We have had South Indian stars doing Bollywood films and vice versa. Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Bachchan is reportedly planning to do a couple of Kollywood films. The stunner is no stranger to Tamil having debuted in Mani Ratnam’s Iruvar in 1997. She was raw debutant then. Today, she is a sophisticated star and one of the Bollywood's top heroines.
The actress has come full circle since those times. After almost a decade, two of Aishwarya’s upcoming projects will have Tamil versions. Raavan and Robot will be dubbed in Tamil as Ravana and Endhiran respectively. These are her most ambitious Kollywood ventures so far, though she has done films like Jeans and Kandukondain Kandukondain.
In Raavan, she teams up with hubby Abhishek and mentor Ratnam while in Robot, she will be seen with Rajinikanth. A Tamil coach tutored her on the language and diction for Raavan. She wooed everyone by dubbing for her own lines. She also got the tone and accent right! For Robot, it was Rajini himself who gave her lessons. A source revealed that Ash is a fast learner. Though she found it difficult at first, she was able to rattle off lengthy dialogues with ease!
This has made the diva more confident about doing Tamil projects. She loves Tamil films as they are technically and script-wise very rich. When asked about it, she stated that she has to understand the dialogues before delivering them. She dislikes mugging dialogues without knowing what she is saying. So she made special efforts to learn the nuances of Tamil before embarking on these projects. The results are there for everyone to see! Vannakam anyone?
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Kristen Stewart will not be a Bollywood Bella
Contrary to recent reports, Kristen Stewart is not Bollywood bound to star in Paani.
Speculation was mounting after it was ‘revealed’ that Paani’s director Shekhar Kapur had offered the Twilight star the role and she had supposedly accepted.
Bollywood movie fans were said to be excited at the prospect of K-Stew starring opposite Hrithik Rishan in a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ style story, but this will not happen.
Stewart’s rep told celebrity gossip website Gossip Cop, “She is not set to star in this movie.”
Kristen is concentrating on promoting rock biopic The Runaways and her summer schedule will be filled with press appearances for Twilight Eclipse.
She will then go on to work on Twilight Breaking Dawn, which is believed to be going into production this winter.
Speculation was mounting after it was ‘revealed’ that Paani’s director Shekhar Kapur had offered the Twilight star the role and she had supposedly accepted.
Bollywood movie fans were said to be excited at the prospect of K-Stew starring opposite Hrithik Rishan in a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ style story, but this will not happen.
Stewart’s rep told celebrity gossip website Gossip Cop, “She is not set to star in this movie.”
Kristen is concentrating on promoting rock biopic The Runaways and her summer schedule will be filled with press appearances for Twilight Eclipse.
She will then go on to work on Twilight Breaking Dawn, which is believed to be going into production this winter.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Kevin Spacey denies reports Kate Moss will appear in his theatre work
Actor/director Kevin Spacey has denied reports of him approaching supermodel Kate Moss to appear in one of his upcoming London plays.
Spacey, 50, who serves as artistic director at the city's Old Vic theatre, is said to have taken Moss, 36, out to dinner earlier this month in a bid to convince her to take on a stage role.
But the American Beauty star has insisted on his Twitter.com page that there's "not a grain of truth" in the rumours.
"Great to hang w/ (with) Kate Moss last wk (week) but not sure where stories of her treading boards at the Old Vic came from. Not a grain of truth in it!" the Daily Star quoted him as writing.
Spacey, 50, who serves as artistic director at the city's Old Vic theatre, is said to have taken Moss, 36, out to dinner earlier this month in a bid to convince her to take on a stage role.
But the American Beauty star has insisted on his Twitter.com page that there's "not a grain of truth" in the rumours.
"Great to hang w/ (with) Kate Moss last wk (week) but not sure where stories of her treading boards at the Old Vic came from. Not a grain of truth in it!" the Daily Star quoted him as writing.
