Mira Nair’s Amelia

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Once Upon a Time in Mumbai

Am I the only one looking forward to this project? I’ve enjoyed Luthria’s CHORI CHORI, KACHCHE DHAAGE and DEEWARR-LETS BRING OUR HEROES HOME. Not a flawless director by any means, but Luthria still has a firm grasp over the medium and his efforts in both KACHCHE DHAAGE and DEEWARR were commendable given the magnitude of both films(though he fell short in the latter). The teaming up of Ajay Devgan with Emraan Hashmi (someone who I’m a fan of) is in itself exciting, plus the story at hand sounds fantatsic (my favourite genre)…we could potentially have a real winner and dark horse here! Below is an older piece…no doub tI have a great weakness for the title here too!

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Kangana Ranaut is all set to step into the biggest shoes of her career when she attempts to play the role of the legendary actress Madhubala in a flick which is also somewhat about the underworld don Haji Mastan (FYI he was madly in love with Madhubala, she – not so much.) The movie is called “Once Upon a Time in Mumbai” and is being produced by Ektaa Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms. Apparently Ajay Devgan and Emraan Hashmi have been on board for ages but were waiting for their leading lady to be cast. Ajay Devgan will be seen as Haji Mastan and Emraan will potray the role of young Dawood Ibrahim.

So apparently Madhubala led quite the tragic life. I found this tribute on YouTube check it out.

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NY Times review of Public Enemies (2009)

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Michael Mann’s “Public Enemies” is a grave and beautiful work of art. Shot in high-definition digital by a filmmaker who’s helping change the way movies look, it revisits with meticulous detail and convulsions of violence a short, frantic period in the life and bank-robbing times of John Dillinger, an Indiana farm boy turned Depression outlaw, played by a low-voltage Johnny Depp. Much of what makes the movie pleasurable is the vigor with which it restages our familiar romance with period criminals, a perennial affair. But what also makes it more than the sum of its spectacular shootouts is the ambivalence about this romance that seeps into the filmmaking, steadily darkening the skies and draining the story of easy thrills.

The thrills are certainly there in the sensationally choreographed prison break that opens the movie under a bright blue Midwestern sky that stretches across the wide screen like a cathedral ceiling. Dappled by fluffy white clouds, it is the kind of sky that tends to show up as a backdrop in paintings of the Madonna and Child, but here offers a sharp contrast to the long-distance image of Dillinger and his friend Red (Jason Clarke), quickly striding toward an enormous, looming prison. Mr. Mann goes in closer once the men enter the prison, where they help disarm the guards, and he pulls back again for the long view as Dillinger fires on the prison with a machine gun while the escapees make a run for the getaway car.

By force of Hollywood habit, you might expect that this vision of the suddenly lone gunman would serve as a prelude to another exciting joy ride about living fast and dying young. Instead it’s followed by a striking short scene of a wounded escapee being dragged alongside the speeding car while Dillinger and another man struggle to pull him up. In the most startling shot, Mr. Mann places the camera right next to the fallen man, pointing it up at Dillinger’s dark, ominous figure as he almost blots out that blue sky. Dillinger holds on until the man’s grip wilts, the dead body slipping away in one direction as the car races off in the other. Laying the blame elsewhere, he next tosses another man out of the moving car.

This, then, is Mr. Mann’s Dillinger: brave enough to stand his ground, loyal, ruthless. There’s a hint of the demonic in this portrait, particularly when the outlaw is gliding through a bank, his long, dark coat fanning around him and a tommy gun in one hand. This is the stuff of legends, of shoot-’em-ups and matinee gangsters with jaunty smiles. Mr. Mann loves this apparition of calculated bravura and initially he frames the first few heists as seamlessly choreographed set pieces. During the first robbery he shows Dillinger and two accomplices from high overhead, the camera peering straight down as the men fan across a black-and-white bank floor like MGM dancers. When Dillinger leaps across a railing, he soars.

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Ripped. (Or Torn Up?)

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Are you the next Bollywood Singing Sensation!

