Big B maintained that he has been quite patience but it was the limit now. The errant person was also sending abusive texting messages on his phone. So finally, the superstar reporter the matter to the cyber police who will take the appropriate action.

The second controversy was when Big B merely put his reaction on the building of metro, whose construction is going to disturb his sleep. However,  a leading TV channel in India and certain sections of media portraying as if Big B was opposite metro construction activity. When Big B’s readers and the general public saw the blog post, there was nothing controversial about it and they stood by his side, commenting on his Twitter and blog that they totally support him.

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On a practical note, Ram Gopal Varma said, “This is not the first time I’m under threat. It has happened to me on several occasions. When in the history of assassinations have security guards been able to save anyone? The one who is determined to kill you will do.”

The controversy is actually over an alleged law-breaker Ubala Reddy, whose portrayal has not gone down well with his supporters. Ramu says, “They’ve sent a long legal notice in which they express their misgivings about Ubala Reddy. But I want to know how they know how I’ve portrayed the character (played by Abhimanyu Singh) when they haven’t seen a single frame?” He adds that no arm-twisting approach can change his mind. “They’re welcome to do what they like. My film remains unchanged.”

For the records, Ramu’s Rakta Charitra will be released on October 22, 2010 but the sequel date is not decided as yet.  Ramu confidently says, “No matter what the plight of Rakta Charitra is, the sequel will be released. So

While Rakta Charitra is being released on October 22, the release date for the sequel which is ready, is not decided. So far whoever has seen the film has loved it. The best compliment came from a rival actor who said he was sad about it, but this film would bring Vivek back into the reckoning. We decided on doing the sequel simultaneously to save costs.”

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The movie will feature Supriya Pathak (step mother of Shahid Kapoor, in real life), Anang Desai, Girish Sahdev and Rajeev Mehta.  The film had its promotional event outside SRK’s celebrated house Mannat, in Mumbai. The reason for choosing this place as the venue to flag the marketing of Khichdi-The Movie is to salute SRK’s contribution to TV serials and movies. He has been the best example of a TV actor who has turned into a Bollywood superstar.  A huge crowd had gathered thinking SRK would step outside but that didn’t happen.

The cast and crew of Khichdi addressed the media and released the poster of the movie, saying, , “It’s symbolic. What Taj Mahal is to lovers, Shah Rukh’s house is the same for anyone moving from television to films…He is inspirational.”

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It is believed that Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra may be the lead actors in the sequel. However, Ramesh Taurani has denied the developments and has said, “It’s untrue. We don’t have a story for a sequel, so how can we announce the film in the first place?” However he says Sinha did narrate a subject to him. “But it was for an altogether different film. Beyond that we haven’t had any discussions.” Considering that Taurani is doing a sequel for Race, anything can happen. With the debale of Ken Ghosh’s Chance Pe Dance, it is not sure whether he would do the sequel in case the idea shapes up.

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Manish says, “Neeraj started interfering in the script. Initially, I didn’t mind it. But his interference increased so much that I lost my identity. I became so confused that I could hardly concentrate on it any longer. On Monday, when I told him that I would like to do it my way, he said ‘Tum bade badtameez insaan ho. And you dare not address me as ‘tum’. Call me ‘aap’. I was shocked and have still not recovered.”

Soon after, Manish apparently stormed out of Neeraj’s office, saying, “I am not doing Neeraj’s film anymore. Mujhse nahin hoga.” What is even more shocking is that Manish has decided not to return the signing amount of Rs. 5 lakh which Neeraj gave him as remuneration to direct the film. . “I am not returning Rs 5 lakh,” announces Manish, sticking to the fact that he was right.

Neeraj’s partner Sheetal Bhatia said, “Yes. Neeraj and I are going to produce films. As for Manish Gupta, we were in talks with him and were trying to put a project together. But we couldn’t finalise anything. I don’t want to say anything more on this.”

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Vivek is happy about his parents’ choice, who have taken a girl who is well-educated, into social service and charity and a keen follower of art. He admits that it was indeed love at first sight for him.  “It sounds clichéd,” says the actor, “but when you are as comfortable with someone in silence as in conversation, then you know that you have found the right life partner.

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However, Deepa’s interest was short-lived because Kangana who was supposed to play Emerald has decided to not to the project anymore. This is because the actress is quite busy with Dhamaal 2 and several other films.

A source says, “Kangna did not have dates. She is very busy with Dhamaal 2, which goes on floors very soon.Then she will do Salman Khan’s film, which will be directed by Mahesh Manjrekar. Besides these two, she has David Dhawan’s Rascal, Priyadarshan’s Bullet Train, Pritish Nandy’s Actor with Amitabh Bachchan, No Problem, Tanu Weds Manu and Knockout. The main clash on dates was happening with Rascal.”

Kangana  is not the only one who has done with Deepa for this film. Sometime ago, Rani Mukerjee stepped out of the film because since she didn’t want to play the role of a mother to a 14-year old. Vidya Balan had also denied to take the same role when offered to her.  Deepa  is believed to have told a friend, “There were second and third choices for other characters. For Emerald I only wanted Kangna.” Unlike others who just make claims,  Kangna seems to be one actor who really is busy considering the way she has been juggling dates of her movies.

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Since the time she entered in a relationship with Saif Ali Khan, she has discreetly stayed away from too many intimate scenes in movies with other actors. A source says, “Kareena might have done an intimate sequence recently in Kurbaan, but that was only because it was with Saif. Otherwise she is not keen on getting up close and personal with other co-stars.”

Kareena’s role in the Madhur Bhandarkar film is that of a head-strong lady who enters into several physical relationships with  men like what did Smita Patil did in the movie directed by Shyam Benegal. While Shyam Benegal’s character was based on an actress from the 40, Kareena Kapoor’s role is modeled on Marilyn Monroe. Kareena has not walked out the film because the movie is still in the scripting stage. She says, “We were always supposed to start next year.  Madhur is still working on the script. We start shooting the film when the script is ready in the next three months.” As of now, Madhur is concentrating on his film ‘Dil Toh Bacha Hai Jee’

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A source says, “Kaderbhai has not been keeping well for a long time. No one is aware what has happened as the family is not very forthcoming about it. They prefer to keep such matters within the family. We just hope that he recovers soon.”

Kader Khan’s son said, “There is nothing to worry now. Yes he is in the hospital as he was operated for a knee surgery. He will be discharged in a day or two.”

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Directors Abbas Mustan and Sanjay Gupta have been fighting over casting Arjun Rampal for the remake of the Spanish action thriller “Ladron Que Roba a Ladron. (To Rob a Thief)”  Both of them approached the hunky actor with the same role for the same movie. The name of Abbas Mustan’s movie will be ‘Players’ while Sanjay Gupta has named it ‘Jahan Teri Yeh Nazar Hai’.

Arjun, playing safe, remarked, “I don’t know the details of any of the two films but I am supposed to meet Abbas-Mustan and Gupta.” Sanjay Gupta had planned on a lineup of actors, Arjun being one of them and when he came to know that Abbas Mustan is also doing the same with the same role for Arjun, he was livid.

