Archive for Anna
December 26th, 2008
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Hit or flop…Salman Khan always stays on top!
Pratik Dogra
New Delhi, Dec 27: For close to two decades in the industry, Salman Khan, has been an enigmatic personality for Bollywood and its millions of followers. Ever since his dream debut, he has given flops by the dozen, broken the law more than once, allegedly roughed up his girlfriends, fought with his seniors, co-stars and juniors and has practically done everything else to wreck his career and invite the contempt of the industry and the public’s wrath.
But far from it, as the ‘Superstar’ turns 43, he still remains one of the most loved personalities and one of the biggest draws in the industry.
December 25th, 2008
Taran: “If you want to compare the collections with Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, I would say, Rab Ne…is no patch.”
It was pitched as one of the biggest blockbusters of the year, with the buzz extending to haircuts that the lead actor sports in the film. Now, Aamir Khan’s romantic thriller Ghajini has got the biggest opening figure in the history of Bollywood.
The film, a violent tale of a businessman’s quest for revenge for his wife’s murder while battling short-term memory loss, is turning out to be Bollywood’s big winner. According to trade pundits, no film till date, not even the ones with big stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar, have managed such a huge opening ever.
Ghajini was released on Thursday, and not on the usual release day Friday, as the producers wanted to cash in on the Christmas holiday.
Looking at audience reactions at the paid preview of the film, trade pundits had guessed that the film would garner at least Rs 32 to Rs 35 crore net, setting a new record.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh said about the film’s collections, “I think it is the highest ever as far as box office returns are concerned. Forget the reviews by some critics sitting in ivory towers, the common man has given his verdict. If you want to compare the collections with Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, I would say, Rab Ne…is no patch.”
According to trade reports Ghajini has already managed to garner three times more than Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. A distributor of the film, Sandeep Bhargava of Indian films says, “This is for the first time a film has been sold out in every show in every theatre across the country on the largest print count ever. Ghajini as a film works in all centres across India and the multiplexes across India are reacting in same vein,” he says.
Aamir Khan is surprised p20.
DNA E-paper
December 24th, 2008
December 23rd, 2008
The wait is finally over! An Aamir Khan film is nothing short of an event. The supremely talented actor acts in one film a year and no two films are ever identical in terms of plotline. No wonder then that you await an Aamir starrer with bated breath.
GHAJINI, the Tamil version, has been a massive hit and so was its dubbed Telugu version. Will the Hindi adaptation live up to the humungous expectations? The hype is unmatched and you expect no less than a present-day masterpiece.
Write your own movie review of Ghajini
Now the good news: GHAJINI demonstrates how strong film-making can enhance and elevate an already solid concept.
GHAJINI is a revenge saga, one ingredient that has been the staple diet of Hindi films since time immemorial. It is a powerful film. It has the power to sweep you off your feet from the word ‘go’. It has a riveting story, which has been told with flourish by director A.R. Murugadoss. And, of course, it has a knockout performance by Aamir Khan. If at all there’s a shred of doubt whether Aamir is The Best in the business, all you’ve got to do is check out GHAJINI.
Flaws any? Running time [almost 3 hours]? Not at all! There’s so much happening in every scene and the screenplay is so gripping that you don’t feel the need to look at the auditorium ceiling or at your watch at brief intervals. You aren’t restless. As moviegoers, we’ve watched countless good versus evil fares over the years and although GHAJINI belongs to the same family, not once does it take the beaten track. The story has been told differently and most importantly, the story offers so many twists-n-turns that you just can’t guess what would unfold next.
Is it violent? It is, at times, but the violence here is justified. In fact, every time the protagonist bashes up the evil-doers, you clap and root for him. The climax is jaw-dropping — dissimilar from the original, but it’s an out of the world experience nonetheless.
To sum up, GHAJINI is commercial Hindi cinema at its best. The film has ‘Hit’ written all over it. Let me put it this way: Cancel whatever you’re doing today and go watch GHAJINI instead. Aamir Khan is suffering from acute short-term memory loss set off by the violent murder of his girlfriend Asin. He’s got to work around this handicap, but with methodical and meticulous determination. Aamir etches a path of clues that lead him on his road.
To aid him in his quest, he carries around a sheaf of Polaroids and when he is really sure of a piece of information, he has it tattooed on his body, which stands in for the damaged part of his mind. His indelibly marked torso is the repository of his grief, his rage and his reason to go on living.
Any more revelation would do gross injustice to the film and to its viewer.
First things first! GHAJINI is not MEMENTO. There’re minor similarities, but GHAJINI takes a completely different route to tell its story. Director A.R. Murugadoss tells this one differently. It starts off with what happens in the past, comes to the present-day, goes back in time again and returns to the contemporary again. This is a breathless, exciting story, heart-breaking and exhilarating at the same time.
Hindi movies have often depicted people suffering from amnesia/memory loss, but GHAJINI is poles apart because the protagonist recalls events only for 15 minutes. The story is its USP, without a doubt. But what adds sheen and glory to the story is Aamir’s portrayal of a man suffering from short-term memory loss. Aamir hardly speaks. In fact, the leading lady [Asin] speaks more than Aamir in the film. But Aamir speaks volumes with his eyes, he conveys whatever has to be conveyed through his body language, he says it all with his facial expressions and that only makes GHAJINI a memorable, never-seen-before experience.
Director A.R. Murugadoss deserves brownie points for not just coming up with an interesting story, but also presenting it [refreshingly] differently. The storyteller balances the light moments and the ones demanding intensity with expertise. There’s dum in every sequence. Even if the director has to depict violence, he doesn’t resort to blood-n-gore or knives-swords-pistols for effect.