Been singing A.R Rahman in the shower for as long as your can remember? Well hop out put a towel on, and check out the FIRST ever Bollywood online singing competition. Brought to you by State Farm and of course Saavn.com . All you have to do is go here bollystar2009.com, upload video of yourself singing and have your friends vote for you. You could win the chance to be in an upcoming Bollywood flick! Just imagine, singing in the rain with your favorite star because YOU are the next Bollystar.

Want to show off your talents to live audience? Live auditions are being held in California and New Jersey from July 10-11th at your leading Bollywood theater. Check here for more details. As soon as I know them so will you! Just remember the last chance to become the next Bollystar is July 28,2009. Good luck!!!

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KAMBAKKHT ISHQ censored, to release with 1400 prints!

KAMBAKKHT ISHQ censored, to release with 1400 prints!

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World Bank: Patna better than Mumbai to start business

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This may come as a big surprise to some of you, but a World Bank study says that Patna is ahead of Mumbai when it comes to the ease of starting a business.

According to the World Bank ranking announced on Tuesday, Patna is second only to New Delhi in this regard, but way ahead of Mumbai.

Of the 17 cities that figured in the World Bank and International Finance Corporation’s ‘Doing Business In India 2009′ report. So check out which are the other Indian cities, according to the World Bank, where it is easy to start a business…

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It’s a blast from the past for Bollywood now

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It was all about looking into the future for Bollywood with films like Aa Dekhen Zara, 13 B and Kal Kissne Dekha hitting the screens in recent times. But now it is flashback time and forthcoming movies will see popular actors exploring the times that have gone by.

These include Saif Ali Khan’s production debut Love Aaj Kal, Akshay Kumar’s Action Replay and Once Upon a Time in Mumbai that stars Emraan Hashmi.

Said director Imtiaz Ali, who has brought together two eras in his Love Aaj Kal: “The film moves in two different eras – 1965 and 2009 – almost simultaneously. They could well be termed as Love Kal and Love Aaj respectively due to their relevance with the characters and the time period involved.

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I’m proud I brought homosexuality out of closet: Tarun Mansukhani

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Talk about gays and their acceptability problems are no longer hush-hush with ‘Queer Pride’ rallies becoming an annual event in many Indian cities. And one-film old writer-director Tarun Mansukhani takes pride in bringing homosexuality out of the closet in films with his commercial hit “Dostana”. He now plans a sequel to the comedy.

“It was an intentional thought to make a light-hearted film on a serious subject. I personally believe that is the way to make people listen. If I were to attempt an Indian version of ‘Brokeback Mountain’ or make an equally serious film, I don’t think I’d get half the response I’ve received,” Mansukhani told IANS in an e-mail interview.

“I didn’t expect people to walk out of the theatre saying ‘Hey! I?m okay with homosexuality’. I wanted them to walk out laughing and then later when the entire family was sitting at the dinner table laughing about the film, I was hoping that someone would continue the discussion. And I achieved that. I’m proud to say that I?ve made homosexuality come out of the closet and onto the dinner table. I think it worked,” he said.

The 33-year-old now plans to launch part two of his successful hit that had Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles.

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The art of commerce

Given the moody economy, Anubhav Sindha’s Ra1 loses out to the more successful director Farah Khan’s Happy New Year in terms of priority

In times of recession, Eros International is hedging its bets on a money making director — Farah Khan, rather than bank on Anubhav Sinha. Farah’s successful track record has put the brakes on Anubhav’s Ra 1 temporarily. She will begin shooting her film Happy New Year ahead of schedule, while Ra 1 has been pushed from September to next year.

A few days ago, we told you how Farah Khan had to rush with the script of the first half of Happy New Year to San Francisco where Shah Rukh is shooting currently. It was a known fact that Farah was supposed to start her film only early next year. We hear, Eros International insisted that Farah’s film should start this year, by the end of November.

Ra 1 is being presented by Eros International and produced by Red Chillies. It was slated to go on the floors before Farah’s film, “That’s true,” says the source, “But when Eros studied the project Ra 1, they felt that this film may not derive sufficient returns in today’s economy. They felt that it would be better if the commercial director Farah Khan put her project on the floors first. They wanted to back that first and wait for things to improve on the economy front. They will go with Ra 1 but only at a later date.”