Apart from the fight over Arjun, there is also debate about the rights of the film and who has actually claimed it. Sanjay Gupta says, “I fail to fathom why Abbas-Mustan and the producer of their film Ketan Maru are so stubborn about this whole thing. I have clearly told them that I have purchased the rights (from the original producer Lion Gate Films). They just refuse to understand!”

He adds “I have been pressurised by many people in the industry to part with the rights and hand them over to Abbas-Mustan. But I am not going to bow down.” Producer Ketan Maru conforms that his creative team also approached Arjun. “Yes, we have approached Arjun and there is some confusion that prevails on our film. But we’ll sort it out.”

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Story of We are Family: Arjun Rampal is divorced and his kids live with his ex wife Kajol (Maya).  He is now in a relationship with Shreya(Kareena Kapoor), a glamorous puss who has second thoughts about meeting Arjun’s kids.  The movie is mostly about how Kareena adjusts to the kids and how they reconcile with the ‘other lady’ in their house. Also there is another sub-plot like Kajol being a terminal patient like we saw in the original Hollywood version.

What is good about we are Family: The performances of all the actors in the film are good with Kajol and the teenager Aalliya leading the fray.

What is not so good about We are Family:

• There are many things that do not work in the film. The movie is besieged with too many clichés and forced moments.  The antics of the children resisting a new person in the family has been seen so many time and the treatment in this film is nothing new to boast about.
• Kareena’s characterization is flawed. Either she is shown being a hot model who does not care a damn about family values or she is shown adjusting to be a door-mat.
• The kids in the film do not like the 8 year olds or 13 years olds of today. They are too much into the la-la land making the entire thing look so filmy. Also one does not understand why the kids are not happy with the other woman in the house because in Australia, kids do no usually have hang-ups about their father having a girlfriend.
• The evolution of  Kareena into a caring woman is quite inconsistent and sporadic, so much that it looks suspicious. In the original movie Stepmom, Julia Roberts gradually wins the kids over and it is endearing to watch them; you don’t see any of such things in KJo’s movie.
• Kajol may have acted well, but her character looks fake and over the top. Imagine someone hamming instead of being subtle in her last days.
• Though they have credited the official remake, director and script writer (Venita Coelho) has liberally taken stuff from other kiddie movies and put it here. For instance, 13 year old Aliya who is asked to come back from a party because she went away without asking pemision is straight out of ‘Raising Helen’.
• There is also a song and dance drama by the family trying to convince Kajol about how much she will be missed, once she is gone; this is clearly grating on nerves. 1
• Arjun Rampal’s role has a weak characterization; there is just no substance in the film for him He looks like a bystander.

To sum up

It is better to avoid We are Family.  You can take your family out to a nice dinner instead, this weekend, if you have a choice.

Rating:*1/2

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Story of Aashayein: Chain smoking Rahul is in for good luck and extreme bad luck. The day he wins a fortune at the lottery, he comes to know that he is suffering from terminal lung cancer.  Though he has a live-in girlfriend (Sonal Sehgal) who wants to marry him and live-in with him, Rahul  has left her in his mind, he is lost in a sense of self-pity.  Though he decides to leave his girlfriend, he decides to gift her his winnings before heading for a solitary existence.

Rahul lands at a hospital for the terminally ill and meets with the patients there. There is an older man Parthasarthi (Girish Karnad) who cannot speak, an ex prostitute Madhu (Farida Jalal) who is infected with HIV virus, a 17 year old cancer patient called Padma (Anaitha Nair) who has a crush on Rahul and a little boy called Govinda (Ashwin Chitale) who loves comic books.  We are in for some light hearted, funny scenes where Rahul lives his life to the fullest with the help of these people.

What works for Aashayein: Nagesh Kukunoor shows his deft treatment again as he did in movies like Iqbal and Dor. Though the movie may not be technically sound, it is visually appealing thanks to the cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee.

What does not work for Aashayein: None of the scenes are compelling, the dialogues and the screenplay is not heart-tugging enough. What may have looked good on paper, looks like an amateur effort on the screen. The background score also leaves a lot to be desired.

Performances in Aashayein: John Abraham’s best performance in his career is undoubtedly in Aashayein. In the first half, you may well be watching the usual John with his handsome look, trade-mark smile and his suave appeal but the second half has a measured, engaging performance, so much that you forget that you are watching John Abraham in the film.  The fact that John lost a lot of weight to get the right look for the film definitely adds to the impact

Conclusion: A strictly average movie, John Abraham’s performance gives it an extra rating

Rating: **1/2 (above average)

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Story of Hello Darling: There are three women, with different personalities (read get-ups). Candy(Celina Jailtey) is a tart-type personal assistant, Mansi(Gul Panag) is the corporate lady with middle class values and Satvati (Isha Koppikar) is a new bite: all three are angry with their lecherous, lying, egoistical, sexist boss Hardik(Javed Jaffery).  The trio decides to hatch a plan to teach Hardik a lesson, take over the company and show women power to the world.  While doing all this, they take a lot of stupid decisions which are an excuse for the poor acting of the three girls in the film.  Not that the so-called actions are interesting anyway. Thrown in for a bad measure is the romantic sub-plot with Chunkey Pandey, the rock-star.  Boy!

What works for Hello Darling: Gul Panag is passably good in some scenes but in others she has the ‘what I am doing in this one’ expression plastered on her face.

What does not work for Hello Darling: Almost everything!  The cast seems to have a collective malaise called bad acting. The music by Pritam is disappointing.  As far as the script and dialogues are concerned, the lesser said, the better.

Conclusion: Stay away from Hello Darling and if you fancy skin show, watch some B-grade movie that stands up to the challenge.

Rating: * Poor

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Though Pantene already has some of the leading Bollywood damsels in the form of Katrina Kaif, Shilpa Shetty and Neha Dhupia, the shampoo giant still wanted a woman who is a hit with the masses, which is why they turned to Malaika Arora.  Here’s looking up for some shiny, bouncy tresses in the commercial, Malaika.

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Kunjilal says that he had predicted his death in the year 2005, after which a battery of news channels came swarming in to cover his story. So he feels that the character Natha in Peepli Live is based on him and is very similar to his story.  Though Kunjilal along with his lawyers are trying to file a case against the movie, the spokesmen at Aamir Khan Productions think otherwise. They have denied that such a controversy even exists. Let us wait and watch how this controversy shapes up.

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Mallika is believed to be quite happy for working opposite against Sanjay Dutt against the Dhamaal sequel and has reportedly said that money is not a issue with her. This is strange considering that she had made it clear that she would charge nothing than an extremely flattering figure post her hit Murder. Producer Ashok Thakeria who is in Los Angeles added, “Mallika said she will take anything we give her. She’s just happy to be a part of brand like Dhamaal and that too opposite Sanjay Dutt.”

