Latest Movie Review

Sameera Reddy would be playing a Punjabi girl in DE DANA DAN

2009-11-23T22:58:00.000-08:00

A South Indian by origin, Sameera Reddy would be going through a complete role reversal for her upcoming release DE DANA DAN. In the Priyadarshan directed laugh riot, she would be playing a Punjabi girl who goes by the name of Manpreet Oberoi. While she has always managed a good command over Hindi diction right throughout her career, did she have to go an extra mile to get the Punjabi accent, lingo and mannerisms right?

"Arrey nahi, koyi Punjabi accent nahi daalna pada mujhe film mein (No, I didn’t have to get any Punjabi accent for the film). I am playing a normal urban girl in the film who just happens to be a Punjabi and that’s about it", clarifies Sameera who had a successful 2008 in the form of RACE and ONE TWO THREE.

She is game for getting into the skin of a Punjabi girl though if an interesting enough script comes her way. "I can’t wait to get into those shoes", she says while imitating Punjabi lingo, "My name is Manpreet in the film but everyone calls me Mannu. It was fun."

Further elaborating on the fun element in DE DANA DAN , she says, "Katrina and I play girlfriends of Akshay and Suneil respectively and since we have money and they don’t, it leads to some really funny scenes. In their endeavour to make money, they steal a dog and what follows next brings in more than a couple of dozen characters together. The film is typical Priyadarshan cinema and has the kind of comedy which is completely situational."

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The Twilight Saga:New Moon could take a nearly $100 million bite

2009-11-23T22:49:00.000-08:00

Hollywood ’s "The Twilight Saga: New Moon " could take a nearly $100 million bite from movie theater box offices when it debuts this weekend. "New Moon," which debuts in the United States and Canada on Friday, is independent studio Summit Entertainment’s sequel to last year’s "Twilight," which surpassed expectations by making $69.6 million in its first weekend.

Jeff Bock, box office analyst with tracking firm Exhibitor Relations Co Inc, also believes the film could make nearly $100 million, and a source close to Summit said it could rake in nearly $85 million.

The film is slated to debut in 4,024 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, which is not a record but is far more than the roughly 3,500 theaters in which major releases normally open.

If "New Moon" reaches the $100 million mark, it will approach the record $102 million for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," which debuted in November 2005 and sits atop the charts as the biggest opening weekends outside Hollywood’s blockbuster-heavy summer season of May to August.

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Kabir Bedis order to silence the voluble squabbling by photographers

2009-11-23T22:41:00.000-08:00

Kabir Bedi’s booming voice subdued chaotic babble from a group of photographers at the inauguration ceremony of the 40th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Panaji on Monday.

Bedi, who along with actress Divya Dutta was the compere for the function held at the Dinanath Mangeshkar auditorium at the Kala Academy complex, had to use his voice to good effect, in order to silence the voluble squabbling by photographers, jostling for vantage space near the stage.

"Can we have some silence please! Yeh kaun bol raha hai. Aap tameez rakhiye, you are on national television," Bedi said in his best baritone, as his narrative on Goa and the IFFI was interrupted by the noise.

Once the photographers were cowed down into silence, Bedi went on with his compering chore.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, legendary actress Waheeda Rehman and actress Asin were also present on the occasion.

This year’s IFFI was inaugurated with the Chinese historic film Wheat and will screen nearly 300 films from almost 50 countries.

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Looks like love has come calling again for Nandita Das

2009-11-22T23:02:00.000-08:00

Looks like love has come calling again for Nandita Das . The winsome actress who has won much national and international acclaim both as an actress and director is now seeing Subodh Maskara, an industrialist based out of Mumbai.

Nandita married her long time friend Saumya Sen some years back but is now divorced from him. Subodh has been married earlier too.

The couple is looking to buy a home together and have been spotted looking at flats in the Madhuli Building at Worli, itself famous as the building in which Harshad Mehta had several flats.

The 40-year-old Nandita has always been unconventional in her choice of films and has never shied away from controversial roles like Fire (1996).

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Karan Johar will be coming in for a lot of flak for Kurbaan

2009-11-22T22:53:00.000-08:00

Karan Johar will be coming in for a lot of flak for Kurbaan , as some critics are pointing out to his version of terror as ‘designer terrorism’.But the man is unhindered by his conviction of what sells, and so he goes on to make his kind of cinema which he has recently claimed in an interview as ‘conditioning’ that the audience is treated to, and which is because of what the audience wants.

