Bollywood tweeted continuously, showering Big B and Junior B with accolades and congratulatory messages. We at BOB offer our best wishes to the proud parents and grand-parents of the newborn.

Looking at the promos, it is evident that ‘Shakal Pe Mat Ja’ is a movie with an extremely promising starcast and has all the
ingredients to become “The Comedy Movie Of The Year”. ‘Shakal Pe Mat Ja’ has also been selected at the 8th South Asian International Film Festival to be held in New York on the 12th of November as the Centerpiece World Premiere.

‘Shakal Pe Mat Ja’ is produced by Linc Entertainment, IPIX Movies, Sarita Jalan and Hrishita Bhatt. The director and writer of the movie is Shubh Mukherjee and he even plays lead in the movie. The movie is hitting theatres on 18th November, 2011.

Watch the promos on: http://www.youtube.com/ipixmovies

Rana has always been Bipasha’s 4 am friend since the past few months. Though there was a spark of romance between the two of them, they remained close friends and would chat with each other till the wee hours of the morning, according to Bipasha’s friend. But then, she separated and dated her Singularity co-star Josh Hartnett. After the Hollywood actor, came the turn of Shahid Kapoor but the relationship lasted for less than a month. According to sources, the actors found that they were different as chalk and cheese; there was also a bitter showdown between the two and the actress left for Greece to complete a schedule of ‘Players’

When she came back, she renewed her relationship with her friend Rana and since that time, they have been together. According to on-lookers, it is much more than just friendship, both are quite misty-eyed in each others company and from the looks of it, the relationship is for keeps. Bipasha and Rana, however chose not to comment on the issue.

Saif Ali Khan’s home production Agent Vinod starring Kareena and him has been pushed to 2012 as well. However, he said that he would be marrying once the film releases in February 2012. Saif said that he doesn’t wish to postpone his marriage further and even if the movie does get delayed, Saif and Kareena will be still husband-wife by March 2012.

Now for the results, which has Ra One managed to beat Bodyguard? If you look at a five day spectrum, , Ra. One has managed to amass Rs. 91.10 crore while Bodyguard has made Rs. 86.10 crore. But on a long-term basis, Bodyguard has managed to earn more than Ra. One. Trade expert Amod Mehra was quoted saying, “Last Monday onwards, the numbers of the SRK-starrer have been falling like a landslide. This weekend saw it collect Rs 7 odd crore, but it’s not good enough to put the film into big league.”

Another trade analyst, Komal Nahta said, “Now that it is established that Ra.One cannot touch the business of Bodyguard in India and that it will fetch more revenues than the Salman Khan starrer in the overseas circuit, the question being asked is: Is RA.One a hit or a flop? The answer is, it is neither a hit nor a flop. On an investment of Rs 135 crore of Eros International, the corporate house will stand to make a profit of Rs 25-30 crore which means a return of 20% on investment.”

Before we dissect the film, let’s get down to the plot of the film. Janardan [Ranbir Kapoor], is born and brought up in middle-class Delhi background nurses a dream of being a rockstar like Jim Morrison. The going is not at all easy; he gets ridiculed and has nasty jibes directed at him. As he analyzes his failure, he comes to know that all music stars have a tragic commonality. He feels that there is nothing called pain in his life and it would be very important if he has to become a rockstar.

Enter Heer (Nargis Fakhri) is the diva of the college campus; she has it all – beauty, wealth, talent and is arrogant to the core. Janardhan likes the fact that she has broken many a heart and would like his broken too. He ultimately gets what he desires but in the end, loses his heart as well.

What works for Rockstar:
It starts off with a lot of promise and one starts to expect much from the film. The music by A.R.Rahman is delightful, the songs are not just situational, and they also track his journey from nobody to somebody. The cinematography of the movie is really interesting every frame is like a painting that you’d like to cherish. The dialogues are also simple, real and lucid. One of the most instrumental factor that can win accolades for the film is the lead actor-Ranbir Kapoor, he is just amazing in the film.

What does not work for Rockstar:
The film falters big time after second half, it becomes nauseatingly slow. Also the writing is erratic and so is the characterization. Ranbir’s character is shown moody, inconsistent does not have any explanation, we were not looking for any kind of flashback but at least there should be some clarity. His relationship with Heer also does not hold much interest, they look unreal. Even the ending of the film is going to leave some people mystified as they will wonder what happened to one of the movie’s main characters.

Imtiaz Ali is known to be a good director who has made the cult Jab We Met and the decently good Love, Aaj Kal but this one falls way below expectation because two main things in the film, script and screenplay let the film down heavily. You may take some good moments from the film which includes Ranbir Kapoor and Rahman’s music but nothing else is there to write home about.

Performances in Rockstar:
Rockstar is the late Shammi Kapoor’s last film and as you watch him, you will understand why he was such a brilliant student of cinema. Shernaz Patel is convincing in her role, Aditya Rao is shortchanged with an insignificant role. Piyush Mishra and Kumud Mishra are scene stealers. Nargis Fakhri may still have a long way to go in terms of acting but in terms of screen presence and looks, our current crop of actresses do have a competition. The rockstar of the film Ranbir Kapoor comes with a rocking performance. This is an author-backed role for him just like Rocket Singh Salesman and he does it exceptionally well.

Conclusion:
This is the weakest Imtiaz Ali film, the screenplay is the biggest culprit. If you love Rahman and Ranbir Kapoor, you can watch the film but not with much expectations.

Rating:** (Average)

Rockstar The Movie

Rockstar The Movie

Rockstar The Movie

Rockstar The Movie

Rockstar The Movie

Rockstar The Movie

Rockstar The Movie

Rockstar The Movie

Anushka Sharma when questioned about the fact that Ranveer is missing her and wants her back in life as a partner, says that she had never dated him in the first place. She says, “We never dated each other. We are very good friends. But we are two very different individuals. I am a restrained person. He is totally opposite. It’s not possible for us to date. Yes, we are very fond of each other. But at the same time, we can even beat each other up. We have a very volatile friendship.”

