt. "Yes... it is our cultural dress and if Namitha wears this dress, it will become the favourite dress of young Tamil girls soon", he added. In her reply, Namitha said, "I'm ready and wish to wear the dress mentioned by Snehan. Definitely I will try to wear the same in any one of my future film...".
She was also replied to the allegations made against her for not attending the music launch of her earlier movies. "People should understand that actors too are human beings. There must be a genuine reason when we are not attending events related to a film which we are also a part. We also have health related issues and unavoidable emergencies at home. So please trust us and accept our apologies if we can’t make it to any of the film functions...”
When Lyricist Snehan came to the stadium, he urged Namitha to wear the traditional costume of Tamil girls, half saree and skirt. "Yes... it is our cultural dress and if Namitha wears this dress, it will become the favourite dress of young Tamil girls soon", he added. In her reply, Namitha said, "I'm ready and wish to wear the dress mentioned by Snehan. Definitely I will try to wear the same in any one of my future film...".
She was also replied to the allegations made against her for not attending the music launch of her earlier movies. "People should understand that actors too are human beings. There must be a genuine reason when we are not attending events related to a film which we are also a part. We also have health related issues and unavoidable emergencies at home. So please trust us and accept our apologies if we can’t make it to any of the film functions...”
Hollywood Christmas Parade reveals the small town in L.A.
On the Sunday night after Thanksgiving, a parade ran down Hollywood Boulevard, as it had many Thanksgiving weekends before that. This year, and in some other years past, it was called the Hollywood Christmas Parade, but growing up here I knew it as the Santa Claus Lane Parade. Gene Autry, the singing cowboy and media mini-magnate, wrote a song about it: "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)."
You can see it, time-shifted on television tonight, and again on Christmas Eve, in an edited program with additional musical performances -- shot pre-parade and at the Grove's Christmas tree lighting -- airing nationally on MyNetwork as “The 2009 Hollywood Christmas Parade/Live Positively Presented by Coca-Cola.” (Coke had six floats in the parade, spaced like commercials.) Soap star Susan Lucci was the grand marshal.
There is a certain magic in turning a street from its usual traffic. It promises something special, a departure from daily business: a holiday, a party. On that Sunday night, floodlights shone from high upon the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel down to where a boulevard-wide red carpet ran the long block west from Highland Avenue, past Grauman's Chinese Theatre to the north and the El Capitan on the south. For $35 you could buy a grandstand seat there; otherwise there were 2 1/2 miles of free curbside along the route, which ran east to Vine Street, south to Sunset Boulevard and back west and north to approximately where it started. The evening was unseasonably warm and pleasant; it was a nice night to be outside with people.
Although the parade did have something of a star-studded golden age, when Hollywood the place and Hollywood the industry were more congruent than they are now, among big-name holiday parades it has for a while been something of an underachiever. Apart from sitting city officials, it relies on second- and third-tier celebrities to fill the slowly driven classic convertibles that alternate with the marching bands, big balloons, equestrian troops and floats. It nearly died in 2007, when the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, its longtime producer, decided it was too much of a money-losing proposition to continue; City Hall stepped in to keep it afloat. But its modesty is part of its charm: It remains fundamentally a local, community event; indeed, its appeal is rooted in the romantic notion of Hollywood as an extraordinary ordinary place just going about its business.
I sat in the bleachers for a while, but it was hard to get into the spirit of things there, with the distracting patter of the hosts coming through the loudspeakers -- "These toys soldiers are often made of wood," co-host Erik Estrada said of a Macy's-style balloon, "but obviously not in this case" -- even while the bands played. And so I left the stands and went back around to the street.
Crowded only in spots, the pavement was easy to navigate, and Hollywood went about its business, wearing a Santa hat and snap-on elf ears. Paradoxically, the decline in the Christmas Parade's fortunes inversely mirrors the area's ongoing makeover into a Times Square-style retail theme park. But the sanitizing aspirations of the burghers have not yet conquered the random bumptiousness of the boulevard, with its smoke shops, tattoo parlors and flashy underwear stores; if you turned your eyes from the street to the sidewalk, there was a parade there too.