The other female lead in Double Dhamaal, Kangna Ranaut also seems to be okay with whatever is being given as remuneration. Kangana will be cast opposite Riteish Deshmukh in the film.  Thakeria says, “We met up at Ritiesh’s home on  Tuesday evening for a script reading session. Instead of having a proper workshop with the actors, Riteish suggested an informal get-together at his home. All of us barring Mallika (who is in LA) and Sanjay Dutt (who is in South Africa) from the Double Dhamaal team – Kangna, Javed Jaffrey, Ashish Chowdhry, Indra Kumar and I met up at Riteish’s house for a script reading. We were cracking up after every line. It was that funny.” Let’s hope the audience cracks up too.

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About the delay of Aashayein (It’s been in the making since 2008): There has been a delay in the release of Aashayein as you know because Percept the producer and Reliance the distributor both of them had differences and it took a while before they could sort it out. It’s extremely frustrating but you have to understand that the release was completely not in my control and it was for no fault of mine. So there was nothing I could do but wait on the sidelines talk to the people involved and say please I hope we can resolve our differences and beyond that I could do nothing.

I just had to wait and watch. No doubt it is extremely frustrating but eventually when it is now releasing I am happy and completely relieved.  Everything has been sorted and we are on for a release.

On why he has not made an out and out Bollywood commercial biggie:

I have always made films the way I know how. Now when you force fit something that is not what you naturally do you’re going to make a hotch potch. So I am never worried about making films that I don’t believe in. As it is this business is so difficult that you might as well do something that you know how in the best possible way, instead of catering to an audience and do something that you are not good at. That’s something I have never attempted. You know it’s like asking someone who’s never cooked before to make Daal Makhani, he won’t even know where to start.

About Aashayein:

Many of us put our dreams on the backburner, but the protagonist wins a huge amount of money and the same day he also finds out that he has only 90 days left to live. So, then how he deals with the rest of the time, his journey, and the characters he meets and ultimately how he resolves his thing off learning to live his life now, in the moment instead of planning. That’s Aashayein. It’s an emotional heartfelt film that sort off with a message that, don’t keep planning, the time is now.

On working with John Abraham: The most important thing is how well do you get along with that person as a person and then the actor comes in. John is highly disciplined, comes on the set on time, there is no B.S. and no frills. You shoot for as long as you want and go home. So we struck up a nice rapport and the key thing was that obviously we believed in the material so whatever it took to go that extra mile. I feel that during the process of this film I have pushed John. I have pulled out the performance that is going to catch people by surprise. But I had to push a lot out of him and get it because you know a lot of the stuff he has done up to this point is not something that was taxing himself much as this is. So once you see the performance you will be able to judge it for yourself.

On working with Sonal Sehgal: Sonal had already done some TV so she was well versed with camera, positioning and everything. So she was by far the easiest actor to work with on the set, Because when you know someone who was been on the set, faced the camera, it takes away half the stress of you having to teach them the positioning and stuff like that. Also, Sonal is an actor who takes directions very well. She takes precise direction so it was wonderful working with her. She was the easiest person to direct.

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This obviously did not go well with Katrina Kaif who had been fiercely protective about her personal life, and wanted to keep the split a private thing.  So when she was being asked questions in the recent press conference where she was being made the brand ambassador of Etihad Airlines, she was not willing to give any information on the break-up. But when the reporters kept on pressing and mentioning Salman’s name, Katrina Kaif broke down and said, “If Salman has said this, it must be true.”

Katrina Kaif later gave a proper briefing to the media about her breakup in no uncertain words, “I am single. But beyond that, I don’t think I need to give too much of details. Sometimes it’s hard enough to take decisions professional sometimes but mostly personal and whatever the decision, it’s very difficult to take them and if you have to make them in front of everybody, I think that’s a little bit more than what I can handle.That’s why for six years, I have never commented who I am with… if I had a break-up or if there is an argument. If you commit to something, you must stand by. But if you commit to something and the situation changes, then perhaps the commitment also changes.” Over many months, the media had been hinting that all was not well between the couple and their individual statements at separate occasions over a  matter of one week has just confirmed this.

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In the third sequel, there will be Nana Patekar, Abhishek Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt who will replace the Baburao-Raju-Sham trio; the characters that were played to the  gallery by Paresh Rawal, Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty respectively. The film should be going on the floors by 2010 year end.

Hera Pheri has been the biggest comedy hit since 2000 and though there were many comedies that have made money; they have not been able to be as successful as Hera Pheri.  Though the movie did not open well back then, it went on to become the biggest hit of the year and is still being remembered as one of biggest hits in comedy films.

Now for the change in the cast; it seems that there were differences between Akshay Kumar and Firoz Nadiadwala over the budget of the movie.  Though they could not come to a logical conclusion, they decided to part ways for this project.  A source confirms,  “Akshay and Firoz could not come to a conclusion and Firoz then decided to completely change the cast of his film, which will now be titled New Hera Pheri.Initially he had only thought of replacing Akshay with Abhishek (guess that would have been too personal) but later he decided to make a fresh team.”

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John Abraham actually loved his part and wanted to put buckteeth as well but the director Abbas Tyrewala found it overboard and said no. The director says, “This is a side to John that no one has seen. He’s painfully ordinary in speech, body language and clothes. He wears thick glasses and can’t look straight into anyone’s eyes.”

His clothes too are not designer ones but the ones from retail outlets. Tyrewala agrees, “Yup, no designer clothes for John in Jhootha Hi Sahi. We shopped for his clothes in retail outlets, actually purchased working-class labels like Arrow and Raymonds.”

So before the girls moan that this is the end of John Abraham’s strip business, he will go all the way again in Dostana 2.  The flab is just for this movie, ladies.  Well, he does strip in Jhootha Hi Sahee but when he does it comes as a shock, according to the director. When he disrobes fans would be shocked to see a little paunch sticking out.

Says Abbas, “John wanted to put on a lot more weight. I decided against overdoing it. Those who are used to seeing his chiseled body would be shocked by the absence of contours when he strips.” John apparently likes his new look and quotes, “From a Greek to a Geek, long journey I think.”

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Aamir and Yash Raj productions had last worked in Fanaa in 2006, which turned out to be  one of the biggest grossers  of that year. If things go right, this will be the second time they will be teaming together and the second time when Aamir wil be doing a negative role. The last time he did, it was for a flop movie called “Aatank Hi Aatank” where he had a small role, back in the 90s.

For Dhoom 3, Aamir has neither denied nor confirmed anything because he is one person who likes to get everything broken down to the smallest detail before giving his commitment. At this stage, Dhoom 3 is just planned, and it has not even been scripted.

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The music videos for the album will also come out in a phased manner and the person who will direct them is Roman White, creator of worldwide hit videos of Justin Bibber, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood. The album would be released in 122 countries.

Says Himesh excitedly, “It’s been a year of research and study of what works in the West and now that I am ready with my album, I can only say that it is due to the blessing of God, my parents and the people of India and I would like to state here that music has no language. It’s been a 360 degree reinvention for me and I have enjoyed every moment of working on this project which not only excites me monetarily but also creatively.”