He expands on that theory by saying, India is like that. That we love Salman unconditionally, whether or not his private life validates his on-screen image. If he has a bad boy image in real life, he does not have to play a bad boy on-screen. He can redeem himself with a Prem image, and the audience just laps it up.

About Aamir he says, ‘Aamir just qualifies intelligence. He can validate anything. You watch Ghajini, and even if you don’t like it, you feel that he’s saying something in Ghajini also, because he’s Aamir Khan. You know? ’Somewhere he must be making a comment on violence.’ You’ll give it that kind of validation.’

Where there is talk of the Khans, how can he leave out SRK, after having commented on the other two?

On King Khan, and what kind of an impact he has had on Indian cinema, Karan told us, “First of all, I can never think of my films without SRK. With My Name Is Khan, we are trying to mould it into a more intense Karan Johar film. You have seen our combination making popcorn entertainment, but with this new project, I told SRK ‘look you have to play a mainstream hero,’ and the rest I will take care of. His image is such now, and particularly with my films, that I cannot detour too much from a commercial angle, so that means I will have to make his character in my film endearing. What SRK brings to Indian cinema is perhaps in my opinion, a great conviction of his part, which the audience is willing to associate with, whether it was his anti-hero era or his disciplinarian role in recent films.”

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Salman Khan recently averted a major accident on the sets of VEER

2009-11-22T22:39:00.000-08:00

Salman Khan recently averted a major accident on the sets of VEER when a fellow actor who was part of a horse riding chase was saved from a fatal fall by the actor.

The train robbery sequence which was being shot in Rajasthan came close to a near fatal climax when Salman was riding along with two men when one of them almost tripped off the ride.

According to eyewitness account, had it not been for Salman the chase would have resulted in a fatal accident. But Salman in his true filmy avatar grabbed the rider by the collar and saved him from falling off before any major tragedy could strike.

For his brave act, Salman has earned the admiration of all the crew members and the act surely shows that when it comes to saving life, Salman can go to any length to make that happen.

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Slumdog Millionaire triggered a change in the way of Indian movies

2009-11-20T22:07:00.000-08:00

Danny Boyle`s Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire " didn`t just garner rave reviews and worldwide acclaim, it also triggered a change in the way Indian movies are being distributed.

The film was one of the first to be shown on the direct-to-home (DTH) platform in January barely a few days after its release in India, and sold more than 150,000 pay-per-views within the first three days.

"Slumdog made the industry sit up and take notice that DTH was a platform that could be taken seriously," says Vikram Mehra of Tata Sky, one of India`s leading DTH operators."After that, a lot of Bollywood films have hopped on to the bandwagon."

So far Bollywood, the world`s largest film industry, has followed a very traditional distribution model, with hardly any focus on alternative platforms such as web streaming or mobile embedding.Even though DTH reaches only 15 percent of India`s 220 million television-owning households, Bollywood is increasingly viewing it as the next big thing to launch movies.

"Home video sales are dropping, piracy is a threat to the industry and even a big movie doesn`t last for more than three weeks in theatres," says Amrita Pandey , vice president of international distribution and syndication for UTV Motion Pictures, one of India`s biggest production houses.

"In such a situation, DTH seems like a platform that will have to be nurtured."Pandey, whose company released "Main Aurr Mrs Khanna" on DTH within three days of its release in October, says figures from DTH sales have been "very encouraging."

Theater owners had protested against the trend of releasing films on DTH so soon, complaining that it would affect their business.But Mehra defended the platform, saying that it would serve a different audience.

"What a lot of people don`t understand is that the theater audience is totally different from the ones who will order for a movie at home. Perhaps I will watch three films at the theater in a month, but I will want to watch the fourth at home," he said."Going to the theater with your family is an expensive proposition and DTH makes it much easier."DTH subscribers in India are expected to reach 40 to 45 million by 2012, he said.