A tall man dressed as Jesus, drinking coffee from a takeout cup, posed for pictures with passersby, like the Johnny Depp and Robert Pattinson clones who gather with the Elmos and Spidermen in front of the Chinese Theatre. Portable grills served Mexican food; cotton candy vendors worked the crowd. The Scientologists, who have made their Winter Wonderland diorama a holiday fixture, set up loudspeakers and, before the parade, presented singing children and peppered the vicinity with quotations from Chairman Ron's "nonreligious" "The Way to Happiness." (Galaxy Press, which publishes Hubbard's pulp fiction, had a float in the parade as well.) Shaggy-haired buskers played guitars in front of a smoke shop; teenagers passed cigarettes.
As time passed, and I walked farther from the grandstand, the parade grew increasingly diffuse -- I suppose because of the start-and-stop around the grandstand for TV interviews, the space between floats and bands and celebrity-carrying antique cars became greater and greater down the road. Minutes passed when there would be nothing on the street at all -- you might have popped in to have a tattoo between floats. If you had stumbled upon the boulevard then, you might easily have thought that people on one side had gathered expressly to stare at people staring back from the other, as across a river.
In any case, the lack of event didn't seem to bother anyone. A parade is defined not only by the paraders but by the people the paraders pass, and they did not seem particularly restless. It was a nice evening, and they had already decided they had nowhere better to be. Once in a while something would happen -- a big balloon would float by, a high school band would pass, smiling their serious smiles, or a car would crawl by carrying someone you might have heard of, waving at the crowd, maybe getting a reaction, maybe not, and pass back into the night like a dream.
I had walked to Sunset and Vine by the time Santa Claus caught up with me, after a long gap in the parade, riding the last of the Coca-Cola floats -- you could tell it was him coming by the police cars that flanked the float, lights flashing. A woman next to me said as he passed, "That was kind of a weak float for Santa," and she was right. But kids around us cried his name.
Regardless of what came by, or what didn't, the street itself had been transformed -- not even decorated, as in many Christmases past, but changed by a shift of purpose that made it for a few hours a common possession, a people's park.
You can see it, time-shifted on television tonight, and again on Christmas Eve, in an edited program with additional musical performances -- shot pre-parade and at the Grove's Christmas tree lighting -- airing nationally on MyNetwork as “The 2009 Hollywood Christmas Parade/Live Positively Presented by Coca-Cola.” (Coke had six floats in the parade, spaced like commercials.) Soap star Susan Lucci was the grand marshal.
There is a certain magic in turning a street from its usual traffic. It promises something special, a departure from daily business: a holiday, a party. On that Sunday night, floodlights shone from high upon the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel down to where a boulevard-wide red carpet ran the long block west from Highland Avenue, past Grauman's Chinese Theatre to the north and the El Capitan on the south. For $35 you could buy a grandstand seat there; otherwise there were 2 1/2 miles of free curbside along the route, which ran east to Vine Street, south to Sunset Boulevard and back west and north to approximately where it started. The evening was unseasonably warm and pleasant; it was a nice night to be outside with people.
Although the parade did have something of a star-studded golden age, when Hollywood the place and Hollywood the industry were more congruent than they are now, among big-name holiday parades it has for a while been something of an underachiever. Apart from sitting city officials, it relies on second- and third-tier celebrities to fill the slowly driven classic convertibles that alternate with the marching bands, big balloons, equestrian troops and floats. It nearly died in 2007, when the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, its longtime producer, decided it was too much of a money-losing proposition to continue; City Hall stepped in to keep it afloat. But its modesty is part of its charm: It remains fundamentally a local, community event; indeed, its appeal is rooted in the romantic notion of Hollywood as an extraordinary ordinary place just going about its business.
I sat in the bleachers for a while, but it was hard to get into the spirit of things there, with the distracting patter of the hosts coming through the loudspeakers -- "These toys soldiers are often made of wood," co-host Erik Estrada said of a Macy's-style balloon, "but obviously not in this case" -- even while the bands played. And so I left the stands and went back around to the street.