The normally restrained girl has always been in the news about her dating men like Shahid Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor also. Anushka laughs, “Am I not supposed to be dating almost everybody currently? I am dating Shahid. I am dating Arjun Kapoor. I am also dating Ranbir Kapoor. Baba, I am single. I am 23, isn’t it natural for me to go out with my friends? Shahid, Arjun and Ranveer are my closest friends. I still don’t know Ranbir well enough.” When asked between the four guys, whom she would choose to be marooned on an island, she says “Ranveer, because I know him the most” She also admits that Ranveer is the hottest among all these men.

Deepika has consented to give her dates in a recent meeting. The Race 2 team now stands completed with John Abraham, Saif Ali Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez and Anil Kapoor.

A team member from the unit said, “Zarine started shooting for Housefull 2 a couple of weeks ago. On one of the days, while she was shooting for one of her sequences in the film at Filmistan, she appeared to be in a lot of pain. She complained of acute stomach pain. When the pain worsened, she was immediately rushed to the hospital.”

Due to the surgery, the shooting was disrupted. But the cast and the production team did not mind it and they were quite accommodating about the change to the schedule. A source added, “Sajid Khan was quite concerned about her condition. He immediately send out an update to the rest of the cast informing them about the change in dates.” Sajid confirmed the news, “Zarine is an absolute delight to work with. When she told me about her operation, I requested a change in schedule to the other actors. They all obliged, as everybody is very fond of her.”

Kareena Kapoor defends the film, “In October, we embarked upon the last schedule of the film Honestly speaking, Agent Vinod has taken just the right kind of time that a film of this scale really requires. It is just that since the film has been in news for such a long time, there is this perception amongst a few out there that it is taking time to complete.”

One may agree with her because the movie even though kept low-profile, is been known to have been shot in really extensive locales with some really spell bounding action scenes. Kareena Kapoor adds excitedly , “Do you know that it has some serious action sequences which are on the same scale as any other big budgeted James Bond kind of a film. The fact of the matter is that this is hardly the kind of a film that can be made fast. Unlike a comedy that can be wrapped up in 50 days, AGENT VINOD does require some elaborate shooting schedules spread over months.”

Kareena adds that it is one of her most ambitious projects, “It is a very big film and we are into the last leg now. Saif, Sriram and Dinesh (Vijan) are working out the logistics for the film’s release. In the first quarter of next year, we would be definitely unveiling AGENT VINOD.” Sources say that the film is due to release in February 2012.

Priyanka Chopra will be in a DE-glam avatar for the film and according to a source, she looks very convincing in simple but brightly colored saris that justify her character. Meanwhile the actress is doing her best to understand her character completely and is now in an absorbing mood trying to understand the mood, fashion and gestures of the erstwhile era.

Katrina and Arjun bonded well, when she was dating Salman Khan and Arjun was dating the superstar’s sister Arpita. Though Arjun broke up later with Arpita, the friendship between Katrina Kaif and Arjun continued, so much that both of them regard each other as brother-sister. Katrina found an anchor in Arjun in many occasions and when Arjun was getting ready for his debut; she agreed to pitch in, as an item girl.

Katrina Kaif had disciplined herself well, gymming for hours to get her figure and moves right for Sheela Ki Jawaani. She has decided to go ahead and give her best for Ishaqzaade too. Now it remains to be seen if this one beats the classic hit Sheela Ki Jawaani

A section of the film industry feels that Sonam Kapoor who is a youth icon should have refrained from this gesture because it sends wrong and distorted message to the society. Others are wondering why the Censor board is playing a double standard game where some scenes are deleted while some are passed without even raising an eyebrow.

A source says that the CEO of the censor board, Pankaja Thakur was missing when the middle finger scene was passed. The source mentioned, “Pankaja was on leave last week when the Players trailer was submitted. The regional officer JP Singh passed the scene, apparently without understanding its relevance.” However now that Pankaja Thakur is is back in town, she will try to get the filmmakers to blur the finger gesture in all trailers, claimed the source. Abbas Mustan, the director-duo backed the middle finger act saying “Whatever is shown in the film is in context and situational.”

Hrithik’s back problem that happened due to a stunt scene in Agneepath has kept him bed ridden for a few weeks and will continue to do so for another 2 – 3 weeks or may be a month. Though Hrithik’s father said that it is nothing serious, friend Arjun Rampal was more forthcoming about the actor’s health. Citing the reason why Hrithik couldn’t be present at the Lady Gaga concert in Arjun’s club LAP in Delhi, he said, “Hrithik isn’t allowed to travel. He has a serious form of the slipped disc which needs careful recuperation. He can’t afford to take it lightly. He can’t fly. I missed him. I really wish Hrithik was there. He would’ve had a blast.”

Hrithik’s bed rest will now have an adverse affect on the schedules of Agneepath and Krrish 3, which is supposed to start as soon as Karan’s production winds up. Rakesh Roshan however said that Hrithik’s problem was a minor one. He said, “He has no slipped disc. Just a back pain. He has been advised rest for 2 to 3 weeks.”

Sonam has said that her boyfriend or husband will never be an actor. “A person who will take more time than me to get ready. I don’t like primping, preening men.” She continued, “Indian men can never be fashionable enough unless they are gay.” Now this comment is definitely going to raise a few eyebrows but the girl is not bothered as she keeps her motor mouth on. Sonam however, has a few good things to say about Katrina Kaif. A self-confessed observer of men’s traits,” she says. “You have to retain the mystery of being a woman. That’s why Katrina Kaif is who she is – a mystery. Men like mystery.”