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Saif Ali Khan feel really rubbish for Kurbaans 'A' certificate

2009-11-20T21:54:00.000-08:00

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan says it is "ridiculous" to think that his mother and censor board chief Sharmila Tagore gave an ’adult’ rating to "Kaminey" because it starred Shahid Kapoor."It is ridiculous to state that anyone had any personal bias against ’Kaminey’, " Saif told even as his own movie "Kurbaan" is about to release Friday with an A certificate.

"I know for sure that my mother is a great authority when it comes to the censors. My own ’Kurbaan’ has got an ’A’ certificate and I know where she is coming from."It was insinuated that Vishal Bharadwaj’s "Kaminey" was given an A rating - restricting viewership - as its lead actor Shahid was once in a relationship with Saif’s girlfriend Kareena Kapoor .

But Saif said: "Any talk of personal enmity are completely fictional. I don’t even know the actual people involved who spread such rumours and frankly I don’t care. Such things don’t even enter my radar.""It’s really rubbish if some people feel so. ’Kurbaan’ getting an ’A’ certificate is hardly a fitting reply. It’s a sad state of affairs when people start speculating about everything and anything. As someone who has been part of the industry for long, I don’t take such things seriously, " Saif told.

As for "Kaminey", he said: "I think Vishal (Bharadwaj) is a wonderful filmmaker and I liked everyone’s performance in the film." Saif himself came up with an award-winning act of Langda Tyagi in Bharadwaj’s "Omkara".Is it really easy to be oblivious to all talk that his mother may have shown bias?"I hear a lot of things in the 24 hours that I have in a day. This is why I just chuck out whatever is irrelevant. I don’t quite get into the ’why’ and ’where’ of affairs till it is absolutely warranted.

"I know one has to live with all the negativity around; after all it’s human nature to gossip and speculate. Guess what? Some people think that even Elvis (Presley) is alive today. So conspiracy theories will always remain, " he said. "Kurbaan" has been given an ’A’ certificate owing to its violent content and also because of erotic scenes picturised on Saif and Kareena. "Kurbaan", about global terrorism, stars Saif, Kareena and Vivek Oberoi in lead roles.

"Kaminey" also got an ’A’ certificate because of its dark and violent content.Has he ever spoken to Sharmila about the A certificates for "Kurbaan" or "Kaminey"?"No, I don’t talk about any particular movie per se but I do know of her general views and opinions when it comes to censoring a film, " said Saif. "She doesn’t have any problems with anything shown on screen. But, yes, she has problems with things that are shown to children. She will ban something if there is something which is inflammatory. "Of course, she is the right judge of things and may be I don’t know everything that she looks at in a movie during censoring. What I know for sure is that she is a good mother and follows the same caring attitude when it comes to censorship as well, " said Saif.

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Oprah Winfrey Show will end its run in 2011

2009-11-20T21:43:00.000-08:00

"The Oprah Winfrey Show ," an iconic broadcast that grew over two decades into a daytime television powerhouse and the foundation of a multibillion-dollar media empire, will end its run in 2011 after 25 seasons on the air, Winfrey’s production company said Thursday night.Winfrey plans to announce the final date for her show during a live broadcast on Friday, Harpo Productions Inc. said, bringing an end to what has been television’s top-rated talk show for more than two decades, airing in 145 countries worldwide and watched by an estimated 42 million viewers a week in the U.S. alone.

A Harpo spokeswoman declined to comment Thursday on Winfrey’s future plans except to say that "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will not move to cable television.Winfrey, 55, is widely expected to start up a new talk show on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a much-delayed joint venture with Discovery Communications Inc. that is expected to debut in 2011. OWN is to replace the Discovery Health Channel and will debut in some 74 million homes. An OWN spokeswoman declined comment Thursday.CBS Television Distribution, which distributes "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to more than 200 markets blanketing the United States, held out hope that it could continue doing business with Winfrey, perhaps producing a new show out of its studios in Los Angeles.

"We have the greatest respect for Oprah and wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors," the unit of CBS Corp. said in a statement. "We know that anything she turns her hand to will be a great success. We look forward to working with her for the next several years, and hopefully afterwards as well."Winfrey’s 24th season opened earlier this year with a bang, as she drew more than 20,000 fans to Chicago’s Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue for a block party with the Black Eyed Peas.