Hema Malini, Esha Deol walk down Wills India Fashion Week ramp
Bollywood actress Hema Malini and her daughter Esha walked the ramp for designer Rocky S at the 15th edition of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WLIFW) Autumn-Winter 2010 here on Friday.
Designer Rocky S, who is among the Bollywood's most popular designers, showcased his bridal collection, a collection that he described in one word as ‘Grace.’
Rocky used bright colours with eclectic combinations like blue, red, teal, pink, peach, burgundy and green with a heavy use of borders, motifs and tassels used with all the bright hues.
The fabrics used included silk, georgette, chiffon and brocade.
The collections included all the traditional Indian lehenga cholis, saris, churidaar kurtas for women and brocade long coats known as sherwanis for men.
The designer said he created these keeping in mind the mother and sister of a bride.
"Well this is a very simple and traditional collection. I wanted it more for family… for a woman who is getting married; her sister can buy something, her mother can buy something. I wanted to keep it very traditional. So the colours are very pure…Indian colours. The fabrics are Indian… traditional embroidery is being used. I just wanted to stay away from black for a change," said Rocky S.
Actor Esha walked the ramp flaunting her heavily embroidered maroon and green bridal lehenga-choli, whereas Bollywood's veteran 'Dream Girl' Hema Malini accompanied her with grace in a similar coloured sari teamed with an embroidered burnt orange coloured blouse.
Hema Malini, who stole the show with her grace, praised Rocky's collection.
"It was wonderful working on the ramp with Esha for Rocky…it's a beautiful colour combination …2-3 colours are there in this sari with a striking bright blouse. So it looks very nice," said Hema Malini.
Designer Payal Jain also showcased her collection.
She titled her creations Solitary Monk, saying it was inspired by the mystic allure of the historical textiles and bewitched lifestyle of the monks in Laos.
The most inspiring features of the collection were the unorthodox usage of colour, print, texture and fabrics.
The fabrics ranging from linen and cotton jersey to hand-woven khadi to self-jacquards and soft flowing silk jerseys were draped and styled into clean and simple ensembles.
Attractive models stood tall and pretty in draped dresses, flowing tunics, structured jackets, bias skirts, prayer pants and draped shells in a colour palette of indigo, burnt coral, warm chocolate and slate black.
"This is a fall winter, you have to have warm colours. This collection is inspired by monks and monasteries, as you could see the bells, the music, the chanting and all," said Jain.
The WLIFW-AW 2010, hosted by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), will witness the participation of 130 designers, 75 of them also presenting shows and among whom 19 are debutants.
The fashion extravaganza will feature 43 shows.
Designer Rocky S, who is among the Bollywood's most popular designers, showcased his bridal collection, a collection that he described in one word as ‘Grace.’
Rocky used bright colours with eclectic combinations like blue, red, teal, pink, peach, burgundy and green with a heavy use of borders, motifs and tassels used with all the bright hues.
The fabrics used included silk, georgette, chiffon and brocade.
The collections included all the traditional Indian lehenga cholis, saris, churidaar kurtas for women and brocade long coats known as sherwanis for men.
The designer said he created these keeping in mind the mother and sister of a bride.
"Well this is a very simple and traditional collection. I wanted it more for family… for a woman who is getting married; her sister can buy something, her mother can buy something. I wanted to keep it very traditional. So the colours are very pure…Indian colours. The fabrics are Indian… traditional embroidery is being used. I just wanted to stay away from black for a change," said Rocky S.
Actor Esha walked the ramp flaunting her heavily embroidered maroon and green bridal lehenga-choli, whereas Bollywood's veteran 'Dream Girl' Hema Malini accompanied her with grace in a similar coloured sari teamed with an embroidered burnt orange coloured blouse.
Hema Malini, who stole the show with her grace, praised Rocky's collection.
"It was wonderful working on the ramp with Esha for Rocky…it's a beautiful colour combination …2-3 colours are there in this sari with a striking bright blouse. So it looks very nice," said Hema Malini.