Since the shooting for Ghayal Returns was supposed to shoot in this month, Vidya could not allot dates, which is why the director Ashwini Chowdhury and Sunny Deol, the producer looked for a replacement. They found their choice in Bipasha Basu, who agreed to do the film However, the latest buzz is that even the shooting of Ghayal Returns has been postponed to January 2011.

There are mixed reports about his magnum opus Ra. One. While some say it has broken records, other trade magazines say that the collections are not as good as predicted and the movie has lagged behind ‘Bodyguard’. Shah Rukh did not seem to be bothered, he said, “I don’t really bother about the collection. Since the time the movie has released I have traveled all the way from Los Angeles to Bhatinda. Everyone has been talking about the film. People are writing and talking good things and bad things about the film, but at the end of the day I feel everything happens for good.”

Shah Rukh Khan said that best gift ever that he has got was from one of his close friends. One of my close friends had gifted a locket to me.” Shah Rukh said, “The locket would open up and had a picture of my mother and my father in it. I still have it with me. I was very touched.”

Ra One which was made at the cost of Rs. 150 crore has already recovered the cost and had touched Rs. 170 crore at the end of the Diwali run. Several top-lined Bollywood celebrities wished the ‘badshaah of Bollywood’ with their compliments for the double celebration.

Katrina Kaif termed SRK as the charmer and said that she was always in awe of him. Urmila Matondkar who had acted with him in his second film ‘Chamatkar’ (1992) said that she adores him. Arjun Rampal said that he has the highest regard for SRK and his passion towards work make him the real rockstar. Imran Khan, who is from rival Aamir Khan, also said that SRK was indeed, a live wire and this quality has made him a heart-throb of millions. Priyanka Chopra, whom the media reported of, as having an affair with SRK, tweeted to the star, Here’s wishing the true king of hearts srk a super happy birthday… May u always have happiness, peace and love..G.one forever.” Shah Rukh Khan retweeted, “thanx Roma, here’s to ur beauty, ur voice, all those things & happy mood swings. please please keep me as ur songwriter. Lov.” Roma is Priyanka Chopra’s character in Don 2. We at BOB wish SRK and wish him a great year ahead.

Bipasha Basu’s two piece red bikini shot has been shot in Wellington in New Zealand where the water was freezing cold. The woman loves swimming and is quite comfortable with bikinis, her only criteria was that the shot has to be taken in an aesthetic manner. Bips is all praises for cinematographer K. Ravi Chandran, whom she believes, had done a very good job.

According to Bipasha, the shooting was done early in the morning and she has to miss out Abhishek Bachchan’s birthday due to her commitment to the shoot. The red bikini that you will be seeing in the promo and the film is not at the producer’s cost; this is Bipasha Basu’s own bikini which is a part of her personal wardrobe collection. The Bengali bombshell admitted that she has worked out very hard throughout the year to do justice to the two-piece.

Talking about her bikini in Dhoom 2 where Bipasha Basu had gone on an orange diet, she says, “At that time, I was just thin. Today I am fitter and curvier.” Bipasha, who has been trained by Paul Britto says that she is contemplating releasing a workout routine on how to get a good beach body.

Story of Ra.One:
Shekhar Subramaniam is an affable nerdy, guy who is in the field of robotic engineering. However, his son Prateek is not entirely happy with his dad because he does not find him cool enough. Finally, dad gets son’s approval, when he makes a robot called Ra.One with really villainous set of qualities that the son is looking for. The son enjoys the video game with G. One as the good robot and Ra. One as the bad one; and then leaves the game in the pause mode. Ra.One does not like it and vows to seek vengeance against Lucifer( Prateek’s game ID). Ra.One comes out of the ‘game mode’, ventures out and goes on a killing spree, terminating one of the engineers. He then meets his creator Shekhar who says that he is Lucifer to save his son. Ra.One scans him and realizes that he is not the one, but kills him anyway

The family is shocked at the demise of Shekhar. Wife Sonia (Kareena Kapoor) wants to pack the bags and come home but the son is adamant to find out the person who killed his father. He later comes to know that the person behind his dad’s death is actually a robot, Ra. One. Nevertheless they do come to India but not before the son initializing the good robot Ga. One. The good robot G.One joins the family as they drive from London to the airport and fights Ra. One.

Back home in India, the mother and son adjusts to the new good robot in the family. G.One entertains them, helps them but still warns them that Ra. One can come anytime looking for them. And he does. The rest of the movie is how Ra.One comes to India to seek vengeance and how the ultimate game is played.

What works for Ra.One:
The technicalities of the movie are high quality; SRK has obviously left no stone unturned to ensure that the movie is no short of technical brilliance. Sabu Cyril’s art direction, the action by Andy Gill and Spiro Razatos, the cinematography by Manikandan and Nicola Pecorini and the music by Vishal Shekhar are all commendable. Anubhav Sinha has pieced all aspects of the movie together to make it palatable to everyone, including the ones who do not know much about computer gaming or graphics. One thing that is remarkable is that the story of Ra.One is quite different from the usual super-hero movies. The novel concept is definitely going to be appreciated. Also, the way the concept woven smartly into Indian sensibilities definitely takes the movie a couple of notches forward.

What does not work for Ra.One:
There are major loopholes in the script. The robots are showing taking flights to India from UK, where the movie originated. In the present day and age, where security is tight, one cannot fathom such a thing can happen. There are three writers in the film and still there is not one good dialogue that can make the movie look cool. The first scene of Lucifer fighting against Sanjay Dutt for his lady love Priyanka Chopra feels drastically short of expectations. Ditto for the climax, one would have appreciated more knockouts and punches instead of the so-called ‘power’ flying here and there. The plot meanders in the second-half ; it drags for a while before Ra.One emerges and the movie gallops to a hurried climax. The entry of Chitti Robot (Rajnikanth) is possibly the worst scene in the film. The gimmick falls flat on the face and all the news about Rajnikanth giving constructive feedback on the film that SRK and his team accepted looks like one big sham. G.One is shown emerging again in the last reel, which defeats any emotion the movie may have evoked.