Roman White is also very happy with the way things are going. He says “The one thing I love about Himesh’s music is that all of the songs are so different from one another. They range from fantastic dance songs like Bootyful to songs with more of a rock edge like Dangerously In Love. The great thing about that is we can really have a lot of fun with the videos, creating something that’s equally unique visually that goes perfectly with tone and lyrics of each song. I also love that there are some great ballads with even better love stories. I’m a huge fan of love stories, and any time I can create a video where people are falling in love it just makes me smile. Who doesn’t love to watch a great love story?”

The music videos will be produced by Vivek Singhania of Picture Perfect and Executive Producer Randy Brewer of Revolution Films. The music videos will be shot in high end video cameras in exotic locales by Roman White in September and the videos will be launched by March 2011.

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Kunal Kapor, the actor of Rang De Basanti fame, is delighted. “I am very excited about the role, as well as being part of a huge franchise like Don. And the fact that I get to share screen space with SRK makes it twice as exciting.”

The producer Ritesh Sidwani denies that he has replaced Arjun Rampal in the Farhan Akhtar directed movie. He has however agreed that Kunal  is a part of the film. Ritesh counters, “Kunal hasn’t replaced Arjun in the film. There is no Jasjeet(the part Arjun played in Don) in the film. Instead we have introduced three new parts in the film and Kunal plays one of them and Lara Dutta plays the second one. We still have to cast for the third character. From the original cast we have Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani and Om Puri. When did we say that Arjun was part of Don 2?”

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Sooraj’s woes began after he decided to take other actors instead of Salman Khan. Whenever he did a film with other actors, it either flopped or turned to be mere average. However, there is a reason why Sooraj had not taken Salman Khan in his films after Hum Saath Saath Hain. After the infamous Black Buck case, Sooraj’s father Raj Kumar Barjatya(who produces most of the films in the Barjatya banner) had banned the superstar from being a part of his productions. He had reportedly asked his son Sooraj to part ways with Salman personally as well as professionally.

Says a close source to Sooraj, “Everyone at Rajshri had presumed that Soorajji would never direct another film. Without Salman, Soorajji’s heart was just not in it. Salman had imbibed so many of Soorajji’s mannerisms that people said they looked like brothers. Salman was the only non-family male member who could move freely in and out of the Rajshri household. The black buck incident changed everything.”

However, true friendship never parts and though Sooraj did not go against his father’s wishes, he wished that Salman would be a part of his films again. Other actors were never able to get the same magic as the superstar, Main Prem Ki Deewani with Hrithik Roshan bombed and Vivah with Shahid Kapoor was also a hit only in certain parts of the country.  Finally, Sooraj decided not to do any more films till he was able to clear his problem with Salman. He sorted out the issue with his father and things seems to be  settled now. Salman Khan has also given his nod for a cameo role in Rashri Productions ‘Love You Mr.Kalakar’. Apart from this, Sallu will be doing a lead role in  Sooraj Barjatya’s next directorial venture.

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After wrapping up Dil Toh Bacha Hai, Madhur wanted to make a movie called ‘Heroine’ that was based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. But it looks like the movie is in troubled waters.  Kareena is reportedly playing hard to get and is not giving the right signals to the director who is serious about shooting the film in December 2010. To make things worse, Kareena Kapoor has gone and given her node to Karean Johar for his next film.  A source says, “Kareena has told Bhandarkar that she can’t shoot for Heroine before March at least. She will shoot for Karan’s film from December.”

The source adds, “It is natural for Bhandarkar to be upset. How can Kareena move on to a film, which will be directed by a newcomer Shakun Batra? So what if the producer is Karan?” Madhur has two options: to look for an alternative that can do justice to his film or shelve Heroine.  The director had actually spoken to Kareena about the film after Fashion, and immediately after Dil Toh Bacha Hai Ji, he wanted to shoot for Heroine. The source says, “Madhur already has a male-oriented subject with a ready script that he may consider to shoot from December.”

Though Bhandarkar and Kareena have not replied with their version, this will be the third time Kareena Kapoor will be ditching Madhur, the earlier two instances being Page 3 and Fashion.

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The industry had speculated that Vishal would take Priyanka again for his  next movie but this movie has taken them by surprise.  A source says, “Vishal has furtively been meeting up with Deepika while filming for Saath Khoon Maaf and has finally signed her for the film opposite Saif Ali Khan.”

Deepika too confirms, “All I can say is that I am working with Vishal. I have already met him a couple of times and he loved my work in Love Aaj Kal (well, there you go!) and Karthik Calling Karthik.”

Considering that she cooked up a good chemistry with Saif Ali Khan, the pair is sure going to sizzle.  Deepika adds, “Vishal  told me that ever since he watched these films, he has been writing this script keeping me in mind. It’s a dream come true for me and I always wanted to work with him, especially because he is considered one of the best directors in the country today. We all know he is extremely talented and I am looking forward to working with him.”

When asked if Deepika is excited that Saif will be opposite her, she denied.”I never asked Vishal who the actor in the film would be. I am too excited to just work with him. We start the film early next year.” The shooting starts once the post production work of Saath Khoon Maaf is wrapped up.

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Ranbir will be essaying the role of Jim Morrison fan.  So you will not be seeing any jhatkas that are a staple thing in Bollywood choreography. A source adds that Imtiaz Ali did not want Ranbir to look out of character at all for the film.  The source adds, “There is a song with his co-star Nargis Fakhri, but whether he will dance remains a mystery. Imtiaz is yet to figure out the ‘dancing’ aspect of his film. At the moment they have shot for a gypsy song with montages of Ranbir coming in.”

Ranbir meanwhile is taking guitar lesson to look every part like a guitarist. He has also been going through some videos of rockstars so that he can get the look and the style apt to his character. But we wouldn’t really have minded Ranbir shaking his leg and doing a jig, wot say?

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TV actresses have got miniscule roles in feature films like Saakshi Tanwar for C Kompany and Mona Singh in 3 Idiots. Gauhar herself was seen in a performance based role in “Rocket Singh Salesman of the Year”. Lately, television actresses are doing the roles of item girls in movies.

Shweta Salve who has participated and become runner-ups in many TV shows like Jhalak Dikhla Ja (Indian version of Dancing with the Stars) and Khatron Ke Khiladi (Indian version of Fear Factor) will be now going the ‘Item Girl’ route where she will be strutting her stuff. Shweta Salve who is known for her shapely figure and inhibition-free mindset will definitely be a treat to watch.

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A source reveals, “Kim has reportedly married the African guy. The two fell in love in the first sight only. The source further adds that Kim is making all efforts to keep her secret marriage under wraps but she’s worried since some select scribes have got a whiff of her latest doing.”

Kim Sharma has been linked to cricket Yuvraj Singh and other guys; which made headlines in tabloids but this secret marriage is a surprise, albeit a pleasant one. We wish Kim Sharma, a happy married life with her man.

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Story of Lafangey Parindey:

Lafangey Parindey is a story of two people with different aspirations in life.  Pinky(Deepika Padukone) is a girl who is brilliant with her dancing skills but she feels that she was born in a wrong place where people never take her seriously. Among the building guys there is one Nandu(Neil Nitin Mukesh) who earns a living by fighting in a boxing ring; he has earned the name “one shot Nandu” for beating opponents blindfolded.