She followed up with a series of blockbuster interviews - Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, exclusives with singer Whitney Houston and ESPN’s Erin Andrews, and just this week, former Alaska governor, GOP vice presidential candidate and best-selling author Sarah Palin.Over the years, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" grew from a newcomer that chipped away at talk king Phil Donahue’s dominance into a program that turned inspirational. The show covered a gamut that ranged from interviews with the world’s most famous celebrities to an honest discussion about her weight struggles."As that show evolved, it really kind of dressed up the neighborhood of the daytime talk show," said Robert Thompson, professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University. "There was a seriousness to it, as though what she was doing was a calling and not just a television show."

In 1986, pianist-showman Liberace gave his final TV interview to Winfrey, just six weeks before he died. In a widely viewed prime-time special aired in 1993, Michael Jackson revealed he suffered from a skin condition that produces depigmentation.Tom Cruise enthusiastically declared his affection for the much-younger Katie Holmes on the program in 2005 - and jumped on the couch to prove it.In 2004, Winfrey unveiled her most famous giveaway, when nearly 300 members of the studio audience opened a gift box to find the keys to a new car inside. The stunt became a classic show moment as much for Oprah’s reaction - "You get a car! You get a car! You get a car! Everybody gets a car!" - as its $7 million price tag.

The show also became a launching pad for Oprah’s Book Club, and authors whose books were selected became best-sellers. The titles ranged from "Song of Solomon " and "Paradise" by Toni Morrison to Wally Lamb’s "She’s Come Undone" and Elie Wiesel’s "Night."For others, the selection backfired. "A Million Little Pieces" exploded in sales after Winfrey chose the James Frey memoir in fall 2005. Soon after, it was revealed as a fabricated tale of addiction and recovery, and Winfrey later chewed out Frey on her show.

"She’s been a great inspiration, a great support for all the shifts in politics and social consciousness and consciousness in general," said hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. "I call her ’Queen of the New Consciousness’ because she did so many things to change lives, the books that she promoted."The loss of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" would be a blow to CBS Corp. because it earns a percentage of hefty licensing fees from TV stations that use it. On a conference call with analysts two weeks ago, CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves said the contract with the show ran through most of 2011 and "if there’s a negative impact, it wouldn’t hit us until ’12."

Talk of the show’s end often has accompanied impending contract negotiations for Winfrey. Before she signed her current contract in 2004, she had talked about quitting after the 2005-2006 season. As far back as 1995, she had called continuing "a difficult and important decision."CBS continues to sell several top shows into syndication, including "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy." But many TV stations are struggling with falling advertising revenue and were unlikely to pay the same fees as in the past for Winfrey’s show, which has seen ratings slip 7 percent from a year ago and saw its average viewership slip below 7 million last season.

Winfrey started her broadcasting career as a teenager in Nashville, Tenn., reading the news at WVOL. Two years later, Winfrey started co-anchoring news broadcasts on WTVF-TV in Nashville. In 1976 she moved to Baltimore to anchor newscasts at WJZ-TV before becoming host of the local talk show "People Are Talking."In 1984, she relocated to Chicago to host WLS-TV’s morning talk show "A.M. Chicago" - the show was became "The Oprah Winfrey Show" one year later. She set up Harpo the following year and her talk show went into syndication.

Powered by the show’s staggering success, Winfrey built a wide-ranging media empire. Harpo Studios produces shows hosted by Dr. Phil McGraw and celebrity chef Rachael Ray, and O, The Oprah Magazine was the nation’s 7th most popular magazine in the first half of 2009."I came from nothing," Winfrey wrote in the 1998 book "Journey to Beloved." "No power. No money. Not even my thoughts were my own. I had no free will. No voice. Now, I have the freedom, power, and will to speak to millions every day - having come from nowhere."Earlier this year, Forbes scored Winfrey’s net worth at $2.7 billion, even as the magazine knocked her from atop its list of the world’s most powerful celebrities. The honor went to Angelina Jolie, but Winfrey was still No. 2 on the annual Celebrity 100 list - and the top earner at $275 million.

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Vivek Oberoi has been hailed as 'the real hero for all animals' by PETA

2009-11-19T23:55:00.000-08:00

Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi , who recently turned vegetarian has been hailed as "the real hero for all animals" by the animal welfare organisation PETA.

After learning that Oberoi has gone the veggie way members of the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India sent a gift to the actor thanking him for his kind choice.