Best scenes in Ra.One:

• The scene where Prateek plays the game with Ra.One as the adults dance to the ‘Criminal’ song. The interpolation of the game along with the song and dance looks cool.
• The Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus scene where a local train is taken over by Ra. The scene could have edited better though.
• A ‘hatke-scene’ where Shah Rukh Khan touches Kareena Kapoor’s breast by mistake. May not be the best scenes, but it is truly the most original scene in the film,.
• Tom Wu chasing Kareena Kapoor and her son before the interval is also thrilling and so is the combat of Ra.One vs G.One.

Performances in Ra.One:
Armaan Verma as the kid had done a neat job. The supporting characters, Shahana Goswami, Dilip Tahil are good in their parts Satish Shah is wasted. Kareena Kapoor has never looked sexier. If you discount her glamorous look and look for acting prowess, she does not disappoint there as well. Shah Rukh Khan plays the superhero with aplomb but then becomes quite clichéd in the last scene where he reprises the MNIK role. Arjun Rampal does not get much screen space to act; the focus is more on his look rather than his expression. The star performer of the film is Tom Wu, who plays Ra One in the first half, he is minty cool with a Terminator-like personality.

Conclusion of Ra.One:
Ra.One is an average fare, go with zero expectations and you will walk out pleased. But if you are expecting too much fromit, be ready to be disappointed.

Rating: ** (Average)

Sonakshi said, “I wouldn’t say that I had an edge because I was Shatrughan Sinha’s daughter. This is because Salman knows a lot of other people as well. If he doesn’t see that spark in you, he doesn’t go out and tell you. He’s very blunt to your face; if I didn’t have it in me he wouldn’t even have approached me. But yes, my father being in the industry for 30 years now, he’s in great terms with a lot of people. They respect him but that can only take so far. The rest is up to you.”

Kareena was actually offered an item-number in the Hrithik Roshan movie ‘Agneepath’ but she had turned it down. She had said that offer was casually discussed and there was nothing final about it. Bebo however added that if she comes across a good script with Hrithik, she would definitely consider it.

Overseas business projection – Rs. 48 crores : Among all actors from India, SRK is the most in-demand star overseas. My Name is Khan, his last release turned out to be the biggest international hit for a Bollywood movie ever, touching Rs. 35 crores overseas. Given the fact that it has been more than two years that a SRK film is releasing one can expect a 20 percent increase in returns over MNIK. Shah Rukh Khan is also the biggest celebrity in Germany, which means the movie will earn another RS. 3 crores minimum from the German version. All of these are distributor share; the net share could be even more.

Theatrical Business in India – Rs. 70 crores : Bodyguard created history on the first week of its release. Let us see if Ra.One can match up to it. The figures look clearly in favor of Ra. One with the movie releasing on Diwali. There is a five-day weekend which means the makers can reap in a bounty for five days. On a conservative estimate, Ra. One can earn a net of Rs 90 crores in five days and if you add another Rs. 9 crore for the balance, the movie should make a cool Rs. 99 crores as bare minimum, provided the product is fairly good. But these are all net costs, so if we reduce Rs.40 crores on an average, the distributor cost would be Rs. 59 crores. Add another Rs 12 crore to the subsequent weeks, the distributor earnings would be Rs. 71 crores. Of course, this is a very modest estimate, because a SRK movie at this time can earn more than Rs. 100 crores in the first week, which can make the distributor earnings come to Rs. 71 crores in the first wee itself.

Satellite Rights – Rs. 40 crores : The satellite rights deals are being still worked out and if they do, SRK should be making Rs. 40 crores more on that front

Music Rights – Rs. 7 crores: It is rumored that King Khan has settled for Rs. 7 crores as music rights for his super-hero flick.
Telugu-Tamil dubbed right Rs. 1 crore- If you take the worst case scenario, the Tamil and Telugu versions of this SRK venture may earn a combined figure of Rs 1 crore.

We have taken the worst case scenario here and if we total all of these costs, we see that SRK can laugh his way to the bank

Overseas : Rs. 48 crore

Satellite : Rs. 40 crore

Music : Rs. 7 crore

Tamil/Telugu : Rs. 1 crore

India : Rs. 71 crore

Total : Rs. 167 crore

The shooting for Dhoom 3 may begin in November 2011 but then it will go slowly because the wrapping up and post production is supposed to be done by the end of the next year. The date for the release has been shifted after a detailed discussion that transpired between producer Aditya Chopra, director Vijay Krishna Acharya and Aamir Khan. The director said, “Dhoom:3 is very dear to all of us as well as to its audience who expect only the best from the franchise. While the shooting will finish in time, we expect the post-production to take much longer. We are trying our best… and therefore did not want to compromise the quality of the film just to meet the release date.”

On the work front, apart from her Don 2, Priyanka Chopra has Barfee on her hand, in which she is playing a challenging role of a mentally challenged woman. Next, she has signed Race 2, after Deepika Padukone dropped out of the project. Deepika apparently, has too many on her plate and she has recently signed a movie opposite her ex Ranbir Kapoor to be directed by Ayan Mukherjee. Meanwhile, Priyanka Chopra is currently shuttling in and out of the US as she is busy with her music album. She bonded with Lady Gaga again for Bill Clinton Foundation called A Decade of Difference in Los Angeles. It is believed that Lady Gaga may feature in one of the videos of Priyanka Chopra.

Farah however, couldn’t make arrangement for this year, as she had a packed schedule. She has picturized two item numbers. On Malaika for brother Sajid Khan’s laugh riot Housefull 2 and on Sonakshi Sinha for Shirish Kunder’s Joker. Farah says, “Perhaps I could take Kim in my next film, but it may happen only next year. But by then she would have already got some offers. I would have definitely loved to have her do an item number for my film..She is hot!”

