Archive for September 19th, 2007
September 19th, 2007
1) Saawariya
Shail Hada
2) Jab Se Tere Naina
Shaan
3) Masha-Allah
Kunal Ganjawala, Shrey Ghoshal
4) Thode Badmash
Shreya Ghoshal
5) Yoon Shabnami
Parthiv Gohil
6) Daras Bina Nahin Chain
Richa Sharma, Shail Hada, Parthiv Gohil
September 19th, 2007
September 19th, 2007
Verdict: Four on five
Om Shanti Om
Music directors: Vishal-Shekhar
Music label: T-Series
When we speak of tradition, we often think of it as an indistinguishable lump of past, which has nothing to do with the present or future. But come to think of it one realises how important any tradition is in shaping the sensibilities of the present. Farah Khan of all people should know this. Unlike most of her contemporaries, she’s a director who has grown up on typical masala Bollywood films and belongs to that tradition of filmmaking. And her unapologetic attitude towards this tradition is reflected in her work. At times she looks back at tradition and laughs at it, but all in good spirit. The music of her film appropriately reflects her position. And it is for this ‘retrospective’, that the film’s music deserves to be applauded.
Vishal-Shekhar (of whom Vishal has been a hardcore rocker) too have very beautifully adapted their music to suit her sensibilities. The thing with Om Shanti Om’s music is that it’s rooted in a tradition of filmmaking that is often rejected by the highbrow intellectuals. So if you are looking for some music that you can sit back and listen to on a quiet Sunday evening, this is certainly not it. And in that sense, a critical dissection of the album is also an exercise in futility.
Let’s just say then that not very often does one come across a music track like Om Shanti Om which makes you laugh, cry and dance. It’s the kind of music that needs to be felt and not just heard. Please don’t mistake this for an impulsive gush. But for someone whose staple diet has been Hindi film music, one cannot help but smile at the cheeky ingenuity.
September 19th, 2007
Domestic B.O.: Disaster strikes!
The makers of NANHE JAISALMER and AGGAR may’ve thought, there’re no major releases on September 14, let’s lock the date and start booking movieplexes. But a rival film may not necessarily blow your film to smithereens, as has been proved yet again.
The date [September 14] coincided with the commencement of the holy month of Ramzan. Plus, a crucial India-Pakistan cricket match was to be played the same evening. Saturday, the next day, was Ganeshotsav. Not many would venture into theatres anyways. That’s what I announced on my show a few days prior to the release of these two films.
The industry wasn’t gung ho and weren’t expecting magical numbers from both NANHE JAISALMER and AGGAR, so the near-empty halls that greeted the two films didn’t really catch anyone by surprise.
September 19th, 2007
“I am really excited about the gay neighbours,” says Eva.
Eva Longoria is desperate to be friends with the new gay couple on Desperate Housewives.The actress is ‘really excited’ Tuc Watkins and Kevin Rahm — who will play Wisteria Lane’s first gay couple, Bob and Lee — have signed up for the new series and wants scriptwriters to give her character Gabrielle a storyline with them.
Eva says, “I am really excited about the gay neighbours, it is about time. I am surprised we haven’t had them before. They’re my neighbours and I haven’t really interacted with them too much. I would love to see that in the script. Gabrielle should be friends with the gays.”
The 32-year-old star also revealed Bob and Lee don’t get on with Teri Hatcher’s character Susan. She added, “They have a lot with Teri Hatcher — they are like, catty with her and they don’t like her and it is so fun.” var RN = new String (Math.random()); var RNS = RN.substring (2,11); var b2 = ‘ ‘; if (doweshowbellyad==1) bellyad.innerHTML = b2;
September 19th, 2007
She will be seen in commercials for a premium brand of paint.
Gauri Khan has just bagged her first brand endorsement. Wife of advertisement-regular Shah Rukh Khan, she will be seen in commercials for a premium brand of paint.
Gauri, who has always maintained a low profile, is known for designing costumes for Shah Rukh in his early films including Baazigar (1993). Later she went on to become a producer with Main Hoon Na (2004) and Om Shanti Om (2007). Our source informs, “Gauri is gradually coming out of her homemaker mode. She has been successfully producing films and now she will endorse a paint brand.”
She has been approached for acting assignments and advertisement commercials before too. Our source adds, “We have always encouraged Gauri to take it up. But somehow, things didn’t work out until now. Finally, she has given her assent. In fact, she flew in from Dubai last night, so that the contract could be signed today.”