"By going vegetarian, Vivek Oberoi has proved that he is a real hero for all animals", PETA `s Campaign Coordinator Nikunj Sharma said in a statement.

"Kicking the meat habit is the best thing that anyone can do for animals, their own health and the Earth," Sharma added.

Oberoi reportedly left eating meat after being persuaded by his `Kurbaan` co-star Kareena Kapoor who is a strict vegan.

Another Bollywood heartthrob, who prefers vegetables over meat, is Shahid Kapoor.

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Aishwarya Rai opted out Farhan Akhtars New movie

2009-11-19T23:45:00.000-08:00

Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s production Crooked is set to go on the floors from January 14 next year. However, the Abhishek Bachchan starrer has no lead actress as Aishwarya Rai , who was supposed to do the film, opted out citing date problems.

Her dates for Crooked were colliding with Vipul Shah’s Action Replay. Since Action Replay is inching towards completion, Aishwarya had to give it priority, leaving her with no choice but to opt out of Crooked, directed by Abhinay Deo. It is a thriller which will be shot at different foreign locales.

Meanwhile, Farhan’s other production directed by Zoya Akhtar featuring Hrithik Roshan , Farhan and Abhay Deol is also stuck as it has no lead actress. The film’s shooting starts from April 5 in Spain. Ritesh says, “We are now looking for a completely new face in Crooked, which actually requires three new girls. We also need a fresh face either from London or New York for Hrithik in Zoya’s film.”

Farhan says, “Hrithik has been a true friend. I start directing Don 3 from September 2010, so Zoya’s film had to be completed before that. Hrithik adjusted his dates accordingly.”

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Italian directors were inspired by Indian cinema legend Satyajit Ray

2009-11-18T21:54:00.000-08:00

Italian directors Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel won the Best European Film award at Cannes this year and the filmmakers who repeated their win at the Mumbai International Film Festival, say they were inspired by Indian cinema legend Satyajit Ray .

Frimmel and Covi`s minimalistic offering `La Pivellina` (The Little One) won the Jury Grand Prize at the recently concluded Mumbai International Film Festival.

Frimmel, who hails from Austria and Covi from Italy, said they were motivated by the craft of Satyajit Ray and neo-realistic directors, particularly from India and Italy of Ray`s time, shunning big budget shooting.

The directors, who believe that it is important to be "minimalistic to portray reality around" said they greatly appreciated Indian filmmakers like Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Adoor Gopalkrishnan .

They are also keen to watch the works of some young directors of India and get familiarised with the film movement in the `land of ancient civilisation`.

"We are greatly enthused about the new age Indian cinema which, we have heard, is going through a productive phase with the coming up of multiplexes," Frimmel told reporters.

The director duo said that they stuck to natural sttings and shot the film with hand-held camera.
"Our shooting style has been minimalistic shorn of expensive sets, costumes and decor as we give more thrust on human values and sensibilities which are universal cutting across frontiers," Frimmel said.

The film has received ecstatic reviews in the festivals around the world. It was also awarded the Best European Film in the Directors` Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival this year.

The film depicts rigours of a Rome based circus people blending Austrian and Italian filmmaking styles. The characters in the film are portrayed by non-professional actors from the travelling circus milieu.

"The settings are grimy, makeshift encampments behind corrugated iron walls," said a spokesman of the independent film production company Vento Film, founded by the two.

Asked what they felt about their film nominated for a film festival in Mumbai where big budget films are churned out one after another, Frimmel said, "Yes, the irnoy is not lost."

"But in the end every film - small or big budget- mainstream or parallel, has a universal language, a universal appeal. And whatever is the film`s mount - big or small budget - it`s the audience response that matters."

Besides Cannes, La Pivellina got several awards including the Best Film Award and Audience Award in Valdivia, the Special Jury Award and Best Actress Award. It also won the Golden Gladiator for the best film in Durres and won the competition at 45th Pesaro International Film Festival.

The director duo`s other works are `That`s All` made in 2001 and `Babooska` in 2005.

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Mani Ratnam to walk the ramp for Save the Girl Child campaign

2009-11-18T21:42:00.000-08:00

Designer Sanjana Jon has now got something different up her sleeve for her show at the Chennai Fashion Week.

She is getting filmmaker Mani Ratnam and his wife Suhasini to walk the ramp for her Save the Girl Child campaign in December.