Kim Kardashian is a big import, but still she is not the first foreign actress to have done a crossover into Bollywood for a cameo or item song. Pop icon Kylie Minogue did a forgettable number with Akshay Kumar in Blue, Mexican beauty Barbara Mori actually got a lead role opposite Hrithik Roshan in Kites, Hollywood actress Denise Richards kissed Akshay Kumar in Kambhakkt Ishq, Polish model-actress Claudia Ciesla starred opposite Salman Khan in Marigold and Playboy covergirl Candice Boucher had a small role in Aazaan.

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian

At a recent press conference, which was held at the grand finale of the television show Just Dance, Priyanka Chopra lost her cool as well, when a reporter asked her an uncomfortable question about things brewing between her and Shah Rukh Khan. Fed up with the same question again and again, Priyanka was in no mood to clarify. She snapped, “I think you should stick to what you know”. When the reporter again asked for a proper answer, Priyanka lost her cool, “I don’t believe in your question”. We wish the girl could have smiled the question away or handed it more maturely.

Tusshar couldn’t get it right for the first few times, so he tried more and by the time, the shoot ended, he had given 150 shots of the same pose, a real exhausting task for the poor guy. Who said lifting beautiful women is cake-walk! The shoot went for three hours; Tusshar says, “It took long because we wanted a perfect shot. We had to capture all possible options so that the publicist has multiple choices at the time of releasing the pictures.”

Tusshar was support to hold Vidya close to his chest, while looking blissfully happy in front of the camera. Vidya had to appear sultry with half her body weight on him. Tusshar says, “Since her legs too had to be lifted from the back, so it was a tricky shot. And that’s why we ended up doing some 150 shots of the same pose,” says Tusshar. However, he is generous with praises for his co-star, “Vidya was very supportive and never got tired. She even insisted on some peppy music to be in the mood for the shoot,” says Tusshar.

“The book is about my journey in Bollywood and the casting couch has been the most important part of it. There is nothing negative about anyone but the phenomenon is very much a reality and people should know about it. I have just honestly penned my experiences with the people I met in Mumbai while exploring options to make an entry into the film industry,” says Rina. The lady says that the main objective of her book is not expose the dark side of Bollywood but just to offer her tribute to Bollywood, her journey in the B-Town and her tremendous dedication to Shah Rukh Khan.

“The book is an open letter to Shah Rukh Khan and I have written about my admiration for him. I have expressed my love for the industry. Everything else that I have mentioned are realities that had to be narrated because I wanted to present an honest description of Bollywood,” Rina said. She is surprised that people act shocked in Bollywood, whenever the term casting couch is mentioned. “I wonder why people get shocked at the mention of casting couch. I have witnessed numerous young girls and boys getting exploited,” she said.

Without beating around the bush, Rina recalls how Subash Ghai had tried to seduce her, and tried to take her to his bedroom. Here is an excerpt of the book revealing how Subash Ghai had tried to preposition her. “I want you to trust me and surrender to me completely. I will take you around with me everywhere and you will see how your life will change,” he said.

She then talks about how Aneez Bazmee proposed her and asked her out to dinner. He said, “We would have some fun later” when she had approached him for a role in Thank You. She also said that Anoop Jalota had once told her that he ‘would love to cheat on his wife’. Both Bazmee and Jalot have denied the allegations and Ghai is yet to offer his stand. But Rina sticks to her claim. She says, “It is my story and I have honestly revealed it. If this means there will be no place for me in Bollywood, so be it. It is neither a publicity gimmick nor a ploy for increased sales of my book. People who love Bollywood will surely read it,” she said.

Following an MRI scan on the back, Hrithik has been advised complete bed rest for about 15 days. Director Rakesh Roshan however had a different take to the story; he said that he was admitted due to a rigorous working schedule, Hrithik had been working double-shift for the movie as well as his dance show ‘Just Dance’ which took a toll on him. Shah Rukh Khan’s knee surgery, Salman Khan’s nerve ailment, Vidya Balan’s low iron count and now Hrithik Roshan’s injured back- BTown seems to be working rather hard !

But what about the fact that she has been seeing going to all the hotspots of the town with Arjun and Shahid? Says Anushka, “It’s just so bizarre. Shahid, Ranveer, Arjun are all friends. And what is wrong in going out with a friend? We all lead busy lives, but when we meet as and when we do, we are paired up. It’s just ridiculous.”

Unlike girls her age, Anushka Sharma is too practical to be wooed by the clichéd assortments. In fact, she says that she would beat any guy who would try to woo her with chocolates, gifts, soft toys, candle-light dinners. “The only way to win my heart is through a pleasant conversation” smiles Anushka. Anushka’s movie opposite her ex Ranveer Singh ‘Ladies vs Ricky Bahl’ is on December 9. The movie is directed by her favorite director Maneesh Sharma who directed Band Baaja Baaraat. The same director will now direct another movie with Anushka and Shahid for another Yash Raj project which will go on floors next year.

A source explains, “Shah Rukh clearly told producer Sajid Nadiadwala and director Vishal Bharadwaj that he didn’t want to work on another love story. He is already doing a romantic film with Yash Chopra and so, to go straight into the romantic space again seems redundant. Shah Rukh suggested that he go into the Maqbool-Omkara space with Vishal. Shah Rukh loved what Vishal did with Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan in Omkara. They plan to shoot the Bollywood adaptation of Hamlet in the remote areas of North India.”

If this works out, this will be Bharadwaj’s third adaptation of Shakespearean work; he had made Maqbool and Omkara, based on Macbeth and Othello respectively.

Kim’s friend Sheeraz Hasan, founder and chairman of sheerazinc.com, told the media, “Kim is very interested in doing a Bollywood film. Over the last 12 months, she’s been approached by Bollywood producers who want her to do a dance number. We thought it was a great idea. She asked me for names she could debut with, and there can be no one besides Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.”