A.R. Rahman’s music is top notch. At least three numbers have the unmistakable stamp of a genius — ‘Guzarish’, ‘Behka’ and ‘Kaise Mujhe’. Ravi Chandran’s cinematography is stunning. The film bears a stylish look all through. The action sequences are brilliantly executed. The Hindi moviegoers haven’t seen such scenes ever.
Aamir delivers his career-best performance. In the first place, it requires courage and maturity to name the film after the villain. Knowing how egoistic our stars are, something like this is next to impossible in Hindi films.
A lot has been said and written about the GHAJINI look — Aamir’s hairstyle and his dream physique. It’s awe-inspiring and if more and more people adopt the ‘Aamir look’ or hit the gym, it would be courtesy the actor.
As far as his acting is concerned, he’s natural as the tycoon, but like a wounded, ferocious tiger when he goes on an avenging spree.
Without doubt, it’s a concentrated, layered performance. He acts with his entire being. His body movement, the details of his performance, everything rings true. He is both vulnerable and hard. The pain in his face when he can’t remember, is palpable. It’s not only the plot that carries GHAJINI. It’s also the mood and the expression on Aamir’s face that makes GHAJINI a treat.
Asin is fabulous. To share the screen space with an actor of the stature of Aamir Khan and yet remain in your memory even after the show has ended is no cakewalk. She looks fresh and photogenic and acts her part brilliantly. Pradeep Rawat, the villain, is first-rate.
On the whole, GHAJINI is a winner all the way. The film will set new records and has the merits to emerge one of the biggest Hits of all times. The weekend business should be historic, the Week 1 business should be unparalleled, the lifetime gross should be amongst the biggest of all times. In short, GHAJINI has ‘Blockbuster’ written all over it.
December 21st, 2008
Satyam, Your hero Vikram not in top 5 
www.sify.com
5. Ajith
At number 5 is Ajit, who did not have a good year. After Billa a lot was expected from Aegan, which turned out to be a dud. But Ajit has star power, an impressive opening, charisma and above all a huge fan base. Let us hope with his next film for Sivaji Productions and director Saran Asal, does the magic.
4. Surya
At number 4 is Surya, who has grown phenomenally as an actor and star. His performance in Gautham Menon`s Vaaranam Aayiram a hit has given him superstardom. If last year he reached the B and C with Vel, this year he has become popular with US audiences and has action movie Ayan next year.
3.Vijay
At number 3 Vijay sits precariously as his Kuruvi has done only average business. But what makes him attractive is that the trade thinks he is still a safe bet with his mass masala potboilers. Added to that he has an awesome fan network including Sri Lankan Tamils across the globe who swear by him, as Villu turns red hot.
2.Rajinikanth
At number 2 is Rajinikanth. For the first time in five years the superstar has slipped, following the Kuselan fiasco at the box-office. His image took a beating when he had to apologize over a Kannada channel over his uttering on the Hogenakkal issue. But has bounced back after Sun Pictures took over Endhiran at a record price.
1.KAMAL HASSAN.
At number 1 is Kamal Hassan. Dasavatharam the year`s biggest grosser has made him the `Numero Uno` at the box-office. The film is a super hit worldwide, and the third highest grossing Indian film in the overseas market, where Bollywood rules. He is now literally the Ulaga Nayagan, who has a growing fan base among the youth
December 18th, 2008
Great bong on Rab Ne Banadi Jodi
When innocents die on a railway platform lives snuffed out senselessly, the string-pullers behind this massacre arrested and released four days later and when general injustice and inequities abound all around, some people, who still have some hope and believe in imaginary friends, look heavenwards and ask “God , what are you doing?”
According to the Chopras, God (or Rab or Great Flying Spaghetti Monster or Bhagwan or whatever you want to call that person who sits up above) is busy with other things of greater importance.
He is making “jodis”. And that too “halle halle”. [The song “Halle Halle” in Rab Na Bana Di Jodi , for some unfathomable reason, brings to my demented mind memories of the Mammoth Koirala starrer “Market” wherein a lady of commerce tells her client “Zyara hallu hallu kar”.]
Coming back to God, his primary job description is to bring people who are meant to be together through what seems to you and me to be happenstance. However what you think is co-incidence or horribly cliched plotting or an example of the “Deus Ex Machina” construct is actually a part of the greater cosmic plan of matching hearts, hearts that are pre-ordained by God to beat as one.
Ek dujhe ke waaste.
As the great prophet of the true God, Yashji said once through one of his characters:
Bhagwan ne saare dil ke rishte pahele se hi jor diye hain. Bus unka milna hum par chor diye hain. Usne hum sabko joriyon main banaaye hain aur har ek liye ek jeevan saathi hain
(Except of course Elizabeth Taylor, Kishore Kumar and all Arab sheikh who are matched with more than one. Other exceptions are male engineering students, many of whom are matched with their own hands.)
In the midst of this gigantic endeavor of match every person in the world with one other, if a few genocides, massacres and invasions slip through the crack can you really blame God?
After all, he too is human.
Make no mistake. This job is not easy. When two pre-destined couples meet, God has to mimic Lata Mangeskar’s voice and go “La La La La La La” in order to give them the “sign”. Sometimes he needs to make stars fall out of the sky so that lovers may make wishes. He has to make it rain whenever the heroine gets out on the roof in whites and pines for her “made-in-heaven-match” whose face she has not seen yet but whom she can feel in her dreams. And its a thankless job because no matter what he does, people not understanding the great plans that God has for them look at the heavens and screech, in possibly one of the most overwrought sequences of Hindi cinema, “Tum bure ho”.