Designer Payal Jain also showcased her collection.
She titled her creations Solitary Monk, saying it was inspired by the mystic allure of the historical textiles and bewitched lifestyle of the monks in Laos.
The most inspiring features of the collection were the unorthodox usage of colour, print, texture and fabrics.
The fabrics ranging from linen and cotton jersey to hand-woven khadi to self-jacquards and soft flowing silk jerseys were draped and styled into clean and simple ensembles.
Attractive models stood tall and pretty in draped dresses, flowing tunics, structured jackets, bias skirts, prayer pants and draped shells in a colour palette of indigo, burnt coral, warm chocolate and slate black.
"This is a fall winter, you have to have warm colours. This collection is inspired by monks and monasteries, as you could see the bells, the music, the chanting and all," said Jain.
The WLIFW-AW 2010, hosted by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), will witness the participation of 130 designers, 75 of them also presenting shows and among whom 19 are debutants.
The fashion extravaganza will feature 43 shows.
Sandra Bullock decides not to return home
Sandra Bullock reportedly has no plan to return to the home where she lived with hubby Jesse James while the man who cheated on her is still there.
The Oscar-winning actress, who has avoided the public glare for the past two weeks, has no intention of sleeping at their home while James is there and so she has moved out, it has been reported.
"Sandra is such a classy woman.... To have her husband cheating on her and cheating with so many women, it's just something she doesn't deserve," The New York Post quoted an insider as telling RadarOnline.com.
The site also reported that Bullock, 45, is currently staying at her Hollywood Hills home, which she bought before she married James nearly five years ago.
The source added: "She has always conducted herself with dignity.
"A lot of people never understood her attraction to James, but she was loyal to him. And not only did he cheat, but he cheated with these women that just make you shake your head. Not that it matters anyway — the only thing that matters is [that] he cheated."
Bullock has been avoiding the public glare after allegations of James, 40, romping with tattoo model Michelle 'Bombshell' McGee emerged nearly two weeks ago.
The Oscar-winning actress, who has avoided the public glare for the past two weeks, has no intention of sleeping at their home while James is there and so she has moved out, it has been reported.
"Sandra is such a classy woman.... To have her husband cheating on her and cheating with so many women, it's just something she doesn't deserve," The New York Post quoted an insider as telling RadarOnline.com.
The site also reported that Bullock, 45, is currently staying at her Hollywood Hills home, which she bought before she married James nearly five years ago.
The source added: "She has always conducted herself with dignity.
"A lot of people never understood her attraction to James, but she was loyal to him. And not only did he cheat, but he cheated with these women that just make you shake your head. Not that it matters anyway — the only thing that matters is [that] he cheated."
Bullock has been avoiding the public glare after allegations of James, 40, romping with tattoo model Michelle 'Bombshell' McGee emerged nearly two weeks ago.
Spider-Man star James Franco eyes PhD
Spider-Man star James Franco has been accepted into the prestigious Yale University, where the actor will study for his doctorate.
The actor has already done a film-making course from New York University, and also took writing classes at Columbia University, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts diploma, reports The Daily Express.
A representative has confirmed that Franco was accepted into Yale, in Connecticut.
He will begin courses for his PhD in September if he accepts his place, according to the esteemed institution's student newspaper The Yale Herald.
The actor has already done a film-making course from New York University, and also took writing classes at Columbia University, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts diploma, reports The Daily Express.
A representative has confirmed that Franco was accepted into Yale, in Connecticut.
He will begin courses for his PhD in September if he accepts his place, according to the esteemed institution's student newspaper The Yale Herald.
Shakira wants to start a family after her next tour
Shakira is looking forward to starting a family with her long-term fiance Antonio De La Rua. The singer is hoping to settle down but needs to fulfill her commitments first.