Kim Kardashian decided to go through the profiles of Salman and Shah Rukh and watched their films as well. At the end of the day, Hasan says Kim was more impressed with Salman. “She said I want to work with both of them, but I’d like to work with Salman first,” said Hasan.

Hasan, who is also the founder of Millions of Milkshakes, where a Mallika Sherawat milkshake was launched in January this year, is planning to bring Kim to India in 2012 for the launch of his milkshake bar. “When Mallika came to Millions of Milkshakes, she generated a media storm in Hollywood. Now, Kim is launching one in Dubai. And the next destination inshallah is Bombay, possibly early next year. We’ll be looking at creating the Kim Kardashian Bollywood shake now.”

According to sources, Katrina Kaif had received an urgent call from Yash Raj films, to schedule time for learning heavy duty stunts and exercise her vocal chords for a couple of songs in the Dhoom sequel. She will be specifically learning paragliding lessons for the film. The professional that she is, Katrina Kaif decided to skip the holidays and prepare for the film.

The actress, who is known to be quite ambitious, has admitted that she would like to take her singing talents beyond the bathroom In fact, she was planning to sing for Ali Zaqfar’s album as well. Also considering that her character in Dhoom 3 requires a lot of research, Katrina will be meeting with the producer Aditya Chopra and director Vijay Krishna Acharya to get an idea about the body language, attitude, look and the dialect of the character.

A source said, “Akshay and Ashutosh have always wanted to work with each other. However, it never worked out before. In fact, Akshay himself has wanted to do an action film for a long time. When Ashu met him about six months back, Akshay loved the idea for the film.”

The director had actually gone into a shell, quietly working on a script that found instant approval from Akshay. It is believed that the actor has been so blown with the concept that he has already begun to do research for his role.

A source on the basis of anonymity from the project said, “It is an adventure movie with liberal doses of action. Ashutosh is in the process of selecting some very good technicians from Hollywood to work on the project. He will be possibly taking the film on floors next year.”

The budget of the film has been set at Rs. 80 crore. A huge corporate house has taken interest in the script and has decided to back Akshay Kumar and Ashutosh Gowariker. The source added, “The film will be shot on unexplored locales around the world. The leading lady is yet to be finalized.”

Kareena has been rocking the box with her three back to back hits that have done impressively at the box office, making more than 100 crore each. The same cannot be said about Priyanka Chopra whose last hits were Dostana and Fashion, back in 2008.

The friction between Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra recently came to the fore when PC refused to do an item number in Saif Ali Khan’s home production Agent Vinod. It is believed that she did not do the song because Kareena Kapoor was playing the main lead in the film. Since it is usual these days for actresses in item numbers to overshadow the main lead, Piggy Chopps decides to steer clear of rough waters and hence rejected the prized offer.

When Saif was asked if he was upset that Priyanka had not done the song, he promptly replied, “I am completely fine with that, as most actresses do not want to share screen space with Bebo.” Priyanka however said that she had never committed to the song. “I was approached for the item song, but it never went further than a conversation. I would love to do a song with Kareena in her film; it would be fun. I believe Agent Vinod is shaping up to be a fantastic film, but I haven’t even heard the song yet. So please, stop the speculation,” she said.

Shahid was not happy with the statement and lashed out with, “So all those trying so hard to screw mausam can go screw themselves … Waise bhi aajkal kuchh logon ke adarsh buri tarha gir chuke hain”

Taran seemed to enjoy more support here, as he tweeted, “Abusing and maligning me on a public platform won’t help. Instead, get a reality check and introspect the shortcomings of the film.”

Is recession the reason for the family leave Denver? Madhuri says, “Not at all. We have been fortunate enough not to be affected by it at all. Ram, is a doctor and he’s in a profession that’s always going to be much in demand. Truth is, Ram has always been fascinated by India and his heart always remained there whenever he’s come to Mumbai. He wants to see the Howrah Bridge in Kolkata, Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, the Charminar in Hyderabad and the Ajmer Shariff dargah in Rajasthan as he’s heard so much about them.”

Madhuri also says that her husband was keen that the kids to grow up in India and imbibe the cultural values of the country. “The transition is difficult and emotional too but once you know what you are doing you can adapt and get used to the change. Also, Ram is easy-going and very friendly by nature, so he can adapt himself to any social and work culture comfortably. He has always loved India and he wants the children to grow up in an Indian culture. My parents, who stay with us, are also keen to come back. They are growing old and are thrilled that they will be returning to their motherland,” she said.

The actress who can still give the younger lot a run for their moneys says, “Shifting from one country to another is physically and emotionally taxing. Right now, I am packing our stuff so we can come back in October. There’s a whole gamut of emotions I am going through. I have been here for 10 years and have friends here. We had two cats but both passed away last year. The kids are having mixed emotions – they are sad about leaving their best friends behind in the US but are excited as India is a different environment.”

The actor says that one just need to accommodate the exercise regime in one’s lifestyle and then it would seem really effortless. For instance, Deepika likes to take a 20 minute brisk walk around her building or climbing up the stairs instead of taking the elevator. The actress says, “People take a lift to the second floor. Can’t you climb? At airports or in my building, I don’t use escalators.”

Deepika who is known to be a sporty person always takes time out to indulge in some sport or the other or hit the gym. If both these options are not available, she swims or simple dances in her room. Deepika may not have followed her father’s footsteps professionally but she has always played badminton since childhood

Deepika says that she starts the day by running for forty minutes and then does some weight training. In the evening, she plays badminton for three or four hours, five times a week; if she has time to spare. She adds, “Due to excessive training, I was tired and took a break from exercising before I turned to yoga a few years ago.”

Deepika now has taken to a combination of Pilates and Yoga with her trainer Yasmin, who she says is a complete taskmaster. She says, “I have never gone through drastic weight loss but my body stil has a potential for a lot of more tweaking and definition. Pilates certainly has helped me perfect those problem areas.”