Crowded only in spots, the pavement was easy to navigate, and Hollywood went about its business, wearing a Santa hat and snap-on elf ears. Paradoxically, the decline in the Christmas Parade's fortunes inversely mirrors the area's ongoing makeover into a Times Square-style retail theme park. But the sanitizing aspirations of the burghers have not yet conquered the random bumptiousness of the boulevard, with its smoke shops, tattoo parlors and flashy underwear stores; if you turned your eyes from the street to the sidewalk, there was a parade there too.
A tall man dressed as Jesus, drinking coffee from a takeout cup, posed for pictures with passersby, like the Johnny Depp and Robert Pattinson clones who gather with the Elmos and Spidermen in front of the Chinese Theatre. Portable grills served Mexican food; cotton candy vendors worked the crowd. The Scientologists, who have made their Winter Wonderland diorama a holiday fixture, set up loudspeakers and, before the parade, presented singing children and peppered the vicinity with quotations from Chairman Ron's "nonreligious" "The Way to Happiness." (Galaxy Press, which publishes Hubbard's pulp fiction, had a float in the parade as well.) Shaggy-haired buskers played guitars in front of a smoke shop; teenagers passed cigarettes.
As time passed, and I walked farther from the grandstand, the parade grew increasingly diffuse -- I suppose because of the start-and-stop around the grandstand for TV interviews, the space between floats and bands and celebrity-carrying antique cars became greater and greater down the road. Minutes passed when there would be nothing on the street at all -- you might have popped in to have a tattoo between floats. If you had stumbled upon the boulevard then, you might easily have thought that people on one side had gathered expressly to stare at people staring back from the other, as across a river.
In any case, the lack of event didn't seem to bother anyone. A parade is defined not only by the paraders but by the people the paraders pass, and they did not seem particularly restless. It was a nice evening, and they had already decided they had nowhere better to be. Once in a while something would happen -- a big balloon would float by, a high school band would pass, smiling their serious smiles, or a car would crawl by carrying someone you might have heard of, waving at the crowd, maybe getting a reaction, maybe not, and pass back into the night like a dream.
I had walked to Sunset and Vine by the time Santa Claus caught up with me, after a long gap in the parade, riding the last of the Coca-Cola floats -- you could tell it was him coming by the police cars that flanked the float, lights flashing. A woman next to me said as he passed, "That was kind of a weak float for Santa," and she was right. But kids around us cried his name.
Regardless of what came by, or what didn't, the street itself had been transformed -- not even decorated, as in many Christmases past, but changed by a shift of purpose that made it for a few hours a common possession, a people's park.
Hollywood Eyes Record $10 Bln Box Office for 2009
Film box offices were poised on Wednesday to eclipse 2007's record $9.68 billion in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales with Hollywood eyeing more than $10 billion this year as audiences flocked to theaters during the recession.
Movie studios began the year with January crossing the $1 billion mark for the first time ever, and box offices this month are counting on help from highly anticipated films such as "Avatar," "Sherlock Holmes" and "It's Complicated."
So far, moviegoers had snapped up $9.67 billion worth of tickets at domestic -- U.S. and Canadian -- box offices through Tuesday, said tracking firm Hollywood.com Box Office.
The firm said 2007's record was expected to be surpassed on Wednesday, as Hollywood reaps returns during a recession that, as in past downturns, has seen consumers showing up in theaters for relatively cheap entertainment.
Last year's domestic box office came in at $9.63 billion.
"The global economy is taking a major hit, and when these conglomerates that own movie studios are having a tough time, it's at least one bright spot in the equation," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com Box Office. "People are still, in 2009, going to the movies in big numbers."
For the entire year, Hollywood.com Box Office expects movie ticket spending in the United States and Canada to hit $10.6 billion.
The year has been helped by major releases such as "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," the year's biggest hit with $402 million in domestic ticket sales, according to tracking firm Box Office Mojo.