"Do I have any plans for children? Little wolves? Yeah, of course. I'd really like to have kids, but first I need to go on tour and release this new album - and then we can sit down and talk about it," Contactmusic quoted her as saying.
The 33-year-old star told the Big Issue magazine that even though she and Antonio got engaged over four years ago, marriage is no longer high on her list of priorities.
"Maybe 15 years ago, I'd dream about wearing a white gown, a wedding cake and a room full of guests and me feeding them canapés," she said.
"Do I have any plans for children? Little wolves? Yeah, of course. I'd really like to have kids, but first I need to go on tour and release this new album - and then we can sit down and talk about it," Contactmusic quoted her as saying.
The 33-year-old star told the Big Issue magazine that even though she and Antonio got engaged over four years ago, marriage is no longer high on her list of priorities.
"Maybe 15 years ago, I'd dream about wearing a white gown, a wedding cake and a room full of guests and me feeding them canapés," she said.
Stars take the hit after films flopped
It’s official. With film producers pressing for a reduction in their movie’s budgets, many leading actors have taken a cut in their fees. In fact, the cut in salaries has percolated down to all levels including directors, technicians and even extras.
Shailendra Singh, managing director of Percept Pictures, says, “The fees of stars had reached unprecedented levels. In some cases, even 90% of a film’s budget went into paying the stars. We have been lobbying and pressing for a correction for a long time. So now I am glad that it is happening finally. The stars are finally getting to learn that a fee cut is the only option left for everybody to survive in this volatile market.”
Confirming the development, a senior official at IDBI Bank says, “The film fund size was Rs500 crore (last year) and we had increased it to Rs1,000 crore (for this financial year). Again, we are thinking of reducing it to the original size (Rs500 crore) as film budgets have shrunk. This is because around 80 per cent of the cost of making a movie is acting fees. We are hearing that these have come down to reasonable levels now.” IDBI is one of thebanks in India that maintains a substantial corpus of funds to be invested in Bollywood.
Producer Vipul Shah says, “Some corporations in their bid to nudge out the independent producers had made obscene payments to a few stars. The stars were obviously happy to take the money home. Now, after most of their films have flopped, they have been left with no other option but to reduce their fees drastically. I know this for a fact that Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn have dropped their prices by several notches to help producers.”
During the course of an earlier interview, Salman had said, “I am always there for my friends. If I think that me doing something will help them then I am willing to go that extra mile. I always try to accommodate a request and I will not charge exorbitant prices ever.” Salman was speaking before his last film Veer’s release.
Shailendra Singh, managing director of Percept Pictures, says, “The fees of stars had reached unprecedented levels. In some cases, even 90% of a film’s budget went into paying the stars. We have been lobbying and pressing for a correction for a long time. So now I am glad that it is happening finally. The stars are finally getting to learn that a fee cut is the only option left for everybody to survive in this volatile market.”
Confirming the development, a senior official at IDBI Bank says, “The film fund size was Rs500 crore (last year) and we had increased it to Rs1,000 crore (for this financial year). Again, we are thinking of reducing it to the original size (Rs500 crore) as film budgets have shrunk. This is because around 80 per cent of the cost of making a movie is acting fees. We are hearing that these have come down to reasonable levels now.” IDBI is one of thebanks in India that maintains a substantial corpus of funds to be invested in Bollywood.
Producer Vipul Shah says, “Some corporations in their bid to nudge out the independent producers had made obscene payments to a few stars. The stars were obviously happy to take the money home. Now, after most of their films have flopped, they have been left with no other option but to reduce their fees drastically. I know this for a fact that Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn have dropped their prices by several notches to help producers.”
During the course of an earlier interview, Salman had said, “I am always there for my friends. If I think that me doing something will help them then I am willing to go that extra mile. I always try to accommodate a request and I will not charge exorbitant prices ever.” Salman was speaking before his last film Veer’s release.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
MGR's birth anniversary celebrated in Chennai
Processions, garlanding of statues and distribution of sweets marked the 93rd birth anniversary of founder-leader of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and late Tamil Nadu chief minister MG Ramachandran (MGR), in the state today.
AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa garlanded MGR's statue and distributed sweets at the party headquarters.
Deputy chief minister MK Stalin paid floral tributes to the late leader.
MGR, who died 23 years ago, was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka in 1917, and his family moved to India a few years later. Poverty compelled him to join theatre at the early age of seven, and then enter the movie business as an actor.
Depicted in his films as saviour of the underprivileged which endeared him to the masses, MGR was the numero uno of Tamil cinema before he took the plunge into politics in 1953, joining the DMK.
He floated the AIADMK in 1972, and became Tamil Nadu chief minister in 1977, defeating the Karunanidhi-led DMK, and continued in the post till he died following cardiac arrest in 1987.
The leader is remembered by people for many of his social welfare schemes, including the free mid-day meal scheme for school children.
MGR's death saw his party split into two factions, one led by his widow Janaki and another by Jayalalithaa, who had acted as his heroine in over 50 movies. After the 1989 assembly polls, both factions merged under Jayalalithaa's leadership.
AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa garlanded MGR's statue and distributed sweets at the party headquarters.
Deputy chief minister MK Stalin paid floral tributes to the late leader.
MGR, who died 23 years ago, was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka in 1917, and his family moved to India a few years later. Poverty compelled him to join theatre at the early age of seven, and then enter the movie business as an actor.
Depicted in his films as saviour of the underprivileged which endeared him to the masses, MGR was the numero uno of Tamil cinema before he took the plunge into politics in 1953, joining the DMK.
He floated the AIADMK in 1972, and became Tamil Nadu chief minister in 1977, defeating the Karunanidhi-led DMK, and continued in the post till he died following cardiac arrest in 1987.
The leader is remembered by people for many of his social welfare schemes, including the free mid-day meal scheme for school children.
MGR's death saw his party split into two factions, one led by his widow Janaki and another by Jayalalithaa, who had acted as his heroine in over 50 movies. After the 1989 assembly polls, both factions merged under Jayalalithaa's leadership.
James Cameron eyes Australia for next film
Hollywood director James Cameron is set to make Australia his next stop to oversee his ongoing film project after the phenomenal success of Avatar.
The Oscar-winner is presently involved with the $30-million psychological thriller Sanctum that is being shot in Gold Coast.
The Titanic filmmaker, serving as executive producer, praised Australian director Alister Grierson for his talent with the lens.
"I am actually coming down to the set in a couple of weeks, and I am going to stay there through the underwater shoot," Herald Sun quoted Cameron as saying.
"They are doing great. Alister Grierson is a really talented director – his first film was Kokoda. I would be proud if that was my third film," he added.
The Oscar-winner is presently involved with the $30-million psychological thriller Sanctum that is being shot in Gold Coast.
The Titanic filmmaker, serving as executive producer, praised Australian director Alister Grierson for his talent with the lens.
"I am actually coming down to the set in a couple of weeks, and I am going to stay there through the underwater shoot," Herald Sun quoted Cameron as saying.
"They are doing great. Alister Grierson is a really talented director – his first film was Kokoda. I would be proud if that was my third film," he added.
Satyajit Ray's private eye Feluda enters new arena
Satyajit Ray's super detective Feluda is going great guns.
Created in 1965, the Charminar cigarette-puffing private eye, whose real name is Prodosh Kumar Mitter, will now feature in an animated series.
This is another stint for Feluda, who has had a successful stint on the silver screen, besides being a novel and comic book hero.
Hyderabad-based production and distribution group DQE will produce an animated tele-movie and TV series based on the adventures of Feluda, who teams up with his cousin Topshe and friend Lalmohan Ganguli to capture devious culprits and solve puzzling mysteries.