The actress advises that one should never go for crash diet. The dusky beauty says, “I never starve myself. I eat in moderation I indulge in a small piece of chocolate every night, so I don’t crave for a full desert.” Deepika reminds people that one should not confuse fitness with body size. “Fitness doesn’t mean that you have to be thin or skinny,” she says.

Call it Bipasha’s lesbian instincts or just fun-play; the girls were surely rocking the night. Paris Hilton is in India to promote accessories and handbags which she will be selling in stores that will be opening up in India. These Paris Hilton bags are priced at Rs 2,500-12,000 and aimed at the up-market customer base.

Coming back to the party, a lot of people from the film fraternity were absent because Surinder Kapoor, father of Anil Kapoor had passed away. But some people like Bipasha Basu and her good friend Rana Dagubatti and actress Kangna Ranaut were there at the party. Kangna who had invited the ire of Paris for falsely claiming that she was the brand ambassador of Paris Hilton bags, seemed to be totally besotted by the heiress and was seen clicking her pictures.

Parineti also has a role in YRF Films Ladies vs Ricky Bahl. Aditya Chopra believed that she was acting material even though she was working in the marketing section of the production company. She was screen-tested and Adi felt that what he believed was true. She was signed for Ladies vs Ricky Bahl and now it has been learnt that director Habib Faisal is also going to have her work as a lead actress in the Boney Kapoor production. The girl is certainly going places even without the help of her famous cousin sister.

Every second big budget film these days has either a Katrina or a Kareena. While Kareena is truly the ‘crorepati girl’ with the super-success of 3 Idiots, Golmaaal 3 and Bodyguard in quick succession, Katrina Kaif is equally fetching to the box office with a sizzling ‘Sheela ki Jawani’ number that has become immortal as an item number. She also has scored back to back hits in the form of Zindagi Milegi na Dobara and Mere Brother ki Dulhan this year. What Katrina still lacks is a big-budget hit that can equal her to Kareena Kapoor.

If you look at future projects, both Kareena and Katrina have some of the best, lucrative films sitting squarely on their laps. Katrina Kaif will be working with Aamir Khan (Dhoom 3,) Salman Khan (Ek Tha Tiger) and Shah Rukh Khan (untitled YRF film); Kareena Kapoor also will be working Aamir Khan for Reema Kagti’s film, Agent Vinod with Saif Ali Khan, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tuu with Imran Khan and finally Heroine, a Madhur Bhandarkar film

The funeral was attended by the who’s who of the music and film fraternity, friends, family and countless fans. Jagjit Singh’s wife Chitra Singh, an established singer herself was a picture of silent resignation, trying to hide her tears in dark glasses. The couple had lost their only son Vivek back in 1990 in a freak car accident.

Classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj, Pakistani musician, singer Ghulam Ali, lyricist Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, actors Shah Rukh Khan, Shabana Azmi, Vinod Khanna, Sonu Nigam, Shaan, Ila Arun, Yash Chopra, Subash Ghai, Madhur Bhandarkar, Raza Murzad, Roopkumar Rathod, music composers Kalyanji, Shekhar Ravjiani etc attended the funeral. In fact, Ghulam Ali was supposed to perform with Jagjit Singh but the concert got cancelled when the maestro suffered brain hemorrhage.

Jagjit Singh’s brother Kartar along with his grandsons Armaan and Umer Chowdhary conducted the last rites as the singer’s own son is no more. We at BOB.IN will truly miss Jagjit Singh and his incomparable contribution to music, may his soul rest in peace.

A doctor on the basis of anonymity revealed that Vidya Balan underwent several tests and the results indicated that the actress was having a low hemoglobin count. She was put on drip. “Even though she has been discharged, the doctors have given Vidya strict instructions to rest for the next week,” said the source.

Though the actress has to set aside work and rest at home for some time, the last few shoots of the Dirty Picture is still remaining. Ekta Kapoor the producer and Milan Luthria the director are not worried about the delay and the way the shoot has progressed, they wouldn’t mind a few days delay, the source revealed. However he pointed out, “The delay is cutting too close to the scheduled November 2 release.”

It has been revealed that Vidya was shooting round the clock for the movie; she was taking her role very seriously. With constant shoots, stress and commitment the project entailed, it got on to Vidya and the back to back schedule took a toll on her, and she fainted on the sets. She was carried to Lilavati hospital on the very same day, where she was hospitalized.

It has become apparent that Shahid has become uncomfortable of the fact that his lady love Priyanka Chopra has moved on and has become too close for comfort with Shah Rukh Khan. People are hinting that Shah Rukh actually caused the breakup of Shahid and Priyanka. The latter has been warming up to King Khan in many occasions and the two share an evidently romantic chemistry.

Shahid however said that he has no knowledge of how he unfollowed Shah Rukh. He wrote on Twitter, “What’s up people …. Read the weirdest story that I had stopped following srk … Only to realize that I actually had …… No clue how. Well he’s back on my follow list…. Was just some random thing people going loony over it !!! Haha” He does not however say anything about Priyanka Chopra though, even though both are working together in Kunal Kohli’s next film.

Story of Rascals:
This Sanjay Dutt production has him and Ajay Devgn in lead roles, playing the roles of Chetan and Bhagat, the only genuinely funny reference in the film. The whole plot or the lack of it is these two idiots trying to steal from an unsuspecting Anthony Gonsalves (Arjun Rampal) to win the love of a rich heirness Kangna Ranaut in Bangkok. To put it flatly, Rascals is a shoddy mix of Deewana Mastana, Bluffmaster and Jodi No. 1

What works for Rascals:
Are you kidding? May be the lust-oozing figure of Kangna may suffice.