At No. 2, so far, was "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," which made $301 million. Also, vampire romance "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" had the third biggest movie opening of all time for the United States and Canada.
Surprise hits have included Paramount Pictures' "Paranormal Activity" raking in $107 million. Warner Bros. put out two unexpected smashes, "The Hangover" ($277 million) and "The Blind Side" ($131 million and still counting.)
Movie studios began the year with January crossing the $1 billion mark for the first time ever, and box offices this month are counting on help from highly anticipated films such as "Avatar," "Sherlock Holmes" and "It's Complicated."
So far, moviegoers had snapped up $9.67 billion worth of tickets at domestic -- U.S. and Canadian -- box offices through Tuesday, said tracking firm Hollywood.com Box Office.
The firm said 2007's record was expected to be surpassed on Wednesday, as Hollywood reaps returns during a recession that, as in past downturns, has seen consumers showing up in theaters for relatively cheap entertainment.
Last year's domestic box office came in at $9.63 billion.
"The global economy is taking a major hit, and when these conglomerates that own movie studios are having a tough time, it's at least one bright spot in the equation," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com Box Office. "People are still, in 2009, going to the movies in big numbers."
For the entire year, Hollywood.com Box Office expects movie ticket spending in the United States and Canada to hit $10.6 billion.
The year has been helped by major releases such as "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," the year's biggest hit with $402 million in domestic ticket sales, according to tracking firm Box Office Mojo.
At No. 2, so far, was "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," which made $301 million. Also, vampire romance "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" had the third biggest movie opening of all time for the United States and Canada.
Surprise hits have included Paramount Pictures' "Paranormal Activity" raking in $107 million. Warner Bros. put out two unexpected smashes, "The Hangover" ($277 million) and "The Blind Side" ($131 million and still counting.)
Bollywood's Big B 'deeply humbled' in Dubai
Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan said on Wednesday he was "deeply humbled" as the Dubai International Film Festival honoured him with a lifetime achievement award.
“It is a wonderful recognition ... and I am deeply humbled by it," said Bachchan, whose 40-year career in the world's largest film industry has won him several accolades.
Bachchan, 67, in Dubai for the spectacle, said he had no plans for the Arabic film industry as yet but was open to fresh ideas and talent.
Despite an alarming debt crisis, Dubai's sixth international film festival rolled out the red carpet on Wednesday with a mix of Bollywood, Hollywood and Arab celebrities. The fest will feature 168 films from 55 countries, with some being shown for the first time.
Bollywood film ‘Black’, in which Bachchan plays a teacher taking care of a challenged student, will also be screened at the festival.
The star, who has acted in more than 180 films, told reporters that the secret of his "undying energy" was chyawanprash, an ancient Ayurvedic herbal preparation - a sticky, brown, edidle paste - used across India to boost health.
Bachchan, who does not like the term Bollywood to describe India's film industry, said the moniker "was phrased by some eager journalist to please his boss ... but now has gone into the Oxford dictionary" and become a part of history.
"We are happy doing what we do in India," he added.
“It is a wonderful recognition ... and I am deeply humbled by it," said Bachchan, whose 40-year career in the world's largest film industry has won him several accolades.
Bachchan, 67, in Dubai for the spectacle, said he had no plans for the Arabic film industry as yet but was open to fresh ideas and talent.
Despite an alarming debt crisis, Dubai's sixth international film festival rolled out the red carpet on Wednesday with a mix of Bollywood, Hollywood and Arab celebrities. The fest will feature 168 films from 55 countries, with some being shown for the first time.
Bollywood film ‘Black’, in which Bachchan plays a teacher taking care of a challenged student, will also be screened at the festival.
The star, who has acted in more than 180 films, told reporters that the secret of his "undying energy" was chyawanprash, an ancient Ayurvedic herbal preparation - a sticky, brown, edidle paste - used across India to boost health.
Bachchan, who does not like the term Bollywood to describe India's film industry, said the moniker "was phrased by some eager journalist to please his boss ... but now has gone into the Oxford dictionary" and become a part of history.
"We are happy doing what we do in India," he added.
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