According to DQE chairman and CEO Tapaas Chakravarti, "We have confirmed acquisition for Indian broadcasting in several languages from a leading global broadcaster, and this has been a huge affirmation that these stories will be received well by audiences."
The Kathmandu Caper is the first animated tele-movie being adapted and written for animation in London by famous children's writer, Charles Hodges.
The tele-film revolves around the kidnap of a stranger in the neighbourhood which leads Feluda, Topshe, his friend Jatayu and Bones, their wily dog, to Kathmandu.
Last year, publishers Penguin under its Puffin imprint brought out the exploits of Feluda in comic format.
The titles were A Bagful of Mystery, Beware in the Graveyard and Murder By the Sea.
The comic strips were scripted by Subhadra Sen Gupta with illustrations by Tapas Guha.
"These great stories deal with eternal themes – loyalty, greed and courage... all we did was make them visually contemporary, so that kids relate to them better. We have not touched the plots, they are all Ray's," says Subhadra.
According to her, beyond occasionally changing the location from inside to outside, no changes to the original scripts were made at all. "Ray being a filmmaker and artist wrote very visually, giving detailed descriptions and also taking the stories to all sorts of locations, and that made the stories ideal for a comic strip," she says.
"We grew up reading Feluda, and the miracle is that he is now a part of our lives, and he and the other characters feels very real to us."
In A Bagful of Mystery, Feluda's client Dinanath Lahiri has a strange problem. On a train from Delhi to Kolkata, someone has taken his bag and replaced it with an identical one. The action-packed search by Feluda and his sidekicks take them through the busy streets of Kolkata and Delhi and into the final dangerous climax on the snowy slopes of the Simla hills.
Created in 1965, the Charminar cigarette-puffing private eye, whose real name is Prodosh Kumar Mitter, will now feature in an animated series.
This is another stint for Feluda, who has had a successful stint on the silver screen, besides being a novel and comic book hero.
Hyderabad-based production and distribution group DQE will produce an animated tele-movie and TV series based on the adventures of Feluda, who teams up with his cousin Topshe and friend Lalmohan Ganguli to capture devious culprits and solve puzzling mysteries.
According to DQE chairman and CEO Tapaas Chakravarti, "We have confirmed acquisition for Indian broadcasting in several languages from a leading global broadcaster, and this has been a huge affirmation that these stories will be received well by audiences."
The Kathmandu Caper is the first animated tele-movie being adapted and written for animation in London by famous children's writer, Charles Hodges.
The tele-film revolves around the kidnap of a stranger in the neighbourhood which leads Feluda, Topshe, his friend Jatayu and Bones, their wily dog, to Kathmandu.
Last year, publishers Penguin under its Puffin imprint brought out the exploits of Feluda in comic format.
The titles were A Bagful of Mystery, Beware in the Graveyard and Murder By the Sea.
The comic strips were scripted by Subhadra Sen Gupta with illustrations by Tapas Guha.
"These great stories deal with eternal themes – loyalty, greed and courage... all we did was make them visually contemporary, so that kids relate to them better. We have not touched the plots, they are all Ray's," says Subhadra.
According to her, beyond occasionally changing the location from inside to outside, no changes to the original scripts were made at all. "Ray being a filmmaker and artist wrote very visually, giving detailed descriptions and also taking the stories to all sorts of locations, and that made the stories ideal for a comic strip," she says.
"We grew up reading Feluda, and the miracle is that he is now a part of our lives, and he and the other characters feels very real to us."
In A Bagful of Mystery, Feluda's client Dinanath Lahiri has a strange problem. On a train from Delhi to Kolkata, someone has taken his bag and replaced it with an identical one. The action-packed search by Feluda and his sidekicks take them through the busy streets of Kolkata and Delhi and into the final dangerous climax on the snowy slopes of the Simla hills.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Haunting music for Celina Jaitley's upcoming thriller
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.
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.
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.
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