She had earlier done the Save the Girl Child campaign in Delhi and for the Chennai show, she is roping in some Bollywood celebrities and also some South Indian stars, as the show is in the south.

Hrithik Roshan is rumored to have agreed to walk the ramp.

Sanjana would love it if she could get Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen for the show, like she did in Delhi.

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Johnny Depp has been named the ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ by People magazine

2009-11-18T21:34:00.000-08:00

Hollywood actor Johnny Depp has been named the ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ in a poll by People magazine.

According to the Telegraph, the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star reclaimed the title he first won in 2003. He succeeded 2008 winner Hugh Jackman.

“Whether it’s onscreen in roles like Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise or at home with his family on their private Bahamian island, the 46-year-old father of two with 25 years in show business still reigns as Hollywood’s most irresistible iconoclast,” said the magazine.

Depp has joined the likes of George Clooney and Brad Pitt to have received the honour twice.

The magazine described Depp as “the king of cool with the killer cheekbones.”

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Aamir Khan is involving the Fusion music band ‘Indian Ocean’

2009-11-17T22:53:00.000-08:00

Aamir Khan may be short in height but he always big on ideas. That’s why the actor, known as ‘Mr Perfectionist’ in the industry, doesn’t leave a single stone unturned to make his films a hit. Latest news has it that Aamir is involving the Fusion music band ‘Indian Ocean’ in his new film. "We are giving music in one of Aamir Khan Production. I can`t disclose the name of the movie but we are doing it," Rahul Ram, vocalist and bass guitarist of the band confirmed the news.

The band, renowned for hits like `Kandisa`, `Bhor` and `Jhini`, is also working in another Hindi film, which stars Seema Biswas, Shahana Goswami and Pawan Malhotra of `Black Friday`.

"We are also giving music to `Bhoomi`, a film shot by Aveek Mukhopadhya who had assisted Rituparno Ghosh as a cinematographer," Ram said.

The band was formed in 1990 and has been hit among the youth for creating a cross-cultural blend of music. Jazz-spiced sounds, rock, ‘shlokas’ and sufism with environmentalism, mythology and revolution - all feature in their music.

Their music is sure to enhance the appeal of the film. Small wonder then that Aamir has signed them for his new film! But we are still curious to know about the film - ‘Delhi Belly’ or ‘Dhobi Ghaat’?

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Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan will soon live his dream

2009-11-17T22:43:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan will soon live his dream. Big B, who is one of the biggest fans of legendary actor Dilip Kumar, is gearing up to play the latter in Pritish Nandy’s upcoming venture ‘The Actor’. Not just that, buzz has it that none other than Lara Dutta will be seen playing his wife (Saira Banu) in the movie.

According to the latest news, in the flick, Big B will be playing a film star married to a much younger woman. Since Lara is about 35 years younger than Amitabh, grapevine has it that the two have been finalised for the same.

However, Nandy reportedly claims that there’s a unique twist to the trend of generation-challenged relationships. “The age factor is no consequence to the plot. They are just a happy couple,” he says.

Well, although this is not going to be the first time that Big B would be paired opposite a much-much-younger woman onscreen, but this one will surely be very special for him as Dilip Kumar has always been Bachchan’s ultimate role model.

Expectations are very high from Big B, as Dilip Kumar is one of those Titans of Bollywood who have transformed the Indian film industry from a theatrical stage to the engrossing screenplays of today. While Dilip made films realistic with his dynamic performances, Big B took it forward and perfected the form.

The role is enviable, only the Lara Dutta part makes one think - will Saira Bano be satisfied with the cast?

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Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar finally have an issue to disagree upon

2009-11-17T22:36:00.000-08:00

Best friends Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar finally have an issue to disagree upon.

According to reports, when SRK and KJo announced the release date (February 14) of their much-anticipated flick ‘My Name Is Khan’, many numerologists and astrologers told them that the date wasn`t favourable and since Karan is a firm believer of numerology, he expressed his reservations to SRK. But SRK shrugged off the debate and is insisting on releasing the flick on the date decided previously.

Industry sources suggest that KJo doesn’t want to take any chances as ‘MNIK’ is his most special project and person saying that the film might not do well at the Box- Office is perturbing the filmmaker.

