Stage shows a way of partying with fans Shah Rukh

It's not for the money or the fame that Shah Rukh Khan does stage shows, but to get up close and party with his fans.
“These shows are not a show of talent or some amazing skill that you possess. This is our way of partying with people who have shared so much love and happiness with us,” Shah Rukh Khan said in the course of a media interaction in Dubai ahead of his Temptation Reloaded stage show scheduled for Saturday night (October 25).
“I have been working for 21 years and I don’t really get the opportunity to thank each of my fans personally,” he said.
“I am old now,” he continued, “and it is quite difficult to do live shows. Some days, I get up and I say I don’t really have to do this. It is not for the money, not for the fame any more.”
Shah Rukh returns to Dubai after a gap of four years for a live stage show.
Dubai is part of the Temptation Reloaded world tour that the Bollywood star is doing along with Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor.
The tour started in Rotterdam, Holland in June and continued to Singapore.
The show will be compered by MTV video jockey Anusha Dandekar and choreographed by Ganesh Hegde of Lagaan fame.
Britain based desi-rapper Hard Kaur will also perform before the Dubai audience.
The show is being sponsored by Country Club Group of India, which has opened a new resort in Dubai this year.
According to the organisers, the show is expected to draw around 18,000 people at the Dubai Festival City Arena. Dubai is home to around 700,000 of the 1.5 million expatriate Indians in the United Arab Emirates.

Hema Malini's Vijayaraje Scindia look decided in 48 hours

It took fashion designer Neeta Lulla just 48 hours of hard work to decide the right look for Bollywood 'dream girl' Hema Malini's forthcoming venture Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi in which she plays erstwhile Gwalior queen Vijayaraje Scindia.
"Actually we both had time constraints so I had to work round-the-clock to give Hemaji the look of the Rajmata. I did my own research and Hema ji also gave me a reference book, which helped me a lot," said Lulla.
Lulla is the one who gave Aishwarya Rai the ethereal look in Ashutosh Gowarikar's period drama Jodhaa Akbar. She was also behind Hema Malini's refreshing look in Ravi Chopra's "Baghban".
"I tried to give her a different look in Baghban and people loved the way she looked in the film. Hope people will like it this time too," the designer added.
Being directed by Gulbahar Singh, Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi went on floors recently and is being produced by the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Smriti Trust

Vidya Balan learns to drive, thanks to Vishal Bharadwaj

After making sure Saif Ali Khan learnt the typical Uttar Pradesh dialect for Omkara, filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj forced actress Vidya Balan to overcome her road phobia for a driving scene in his next movie Ishqiya.
"Vidya has an acute road phobia. She was petrified at the thought of driving earlier, but not any more," said a source close to the film.
"Driving a car was something completely alien to her. But Vishal saw to it that she mastered the art and now is pretty comfortable maneuvering her car on the road," the source added.
The filmmaker is known to be particular about making his actors learn the required skills in reality rather than making them pretend on screen.

Anil Kapoor follows daughter on the catwalk

After daughter Sonam Kapoor, it was the turn of dad Anil Kapoor to walk the ramp, taking everyone by surprise on the concluding day of the Lakme Fashion Week.
Clad in grey military fatigues, Anil walked smartly down the ramp for young designer Kunal Rawal Friday (October 24) evening.
"When I saw myself in the monitor just before entering the ramp, I was surprised by the look that Kunal's costumes gave me. It showed me in a completely different style," Anil said. "I was very excited to walk the ramp with my new look, which has never been tried before."
"Young designers in India are doing a wonderful job and the whole world is looking up to them," said Anil. Kunal has designed costumes for Akshay Khanna and Arshad Warsi for Anil Kapoor's next production Shortcut, which also stars Amrita Rao.
About Kunal, the Bollywood actor said: "He is an upcoming designer who is extremely good. He has done very good work for my film and I think he is the future of the fashion industry. I am always there to encourage young designers like him."
Kunal's collection Expedition was in masculine colours - khaki, beige, brown, black, white with touches of leaf green and a bit of orange - along with some bold checks.
Kunal said: "Anil-ji has been associated with a strong masculine image which he has carried successfully over the years. So there cannot be anyone better than him to carry my outfits, which have been designed for the male who enjoys the outdoors."
Kunal used fabrics like cotton, linen and techno in his collection. He merged a few Indian embellishments, like the stylised Jodhpuri pants and jackets as well as the bandhgala style in his silhouette.
Embroidery and military motifs were noticeable on some of the shirts, trousers and jackets.