One night Nandu and his pal (Kay Kay Menon) are involved in an encounter with the bad guys and during the chasing scene Nandu who drives the vehicle in a mad rush hits and runs his car at a person and whizzes away. Nandu comes to know the next day that his friend is dead but a bigger jolt awaits him when he comes to know that he had ran his car on Pinky.  It becomes traumatic to him and his friends in the building to see Pinky’s world crashing down she has slipped out of coma only to become blind.

Pinky’s dance teacher gives up on her because he would rather make a career with someone who  can ‘see’ and dance.  Nandu and his friends are awestruck at seeing the girl’s zeal to not give up despite all odds. This inspires Nandu to help her attain her goal of participating in “India’s Got Talent”. He proves to be an invaluable partner to Pinky so much that she insists that he dance with her. Both become each other’s inspiration and finally fall in love. But there comes a time when Pinky comes to know the reality the truth behind her accident.  Will she accept Nandu back in her life?

What works for Lafangey Parindey:

One of the biggest driving forces for Lafangey Parindey is undoubtedly Deepika Padukone. She has an alluring earthy presence and has performed remarkably well. The script is strong and Pradeep Sarkar’s execution is commendable.  The chemistry between Neil Nitin Mukesh and Miss. Padukone is definitely laudable. Some of the dialogues are brilliant: ‘Shaana Banna Hain Ki Yeda?’ and ‘Paisa Hain Toich Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge warna Hum Aapke Hain Koun?’ are catchy. Both characters Pinky and Nandu have contrasting characters with equally interesting personalities. And yes the movie does inspire. A strong mention should be made about the way the narrative flows. The screenplay flows seamlessly and one can safely say that this is Pradeep Sarkar’s best.

What does not work for Lafangey Parindey:

Nothing much here except for the fact that the second half gets a bit predictable and secondly Neil Nitin Mukesh does not really have the look of a chawl boy his fair ‘Harvard boy’ look supersedes what he wants to portray. The side-track of the cops also looks half-baked.

Performances in Lafangey Parindey;

The soul of Lafangey Parindey is Deepika Padukone. As the cheerful but spunky Pinky she outshines some of her contemporaries. It is a must watch move if you love Deepika. Neil Nitin Mukesh is also apt but he ends up looking like a supporting actor for her. All the other people in the cast have performed well.

Conclusion: An engaging watch you will enjoy your money’s worth with this one

*****(Very Good)

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If you take the concept of a movie made on farmers’ suicides, you would associate it with gloom, despair and a thought-provoking tone. But you see none of this in Anusha Rizvi directed Peepli Live.  This in fact, is a tongue-in-cheek film that takes the issue of the farmers’ suicides on a lighter note. At the same time, it royally takes on the manipulative tactics of the politicians and the TRP hungry electronic media, albeit on a lighter note. The touch is brilliant; the combination of humor with a realistic touch makes it a winning combination.  Very less movies in India have the satirical touch in them, Peepli Live is one of the few in this category.

Story of PeeplI Live:

Natha [Omkar Das Manikpuri], a poor farmer from Peepli village in rural India is on the verge of losing his land because he is not able to pay the government loan.  There is a popular belief that the government’s program has the  provision of giving financial aid to indebted farmers who have committed suicides. Natha obviously chooses to die.  His brother Raghubir Yadav is fine with it and encourages Natha’s decision.

Natha however has c hosen the timing that is right for politicians as elections are around the corner.  The political leaders, bureaucrats and always-on-the-alert media come flying down the high skies to get a piece of the action and use it to their advantage.  There is confusion in the family, while Natha’ mother (Farrukh Jaffer) screams at Natha’s wife (Shalini Vatsal), his son is pleased with his father’s impending suicide, in the hope of getting the money that he can use to become a police inspector.  It is a mad-ride and you will have a hearty time going through Natha’s turmoil.

What is good about Peepli Live:

Peepli Live does not get preachy or offer solution to the issue. It just shows things as they are and makes you come with your own opinions.  The movie’s strong point likes in its script and the good thing is that it has been well executed as well.  The wit and entertainment factor is there in the movie throughout.

Aamir Khan shows once again one simple thing: if you tell a story well, you will find a lot of takers.  The best thing that we found in the movie, is the freshness of the film, a movie like this has not been told before.  The climax is also quite complimenting to the way the film has been built up. In short,  the director Anusha Rizvi has done a superb job.

The music is rustic and lively, drifting from the dhinchak tunes of these days to the earthy folk music.  Mehangayee Daayan is now the anthem of the nation, you hear it everywhere in the radios, music channels and even news channels. So you are actually looking forward to the song and when it comes, you just enjoy every bit of it. The dialogues are funny and colorful, peppered with expletives, without being forced.

What is not so good about Peepli Live:

This is one film where you need to be really watchful about finding faults. As such there are no glaring ones, except for the fact that the tempo slows down post interval but picks up in twenty minutes.

Performances in Peepli Live:

Peepli Live scores a huge six on performances. Om Shankar Manipuri is bang-on as Natha. Raghubir Yadav is superb as the vile brother, Malaika Shenoy as the TV reporter is class apart.  Shalini Vatsa, who plays Natha’s wife in the film, has done a brilliant job.  Farrukh Jaffer as Natha’s mother screams and we love her for that. The two journalists Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vishal Sharma, who play Rakesh and Kumar Deepak respectively are out to get their goats, and perform well. Ah, did we forget to say that Naseeruddin Shah, as the manipulative, cunning politician does an absolutely impressive job.  The other character actors in the film are  also believable.

To sum up:

Peepli Live is a wonderful experience of a movie. Yes, initially the brand value of Aamir Khan will have people coming in to the theaters but soon, the content of the movie is sure to make the movie stand on its own.

Rating: **** (Very Good)

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Story of Help:

Pia(Mughda Godse) is the spouse of film-maker Vic(Bobby Deol). They have  a not exactly happy married relationship; there comes a point in time when the couple has to rush to Mauritius as Pia’s father has had a heart attack. When Pia goes to her old home, she meets her past. She comes to know that she had lost her twin sister in an accident, when she was five years old. This girl has come back from the dead to haunt Mugdha. Vic takes the help of a famous parapsychologist, Dr.  Aditya Motwani (Shreyas Talpade). Vic is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and find out what exactly is happening with his pregnant wife.

What works for Help:

Rajiv Virani’s debutant direction is promising in the second half, there are some really shocking scenes. The movie does bear an uncanny resemblance to the Hollywood horror flick, Mirrors.  The climax involves mirrors and is quite arresting.

What does not work for Help:

Though the film is successful in giving you the scare, the plot goes for a toss. It looks like a few random chilling scenes thrown together in the name of a horror movie.  There are some rather conspicuous flaws in the film, like no damage seen on the body of Susan Alves (Sophiia Handa) though she is shown to be dead due to a brutal accident. Believe it or not, the editing is bad, lower than the standards of a B-grade movie. The screen becomes dark, goes black a number of times during certain sequences. There are random songs which are thrown post interval, hurting the continuity. Things like the doctor saying that the spirit cannot do anything wrong unless he has the ‘holy water’ in him, is so passé now.