September 19th, 2007
Akshay Kumar, will be a part of this one, and paired opposite him is the lovely Katrina Kaif.
Vipul Shah has decided to essay the role of Mr Producer, while handing over the directorial baton to Anees Bazmee for a motion picture, funnily titled Singh The King. “It’s an action comedy,” says Vipul.
Anees Bazmee will be directing the movie. I describe his kind of cinema as Manmohan Desai’s cinema in today’s time.” Vipul’s favourite actor, Akshay Kumar, will be a part of this one, and paired opposite him is the lovely Katrina Kaif. Another Namastey London?
Fortunately, these two have emerged as the only two people who suit the characters in the script,” states Vipul. About other actors as part of the cast, we hear even Neha Dhupia may be a part of it.
September 19th, 2007
‘Making Om Shanti Om was easier than Main Hoon Na’ - Farah Khan
By Businessofcinema.com Team
19 September 2007, 08:32 PM
2004 witnessed the hit pairing of producer-director Farah Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, who delivered their maiden hit, Main Hoon Na. And now with their second film, Om Shanti Om, Farah takes pride in ‘reintroducing SRK.’
Moreover, in this film this exuberant lady director has paid ode to 70s era of Bollywood, which she considers as the film’s USP. However, to execute the same was a mammoth task, right from getting the props and equipments to visual effects, but Farah managed all and how!
In an interview that followed the film’s music launch, Farah (who’s eagerly awaiting the film’s release and her triplets!) gets vocal about OSO.
September 19th, 2007
Entertainment tax on films to be reduced
By Businessofcinema.com Team
20 September 2007, 02:04 AM
MUMBAI: With a view to boost the Indian film industry, the Center has asked various Indian State governments to reduce the entertainment tax on films.
At the 26th conference of State and UT Ministers of Information and Cinematography - SIMCON XXVI, the information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi highlighted a number of issues facing the film industry. One of the major problems that the industry is facing is that of piracy and also the heavy entertainment tax levied.
Keeping this in mind, the government has proposed a reduction of entertainment tax from the current 50 per cent to 25 – 30 per cent. The entertainment tax had been gradually reduced from 75 per cent to the current 50 per cent. The minister said that this would further reduce theatre ticket rates and boost sales and footfalls.
September 19th, 2007
Yuvraj was already fuming with 5 sixes he was hit by mascarenes(in england) and flintoff just took off the cap.If anyone of you missed it (heck i can watch it many times) take a look it already has more than 300,000 views.See how yuvraj and flintoff have a verbal brawl before the fateful over(flintoff is also making faces between the sixes as though he knows he is the culprit,yuvraj just didnt care and went for the full monty as ravi shastri says).Also note how the english commentator(david lolyyd),just stopped speaking after 3 sixes.Thanks.
September 19th, 2007
source Glamsham
18.09.07 The UK Box Office has never seen anything like this before; a Shah Rukh Khan film being swept away by an Akshay Kumar starrer. “Chak De India” has still to break the $1m barrier in the UK while “Heyy Babyy” is nearing $1.5m. In it’s 7th week of release, “Chak De India”’s collections stand at $867,265, while “Heyy Babby” is at a staggerring $1,382,988. For the past weekend, “Heyy Babyy” has raked in just over $24,000 (per screen average at $1,217) and “Chak De India” $2,731 (per screen average $390).
September 19th, 2007
Show of emotion is not aggression: Dravid
Bobilli Vijay Kumar
Rahul Dravid is as inscrutable as they come. Quiet, reserved and extremely passionate about his cricket, he has managed to hide his real personality. In an exclusive interview, a week before he gave up captaincy, Bobilli Vijay Kumar unravels Dravid, the real person, and breaks a few myths.
Have you always been Rahul Dravid, as the world now knows you?
September 19th, 2007
Bollywood & PETA petition to save elephants
By Businessofcinema.com Team
19 September 2007, 06:43 PM
MUMBAI: Following an 18-month campaign by PETA, the city of Mumbai has announced that elephants will no longer be allowed in the city. The campaign featured advertisements against elephants in captivity starring actors Rahul Khanna and Celina Jaitley.
Letters written by MP Shatrughan Sinha and MP Maneka Gandhi; and a petition was signed by Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu, John Abraham, MP Priya Dutt, Sanjay Dutt, Sanjay Leela Bansali, Isha Koppikar, Mahesh Bhatt, Yana Gupta and Gulshan Grover.
September 19th, 2007
Filmy is calling those who never miss first day first shows. Nirmalya Deb writes about a new television show that will offer more choice in the prime-time slot
September 19th, 2007
Scores 45 runs in 9 balls, Six sixes in one over.