Sanjay Dutt lands Bollywood offers in Phuket too

While shooting for Blue in Phuket, Sanjay Dutt got several film offers and finally he zeroed on three films - Anees Bazmi's action comedy, Milan Luthria's underworld drama and Ramesh Sippy's next.
"Anees Bazmi has signed Sanjay for an action-comedy that will have two other heroes. Milan Luthria came and narrated a subject with the underworld in the backdrop. Baba has agreed to do that as well," said Dharam Oberoi, CEO of Sanjay Dutt Productions.
"Ekta Kapoor's uncle Ramesh Sippy too has pencilled in Sanjay for another project," added Oberoi.
David Dhawan too went to Phuket to meet Sanjay with a film offer. Clearly then, the actor is on a signing spree. "His dates are booked until the end of 2010. And 2011 is fast getting blocked. This is the best phase of Sanjay's life. And I'm so glad to be a part of it. He's enjoying life and working hard," Oberoi said.
Bazmi, Luthria and Sippy flew down to Phuket to finalise deals with Sanjay and the actor. Sanjay had all the visitors parked in a specially hired cruiser while he shot in the ocean. Ravi Walia too joined them.
Oberoi's actress-daughter Neha too flew in to give company to Sanjay's wife Maanyata. "The number of men there far exceeded the women. Maanyata bhabhi needed some female company, so I got Neha along."
Apparently, Maanyata and Oberoi's daughter get along exceedingly well and are now happy bonding in the blue expanse while Dutt shoots and meets up with filmmakers from Mumbai.

Bhandarkar plays safe, drops gay kissing scene from Fashion

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar has dropped a gay kissing scene between actors Samir Soni and Anil Kumar from his forthcoming film Fashion before it went to the censor board. He, however, plans to restore it on DVD.
"What a beautifully-shot scene of intimacy it is between Samir and Anil. You forget their gender. They're just two people in love expressing their feelings," said Bhandarkar.
"I took it out before taking it to the censor board. I thought portraying a homosexual couple was bold enough. The kiss would have been too much. But now I'm planning to restore it on the DVD," the director said.
The film, which also stars Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut, Mugdha Godse and Arjan Bajwa, is releasing on October 29.
Samir, best remembered as Amitabh Bachchan's ungrateful son in Baghban, says he didn't face any nervousness or inhibition while doing it.
"Anil was more nervous than I could ever be. I wasn't nervous or anxious at all. Why should I be? I think too much hoo-ha is made in our country about sexual orientation. Isn't there enough violence and unrest being created against minority groups on the basis of religion? Do we need to get all heated up about what two grown-up men do in privacy?" he asked.
The gay kiss in Fashion happens in a car. "It's a very natural moment between two people in love. And I didn't have a moment's hesitation in doing it. Why should I? I don't have a girlfriend to be answerable to. I did think, 'Oh my god, what will my parents say?' But it's not me, it's my character kissing the person he loves.
"More than me it was Anil who was trembling in fear. I told him to chill as I was like his elder brother. I knew with Madhur at the helm it would be aesthetic. Did I feel repelled? No, I was okay," Samir said.
Tell him that many Indian actors have a problem playing gay and Samir shrugged: "See, I feel those who are homophobic would recoil from doing a gay role. But I'm extremely confident of my sexuality and had no qualms about playing gay. From my modeling days I've had gay friends who would discuss their boyfriends with me. So I'm very comfortable with homosexuality.
"I think we need to get over our prudery about these things. And archaic laws are only making things worse for gay people. They're either hiding or defiantly flaunting their homosexuality in their clothes and body language," the actor said.
Samir is all for scrapping outdated laws on homosexuality.
"I'm not very qualified to speak on the current controversy over the constitutional rights of homosexuals. But I do know every individual has the right to choose whom he or she wants to be with. I'm heterosexual. But I respect my gay friends and their right to live life the way they want. Playing a homosexual in Fashion, I realised love has no gender."
Canada-based Indian filmmaker Deepa Mehta's Fire (1998) was perhaps the first mainstream Hindi film to show gay kissing - Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das kissed under the mosquito net in the controversial movie.