For the last fifteen years, the prophetic firm of the Chopras and also the Johars have been informing us of Rab’s work through different movies which all convey the same message, so much the same that some faithless fools call them monotonous, formulaic and inane. Forget them. They are jealous of the fact that like all prophets, the Chopras have been well-rewarded for their work of being God’s voice on earth.
“Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi” (God has made the couple) is the latest chapter in the Chopra gospel which one again regurgitates God’s message in a heavenly way. A beautiful lady Taani (Anushka Sharma) loses her fiance to an accident and has to get married to a simple Simon with a moustache, Surinder Sahni (Shahrukh Khan). Surinder is a normal, colorless small-town middle-class man who declares “maine kabhi ladies se pyar naheen kiya” (leaving the opportunity open for prior encounters of the Dostana kind) who falls totally in love with his wife. In a plot device totally original (as original it was in “Woh Saat Din”, “Mauna Ragaam”, “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanaam” ) she however, buried under her past, declares that she will never be able to love Surinder, who is naturally heart-broken.
As a Chopra devotee, I have to confess I was initially surprised by the Surinder character. After all this was Shahrukh Khan, who if Chopras are the prophets, is Rab’s own son [The Trinity is completed by Hangal who is the Holy Ghost]. SRK was underplaying his role, and most importantly acting like a human being for the first thirty minutes. Most un son-of-Godlike. But then Chopra quickly rectifies the situation. In a plot development that restored balance to the force, Surinder decides to join the dancing school where his wife does “mass Physical Training”. Not as Surinder however but as a de-moustached, spiked-hair, cross between yellow parakeet-and-human-being Raj with the assumption that she might fall in love with this more boisterous alter-ego.
Relief ! Shahrukh Khan is now once again free to play Shahrukh Khan which means he can once more slant his head, exercise his dimples, pout and lisp, do that “sideways” smile, overact and in general bring out the bag of tricks Rab gave him when he sent him to earth. Tani is torn between her silent husband who fights Sumo wrestlers to win a trip to Japan and the flirtatous, loudly dressed Raj who plunges half the city in darkness to write “I love you” with the city lights. Impressed by that Jyoti Basu-like feat of selective load-shedding however, Taani starts moving towards the parakeet because as Chopra tells us there is nothing a girl wants more than someone who loves her like a Deewana (which, not coincidentally, is the name of a Shahrukh Khan flick). Will she leave with Raj or will she stay with Surinder? I think all of you know the answer to that one but if you don’t, I wont give it away. God doesn’t want me to.
Needless to say, Rab forms a vital part of the story, pulling strings, creating “coincidences” and “karishma”. For instance, God never lets Taani realize that this man she is hugging and dancing close with is her husband, minus the moustache and plus a hairdo. And when Taani is in the throes of despair and asks Rab for guidance, she opens her eyes and there right in front of her is the man she should be with—-as if Rab is saying “Here here young girl, chance pe chance maar le, go home and give this poor man some”.
In short, “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi” is a faith-affirming exercise that should make you believe that God is watching over your love-life always, if not actually over you. And that you should remember, even when your head gets blown off by a bomb, that this is all part of God’s plan—if at the time of dying, you haven’t fallen in love that means you were one of the persons whom even God could not match. And if at the time of death you already were in love with someone, that means that your love is actually matched with someone else.
Comforting realizations both of them.
December 18th, 2008
December 18th, 2008
December 18th, 2008
Let’s start with a confession. I went for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi with a pre-decided impression. I was adamant on hating it for two simple reasons; first, it is a Shahrukh Khan starrer (Salman’s enemy is my enemy) and second, I have realized I am allergic to everything to do with ‘lub’ (love)…or maybe it’s the other way round. Either way, such is my life (his)story.
So there I was gloating on the thought of a dhasu cut-down-to-size sort-ta review of Aditya Chopra’s revival creation but this Rab I tell you had another plan in action.
Now before you remove your chaddis in excitement (hinted only @ SRK fans), I thought RNBDJ was nothing extraordinary or even remotely hatke. In fact it consists of typical Chopra romance mixture – absence of love, intervention of destiny, incorrigible twists, gaana shaana, countless Punjabi twangs, high pitched drama, with finally ending on “sacha pyar winning because God is great” note. In addition I also found twisted glimpses of Bhansali’s Hum Dil Chuke Sanam and unnecessary insertions of Farah Khan style Bollywood jabs.
And yet in spite of this done to death garb, I couldn’t get myself to hate the film.
December 16th, 2008
RNBDJ
The youth and masses not patronizing the film whole-heartedly with most of them staying away from it. Monday witnessed a steep drop at most screens. In fact, the collections were shockingly low at places. All eyes are on Ghajni now.
-Taran Badmash
December 15th, 2008
Yea.. it was just an average movie. More on that later.
First, a few er.. ‘interesting’ events of last night.
Event 1: It was an 8:30 show. And we were late. For no apparent reason to be honest. We were home before 7 and just lazing around. Actually, me and my wife have an immaculate record of being late to almost every movie we go to. Its ingrained into our systems. Yep, we’re the ones you curse for blocking your screen for 30 full seconds as we get to our seats.
Anyway, hoping to be the cursers instead of cursees this time, we skip our planned ‘churmuri’ and head to Inox Jayanagar, a full 15 mins before scheduled time.
December 14th, 2008
It’s been a sobering weekend for Shah Rukh Khan starrer Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, so far. The film, expected to re-establish YRF’s position in Bollywood and reaffirm that SRK can still draw crowds to the theatres, has started on a weak wicket.
The film has certainly not opened in the manner an SRK film usually does.