Performances in Help:

Mugdha Godse tries her best in the film, this is one film that has a performance based role for her. To top it, she looks stunning hot in the white bikini number. Bobby Deol is overshadowed by Mugdha, but is sincere in his element. Shreyas Talpade is okay in his extended special appearance.

To sum up:

Help is an average fare. Catch it if you have nothing else to do, or else you can wait for the DVD.

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With his trademark smile, he says, “The industry has gone through a bleeding time and in such case The, for my own survival and a selfish need to stay on, I will only quote the kind of amount which I rightly deserve and also doesn’t burden the producer. I don’t see how I can bring a pay cheque back home and stay on to be happy about it even as the film is facing trouble.”

This is a stark comparison to other actors who are not half as successful as him but are asking for double the price, never mind that their movies do not even get a decent initial.  Emraan says, “I guess whoever does that is really very short minded. It is stupid to forget about the film, once you get a huge sum of money. As an actor, you have to ensure that your film does well for your very own need. Give me a good film any day, other things will follow.” Emraan’s steely resolve and his knack of choosing roles that appeal to his fans and even get some more (fans) in the process, has made him a favorite of both the classes and the masses.

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Siddarth Anand is known to shoot his movies in places where not many director or producers tread. He says, “I shot Salaam Namaste in Melbourne. At that point in time, it was a city never explored by Bollywood filmmakers. For Ta Ra Rum Pum, we shot in North Carolina and for Bachna Ae Haseeno, we shot in Switzerland, Rome, Italy. Anjaana Anjaani we shot in San Francisco and Las Vegas. A lot of my friends tell me that I shot in locations where I go for my vacations. I have written a script for Anjaana Anjaani which is based in rural India, not Mumbai or Delhi.”

Coming back to Ranbir Kapoor, he says, “Ranbir is a fuller actor. I hope to tie him down for my next film too, I wish (laughs). He is a natural actor and that’s what makes him a perfect actor. He doesn’t think before doing anything. That’s why his Wake up Sid is different from an Ajab Prem … and Ajab Prem is different from a Raajneeti. He doesn’t have any method. It’s the best part to watch him act.”

He says that it was tough to get Priyanka Chopra on board too considering she has a jam-packed diary of work but once he was able to get her dates, she was commitment personified. Siddarth puts it forthright, “It is okay if stars take time.  I think a film is forever and if you have patience, that same film will be talked about for a decade.”

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Priyanka Chopra being a thorough professional  did the love-making scene with flair and that is not really a big deal for her, considering that she has six more love-making scenes in the film. Neil had to go through many retakes before finally getting the shot right. Neil does not deny that that there was a problem with the comfort level with Priyanka. He says,  . “But that’s because I hardly got to know her before working with her in Coorg. It was like … in and out. We didn’t get to know one another at all. I hardly had time to reach Coorg before we started shooting. There was no time for proper rehearsals.”

At the same time, Neil’s chemistry with Deepika Padukone is much talked about in the movie Lafangey Parindey.  He agrees, “With Deepika it was different. It was just the two of us. We had ample time to know one another before we faced the camera. In Saat Khoon Maaf, I am just one of the seven men in Priyanka’s life. It was almost like Aadmi musafir hai aata hai jaat hai.”

But Neil has all praises for Priyanka and Vishal Bharadwaj, the director of the film. He says, “She is amazing on camera . I just loved watching her give her shots. As for Vishal Bhardwaj just being directed by him is a learning experience.” He believes that both Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone will make a huge impact with their performances in their respective films.

Neil says that his awkwardness at the love-making scene was not due to being camera-shy or due to Priyanka Chopra. He adds, “It isn’t as if I was camera shy. I just didn’t get enough time to get comfortable. I’ve done a love-making scene earlier with Rimi Sen in my first film Johnny Gaddaar.”

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In a half page advertisement in the popular Sena newpaper Samna, Shahrukh Khan’s production company Red Chillies has wished Uddhav Thackeray on his 50th Birth anniversary. The byline of the ad says,, “With Best Compliments From…Red Chillies Entertainment.” The politically correct approach of SRK is right in time and should bury the hatchet between SRK and Shivsena.

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In the new Kaun Banega Crorepati, the questions will reduce in number; there will be three experts who will be on the set to help the contestants. The new logo that you see in the show has been done by the creative team of Sony Entertainment Television in consultation with Amitabh Bachchan.

You cannot miss the rupee symbol in the logo! The idea of the new rupee symbol in the logo was Amitabh Bachchan’s ida. He tweeted, “New logo for KBC! Note the Rupee symbol incorporated in the design. My suggestion!! Yeahhh !! Feeling good.”

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Karan Johar says, “We are Family is the first official adaptation in Bollywood of a Hollywood film – Step-Mom in this case.” He shares that Dharma Productions(his banner) has a good equation with Hollywod production houses like Fox which co-produced My Name is Khan and Sony Pictures, which is producing  “We are Family”. Karan Johar also believes in buying the rights officially, like he last did for the “Pretty Woman” song of Kal Ho Na Ho. He puts it across frankly, “There is just no other way to do it than in collaboration with the foreign studio or with getting the official remake rights.”

Karan’s eyes light up when mentioned about two of his favorite actress who share screen space in the movie, Kajol and Kareena Kapoor.  Kajol has always been a permanent fixture in the movies directed by him while Kareena had her first success in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gam.  Karan adds, “These two return as a pair after they worked with me in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.

Karan is quite optimistic about his film’s fortunes and knows very well that the movie is going to appeal to the women audiences specially. Karan adds, “My director has brought these two women of substance, in substantial roles, for the first time. And, as a viewer and a cinegoer, I was truly excited to see their pairing. I’m also happy that Arjun Rampal has solidly held his own despite being thrown in with these two solid performers in what I describe as an intimate family experience.” Karan is particularly proud of the fact that the debutante director has managed to get the desired performances from his actors. “I personally think WAF will provide the audience a happy laugh and a good cry.” He admits that he will be directing a movie soon and it will star his favorite actor, no prizes for guessing that!

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When asked whether he is making 300 Gods as speculated by the media, Raju says, “We have 33 crore Gods. Why would I choose 300 of those? Unless of course, people think that in three hours I can only accommodate 300. Anyway the important issue here is that I will be making a movie on religion. But media reports saying it deal with 300 Gods is wrong. My writer Abhijat Joshi is here. And we have just got a fix on the idea. The script itself is still to be written. I’m also writing Munnabhai.”

Raju says that people  are always asking him to do a third movie on the Munnabhai franchise. He states how one person even said that he had just shown the trailer of Munnabhai Chale America and didn’t make the film. His fascination for Munnabhai and the public demand has convinced him to go for the third installment of the Munnabhai series. Raju says, “There are a lot of things that goes in the society which can be said convincingly through Munnabhai.”