Yuvan Shankar Raja turns producer

Yuvan Shankar Raja is going to fulfill one of his dreams, to start his own production house. And the first film he will produce will be based on his story.
The film will be directed by S.D. Sabba, currently shooting Maa with Bhumika. The reason for Yuvan starting his own movie production house is to make a film in the way he wants and enjoy total freedom.
Mirchi Shiva of Chennai-28 and Saroja fame will play lead in this romantic musical comedy, which will have music by Yuvan himself.
The buzz is that Yuvan is producing the movie to get even with director Selvaraghavan, his one time good friend now bitter enemy. Selva had unceremoniously thrown him out of Aayirathil Oruvan and replaced him with G.V Prakash.
When asked what happened to his company White Elephants which he formed with Selvaraghavan and cameraman Aravind Krishna, Yuvan tongue-in-cheek said : " probably roaming in the forest". It can also be a indirect dig at Selva who has been going around the forest areas for the last 18 months trying to finish his Aayirathil Oruvan!

Happy Birthday To Asin

Asin is on cloud nine, as she celebrates her birthday today (Oct 26). She is just back in Mumbai from London and Paris after the long schedule of Vipul Shah’s London Dreams, her second film in Hindi.
A birthday special- Wish her, catch all the latest news, videos, and more!
She says: “I am glad to be back in Mumbai where I will be celebrating my birthday by having a quiet dinner as usual with my parents”.
In fact the unit of London Dreams had invited her for a wrap up party before she left London and the actress was overwhelmed to find that it was a surprise birthday party that Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan had arranged for her.
The entire cast and crew including the Cultural Minister who had given special permission for the unit to shoot there was present to wish Asin.
Says Asin: “I never thought that I would be able to come back to Mumbai on my birthday. The unit was so professional and well-planned that we wrapped up the shoot five days in advance and I was able to fly back to Mumbai and celebrate at home”.
Asin also confesses that she changed into a complete shopaholic during her shoot. Adds Asin: “It was a necessary evil that I had to indulge, as I explored all leading designer label stores in Paris and London from where I picked up designer shoes, dresses and sunglasses for my film as well as my personal use”.
Asin was also amazed when lots of Indians at Madame Tussauds in London came up to her and wanted to be photographed with her

Five minutes more and the AC would've exploded on my face - Jacky Bhagnani

While his father Vashu Bhagnani was shooting with Govinda and Sushmita Sen at the 9-star Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, Jacky Bhagnani escaped sure-death by minutes back home in Mumbai.
Jacky Bhagnani escaped unharmed in the fire that broke out in Mumbai during the shooting of Kal Kissne Dekha. How he managed to be outside the van when he was supposed to be relaxing inside is something Jacky can't explain.
"Five minutes more in the van, and the air-conditioner would've exploded on my face and also harmed my two cousins who had come to visit me on location. We were all sitting in the van waiting for Mr Rishi Kapoor to arrive since he had a night shoot with me. I don't know what happened. I suddenly felt restless inside the van. I sprang out of my chair and told my cousins to step out with me for a walk. A few minutes later we heard a loud explosion behind us. We turned and saw the whole van was up in flames."
Jacky claims he had a negative feeling about the van from the start. "I felt something not right in the van from the minute I stepped into it. I told the unit to change my van. And they promised to do so the next day. But before that, this catastrophe happened. I've never heard of an air-conditioner exploding, have you?"
Coincidentally, Jacky plays a guy who gets premonition in his debut film. "Yes in Kal Kisne Dekha I play a guy who can see things before they happen. I guess some of my character is rubbing off on me. Because I did feel uneasy in the van before it exploded."
Now Jacky is safe with his father in Abu Dhabi. Says the shuddering father Vashu Bhagnani, "When my son called from Mumbai to say there was an accident I thought he meant a road accident and asked him if he was okay. When I heard what it was I couldn't stop shaking. People in Mumbai are talking about how much raw stock I've lost. But imagine what I could've lost! Now I'm looking at the accident positively. It's said that a fire before an event is auspicious. Maybe this means that my son's debut film will do well."

Sameera Reddy waits for De Dana Dan to go on floors

Priyadarshan's next comedy, De Dana Dan, a kind of follow up though not a sequel to Hera Pheri just got bigger and delayed.
The film now features Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Suniel Shetty, Neha Dhupia and Sameera Reddy.
"I've never worked with Priyan before. But I think he liked my comic timing in Race, where I played Anil Kapoor's airhead assistant. That's how I got De Dana Dan. I've always been a big Priyan fan, by the way," said Sameera.
However, Sameera's enthusiasm will have to wait as the film's shoot has now been shifted from November 2008 to January 2009, partly because Priyan is busy with the Darsheel Safary starrer, Bam Bam Bhole.
"Bam Bam Bhole is not a small art house film. It's a full-on entertainer. And it needs nurturing. Once I release Billo Barber, I need to promote Bam Bam Bhole properly. De Dana Dan with Akshay, Katrina, Sameera Reddy, Suniel Shetty and Neha Dhupia has gone forward by a few months."
This was meant to be the Southern sensation Asin's launch pad. "Yes," concedes Priyan. "But only initially. Once the script crystallized it was Katrina all the way."