It is true that Chak De! India too opened on a slow note and gained momentum, but the public reaction and the collections are far from encouraging for Rab Ne…
A leading critic (name withheld on request) points out that the film is illogical, long, slow and boring. Says the critic, “Even suspending disbelief, it is difficult to be taken in by a story that so many loopholes you could run an express train through them. Even if you buy the fact that the young lady is dense enough to not recognise her husband when he doesn’t have a moustache, her mercurial change of mind about which man is her soulmate is stupidly portrayed. Also the girl lacks both charm and talent, and SRK in this film, doesn’t have enough for two.”
Trade analyst, Taran Adarsh too is vocal about his disappointment. He says, “When you have Adi Chopra directing an SRK film, expectations are many. But this one does not meet them. SRK and Anoushka are good. But the pre-release promos were not too attractive. Moreover, the script of the film is not gripping. Adi the director has been let down by Adi the writer.”
Another trade analyst, Amod Mehra, says, “The response to Rab Ne… was very bad on Friday. But from Saturday, the film has picked up very well. The film has been made at a reasonable budget of Rs 12 crore and taking into consideration the satellite rights, it will be a profitable proposition. But there are some flaws in the film. It is too long.”
Manoj Desai, executive director of Maratha Mandir and the G7 multiplex, who is still running YRF’s Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ) at Maratha Mandir in the matinee show, says, “I registered 100 per cent in my theatres initially, but now my matinee collections of Rab Ne… have fallen by 10-15 per cent and that is worrying me. I don’t see Rab Ne… as a crowd puller or having any repeat value.”
Desai feels that a few portions of the film are very peculiar “How can any woman forget her husband if he just shaves off his moustache? How did an intelligent person like Adi overlook this? Even if the woman is blind, her sixth sense will help her recognise her husband and here Anoushka is definitely not blind. And this is not my opinion but the public is saying it.”
On the other hand Rab Ne… has performed quite well at the single screen, Chandan in Juhu. A booking clerk, Nilesh sounded quite satisfied at the outcome of the film, “We didn’t register full attendance on the first two days but the third day was better.”
Kiran, asst. manager Fame Adlabs, Andheri, told Mumbai Mirror on Saturday evening, “We have registered about 65-70 per cent on the first two days. It might be because people are petrified of terrorists these days, but by and large, cinema business has been low since a few months.”
A visit by this reporter to PVR (Juhu) revealed that the manager, Terri Joseph, was not too kicked about the film. Said Terri, “We had about 200 people in a theatre that has a capacity of 300 in our first show, but in the very next show after a span of forty five minutes, we had only about 40-70 people seeing the film. We recorded about 60 per cent on Saturday and expect 80 per cent on Sunday. I think the terrorist attack on 26/11 has kept the public away from malls and theatres. There was a great buzz about the film but it hasn’t met expectations.”
However, Samir Khan from Cinemax (Andheri) is optimistic. He says, “Rab Ne… has opened to mixed reactions. There are some people who haven’t liked it, but I think by and large the public is enjoying it - word of mouth publicity may do the trick.”
All said and done the questions which remain are: Is it time for SRK to reinvent himself? Is the YRF empire slipping? Should Yash Chopra put his foot down and not let Adi call the shots? Or, was it really the carnage of 26/11 that upset the applecart of buddies SRK and Adi?
December 11th, 2008
I wont deny it; I was very worried about how the movie would turn out to be. TRIED to keep low expectations after OSO, but failed. So I went with these massive expectations all worried and all thinking it might disappoint. What a relief it is to watch it and confidently say: It didn’t just meet my expectations, it surpassed it, and by what a difference! They DID it, Aditya Chopra and SRK DID IT!(atleast for me) I don’t know about you guys but since the past few years I was really happy with the kind of cinema SRK was doing. Loved Swades, Paheli, Chak De India, Don…all of those. But at the back of my head I was just waiting for one of those Shahrukh Khan movies that carried for me the kind of effect movies such as DDLJ, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Mohabbatein had on me. High on emotional quotient with a number of spectacular scenes, quotes, songs and just the sheer overall grandeur. As much as I liked his recent films minus OSO and KANK, I was waiting for something like Rab Ne to come along. And it was just perfect because it was everything that I wanted it to be. No unnecessary extra characters, no fake looking unreal sets, no overdose of actors talking in English (whats up with that in hindi films these days?), no lackluster editing with unnecessary slow motion and fast motion, and most importantly no corny jokes to which I slap my head. And it was just such a good experience re-living one of those kind of films.
I don’t think I can explain the story any better than SRK already has. It’s a very simple story about an ordinary man trying to live an ordinary life, but his life takes a solid turn once he meets Taani. I don’t want to reveal anything more because the movie unfolds in a beautiful manner. People will like the movie a lot more if they stay away from spoilers so that they don’t expect what’s to come. That’s one of the greatest traits about the movie, the pace and sequence in which the movie proceeds.
Even though the movie was literally set within one town it never got boring. The set design was wonderful. The tone of the film and the colors perfectly fit the mood of the film. Props to the DI Colorist and the Cinematographer. Special mention for the the look of Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte…they fit so much within the 6 minutes of the song. However for me, overall, the picturization of Dancing Jodi stood out. You’ll see why when you watch the film. The editing was just perfect, and the song will give you goosebumps guanarteed. Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai was also beautifully filmed around some beautiful places in Amritsar. I never really liked Dance Pe Chance a lot, but watching it in the film I thought otherwise. Anushka is a great dancer and she looks amazing in the song. Haule Haule was one of my favorite songs technically. It will put a smile on your face for sure.