Though Rajkumar Hirani is being hailed as the number one director in Bollywood, he is far from complacent. He says “I am happy for sure but I don’t want to fall into this trap of numbers. I believe that today I’m on top because of 3-Idiots. Tomorrow there may be no film or there could be a film that has not done very well. This can happen. So why fall into this trap? I believe that each film is my first film and I give it all I have. Just because I have three good films behind me, it doesn’t make me all-powerful. I have to still strive to give my best to whatever I undertake. A filmmaker is only as good as his last film.”

While the trade is abuzz whether he will take Aamir again or Shah Rukh for his next project, Rajkumar says, “I have worked with the best. However, I can’t say who the leading man in my next film is unless I have a ready script. I don’t write films keeping an actor in mind. It goes the other way around.”

Raju believes that this is the best time for Bollywood, there is place for anyone who can come up with a good subject. He adds, “While ten years ago we only made love stories with the song-dance fix, now we have makers like Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyap and Imtiaz Ali doing different work. Each has his own style and strength. And Hindi cinema is certainly poised for a great take-off.”

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Madhavan has cited that he is too busy to afford time for the remake. He is currently doing Abbas Tyrewala’s “Jhootha Hee Sahi”, previously titled as 1-800-Love. He will be also seen opposite  Kangna Ranaut in “Tanu Weds Manu.” Though speculations were there that Maddy didn’t want to spoil the uniqueness of his character, he says that his dates being busy is the real reason.

Madhavan also has another film called “Sunglasses” opposite Konkana Sen Sharma, which is a family entertainer. Madhavan will do a South project with Kamal Hassan called Manmadhan Ambu. So now we know why he cannot do 3 Idiots remake. Madhavan presently is hosting a quiz show on television called “Big Money – Chota Parda Bada Game.”

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The film actually turned out to be commercially successful even before its release. The film was made in just Rs. 30 crore, which is much lesser, compared to the budget of the present-day films. A TV channel paid Rs. 12 crore for the rights, the overseas rights were Rs. 5 crore, music fetched Rs. 4 crore and the home video rights got the movie Rs.2 crore. To total it all, the film has made Rs. 23 before its release. A source says, “Khatta Meetha was made with a budget of Rs 30 crore (including print and publicity) and has already made Rs 48 crore in pre-sold rights and digital revenues even before the movie hit screens on Friday.”

Priyadarshan believes that the fact that the movie hit it right with the common man was the reason for its success. Akshay agrees, “It turned out to be a win-win situation as they bought the film under recession. If my distributors are happy I am happy. Also I’m pleased that the film has worked with the masses. The film is about the common man and if they have liked it, that works for me.”

Khatta Meetha has worked on the model set by last year’s big hit Wanted (Salman Khan starer) that was panned by critics but was the second money-maker after 3 Idiots.

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Says a friend of Rahman, “The Indian assignments after Slumdog Millioniare have been very time-consuming, especially Raavan where Rahman not only had to do two versions of the music in Hindi and Tamil, but director Mani Ratnam also asked him to give 3-4 tunes for every lyric before one was selected. The music of Raavan took more time than Rahman could afford, with the result that other Indian assignments primarily Abbas Tyrewala’s John Abraham-Pakhi starrer got left behind.”

At the moment Rahman is back again in Chennai for mixing the music of Abbas’s film. But the background score of the film which releases in October is still to be done. Though no one is admitting it, there is buzz that the one reason why Tyrewala’s film went into the backburner was because Rahman has been very busy, staying half the year out of the country for world concerts.

The source adds, “Rahman had to continuously keep breaking his international tours and other projects to be home for various reasons, like the music release of Raavan and other things. He has begun to feel that his international career would never take off if he has to keep returning home.”

Abbas Tyrewala however defends Rahman, “Yes Rahman has been a little tied up and therefore unable to deliver quickly. But that’s because he has to be constantly moving back and forth between India and the US. Raavan took much longer than Rahman thought. I’m not worried about my music. It’s almost done. Whatever time Rahman takes is finally worth the while.”

As of now, Rahman has not taken any new project and looks like he is looking ahead of India.

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Ravi Baswani was known for his comic timing. In fact, he had won the ‘Filmfare Best Comedian Award’ in 1984 for Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron.  He died in Haldwani, on his way to Delhi from Shimla where he was reportedly looking for locations to shoot his directorial venture. He had done some 30 odd films in his 30 year old career. Ravi Baswani was unmarried and 63 when he passed away.

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In the story of Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, we see how the mafia makes Mumbaai its home.  A thriller that shows how two youths rise up to the level of dons in the streets of Mumbai makes for a compelling watch.  Sultan Mirza(Ajay Devgn) moves quickly to the post of a don but his position is at risk by his protégé Shoaib Khan(Emraan Hashmi) who challenges his supremacy and dares to overthrow him from his high seat.  Basically, the movie works on human emotions and the thrill; it may well have been a movie based on corporate world or politics. All in all, it makes for an interesting watch.

What works for Once Upon a Time:

The charm of the bygone era, the romance, the smuggling, the mafia, the cabaret and the 70s look. The other good part is that the movie works on its thrill factor, there is hardly any violent scene or bloodshed in the film but still you get your value for money  The screenplay is taut and may help you draw parallels with the real life dons Haji Mastan and Dawood Ibrahim.  There is hardly a dull scene in the film and every sequence blends with the other nicely. There are plenty of interesting scenes in the film and the climax scene does remain in your mind for a long time.

Technically speaking, this is the best work of director Milan Luthria to date. Art director Nitin Chandrakanth Desai, a veteran in his field, is very good in this film, having recreated the perfect retro look of a bygone era. The screenplay by Rajat Aroraa is commendable for sure. The dialogues by Rajat are exceptional, infectious to the hilt.

Pritam has done his job well. After his score in Khatta Meetha, he gives another sixer in the form of Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai. Three songs ‘Pee Loon’, ‘Tum Jo Aaye’ and the remix of APNA DESH track stand out. Akiv Ali’s editing is crisp and so is the cinematography by Aseem Mishra. It is rare to find a movie with technical brilliance and a good script to boot. But yes, this movie is a Bollywood dream come true.

What does not work for Once Upon a Time:

There are just mere blemishes here, for instance, the story starts with Randeep Hoonda trying to commit suicide but there are no reasons given for him to commit that step. The pace of the movie does slow post second half for a while but picks up in the confrontational scene between Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi. The film could have been even better, had it been shorter in length.

Performances in Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai:

There are some brilliant performances in the movie. Ajay Devgan as expected is wonderful, his role may be similar to the one he did in Company but he gives it a better shade in this one. Emraan Hashmi is superb as the supremely ambitious person; he gets a dark role and he does it with complete enthusiasm. Watch him emote in the penultimate scenes of the film. The girls justify their hyped retro look. Kangna Ranaut shows that she can be very handy in any role that she is given. She brings to the table the right kind of glamor and screen presence that is required of her, befitting of the 70s era actress.