Chak De girl 'Komal Chautala' plays model coordinator in Fashion

Her rough tongue did as much talking as her hockey stick in Chak De India. But with Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion, she seems to have polished out all her rough edges. We are talking about Chitrashi Rawat, popularly known as Komal Chautala of Chak De India.
In Fashion, Chitrashi plays the role of a model coordinator and is an integral part of the plot. Interestingly, her presence in the film has been a closely-guarded secret.
"How did this come to your notice? There was not much being spoken about this part,” said Madhur, who was taken aback when queried about Chitrashi's presence in the film. “Let this be a surprise element."
After being prodded further, the director agreed to speak about the role. "Chitrashi plays a model coordinator in the film. She approached me when work on Fashion had begun and expressed that she wanted to work with me,” he said. “I did tell her that the part was important but not too lengthy. But she said she wanted to be a part of Fashion."
Madhur said Chitrashi will be seen in four scenes. However, each of them is integral to the film's plot. "She made a terrific impression in just these four scenes. Yet again, she is a firebrand in Fashion and doesn't mince any words,” said the director. “I liked the way she approached her character and made it look so convincing and real."
Starring Priyanka Chopra, Kangna Ranaut and Mugdha Godse, Fashion is all set to hit the screens on October 29th.

Ketan Mehta's Rang Rasiya to be screened at London film fest

Director Ketan Mehta's forthcoming bilingual film—Rang Rasiya in Hindi and Colours of Passion in English—will be screened at the 52nd London Film Festival.
There will be two screenings on October 25 and 30, according to Anand Mahendroo, who has produced the movie along with Deepa Mehta.
The movie is a sensuous love story of the great Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma and his muse, a woman called Suganabai.
Director Mehta said that the movie also dwells at length on an obscenity case slapped on Raja Ravi Varma by puritans in the late 19th century.
"Though Raja Ravi Varma died in 1906, the film has a contemporary appeal as the conflict between artistic freedom and social taboos that pestered the painter is still a matter of debate in India," Mehta said.
He cited the example of how the noted Indian artist M F Hussain has now become a victim of intolerance and regressive mindset of a section of the society.
"What I mean to say is that, dichotomy still exists in how some influential people who otherwise consider themselves progressive look at the world of art. On the one hand, they feel proud, as they should, about India's successful moon mission, but on the other hand, they get jitters at the sight of a nude painting," Mehta said.
Was that what inspired him to make the movie?
"Partly, yes. But I always wanted to make a film on the life of Raja Ravi Varma. When I was at FTII [The Film and Television Institute of India], I studied art as a hobby.
What drew me to Varma was the knowledge that the images of our Hindu gods and goddesses that have been inscribed on our minds were actually his creation," he said.
About his choice of artistes for the movie, Mehta said that he never wanted to cast popular stars as they would have overshadowed its theme.
In order to keep the perspective of the movie in focus, he also chose foreign cinematographers [Rali Ralchev and Christo Bakalov] to shoot the movie, he said.
"Local cinematographers would not have been able to get themselves out of the familiarity. I needed a cinematographer who could look at the perspective with a freshness of outlook," the director said.
Starring Randeep Hooda, Nandana Sen, Paresh Rawal and Jim Boeven, Rang Rasiya will be screened at the MIACC Film Festival, organised by Indo-American Arts Council, in New York on November 6 and 8.
The movie is slated for commercial release all over in December.