What does not work for Rascals:
Everything, there is no structure in the plot, no motive, no chemistry, no flashes of technical brilliance; and it is not even mildly funny. Every gag falls flat, and unless you are a fan of jokes on poverty, handicap and loud dialogues, you may be just cursing your stars.

David Dhawan’s regulars Kader Khan, Shakti Kapoor and Johnny Lever who managed to take the 90s flicks to a stellar level are replaced by Satish Kaushik and Chunkey Pandey and their pathetic attempts to be funny. Women are reduced to objects of lust, the camera having a field day focusing on the breasts and buttocks of Kangna Ranaut and Lisa Hayden. Sigh!

Performances in Rascals:
Ajay Devgn sadly get a negative marking in his amazingly galloping career of back to back hits. Okay, we excuse him he is effective and does whatever he is capable of. Sanjay Dutt tries to act silly and stupid and the joke is on him rather than what he says. It is genuinely funny seeing Bollywood’s two bad dancers trying to shake their legs to a noisy track. Yes, this is another funny part in the film apart from the names of the characters. The less said about Kangna Ranaut the better, she can give you a headache with her overacting. Lisa Hayden disappoints as well, with her expressionless histrionics.

Conclusion:
Find something better to do and stay away from Rascals

Ratings: *(Poor)

Rascals The Movie

Story of Soundtrack:
Raunak Kaul is intrinsically humble and helpful by nature, when he sees a beggar who has exceptional talent for singing, he takes note of him and makes him sing for his album. DJ Raunak begins as a DJ at the Tango Charlie Club and this is the place where he happens to meet an agent by the name of Charlie who later initiates him into the world of drugs, alcohol, wild parties and women.

Once he chooses the wrong path, Raunak finds that his real talent has drifted away, his quality of music begins to wane and he is actually booed out by an angry club crowd. Raunak who once nursed an ambitious of being famous, wonders if he will die unsung like his father. The DJ is then diagnosed with loss of hearing in one ear, and a partial loss in the other. This makes him stay away from sounds and music.

Now begins a therapeutic phase in his life, when Raunak decides to live a frugal life. He happens to meet a lip reading instructor Gauri (Soha Ali Khan) who teaches him how to lip read. Raunak focuses on his work and comes up with an album in an absolute state of deafness.

What works for Soundtrack:
The performance of Rajeev Khandelwal, Soha Ali Khan and the director’s eye for authenticity.

What does not work for Soundtrack:
Well, we cannot say that these things do not work for the film but one cannot really come up with a fair review and credit to the film because the Indianized version is quite similar to the source without any personal touch that could distinguish this remake from the original.

Another thing is that the music of the film Soundtrack is weak; not a good thing considering it is a ‘musical’ film.

Performances in Soundtrack:
Rajeev Khandelwal can be depended upon to carry a film on his shoulders and he does a great job in this one as well. Soha Ali Khan has a tight, compact role and she does her role competently. Mohan Kapoor is apt for his character and it is refreshing to see him in a meaty role after a long time.

Conclusion:

Soundtrack remains an interesting watch for a few strains

Ratings: **1/2 (Above average)

Story of Love, Breakups Zindagi:

This is a cute story about love, life, guilt, realization and a few heartbreaks. There are a few confused characters and a predictable story all in the name of love. Govind (Cyrus Sahukar) is a 40 year old man who has been divorced twice, and is looking for his lady love. He is someone who is supposed to have a good sense of humor (in line with his real-life image). Paired opposite him is Tisca Chopra, who plays an Urdu teacher,

Dia Mirza (Naina) is the Mumbai girl who is quite smart, fun loving person with an eye and ear for all the good things in life. She is a great friend, a perennial source of joy to her mother (Shabana Azmi) and close to perfection in everything that she does. Close to perfection, because whenever it comes to love, she is a lost cause. She has a room-mate Ritu (Umang Jain) who takes to eating ice-creams as an antidote for breakup.

Jai (Zayed Khan) is the cool, fun-loving dude, a corporate boy who is earning handsomely. But he is a wimp when it comes to love. He is engaged to a control freak that is boring as one can get. The producers….oops, Naina and Jai meet at a friend’s wedding. Cupid strikes and love hits the air.

What works for Love Breakups Zindagi:

If you love sweet, fun-loving films that are without a trace of vulgarity, violence and catering to the up-market audience, you should probably give this one a try. Dia Mirza and Zayed Khan manage to whip up some interesting chemistry. The movie actually picks up pace after the second half. The music of the film is also good, with ‘Rab Rakha’ and other tracks sticking to your mind even after you exit from the theater.

What does not work for Love Breakups Zindagi: The director Sahil Singha takes more than a fair amount of time to establish his characters and their eccentricities. The characters are one-dimensional and in today’s times, such things look too trivial and boring. Tisca and Cyrus, surprisingly, are a watchable couple; one wishes that they were given more screen space. The attempts at comedy fall flat at some places. Shah Rukh Khan who is roped in as guest appearance just has a blink and miss role, what’s more, he looks aged and does not make the cut.

The breakups show in the films is devoid of emotion. Agreed that people are nice in the film to handle their breakup in a mature fashion, but showing Zayed breaking up with his would-be wife in a manner akin to a business deal not working out, seems awry. Sahil Singha seems to believe that having an emotionless breakup is a sign of positive energy.

Performances in Love Breakups Zindagi:

Zayed Khan seems to have improved a lot; Cyrus Sahukar is funny whenever he is on screen. The ladies do a tad better; Tisca Chopra is dignity personified and acts quite well. Dia Mirza is brilliant in her role; the lady is truly unlucky when it comes to the fate of her films. Hope this one works for her.

Conclusion: Love Breakups Zindagi is a good film but only if you have a thing for cheesy romances.

Ratings: **1/2 (Above Average)

Love Breakups Zindagi

Love Breakups Zindagi

Love Breakups Zindagi

Love Breakups Zindagi