Well, why does anyone have to think about numerology in Shah-Rukh and Kajol ’ s magical presence.

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I could work harder and achieve success faster-Ranbir Kapoor

2009-11-12T22:50:00.000-08:00

With back to back successes of his last two ventures ‘Wake Up Sid’ and ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’ Ranbir Kapoor is certainly on a high, but the actor says he has no time to pause and enjoy the success as of now.

”I am in a constant rush and hope that days were longer so that I could work harder and achieve success faster. I have really waited for 24 years to be where I am today. I am a very hungry actor,” he states.

Ranbir says he is now looking forward to Prakash Jha’s ‘Rajneeti’, because this is the first time that Ranbir will get to play a character, which has shades of grey. “’Rajneeti’ is my first mature role. It is a dark political thriller and also my first character with grey shades,” he reveals.

Ranbir says working with a director like Prakash Jha was worth the experience. “It was really great to work with Prakash Jha. He is one of the great directors in the industry and has contributed a lot to Indian Cinema. I got to learn a lot from the director.”

After ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’, Ranbir has once again teamed up with Katrina Kaif in the movie. “Katrina is phenomenal. She is fun to work with and so professional not only that she works as team so it makes easier for other actors to work with her. From not knowing the language to becoming one of the biggest star, she has achieved a lot. I have tremendous respect for her as an artiste,” says Ranbir.

Apart from ‘Rajneeti’ the actor is now looking forward to ‘Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year’, where he plays a middle class Sardar. He has also grown a beard to shoot for the film. “Rocket Singh is about a real sardar. He has no similarity with our filmi sardar. It’s an underdog story. My character is a middle-class guy, who wants to be a salesman, it is his story. I wanted to look real in the character, hence I have grown a beard in the movie” he informs.

For now Ranbir says he is happy with the response he is getting from his fans. ”I am working really hard and I am concentrating on my career. My priority is the films that I am doing now,” he concludes.

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MAX Channel presents 10 hit films of Shah Rukh Khan

2009-11-12T22:38:00.000-08:00

MAX, the Premium Movies and Special Events Channel bring the Baadshah of Bollywood to your living rooms this November. While SRK has celebrated his birthday earlier this month, MAX handpicks the best of King Khan titles for his fans.

Starting 16 November, 8 PM block your seats to get absorbed into myriad shades of the actor’s high octane performances! Get ready for the treat of the year, as MAX presents a festival of 10 hit films of the undisputed, the charismatic Shah Rukh Khan.

As part of this film festival MAX will showcase films like Chak De (a story that motivated a compulsive losing Hockey team to emerge as a winner on the world platform), Om Shanti Om (a Farah Khan Bollywood spoof that can only result in spleen aching laugher).

The platter remains incomplete if Shah Rukh does not romance. To cater to fan demands, MAX dresses up the bouquet for the festival with some of SRK’s cult romantic hits like Veer Zaara and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

Be prepared to loose yourself in pure, unadulterated entertainment, SRK style from MAX. Come, be a part of King Khan’s world of love, romance, emotion, comedy, fear, obsession, anger with the inimitable King Khan, only on MAX!

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'Kurbaan' is a thriller based on terrorism-Kareena

2009-11-12T03:08:00.000-08:00

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor said that people will like the character Awantika in her forthcoming film ’Kurbaan’. Kareena says that the film is a thriller based on terrorism.

Kareena Kapoor said in the film Love, passion and violence, everything is different but it is not at the scene despite obscenity. Kareena says that "Jab We Met" as the song people will also remember Awantika.

Karan Johar production and film directed by Rensil Disilva ’Kurbaan’ in the subject’s character says Kareena proceed with the story of the film’s many characters Awantika Prte are open. She says that Awantika has a decisive role in ’Kurbaan’.

A professor played by Kareena Kapoor in the film marries her colleague (Saif Ali Khan). After marriage she left New York the number of consecutive events, but Awantika and gets involved in a swirl of conspiracy. Kareena says,’’Actually, if you ask me technically ’Kurbaan’ is a girl’s story. I believe that people will cry with Awantika. Her character is very strong.’