Kareena was a big reason for signing Golmaal Returns: Pritam

Pritam has a thing for Kareena Kapoor. And he doesn't mind admitting so. "Whenever I hear that a project features Kareena Kapoor, I always get excited. There is something about her presence in my songs that makes me give 200 per cent. I would like to create an array of chartbuster tracks for her," says the music director, who, along with Kareena, created one of the biggest hits of their career—It's Rocking (from Kya Love Story Hai).
"The moment It's Rocking was recorded, I knew the song was something special," says Pritam, "I got the same vibes for Tu saala the moment the tune was finalised for Golmaal Returns. The number is choreographed on Kareena and I am so happy with the outcome. Now I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying that it exceeds the success of It's Rocking."
Last year, Pritam created Yeh ishq hai especially for Kareena when he was signed on for Jab We Met. Later, when he was approached for Golmaal Returns, he didn't have a reason to say 'no'.
"I asked Vishal-Shekhar though if they were OK if I scored for Golmaal Returns. After all, they had composed for the first in the series and had done such a fantabulous job,” says Pritam. “Once they were fine with me stepping in, I began work on the music. Of course, Kareena being a part of the project was a big reason, too."
Was that the case with Billo Barber, where Kareena is supposedly appearing in an item number. "Not really," he says. “When I signed on the dotted line for Billo Barber, Kareena wasn't a part of the project. She came in only later. However, it doesn't hurt to have her as a part of the film. I am now looking forward to my next big hit with Kareena."
Other than Billo Barber, some of the upcoming projects featuring Pritam are Har Pall, Hello Darling and Kutti Chetan And Friends.

Sammir Dattani walks the ramp for Krishna Mehta

Recently, Sammir Dattani went back to his roots to walk the ramp for designer Krishna Mehta.
Says Sammir, "It was like the old times. I started as a model. I used to endorse products as a child. Six years ago I walked the ramp in New York for the Fashion Week. And now there I was at the Lakme Fashion Week modelling for Krishna Mehta's 'Sunrise In The Desert' collection."
Prachi Desai also walked the ramp the same evening. Both Sammir and Prachi were introduced as the stars of tomorrow.
Says Sammir, "That was very kind of Krishna Mehta. She gave me a sherwani to wear and I'd have been very nervous to wear it if I hadn't tried out the clothes from before. And besides it was my favourite colour, blue. Thank God I didn't have to wear a dhoti under the sherwani. I'd have been focusing more on keeping it place than walking the ramp."

J P Dutta's next action film has a great role for me: Sonu Sood

The year 2008 has been a rocking one for Sonu Sood. He has been part of two super-successful films—Jodhaa Akbar and Singh Is Kinng. And he will soon be seen in a totally different persona in Sooraj Barjatya's Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi. Playing the quintessential Prem is a new role for him, but Sonu is loves to change tracks often.
In 2009, he will change his look again—this time as an action hero. He has been signed by J P Dutta for his next film.
"I am really excited about the J P Dutta film, which I recently signed. Though dates for the shooting are yet to be finalised, we should be starting early next year," says Sonu, who made his debut as Bhagat Singh with Shaheed-E-Azam six years back. Since then he has been making an impression by working across genres—from films like Yuva (drama) to Aashiq Banaya Aapne (romance) to Siskiyaan (drama).
With Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi seeing him as a solo lead, does J P Dutta's next film also see him holding centre stage? "I don't know about that though I am sure about the fact that the film has a great role for me,” says Sonu. “It is a nice action film though, let me tell you, it is not set in a war zone this time around. I am looking forward to all the action that I will be a part of.
Happy with the way his career is shaping up, especially recently, Sonu says, "I have been lucky to be working with all the big names. In fact, talking about Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi, I never thought that I would ever get into a romantic mode. Yes, I wanted to show another angle of mine, but an opportunity never came my way. This is when I heard about this film from Rajshri."
"There couldn't have been a better outing as a romantic lead than Rajshri. I was waiting for the right scripts, the right kind of films. Also, I mainly wanted to do big banners and somehow the gamble paid off,” he says. “I got working across different genres—historical, action thrillers, full on comedy [Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge, my next film, is a laugh riot]. Now I am able to do different kind of roles and it feels good when I am complimented for the work that I am doing.”

Lara Dutta to do voice-over for animated film Jumbo

First it was Akshay Kumar and Dimple Kapadia who agreed to lend their voices to Percept Picture Company's forthcoming animated flick Jumbo. Now, the news has it that Lara Dutta will also be doing a voice over for the same.
This is the first time that the beautiful actress would be associated with an animated film and, surprisingly, Lara has agreed to lend her voice for free. The actress apparently loved the film when she watched it and immediately decided that she wanted to be a part of it.
Looks like animation flicks are the latest craze for all our B-town celebs. After all, everyone from SRK (The Incredibles) to Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor (Roadside Romeo) to Lara Dutta (Jumbo) seem to be more than excited to have their voices heard.