Getting to the performances, it’s funny how with every movie of SRK’s, he ends up with “one of his best performances ever”. Just saying that isn’t saying anything new anymore, it’s a given. But it’s just surprising to see how this guy can continually prove the same time and again. As boring as the statement may have gotten, it’s true. Now some might think that it’s mainly going to be the Surinder Sahni performance that gets him all the good reviews. As correct as that may be, you cannot overlook his performance as Raj either, as much as we’ve seen him play it before. His balance between the two characters is what will astonish you. Some people had said before that it’s ridiculous that Anushka can’t recognize between her husband and Raj. But when you watch the performance, when you look at the 2 different get ups in detail and when you see how differently he acts as both, Suri and Raj, you’ll be lying to yourself if you say that you could still say they’re both the same person. Look at both of them minus SRK. Forget that he’s SRK and imagine if you saw those two guys without really knowing who the person really is, and you will see that it’s very much believable. SRK antics as Surinder are so good I got no words, especially during the first half of the movie. You will laugh even when there’s no comedy just by looking at him and watching him react to things and people around him. For example (minor spoiler ahead), [COLOR="LemonChiffon"]the laptop scene with the flash drive around his neck. [/COLOR]Truly a great performance. He’s outright hilarious and heartbreakingly sad at the same time. And what makes it so sad and funny at the same time is how real the character is. His emotional scenes as Raj in the second half will also blow you away, especially the pre-climax scenes. I don’t think I can say much more about his performance that you guys don’t know. One thing is for sure, the movie would fall flat on it’s face if it wasn’t for SRK and Aditya Chopra. Because when you watch the film, sometimes you do think “that’s a little far fetched”, or “hmm…would a real person would have reacted like that?”
It’s the unfolding of the story, the handling of performances and the likeability factor that make this film work in a big way. I’m sure it must have been a very delicate task to pull off, but hats off to Adi for doing it. If I would have just read the script or known the entire story without watching the movie, the story would have been a little hard for me to believe. But I guess that’s what these guys are best at, bringing something fresh to the table and making it believable with their respective talent. The movie is nowhere near the scale of DDLJ or Mohabbatein, so please don’t go expecting something that big. It’s very clear after watching the film that they did not want anything that big. It’s a short, sweet and simple movie with tons of likeability factor. And SRK was right, you will walk out with a smile on your face. The end credits will also lend a hand in doing that. Each and every person in the cinema sat and watched it till the very last credit pulled up.
December 8th, 2008
When Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi opens across the country this Friday, Bangalore’s Anushka Sharma will take her very first Bollywood bow. For those who knew her personally, seeing her hold her own opposite hamming hero Shahrukh Khan, it all may seem an unlikely twist to the story of the quiet girl they knew.
read rest here…
December 8th, 2008
In a unique survey Salman Khan was voted the top role model in health in the entertainment scene.
This was the result of one of a kind survey conducted by the Complete Well Being magazine. An international research company tried to identify India’s role models of health and happiness across entertainment, business, sports and politics. Men and women between 25–45 years of age across eight metros were asked to name their role models from these fields.
In the entertainment category, India’s choice for its role model of health is Salman Khan with 26% votes coming his way. Shah Rukh Khan is the next choice at 24% votes. The public has voted for Amitabh Bachchan was voted number three instead of Hrithik Roshan or Akshay Kumar.
December 4th, 2008
http://rgvarma.spaces.live.com/default.aspx?sa=192749033
There were reports in the media that I was planning a film on the terrible terrorist incident that happened and since I was casting Riteish Deshmukh in it his dad Mr.Vilas Rao invited me to visit the site which understandably created an outrage among various concerned.
These reports are completely false.
What happened was…
I know Riteish since years as I have done films with him and also since we belong to the same fraternity. On that day I went to meet Riteish to discuss RANN my new film with him which incidentally has got nothing to do with terrorism. As we were talking Riteish said that his dad was going to Taj and he wished to go with him. So since I was with him I accompanied him there. Mr.Vilas Rao has never been formally introduced to me and he didn’t even know that I was with Riteish as me and Riteish were in another car.
December 1st, 2008
December 1st, 2008
Movie is directed by Milind Rao who had worked with Mani Rathnam in Yuva and Kannathil Muthamittal.
November 10th, 2008
November 10th, 2008
Young, debutant directors infuse fresh life in a languishing Marathi filmdom
Namrata Joshi
www.outlookindia.com
Box-Office Biggies
* Ankush Chaudhury and Sachit Patil’s Saade Maade Teen, a remake of Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, grossed about Rs 4 crore
* Umesh Kulkarni’s Valu fetched Rs 3 crore
* Mangesh Hadwale’s Tingya made money,mustered fans, bagged numerous awards, got screened at Cannes and is now headed to the Oscars as an independent entry
November 9th, 2008
Watch him enact ‘Deewar -Mandir scene’ in the below video
You are a Rockstar Sv 
November 6th, 2008
Which one do you prefer?
I liked Tamil song more, though the picturisation looks dated now
November 5th, 2008
Yet another Bombay institution, the Udipi restaurant, faces demise. No more Mysore Masala? …
Payal Kapadia
Last Orders…
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20081110&fname=Udupi+%28F%29&sid=1&pn=2
Udipi restaurants, world famous for their affordable veggie fare, especially the ‘rice thali’, draw inspiration from the coastal Karnataka temple town of Udupi. They are slowly going out of fashion. Over 200 have closed in the past two years, and business is down 50-70 per cent. The reasons:
November 4th, 2008
Remember the Aishwarya Rai look-alike Sneha Ullal who Salman discovered for Lucky - No time for love? Salman Khan has now selected newcomer Zarina Khan to play the lead opposite him in Veer as she bears a striking resemblance to Katrina Kaif.
Buzz is that producer Vijay Galani and director Anil Sharma discovered her. But the truth is that it wasn’t Galani and Sharma but Salman who decided to cast Zarina in Veer after he set his eyes on her while working with her for Subhash Ghai’s Yuvvraaj. Ghai had called Zarina via casting director Abhimanyu as a body double to step into Katrina’s shoes for a song, as Katrina couldn’t give Ghai the required dates.