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Shell out 250$ for a pic with SRK at an US hotel

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Be ready to fork out $250 to be seen in same pic with SRK at a US hotel
PS: Think we haven’t heard of Photoshop, guys?

When Indian movie stars shoot aboard, fans travel from far and wide to catch a glimpse of the homegrown actors.

The management of Hotel Fairmount in San Francisco, USA got a whiff of SRK’s superstardom when fans from literally all over the States started pouring in to catch a glimpse of the actor. They came up with a master plan to cash in on their guest Shah Rukh Khan’s star power.

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Late Jhamu Sughand´s Family Complains To IMPPA Against Kareena Kapoor

Late Jhamu Sughand´s Family Complains To IMPPA Against Kareena Kapoor

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‘Transformers’ Sequel Scores Big Win

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LOS ANGELES — Horrid reviews couldn’t dent “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” which demonstrated once again the power of sequels by selling an estimated $201.2 million in tickets at North American theaters over its first five days.

The huge No. 1 entrance to the marketplace was on par with last summer’s Batman sequel, “The Dark Knight,” which sold $203.8 million in tickets over the same period and now ranks as one of the biggest blockbusters in movie history with over $1 billion in global sales. Overseas “Transformers” sold $186 million in tickets in its first five days.

The summer movie season has already seen some significant hits, among them a “Star Trek” reboot and “Up,” but it took a true sequel to break the bank. (“Terminator Salvation” and “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” while technically sequels, were more efforts to take franchises in new and unfamiliar directions in hopes of resuscitating them.)

People complain about Hollywood’s tendency to be unadventurous with its big-money titles, but the moviegoing masses clearly get the most excited when they are not being surprised. In other words, the multiplex really rocks when movies are served up the McDonalds way: predictably and comfortably.

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Mad rush of tourists in Shimla, Manali

Mad rush of tourists in Shimla, Manali

There’s an endless flow of tourists to Shimla to escape the blazing heat in the plains and many turn back disappointed after finding all hotels are 100% occupied. It takes cars almost six … Read More

U2’s “Spider-Man” Musical to Star Evan Rachel Wood, Alan Cumming

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Evan Rachel Wood appeared on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon yesterday and chatted about her upcoming role as Mary Jane Watson in Bono and the Edge’s Spider-Man musical, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. “It’s unlike any Spider-Man you’ve ever seen,” she said. “Bono and the Edge are doing the music. It was hysterical, I got to do the workshop, sit down with them playing guitars going over the music, and I was making jokes going, watch by the end of this, I’ll be telling them what to do. And by the end I was! I was like, Bono, I know you want to save the world and everything, but in this song you’re talking about poverty and world hunger and it’s Broadway, can we lighten this up a bit, can I just not sing this? And he was like, [in Irish accent] ‘You’re right, I know, we have to try, we have to try.’ ”

Today a press release confirmed Alan Cumming has also joined the production as Norman Osborn, better known as the Green Goblin. Both Wood and Cumming have previously worked with director Julie Taymor, who is known worldwide for her adaptation of Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway. Wood appeared in Beatles-inspired film Across the Universe, and Taymor directed two of Cumming’s film projects.

“The process of obtaining all the necessary state and city building permits, and landmark approvals to prepare the Hilton Theatre for a production the size and scope of Spider-Man has taken longer than anyone expected,” David Garfinkle and Martin McCallum noted on behalf of the production team, “but we now have everything that is required to bring this visually powerful show to Broadway next Spring.”

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Now, stars keep tabs on scribes

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MUMBAI: Time was when the media would keep its antenna up for minute details of a celebrity’s
life. But the tables seem to have turned. Many of the top stars and production houses now collect data to keep up-to-date on mediapersons.

For instance, Aamir Khan has a database of 220 media personalities across the world. It started as a publicity exercise for his film Ghajini, in which he played a man with short-term memory loss and needed reminders of people he closely interacted with through Polaroids. Now, the data his team collected is a part of Aamir Khan The Economic Timess’ records.

“Whenever the actor wishes to refresh his memory on a mediaperson’s birthday, basic character traits or other personal details, he can access it within seconds,” an insider said.

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New York Bumper Weekend : A Classic Example of Good Promotion!

New York Bumper Weekend : A Classic Example of Good Promotion!