Prachi Desai as the girlfriend of Emraan Hashmi does a good job. She sizzles in the Bobby song and reminds you of the sensuous Dimple Kapadia.  Both Prachi and Emraan share a very good chemistry as do Kangna and Ajay.Randeep has a small cameo but he does it so well that it might well be his best performance so far. Gauhar Khan gets to perform for the remix track and she definitely does sizzle.

Conclusion: Overall, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai is a brilliant film and you should watch it for sure.

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What works for Khatta Meetha

Apart from the Shahrukh Khan-Karan Johar combination, the amazing combination of Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan always works time and again; and this time they are working on a remake of the old Malayalam classic. The chemistry is palatable as Akshay Kumar leads from the front doing a great job as Sachin Chitkule. He is ably supported by the fantastic Rajpal Yadav. The razor sharp editing, the good flow of scenes in the film and the good blend of drama with comedy really makes the movie a good watch

What is not so good about Khatta Meetha

Trisha is the weak part of Khatta Meetha. If sources are to believed, Trisha got the role because she is a good friend of Priyadarshan, who assured that she would get a good debut. But in the role of a municipal commissioner which requires authority, Trisha fails miserably. Some of the comic scenes in the movie are déjà vu, for instance, one of the funny scenes is copied from Bean-The Movie.

Performances in Khatta Meetha

It is Akshay Kumar all the whole who literally carries the movies on his shoulders as Sachin Tichkule. The rest of the cast are not worth talking about because they have miniscule roles, save for a  brilliant performance by Rajpal Yadav and good cameos by Johnny Lever and Asrani. It is evident that Priyadarshan couldn’t find a meaty role for Paresh Rawal, or he would have definitely put his other regular actor in the film.

Conclusion: Do not miss Khatta Meetha if you are looking for a complete entertainer, with the typical Priyadarshan brand of comedy and drama.

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Gauri has been a strong pillar of support for the actor, and has maintained a low profile since her marriage. She used to design his costumes from Baazigar days till she turned producer with Main Hoon Na (2004) and Om Shanti Om (2007). It is believed that finally, she will be coming out of her shell and face the arc lights. “Gauri has been approached for commercials earlier but somehow things never worked out. This commercial with Shah Rukh will be her first full-fledged assignment in front of the camera,” added the source.

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Priyadarshan said that the film is more drama and less comedy. Is it true?

Absolutely. There is a lot of drama as this is no happy-go-lucky slapstick comedy. This film has more emotions than I have performed in a long time. Priyadarshan has made a wonderful movie and people from all walks of life will be able to appreciate it. Well, as long as they have a heart that is and a funny bone

Are you and Priyadarshan upset tht the film is being marketed as a comedy?

It’s very hard to make people understand that not every movie that either I do or Priyadarshan does has to be a comedy. He has every right to feel upset. This is his movie and he wants people to walk in knowing what they are going in for. Everyone knows that there is nothing more disappointing than paying to see a movie that doesn’t fulfil you. When I want to see an action packed film, I expect to see some action and not come out crying without knowing. Believe me, Khatta Meetha is deep and funny and common and dramatic.

Khatta Meethas has been sold at a low price compared to most Akshay starrers Since you are the producer, it looks like you have a winner already

There was no need to make a high budget movie. It’s about a common man and common everyday problems. It’s not an Avatar or Blue kind of a film. We are not trying to change cinema with this one; we just want to tell a story and make you feel things that you haven’t felt for a while. The economics of the film are simple. What we needed visually, we got and paid for. We sold it for what was right and the rest isn’t written yet.

What do you want to say about the RK Laxman controversy that  involved you last week?

I really don’t want to get into it. What was said was extremely distasteful.. I was officially invited to visit Mr RK Laxman by his wife and the Times Of India. Even they feel bad for the outcome of such an innocent visit. But as always I can’t, in fact no one can stop people from saying or writing what they want. Also, it’s not the first time that Twitter has been the cause of problems. All one can do is deal with it, and move on. I am thankful to Amitabh Bahchcan for having given me support; he is such a big role model for all of us.

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Jwala Gutta (26), World No 7 mixed doubles player, at present married to Arjuna Award-winner badminton champ Chetan Anand, is reportedly stated to be involved with the 47-year-old former India skipper and Congress MP from Moradabad. He is said to be so charmed with her that he has gifted her a BMW that she rides around Hyderabad.  This definitely raises  suspicions because mixed doubles badminton players are not rich enough to own a BMW. “Whenever he is in Hyderabad, he is seen in Pullela Gopichand’s academy where Jwala practises and they both leave together. They head to some hotel but I am not sure if they stay together in the same room,” said a highly-placed source from the Andhra Pradesh Badminton Association. “Jwala and her husband are not staying together at the moment and are even practicing separately,” he added.

Azhar was also seen at the Asian Badminton Championship in Delhi recently and the couple have even been watching matches together. Badminton officials have stated that Azhar was showing interest in fighting the Badminton Association of India (BAI) elections, just for Jwala, and not to bring about professionalism and transparency in the sport.  Azhar was first married to wife Naureen,for eight years, after which he dated Sangeeta. The divorce has cost him a couple of bungalows in Hyderabad’s sprawling Banjara Hils, two BMWs and a couple of lakhs. Naureen went on marry Canada based businessman. Azhar then married Sangeeta Bijlani and they were in the matrimonial bond for 14 years ever since.

Sangeeta met Azhar at a photo-shoot where they modeled together for an ad in 1993. He started seeing her and then on 1996, they got married.  Though Sangeeta has been unavailable for comment, Jwala’s manager quotedr “You can write whatever you want, but it’s neither a yes nor a no,” Azhar said  “All these are rumours.” But there is news that Sangeeta is staying in Mumbai while her husband is in Hyderabad. Chetan Anand, Jwala’s husband said, “I don’t want to comment anything. It is a personal issue. The media has no right to get into personal matters.” He then disconnected the phone.

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A source says, “SRK is busy in London, working on RaOne. He will be taking a couple of days off to come to Mumbai for a brief visit. During that break he will be catching up on Akshay Kumar’s Khatta Meetha. SRK’s office has requested the producers of Akshay’s film for a print which he will be watching in his state of the art preview theater at his residence. The producers Ashtavinayak have agreed and are looking for a date that SRK finds convenient.  The reason for this is Shah Rukh does not know when he will be coming to Mumbai but one thing that is sure that when he comes to the city, he will definitely take time to watch Khatta Meetha.”

Another source confirmed that Shah Rukh Khan had landed in Film City a few days ago where Akshay Kumar was shooting. They had met and talked at length. Seems like another friendship budding up just like the one between Karan Johar and Aamir. Like they say in Bollywood, there are  no permanent friends and no permanent enemies.

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It is believed that Rohit Shetty was looking for an innovative name for his dog, and finally came up with this name himself. The entire team was in splits but loved the idea very much. Further, Rohit has made sure that Kareena’s role is exciting, what with a funny dog. Her T-shirts will also bear the names ‘Crime Master Gogo’ and ‘Mogambo Khush Hua’. Let us hope all these things work for the movie and the film ends up as one more feather on Kareena’s cap.

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