Title trouble for Harman Baweja's 'James & Bond'

After the debacle of the futuristic mega-spectacle Love Story 2050, Harry Baweja has resurfaced to make a comedy with son Harman called James & Bond, but it may not be that easy to get the title so closely linked to the '007' franchise.
"Yes, dad and I are doing a comedy together. But we may not call it James & Bond' at all. Actually, some sections of the media found out that we had registered that title 'James & Bond'. A lot of media stories about big banners launching films that you see come out from title registration only," Harman said.
James & Bond may not go down well with the celluloid fans of Ian Fleming. There are strong copyright-protection acts protecting all globally acknowledged brand names in the entertainment business.
"We just registered the title. Doesn't mean we're making a film of that title. It was just a thought. A section of the media even made up the script for us and which parts of the world we'd shoot it in. It's ridiculous," he added.
David Dhawan, similarly, wanted to title his sequel to Partner as Tom & Jerry. He quickly changed his mind when not-so-discreet inquiries about the title were made from sources in the US.
Harman says he wasn't hiding after the debacle of Love Story 2050.
"Far from it. I've just been working day and night," said the actor who is busy shooting Anees Bazmi's It's My Life. "In the last five weeks I've visited five different places. I've been to Sri Lanka, Jaipur, South Africa, Delhi and Bangalore. Now I leave to shoot in Greece."
The newcomer has such a choc-a-bloc schedule that he doesn't have time for anything else.
"I've no time to socialise or to make my presence felt in the so-called right places. Finally, it's not your networking but your work that decides your career. It's very important for my next two films to work. My next two films It's My Life and Victory have turned out well. Anyone who has seen these films has only good things to say about these films."
Harman starts shooting for Ashutosh Gowariker's What's Your Raashee with girlfriend Priyanka Chopra in November.
Stories about a split with Priyanka amuse Harman.
"What can I say? I never said we were a couple before. So why should I react when people are splitting us."
But friends swear Harman and Priyanka are very much together. "In fact, both of them are so busy and yet they try to meet up at least once every day," a mutual friend said.
About Love Story 2050 Harman said: "It worked for me. Finally, whether the film works or not is proved by the work you get. I'm happy with the work I'm doing. I signed Ashutosh sir's and Sanjay sir's (Leela Bhansali) films after Love Story 2050. And I'm on the verge of signing another film. I'm very cautious about what I'm doing. I can't afford to slip up."

Women my age having a ball in Bollywood: Shabana Azmi

From being sari-clad, teary-eyed melodramatic mothers to smart, strong and independent women - forty plus actresses are having a ball in Bollywood. Seasoned actress Shabana Azmi says this is the best time for women her age to be in Hindi films.
"Earlier, there was hardly any visibility in Bollywood films for women over 40 years except for those cranky, motherly and grandmotherly roles. But today, there are so many different roles on the platter. Basically, with the kind of choices that actresses my age are getting these days, this is a pretty time to be in Bollywood," said Shabana.
Shabana has dabbled in a melange of powerful roles in Ankur, Mandi, Arth, and Masoom" in the past to the more recent films like Godmother, Fire, Hari Bhari, Morning Raga and Dus Kahaniyaan in her career spanning over three decades.
The actress feels she is at the "right place at the right time". "I am getting delightful roles that can be wicked, naughty, comic as well as usual positive roles," she said.
Shabana added that she now gets to be a part of light-hearted films like Loins of Punjab Presents and Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd in contrast to the serious roles she is known for in parallel cinema.
"Today filmmakers are offering such a variety of roles - from strong, dramatic and powerful roles, I am also getting offers for comedy. The image of women has changed so much for the better in the industry," she said.
Before Loins of Punjab Presents and Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd happened, Shabana didn't have too many comic roles to boast of. Now she will feature in another comic caper titled Sorry Bhai - it has an ensemble cast including Boman Irani, Sanjay Suri, Sharman Joshi and Chitrangada Singh.
"In the film, I play a bossy mother and a wife, but it is a very likeable bossiness. Sorry Bhai is a very sweet and gentle film with a lot of spunk. It pushes the bar to where relationships can be stretched and has a very strong underline of comedy," explained Shabana.
The film is scheduled for a November release.
She is also busy with Kalpvriksh, a children's film by Manika Sharma for which she was shooting in Ladakh last week.
Shabana was given a National Integration Award by the Assam government Sunday and she will be conferred an honorary doctorate by the Jamia Milia Islamia University here later this week.
After having won five National Awards and many international honours, Shabana says she no longer craves for awards. "Awards have to be the by-product of the work one does and not the cause," said Shabana.