September 19th, 2007
Cricket thread- Shame on selecters for dropping Sehwag
With two consecutive blistering knock, Sehwag has given a resounding slap to the selectors for dropping him from the ODIs. Instead of encouraging him as he comes back to form and drop him.
The ultimate insult is dropping him along with Bekarkar and Toota Patel!
September 19th, 2007
They’re India’s own ‘Brangelina’
Superstars are proud of Indian film industry; just don’t use the term Bollywood around them
August 25, 2007
Prithi Yelaja
Staff Reporter
With a newlywed glow enhancing their megawatt movie star status, Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan are playfully affectionate, finishing each other’s sentences as they hold court in a hotel suite.
It’s the very room where I interviewed Abhishek’s father, legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, when he was in town for the Toronto International Film Festival last year.
True to his Indian roots, the first thing Abhishek asks upon hearing my name is where I’m from in India. My mother is Maharashtrian and my father is from Karnataka, I reply.
September 19th, 2007
Actor Abhishek Bachcan was recently accused of ‘unprofessional conduct’ whilst he was shooting for a commercial for a radio-station of which he is the brand ambassador. Reportedly, Abhishek reached three hours late on the sets, played truant at the rehearsals and frequently disrupted his shooting to visit wife Aishwarya Rai, who was also shooting in the vicinity for ‘Jodha Akbar’.
Choreographer Bosco (of Bosco-Caesar duo), who was directing the dance sequences and is also a buddy of Abhishek, refutes the charges leveled against the star. “Abhishek didn’t play truant. It’s a distortion of facts. Sadly, nobody even bothered to crosscheck them with me,” he says adding, “It’s true that Abhishek came on the sets at 12 noon. But he had reported two hours earlier. He was in his makeup room getting his makeup done. The rehearsals with the junior artistes were in full swing but he was not required for that.”
Bosco continues, “Rather than disrupting our shooting, he was more than accommodating. He completed all the sequences by waiting for five more hours beyond the scheduled time,” insists Bosco who incidentally has choreographed Abhishek’s songs in ‘Dus’ and ‘Bluff Master’.
But wasn’t it true that Abhishek kept vanishing from the sets to see wife Ash. “Of course, I won’t deny that he would go over to meet Ash who was shooting in the neighbourhood. But that was only during the lunch and tea-breaks,” clarifies Bosco.
September 19th, 2007
Is it his rugged look, his DYOT (Do-Your-Own-Thing) super-cool attitude or the fact that he’s a self-confessed “jeans-kind-of-guy” that makes Abhishek Bachchan the perfect brand ambassador for Flying Machine jeans?
Maybe, it’s a bit of it all. Flying Machine — India’s very own indigenous brand of jeans — is back, re-launched in a new avatar, and who better than Abhishek Bachchan to sport the new look with elan?
“Yes, I’m most comfortable in a pair of jeans,” confirms Abhishek, adding that he is proud to be associated with Flying Machine because “the product is now positioning itself as an Indian international brand. Currently, the market is flooded with international jeans brands, and India’s original jeans, Flying Machine, is on par with the rest, both creatively and technically. It’s about time we stepped onto the international platform here as well”.
It’s all about cutting-edge fashion with a cutting-edge brand ambassador. ‘Right here, right now’, India sure is ‘flying’ high!
September 19th, 2007
September 19th, 2007
Q&A: ‘Even Bollywood craves for national awards’
19 Sep 2007, 0008 hrs IST
With Kaalpurush earning him a fifth Golden Lotus for Best Film, Buddhadev Dasgupta creates a national record. Each of his features and documentaries has won some Lotus. Awards at Venice, Karlovy Vary; competitions at Berlin, Locarno; retrospectives at Toronto, Brazil: who says celluloid poetry has run out of steam? The director speaks to Ratnottama Sengupta:
Many say Bollywood now represents Indian cinema abroad. Is it true?
September 19th, 2007
Sukanya Verma | September 19, 2007 | 12:41 IST
RATING: 4 STARS OUT OF 5
Farah Khan loves the seventies! If the choreographer-turned-director’s debut Main Hoon Naa saw her parody the swinging era, her latest Om Shanti Om, too, time travels all the way from 2007 to 1977 to explore her favourite decade in its hey day.
A full-blown musical set within the film industry and involving a reincarnation theme, Om Shanti Om, with its clever title and chromatic glory promises to be quite the cracker this Diwali.
