Ajay's act in 'London Dreams' modelled on Bono

Ajay Devgan as a rock star strumming away the heated strings on stage is a hard act to swallow. Not for Vipul Shah who has modelled the Bollywood star's act on the Irish singer Bono in his forthcoming movie 'London Dreams'.

'So far we've only seen him in a sedate or comic image, never as someone who can cross the frontiers and do something outrageous,' Shah, who hasn't quite converted the actor in an outrageously punky rock star, told IANS.

'No, not quite the reckless renegade. I've modelled Ajay's rock act on Bono, the Irish lead singer from U2. Bono was never your quintessential rock star. He had a more sober and a less wild image. When Ajay gets on stage in 'London Dreams', he replicates the curbed tempered-down rock-star's image of U2. Yes, I modelled him on Bono.'

The gritty sweaty ambience, the riveting guitar licks, the angst-filled vocals and the screaming hysterical fans... Ajay goes through the rock motions in the film with elan.

Interestingly, Salman Khan has no particular image in 'London Dreams'. 'He plays a more improvisational musician whereas Ajay plays a more professional rock musician,' said Shah.

The director has already shot all the on-stage performances except one. 'I wanted to see how the other stage performances look before shooting the last one. I was afraid they'd all look the same. But they've all come out differently. And Ajay looks like a rock star in the truest sense of the word.'

Ajay Devgan is a prankster: Asin

Working with Bollywood actor Ajay Devgan in Vipul Shah's London Dreams was an eye-opener for south Indian actress Asin.

"Working with Ajay Devgan has been a revelation. He is a prankster and not at all the quiet type of person," said Asin, who has just made her Bollywood debut in Aamir Khan-starrer Ghajini.

Asin says all of them gelled very well while shooting for the film. "The three of us including Salman (Khan) had great fun," she said.

London Dreams will be Asin's second Bollywood venture. It is about a music band formed by Asin, Salman and Ajay.

Theatres shut, film shootings cancelled

Due to the ongoing terror attacks in Mumbai since Wednesday night, the state government ordered all cinema houses in the city to shut down for a day, on Thursday.
Bhumika Tewari, AVP Programming, Fun Cinemas confirming the news said: “The decision was left to us. For precautionary sake, we decided to call it off for a day.”
Tewari said, there won’t be any morning shows on Friday. For the noon and evening shows, a decision will be taken later. “We’ve got orders from the state government for Thursday but so far we haven’t been informed what to do on Friday,” Desai said.
Two Hindi films — Sorry Bhai! and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, which were scheduled to release on Friday — have been pushed to Saturday.
According to Manoj Desai, executive director of Maratha Mandir and Bandra’s G-7 complex, till Thursday evening these two new films weren’t supposed to release on Friday but after a meeting post-evening, there’s a possibility they might.
Actor Sanjay Suri, co-producer of Sorry Bhai! said, Movie Mantra, the company releasing the film, would take the final call in the night.
But Ram Mirchandani, senior VP-Creative and Projects, UTV who is producing Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! said, the movie would be released on Friday as scheduled.
Even shootings were cancelled on Thursday. Ajay Devgan decided take a day’s break from the shoot for his home-production Toonpoor Ka Superhero to be held at Chembur.
Leena Yadav, too decided to call it off for a day for her film Teen Patti. The shooting was supposed to be held in Centaur, Juhu.

Bollywood "shocked" and "scared" over terror strike

The Indian film industry Thursday expressed a deep shock over the nightmare that unfolded on Wednesday night as terrorists targeted various importantlocations in the Bollywood capital of Mumbai.
The industry people also appealed for sanity and called for unity after one of the biggest terrorist strikes rattled the country's financial and dream city.
"Terrible! terrible situation!," a shaken Amitabh Bachchan wrote in his blog. "Mumbai under terrorist attack!! Several locations bombed and terrorist firing all over the city. Major hotels under siege. Taj hotel battle going on inside the hotel," says Bachachan, whose post reads like a doomsday account.
"I am scared! shocked! I don't have words to describe my feelings. It seems unreal to me almost like a film. I don't know who are they and why they have resorted to suchruthlessness," film director Anurag Kashyap, who is in Goa said.
"They just enter the city like that and hold it hostage. It is unbelievable. Obviously Mumbai will bounce back but it has been hurt badly and it will take time to heal,"says Kashyap, who has directed films like 'Black Friday' based on the 1993 terror strike and the ensuing riots.
Lyricist Javed Akhtar appealed for unity,"I am completely shocked and surprised. It is an unprecedented attack that the country has ever witnessed. It has turned out to be one of the most horrific attacks. "...but there is no time to blame any system or anyorganisation. It is time to stand unitedly behind our security forces and flush out these culprits," Akhtar added.

Similar sentiments were echoed by national award winning director Rahul Dholakia, "It is insane! We need to sit down as a society and understand how to prevent this."
The director of 'Parzania' also appealed for everyone to stick together in time of such crisis.
"Politicians should put aside their differences and agendas and think about India for a change. It is the time to show our grit and character ...to stand together and be one,"Dholakia added.
"I have no words. How do you describe something like that. India is such a huge country, obviously some people like to shift the blame to the security but so many of them have already been killed.
"There is no end to such things unless we find the root cause of the problem," said actor Irrfan Khan of 'Mumbai Meri Jaan', a film based on the blasts in Mumbai local trains.
The shooting of various films and serials have been cancelled as life stood still in the city. Ajay Devgan and wife Kajol were to shoot for their animation film 'Toonpur Ka Superhero' in suburban Chembur today but the programme has been called off, Devgan's spokesman said.
Shooting of several television serials have also been put on hold in view of the grim situation prevailing in the megapolis in view of the attacks that have left at least 100dead till now, industry sources said.
With a holiday declared in Mumbai Thursday, heads of television channels have asked employees to stay indoors.
"Television shootings are going slow. Many of them are not happening today," they added.