Britain ties up with Bollywood

Indian and British filmmakers are expected to co-produce 10 new movies over the next two years as a bilateral film treaty kicks in, said officials.
London dreams, starring Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan, will be the first title under the co-production treaty that was approved by the Indian cabinet in April after months of delay.
British culture department officials said the treaty gives financial incentives, including tax-breaks and funding for Indian filmmakers.
“It's good for cinema and positive for cultural ties between India and the UK,” said Simon Oliver of the department of culture.
Culture Minister Barbara Follet is to meet with Bollywood stars Salman Khan, Ajay Devgan and Asin and director Vipul Shah on the sets of London dreams at Trafalgar Square in central London on Wednesday (October 22) as a symbolic start to the treaty, Oliver said.
“Indian film producers are very keen to promote this treaty, which has suffered from the usual bureaucratic delays in India,” said Pervez Alam, director of India-EU Film Initiative, an organisation that promotes links between Indian and European filmmakers.
“There is a recognition in Britain that the Indian film industry today has muscle - and money-power. People don't want to miss out on that opportunity,” Alam added.
A 2007 report by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the professional services firm, said India and China are expected to drive the global entertainment and media industry to $2 trillion by 2011.

Santosh Sivan's Tahaan all set for Rome film fest

After making waves at Pusan and London film festivals, ace filmmaker Santosh Sivan's Tahaan is all set to enthrall viewers at the Rome International Film Festival, starting Wednesday (October 22).
"Of course, I am extremely delighted to be a participant at the Rome Festival. From there I will go to attend a festival in Netherlands also," said Sivan.
Acclaimed Indian cinematographer-turned-director is also taking Purav Bhandar, the kid who played the main lead in the film, with him.
Set in Kashmir, Tahaan is about people living there, cross-border terrorism, good and evil, unlikely friendships, and also a bit of philosophy.
"Am really happy because Tahaan has got good openings in the European and Asian markets and also got invited to the Sundance film festival too," Sivan said.
The year has been really good for Sivan as his first Hollywood film Before the Rains, shot exclusively in Munnar, a hill station in the state, won him rave reviews. He was also a jury member at the prestigious film festival.

I hope my film captures dignity of slum dwellers: Danny Boyle

British director Danny Boyle says unlike City of Joy and Salaam Bombay, his film Slumdog Millionare does not portray people living in Indian slums as poor and desperate.
"The word slum in my film's title has not been used in quite the obvious way. Working in the so-called slum areas of Mumbai, I found it a fantastically organised place to go. The people were hugely generous," said Boyle.
"They are a huge community of very dignified and warm people. I hope my film has captured their dignity. They're not portrayed as poor and desperate people in my film. I think people in India should see the film before they judge it," he added.
Loosely based on Vikas Swarup's best-selling novel Q & A, the film was shot in Mumbai.
Other international crew may have a different story to tell. But Boyle, who made films like Trainspotting, The Beach and 28 Days Later, has gone back swearing by the city.
Asked if Mumbai was fully peaceful for him, he said: "I don't know whether 'peaceful' would be the right word. For me it was a very happy experience. I got so attached to the city, they had to stop me from filming and push me out of Mumbai. The only way to make a film based on Mumbai is to accept how extraordinarily complex and interesting the city is.
"If you go from the outside to make a film in Mumbai thinking you'd be fully in control of the situation and blah blah, the film would never get made. If you trust and respect the city, it delivers back to you ten-fold."
Boyle hopes US-based Indian filmmaker Mira Nair would be able to make her second film on Mumbai Shantaram.
"If Slumdog Millionaire works for a mainstream audience, international studios would be encouraged to make mainstream films. Slumdog Millionaire has got a big heart, so I don't see why it should not work for a global audience. There's a line in the film where a character says, 'India has become the centre of the world now'. People outside are now warming up to India," said Boyle.
He has now spoken to Anil Kapoor, who makes a guest appearance in Slumdog Millionaire, about making another film in Mumbai.
"Yes, I did speak to Anil Kapoor about making another film. And if all goes well, I'll be back to do another film. It's such an amazing city. He's a wonderful actor. But he never forgets his producers' hat. He's always surveying the situation, cutting deals. I might be coming back.
"I had a seriously amazing time. One reason why the film works is the city's vivacity that we've captured on screen. It's been a while since we saw Mumbai in this light."
When contacted about Boyle's next Mumbai film, Anil said: "I'll speak about this only after the London Film Festival."