While Shah Rukh Khan leads the brat pack, Arjun Rampal and Shreyas Talpade also star in this November�9 release (Yup, same day as Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s grand opus Saawariya), which introduces model-turned-actress, Deepika Padukone on the big screen.
September 19th, 2007
‘Playing only romantic leads limits you’
Arthur J Pais | September 19, 2007 | 19:29 IST
There are two things that can happen as you watch The Last Lear, the kind of� film Amitabh Bachchan says he has been waiting for a very long to work on.
You could come dazzled watching his performance as an eccentric and often cantankerous retired Shakespearean stage actor, wondering why he had not played a similar before. Or, you may like his work but wonder if he had not overdone while reciting soliloquies from Henry V, The Tempest, King Lear and Hamlet.
September 19th, 2007
Jodhaa Akbar art director Nitin Desai was asked to design a light-weight sword for Hrithik Roshan, as the original was too heavy for the actor to handle.
Stories about what goes into the making of a historical film have always been fascinating, and so is the case with Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar.
It is heard that Hrithik Roshan requested art director Nitin Desai to design a special light-weight sword for him instead of a sword designed by Ashutosh and his creative team.
It seems the sword, studded with precious stones, was too heavy for Hrithik to handle in fight sequences.
September 19th, 2007
1. Shah Rukh Khan
Now, Sanjay Dutt and Akshay Kumar don’t even make it to the top three, thanks to the new Om Shanti Om song and a post-40 Shah Rukh Khan startling the world by turning out to have the most-ripped body in Bollywood. Digital rumours aside, this is one helluva sculpted body surely making every other Hindi film actor sweat.
September 19th, 2007
September 19th, 2007
Mumbai, Sep 19 (IANS) Bollywood actress and social activist Shabana Azmi will join several eminent activists from across the world at the UN headquarters in New York, Sep 22-26, to plead for food for the entire globe.
The activists include the Brazilian prime minister and a Nigerian actor.
“It’s very simple, really. Food needs to be put on everyone’s plate. In the UN General Assembly they had promised that by 2015 they’d remove hunger from the world. They haven’t even achieved 50 percent of that target. So all of us from across the world will have just one chant - put food on everyone’s plate.” Shabana told IANS.
September 19th, 2007
Naseer’s happy to be with Shabana again in Rice Plate
Subhash K Jha , Indo-Asian News Service
Mumbai, September 19, 2007
First Published: 16:45 IST(19/9/2007)
Naseer’s happy to be with Shabana again in Rice Plate
After two decades Naseeruddin Shah teamed up with his oldest colleague and accomplished actress Shabana Azmi for a Rohit Roy directed short film titled Rice Plate and said it was fun shooting despite the fact that he didn’t have too many dialogues in the film.
“It was great fun shooting with Shabana after so many years. We’ve also done an unreleased film Libaas together. This time in Rice Plate Shabana has all the dialogues. She plays a talkative Malayali woman while I watch her silently. I play an ordinary insignificant man. My speciality!” Naseer told IANS.
September 19th, 2007
Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan donate money
Bollywood is known to do its bit for many charitable causes and superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan recently proved that Bollywood is always ready to help.
The two actors donated money to help with medical bills of noted Marathi poet Namdeo Dhasal. Bachchan donated Rs.5 lakhs while Salman donated Rs.1 lakh for Dhasal’s treatment. Director Madhur Bhandarkar also contributed Rs. 50,000 for the poet’s treatment.
Bachchan claims that like Namdeo he too suffered from the same ailment called myasthenia gravis and hence he knows the feeling. Amitabh says, “This is my way of helping in a small way.”
September 19th, 2007
Sachin, Sania appreciate ‘Chak De India’
19th Sept 2007 09.00 IST
By Agencies
Cricket idol Sachin Tendulkar and tennis star Sania Mirza appreciated the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Chak De India with Tendulkar hoping hope it goes on for long.
Appreciating the movie, Tendulkar said in Kolkata on Tuesday, “I hope it goes on for long. We follow the success stories in other sports, be it hockey or tennis. At some stage I hope we will get to see movies on other sports as well.”
The master blaster, however, did not agree that the film took a dig at cricket. “That’s not the idea in the movie. Whatever it says about cricket is pure humour.”
September 19th, 2007
After the stupendous success of the Munnabhai series, Rajkumar Hirani is now busy with his next.
As is by now well known, this time Hirani has opted for Shah Rukh Khan, who was the original choice for Munnabhai MBBS, but it did not work out, and in walked Sanjay Dutt.
And the rest, as they say, is history!