The 21-year-old model looks so strikingly similar to Katrina that those who have seen her from a distance were not able to spot the difference between the newcomer and Katrina. According to sources, Zarina resides in Bandra, and the makers of Veer are going to change her name before they make an official announcement about her being part of the film.
Commenting on when Salman first spotted Zarina, a source from the industry said, “Salman first saw Zarina on the sets of Yuvvraaj. He was shocked when he saw her and immediately asked Ghai who she was. That’s when Ghai told Salman that he had called her as a body double in place of Katrina.”
November 4th, 2008
www.mid-day.com
Golmaal Returns (GR) has done very well and Ajay Devgan can’t stop beaming.
In a candid chat, the normally taciturn Devgan shoots straight from the hip:
How do you take it when Kareena says GR has worked because the producers used her as the USP?
Do I have to take it (laughs)? Everybody has the right to claim that a film’s a hit because of them. These claims make me laugh. It’s fair for everyone to claim anything but the bottomline is everybody who is part of the film is responsible for the film’s success.
Are you happy with the film?
Yes. It’s the highest grosser this year it’s grossed 50 crore all over India (sixth-day figures). In Mumbai alone, GR touched more than Rs 9 crore. Collections-wise, it has done better than any film in the recent five years.
That’s what the figures, distributors and exhibitors are saying about the collections. We should realise one thing if somebody’s film works, the whole industry benefits by it. One should be happy and not crib about each other’s successes.
November 3rd, 2008
http://www.realbollywood.com/news/2008/10/salman-ghajini-aamir-look.html
Aamir Khan launched his much awaited film, Ghajini’s first teaser promo amidst a media gathering at a suburban Mumbai multiplex. We caught up with the actor -director at the even.
The film releasing worldwide on December 25th was earlier scheduled for a Diwali release. “It was only because of my leg injury that the makers had to postpone it to the year.” Aamir told us.
Aamir had not seen the promo on the big screen but had seen it many times over on the computer at the editing studio. Aamir unable to hide his excitement said, “I am dying to watch the teaser on the big screen. I want to get the same exact feel that my fans shall when they see it for the first time.”
After watching it first time with the media, an excited Aamir requested the promo to be shown one more time. He then even further requested to play the digital print promo in the analog format. Why was that?
October 31st, 2008
By Kunal
mumbaimirror.com
After Shah Rukh Khan, it is now Salman Khan who has slogged to achieve a six pack abs for one of his most ambitious films, Veer produced by Vijay Galani and Eros International. This period musical love story is directed by Anil Sharma and has music by Sajid Wajid.
Our source close to the unit says, “Salman wanted a warrior look for the film that he has been waiting to make for 15 years. When the film was finalised, he worked hard on the script. He wanted a distinct look in the film which is set in the 19th century. After much deliberation, Salman decided to have long hair and a stunning physique with it. In fact when he went to London, he followed a strict diet and exercise regime and is now ready with the six pack.”
Alok Mathur, official spokesperson for Salman Khan, says, “Salman bhai had vowed that he would be back with this look and he has kept his word. He was on a strict diet and completely gave up rice. He was eating boiled chicken and proteins only. He gave up oily and fried stuff. The results are there for everyone to see.”
October 27th, 2008
By: Sarita Tanwar
www.mid-day.com
It’s silly and embarrassing
Shah Rukh Khan’s never been one to mince words. This time, too, he lives up to his reputation. He opens up about everything he’s been through in the past few months completing his film, his fight with Salman, his bonding with Akshay Kumar and more…
Your Billoo Barber is ready…
Let me just make it very clear that it is Irrfan Khan’s film. He is Billoo Barber. I am playing a big movie star in the film.
You are playing yourself?
No. I’m playing a much bigger star than I am if that is possible. His name’s Sahil Khan. We have also used the SRK and the King Khan title for him. The idea behind the film is: It is not special to be special, it is special to be ordinary. I’ve always liked this line. It’s something Shekhar Kapur once told me. I have always wanted to make films about that. It’s a story of ordinary people. I think Priyan and Lara (Dutta) have done a great job. Most actresses were reluctant to do the part but she believed in it and did it.
You’ve postponed it?
We’ve just changed the dates because I felt there were bigger films coming Subhash- ji”s (Ghai) and all. We didn’t want it to clash.
Was it re-shot because you weren’t happy?
No. I never question directors. The day I decide to question a director is the day I will start directing films. I don’t direct films. Not as yet. But I have my inputs. The songs are done in tandem with Priyan because I just believe that between Farah, myself, Pritam and Pony, we can do a music job. I am very keen that the music of this film become a big hit. Whenever you see my character the superstar it’s musically oriented, so we have Deepika, Kareena and Priyanka doing songs.
You wanted Rani too?
I wanted Rani for the main lead. But I told her, “Maybe you won’t like the role.’ Not to take away anything from Lara I am happy and very thankful to her for doing it but it’s not typically a heroine’s role in terms of length or content. Also I think Rani was very busy, and she said, “Shah⦒ (pulls a sad face) and I said it’s ok. I am too close to her to question her. For the songs, we had Priyanka, Katrina, Kareena and Deepika that mould of superstar actresses who look really sexy and beautiful to choose from, and this guy dancing with them.
What’s BB all about?