Kareena was seen in "Jab We Met",’Main and Mrs. Khanna’, ’Kambaqt Ishq’, ’Tashan’ and ’Golmaal Returns’. ’Golmaal Returns’ succeed at the box office than o film not met. In addition to Kareena and Saif Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Om Puri, Kiran Kher and Dia Mirza are there in Kurbaan. The film will be released November 20.

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Mohanlal play in film "Seven"

2009-11-12T03:04:00.000-08:00

How would Malayalam cinema’s God-like superstar Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair look as Priyanka Chopra’s husband on screen? He’s 50, big, roly-poly and as Malayali as aapam and ishtew ; she’s 27, super-sexy and essentially a Bollywood hottie.

But filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, India’s Quentin Tarantino, in his wisdom has cased the two of them together in his ambitious film Seven .

That Priyanka will have seven husbands in Seven , is known, but news of Mohanlal being one of them comes as a surprise.

A source from Vishal’s office admitted that the Bollywood filmmaker had cast the Malayalam actor in such a role. And, to do so, Vishal had to spend two days in Kerala chasing Mohanlal whose fan following there is legion.

The Southie heavyweight, who was seen in Bollywood in Ram Gopal Varma’s Company and Aag, finally approved of Vishal’s script. Now the filmmaker is left with the task of casting six more heroes all of who will be wedded in his film to the gorgeous Priyanka.

But, after signing on Mohanlal - a four-time National Award winner - that should be easy for Vishal.

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Katrina Kaif married MLA

2009-11-12T02:57:00.000-08:00

The Golden Girl of box-office, Katrina Kaif might get the shock of her life when she discovers that she has been married to an MLA called Ramesh Mendola.

Before you raise your eyebrows we tell you that this was a prank played by some prankster.

Reportedly, a fake marriage certificate was made that claimed the gorgeous actress is married to the MLA. Though the piece of paper certifies the marriage, the concerned authorities declared that the marriage certificate was fake.

The authorities have now confirmed that they would take suitable action against the culprits. Katz baby can heave a sigh of relief, and her fans too! Do you think we missed Salman’s name? We dare not!

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Actor Nicolas Cage purchases $276,000 on a prehistoric dinosaur skull

2009-11-10T23:01:00.000-08:00

Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage once spent $276,000 on a prehistoric dinosaur skull.The 45-year-old outbid “Titanic” actor Leonardo DiCaprio for a $276,000 skull claimed to be from a prehistoric beast, reports contactmusic.com.

Cage’s other extravagant purchases include a jet, two yachts, three castles, two islands in the Bahamas and a number of mansions.

His most expensive car - out of a fleet of 50 - was a $495,000 Lamborghini whose former owner was the Shah of Iran.

Cage is also a superhero fan. He had to sell his comic collection in 1997 for $1.6 million and even named his son Kal-El, 4, after Superman’s real name.

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Minissha Lamba is the new victim of a crazy stalker

2009-11-10T22:47:00.000-08:00

After Katrina Kaif, it is Minissha Lamba who is the victim of a crazy stalker. The man has been calling and sending her lewd texts. He is an infamous stalker who has harassed popular actresses in the past and also a star wife.

The man started calling her early this month and harassing her. She blocked his number but he continued his notoriety by calling her from different numbers. When she didn’t attend his calls, he would send her extremely foul and abusive text messages asking her to pick the call.

Minissha has lodged a complaint at the Versova Police Station . She has asked them to simply call and threaten the stalker. They are ready to help her out in any way she needs.

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Rapper Eminem is set to act in a 3-D hip-hop horror movie

2009-11-08T23:24:00.000-08:00

Rapper Eminem is about to give his rap career a new turn as he is set to act in a 3-D hip-hop horror movie named `Shady Talez`.

The 37-year-old performer will star in the film which is a horror anthology described as a cross between `Creep Show` and vintage TV programme `The Twilight Zone`, reported BBC.

Announced last year, `Shady Talez` will feature three stories offering a hip-hop spin to classic horror films.

The film is being produced by DJ Classicz, a division of Davis Entertainment, the US company behind the `Garfield` and `Aliens vs Predator` movies.

Since Eminem, also known as alter-ego Slim Shady, loves comic books and horror flicks, the project will also incorporate a four-issue `Shady Talez` comic book series, due out in 2010.

The rapper, real name Marshall Bruce Mathers III, topped charts on both sides of the Atlantic earlier this year with his latest album `Relapse`.

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