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After lull, happy days back for Bollywood

Bollywood breathes a sigh of relief as the box office comes alive once again after a prolonged drought. The weekend saw almost 70-90% occupancy for Yash Raj Productions latest film, ‘New York’.

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Some quick reviews – Apocalypto, Red Rock West, Gran Torino!

Mel Gibson’s retro chase thriller set in Mayan times and exclusively in the Yucatec Mayan language used all actors of Mayan or Native American descent and not one is a well-known name or face. It tells the tale of … Read More

Daag starring Dilip Kumar, Nimmi and Usha Kiron

Daag starring Dilip Kumar, Nimmi and Usha Kiron (1952)

The hallmark of a true classic lies in its ability to transcend the barrier of time and fickle audience tastes. There is an element of timelessness in such movies, an ability to hold cinemagoers’ interest for the entire duration. The same timel ess appeal makes this black and white film,starring the power couple of Dilip Kumar and Nimmi, a treat to watch, more than half a century after its release.

The film showcases why Dilip Kumar is revered as the most consummate star to have graced the Indian screen, ever. His command over his skill is unparalleled, evident in his portrayal of Shankar, a good-hearted, angst-ridden village artisan, who makes toys for a meagre living, but is shunned for his love of the bottle. He exhibits complete mastery over his inimitable oeuvre of emotions — the drunkard with a fine comic timing, the intense interaction with his ailing mother, his effort to stave off social stigma of being perceived a troublemaker and his romance with the petite Nimmi. The man is superb in every scene.

Seeing him perform, one can discern why future generations of actors — including the Big B — have imbibed his style. His imprint and influence on their histrionics is perhaps the biggest tribute to the icon. The film won him the first Filmfare Best Actor Award. He went on to win seven more.

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11-time Grand Slam legend Björn Borg

(We often talk of the tennis superstars of today- Federer et al., but for me Björn Borg was in a league of his own and dominated when there were two other legends around John McEnroe and Jimmy Conners)

EARLY MORNING in the heart of an icy Stockholm on June 9, a motley crowd waited at Gotgatan 78, a building with plush interiors – also called Skrapan by many in the city- for a handful of models to kick-start a fashion parade displaying products branded by the legendary Björn Borg. Sadly, the 11-time Grand Slam winner did not turn up for the 40-minute event. His friends mention that he is still ebullient after the recent French Open success of his Swedish compatriot Robin Söderling over Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros. Apparently, Borg was so happy that he had texted a brief message to the youngster: “Congratulations, and thank you for not letting Nadal break my record”. The world number 25, Söderling had hoped for a telephone call after seeing off the defending champion, who had aimed to clinch his fifth successive French Open title, in four sets.

“Söderling is what Swedish tennis needs,” says the Grand Slam king, who holds 62 singles titles that include six French Opens (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981) and five more at Wimbledon (1976-1980). The unflappable Swede, whose calm demeanour and cool game — most evident against the temperamental John McEnroe and more sober Jimmy Connors — once led the cheeky British tabloid press to label him the ice-in-the-veins man, never played the Australian Open on a matter of principle, and lost the US Open final on four occasions. In fact, Borg visited Paris two days after Söderling’s victory amid rumours that he wanted to mix business with pleasure and revive some of his glories in a private screening close to the sunshine-dried clay courts.

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Summer Blockbuster – Kambakth Ishq Prediction Thread

Lets come to the main point.

Opening – 40+ cr.

Final – 75+ cr.

Verdict – Superhit.

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Rudresh’s Box Office: Week 27-06-09

Third week of June saw the release of  Paying Guests, Lets dance and Hum fir Milenege.

Paying guests starring Javed Jaffery was the main release of the week. The movie had collected Rs 6.5 Cr in its first week at … Read More

Movie Review – NewYork

All reviews of NY can be found in this thread.

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A Wednesday – Variety Review

A Wednesday

By RONNIE SCHEIB

Terrorists, cops and ticking time bombs make for an explosive mix in tyro helmer-scribe Neeraj Pandey’s “A Wednesday.” A lopsided two-hander featuring a couple of legendary Indian thesps locked in mortal conflict, this brisk political … Read More