It’s about a person’s life changing. The promo of the film goes something like this: Main Billoo Barber Hoon. Sab kehte hain ke sitaron se kismat aur zindagi badalti hai. Mere sitare acche hi honge. Meri biwi bahut achchi hai, mere dost bhi achche hain, kaam bhi theek thaak chal raha hai. Phir meri zindagi mein ek sitara aaya (Then you see my character) aur meri zindagi barbaad ho gayi. The whole idea behind the film is: How stars change lives. But we have taken the literal meaning of stars which is movie stars.
Which reminds me of star wars. Was the fight with Salman because you refused to do a cameo in Mr and Mrs Khanna
There’s no truth in the rumour that I was asked to do a guest appearance and I said no. He must’ve mentioned some film. We all mention films to each other. It was a full-fledged film, and I didn’t have time for it. I think they are doing it now. I think it’s the same film I don’t remember. It was just talked about. It became a big thing because people assumed that I asked him to do Om Shanti Om. To be very honest, I didn’t. Farah (Khan) did, and he has a relationship with her. I’d asked him to KBC, and I think you can ask people you have a relationship with. I try not to pressurise anyone. And they can ask me something in return. You do things for each other. I have done it before for Sajid Nadiadwala. Salman had asked me for that Raj Kanwar film, which I did.
Salman says he won’t forgive you. Your reaction?
God bless him. I think he said the smartest thing. We are different people. To be very honest, these kind of tiffs I have had, not only with Salman but with other people too. You are sitting with people, talking, and things get out of hand. I try and not to get into aggressive situations with anyone. I am not made like that. But sometimes baat hote-hote thoda sa jhagda. Utna hi tha. And I think he was, by chance, marketing his film the next morning. Obviously he was asked about it and it became public.
You think the problem would’ve sorted itself out had he not made it public?
Poor guy! I don’t think he went out speaking about it. He was marketing his film, and was asked about it. When I was not marketing my film, I wasn’t talking about it. Now I am, so we are talking about it.
The fight has divided the industry into two camps. Agree?
No. There are no camps or divisions. The fight was not such a big fight. I don’t even think it’s a fight. But having said that, for 40-year-old men who supposedly have iconic statuses I completely disagree with it. At least for me I won’t say it about Salman to be known for a tiff at two in the morning, is very embarrassing and silly.
Members of Salman’s family are still friends with Gauri and you.
I have a lot of love for his father, his mother, and him. I owe a lot of my being here to them in no other terms, except that they were very nice to me. And still are. In fact, Malaika called me for her birthday party. I have an amazing relationship with his family, and maintain that not being friends, doesn’t mean being enemies either.
Salman and I are two very different people. There is not much common ground we share. He is from the film industry, I am from the outside. He’s got a way of living, mine’s different. We have houses on the same street but once you enter the houses, they are very different. Some-times opposites attract but in our case, there not much common to really sit down and chat. And I’m not into these vehement lines like ‘we will never be friends’ etc; having said that, there was also talk about me having spoken ill of a woman which I haven’t.
It was reported that you said something derogatory about Aishwarya.
I cannot speak ill of any woman ever in my life. I take great amount of pride in the fact that I have a huge amount of respect for women. Yeah (jokingly) I might flirt and say something sweet like ‘You are looking very sexy’ but I will never speak never loosely to a woman. I am surrounded by women, beautiful women from my mother to my daughter to the actresses in between, who have loved me immensely. I cannot explain it. I’ve had some of the most beautiful relationships with some of the most beautiful women in the world. According to me, ‘the most beautiful women in the world’ at least. When you sit down with a lot of women who know me, they will talk about me from Niloufer (his media manager) to whoever. You will notice a great warmth for me because I have never belittled any woman.
Did you call her or her family to clarify?
I don’t think I needed to clarify anything. People who know me, should know that I’d never say anything like that.
Jaya Bachchan must’ve believed it to make a statement about slapping you…
No, I don’t think she believed it. I don’t know why she said what she said.
She said she would talk to you about it. Did she?
No.
Your appearance at the Drona premiere was termed as an olive branch.
I will tell you why I went to the premiere. Firstly, it is an Eros film, I went for Kishore (Lulla) it was his first premiere. Secondly, Abhishek is very fond of me, and he called to invite me. Thirdly, I’d missed Priyanka’s last premiere (Love Story 2050), which was very important to her. I am sure this was also very important, so I went. I don’t normally go to premieres. Also, they said please bring the kids and they were very keen to see it.
It was their first premiere. I wanted them all to be dressed in black and know what a premiere is all about. They were excited; they enjoyed it. They are very fond of Abhishek. Initially, I had said I wouldn’t make it as I was shooting. But then, the strike happened and I was told I was not going to shoot the next day, so I said ‘why not’. A lot of friends were going. Later, we’d call them home and sit down, chat and make an evening of it.
Goldie wants to dedicate Drona’s sequel to Aryan…
I asked him how much would he’d give Drona out of 10. He said six-and-a-half or seven. Which is quite nice. I have not had the chance to talk to Goldie and Abhishek but I would tell them that they only went wrong in the narrative, which became a little lost in the visual effects; it is a mistake that all of us can do easily. It’s very important for films like Krissh, Drona, LS 2050 to come out. It’s a new genre and will take time to find its place but I want to get into that genre and make films like that and it’s important for us to learn from this.
You are making your own superhero film shortly
Yes, I’m making Ravan with Anubhav Sinha. And if Mani is using the title, I will change it. I like the title.
Actually, the film is more about the villain. I am not playing the villain. I am going to keep the story very simple but hopefully, create an interesting villain. I have three to four people in mind. A superhero should be incidental.
A superhero is no-one without a super-villain. I’m working on the super villain and then I’ll play the superhero. I want to play a superhero before I grow too old, and the wrinkles start showing and my six pack goes. I will consciously try not to get carried away by the vfx but by the content.
The villain? It will be like an established hero?
I am not taking a hero to play a villain. It’s not like Dhoom. I might take a new person.
You and Akshay spent an hour talking at a recent party. Co-production on the anvil?
Akki and I go back a long way. We are both very simple, basic people. We know each other before a lot of people who know us now.We have done a lot of shows together. We did Dil Toh Paagal Hai together for just two days but know each other very well. He has a great sense of humour like me. We have fun things to talk about. Akshay doesn’t attend too many parties nor do we don’t attend many common parties. So when I met him, I just wanted to sit down and chat with him about a few things… work, also. Not a co-production; but yes, we talked about some shows. It’s been a long time since we worked together, so we were discussing possibilities. We had great fun doing the Awesome Foursome shows, and they were the biggest hits before Temptation. And it worked because of the energy we all bring to the table. Not a co-production, but we’ll try and do some work together. It will be nice if we can.
While on his world tour, Mr Bachchan blogged about some big star trying to sabotage his shows…
I do shows once in three years. It has been four years since I did Temptation. We were planning shows and I got busy with IPL. Then I heard about Mr Bachchan doing the shows, and I am very clear about this if one big show is going international, the other one should not even come along at the same time. It divides. Shows are a very difficult business. I told the Moranis very clearly that we are not doing a show at the same time as The Unforget-tables. Promoters still come, sir aap bolo toh hum yeh karenge, woh wala nahin karenge, humko choice do. I said ‘there’s no choice.’ I assume that when I am doing a big show, a lot of people will also think like that. It is like releasing a film on the same day.
So you are not that big star sabotaging their show?
Let me tell you something my dad used to tell me. There was a robin and an eagle living in a jungle. Lightning struck and the robin’s nest was burned down. The eagle was a good friend of the robin and wanted to break the bad news to him but didn’t how to do so. The robin told him: Giri thi kal jahaan bijli woh mera aashiyaan kyun? Which means don’t be uncomfortable, if something bad has happened, it doesn’t mean it’s about me.
When somebody writes a blog or an article, I think like the robin. That’s its not about me. If someone mentions a big star, I’m not the only big star. If it was written ‘the biggest star’, maybe. That is me. But a big star could be anyone. I wouldn’t in my wildest dreams assume that Mr Bachchan would say something like that. I wouldn’t react to it because it’s not about me.
So where do you think it was coming from?
A lot of people say a lot of things. I have somehow have not formed an equation with Wizcraft (the organisers of The Unforgettables), I have it with the Moranis. I find a three-day IIFA festival too long to attend. When they’ve said fly-in, fly-out, I have done it. Once my family forced me, because they wanted to party in Amsterdam. I went for three days and I was like (growls) ‘Arrrgh, don’t waste my time’. You’re giving me an award, I’ll come and take it. You want me to perform, I will come and perform but please… I fly in and fly out.
Teen din mujh ko aaiyashi karne ka shauk nahin hai, aur mujhe yeh samajh mein bhi nahin aata.
So it’s your way or…
In life, I am very clear. Na main kisi ko undercut karta hoon, na kar sakta hoon. Na karne ki koshish karta hoon.
I’ve always maintained this. My work is the best work. To take it ahead, I will work on it positively. To take it ahead, I won’t work negatively for someone else. I have said very clearly, I am emotionally unavailable for a lot of people, so a lot of people assume a lot of things and call me names like matlabi and manipulative. I have two beautiful innocent children and would teach them anything wrong. Tomorrow when they are 21 and they say, ‘Papa, you’re a very successful man’, I want to be able to tell them ‘Yes, and I did it with full honesty, integrity, goodness and a competitive spirit in the healthiest way.’ I am quite a self-made man. I have never asked anyone for anything. I have never given anything to anyone. I truly adhere to that, and I am happy that way. People assume I will give a little more. I have Barry John talk about me to people. I am sorry I am emotionally unavailable to a lot of things and people.
Star prices shot up after big corporates stepped in. But that’s changing now. Has that affected you?
I don’t sign up with corporates. I sign films with directors. My price is very low. I have kept it like that. I don’t want to say what I charge as it will destroy everyone. I have never asked for more, if someone gives me more, God bless them. If they give me less, okay. I will only do a film that I want to do. I am priceless. I cannot be bought with money. It’s for the viability of a film, it’s not economics. I have still not understood this even though I make films. As a producer, people ask me for a lot of money, and I give it to them. And rightly so, they want it. And we want them, so we pay them what they want. I hate talking money, but let me just say that whatever is being claimed, I have got ¼th so far. And when I say ¼th, I mean compared to 20, and not 60, 70. (laughs). I am a limited edition star, you can’t afford me but you can deserve me.
Are you planning to take Red Chillies public?
No. I am anti-public. I want to own my business.
How has the ban on smoking in public places affected you? Have you cut down on smoking?
No, I have just stopped going to public places. That’s one way to beat it (laughs). So everyone comes to my house. And I have shot three ads in my house recently. They come and shoot here and we smoke here.
You’re kidding, right?
Yes. I was busy… time constraints and all. They didn’t get a floor, we shot in the house. We have enough place. I think the ban’s a great thing. But to be really honest, I can smoke anywhere, I am Shah Rukh Khan.
Thanks Rud. Good work. It should about there for New York. 
"Manoj….aajkal dikhte nahin ho? what happened?"
Sahi mouke ka intezaar karta hoon ;) 
BOI: Kambakkht Ishq First Day Billings India And UK
Kambakkht Ishq approx first day billings are as follows.
India Territories
Mumbai ...
true but what worked to KI's advantage for this kind of opening is the long layoff from movies. If you ...
hmm..Bevan used to come after 30th over( with loaded Australian batting line up) and he use to score per ball ...