Eraa - Song lyrics by Kannadasan

If you are wondering how Kannadasan who passed away two decades ago can pen lyrics for a yet to be released movie, here is a intresting piece of news.
The crew of Eraa, claim that they got the lyrics penned by Kannadasan, with the help of C. Rathinaswamy who reportedly communicates with sprits. Believing and not believing this is upto each individual person.
Eeraa which means night in Tamil is the latest horror film, on block in kollywood. The movie produced by G Hari Shankar has Sateesh, Avanthikm, Asha, Ajay and others playing lead roles. The film will have music by G. Sathish and is directed by three directors, Hari Shankar, Harish Narayan, and Krishna Sekar.

Sathyan & Jayaram are back

Sathyan Anthikad has recalled his favourite hero Jayaram, back to his fold, probably after seeing the stupendous success of Veruthe Oru Bhariya!

Sathyan and Jayaram last worked together in 2003 Christmas release Manasinakkare, which was also Nayanthara’s launch pad.
Remember Sathyan and Jayaram together has come out with some of the most memorable light hearted comedies in Malayalam- Mazhavilkavadi, Thalayanamantram, Thooval Kottaram, Veendumchilla Veetukarangayal, Kochu Kochu Santoshangal etc?
Sathyan is writing the script of the film based on Rajesh Jayaram’s story, at his favourite guest house on the banks of Bharathapuzha in Shornoor. It will be a typical Sathyan film, a light hearted comedy with heavy dose of sentiments.
Meanwhile Sathyan is on the lookout for a new girl to play Jayaram’s heroine in this untitled film. Please note Sathyan Anthikad is the man who has introduced two of the hottest girls in Indian cinema- Asin Thottunkal and Diana Kurian who was rechristened by him as Nayanthara!
The untitled film’s shoot will start in Sathyan’s regular location of Shornoor on January 15, 2009. The film produced by Hamsa, of Kalasangamam will be a April 14, Vishu release.

Mammootty on stage

If Mohanlal has proved himself on stage with plays like Karnabharam and more recently with Chayamukhi, can Mammootty be far behind?
Mammootty is going on stage to perform as Bheeman, culled out of M T Vasudevan Nair’s famous novel Randaamuzham .
It will be directed by T K Rajeev Kumar and Pramod Payyannoor. The play will be about 45 minutes and Mammootty will also do the roles of Yudhistiran and Arjunan.
Bheeman will be sponsored by Malayala Manorama, the leading newspaper in the state. It may sound coincidental but Mammootty’s play is going to be staged on Friday October 31 at the LULU centre, Trichur, where Mohanlal premiered his Chayamukhi!

Laadam audio launched

The audio launch of Cosmos Films’ Laadam was a star studded affair at the Sathyam Cinemas.
Young guns of Kollywood like Arya, Prasanna, Shaam, Sibiraj and Srikanth turned up for the event apart from Ameer, Sathyaraj, Editor Mohan, M Raja, Subramania Siva and actress Shammu.
The directorial venture of Prabu Solomon has music by Dharan and everyone on the dais was all praise for the young music director.
Three numbers of the film were screened including a duet between debutant hero Aravindan and heroine Charmi which had a hot kissing scenes and some seductive moves.
After watching the songs, actor Sibiraj in a lighter vein commented on why director Prabhu had not kept such scenes for him in Lee!
Dharan’s music and camera by Sukumaran, a former still photographer, came in for great praise by Ameer who for the first time perhaps, kept away from any controversial remarks!
Sathyaraj felt that the film had the potential for success since the chemistry between the lead pair was good along with the cinematography and music. However, he managed to use the occasion to voice his views on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue while Subramaniam Siva vociferously seconded his views.
The film also stars Kota Srinivasa Rao and the trailer showed some high action sequences. A rap number by the Malaysian singers Dr Burn and Emcee Jesz are also in the film.
The song sequences shown included a Madonna like number by Charmi and some international girls along with a rap song filmed on some villainous characters. Well, we’ll have to wait and watch if the music, action, Charmi’s charm and Aravindan’s acting bring the audiences to the halls.

AEGAN RELEASES TODAY

Late Friday (Oct 24) evening, as Chennai was submerged in heavy rains, news has just come in Ajit’s Aegan has taken a bumper opening in advance booking. The trade is comparing it with last year’s Rajinikanth’s Sivaji advance booking!

At Chennai’s 10 screens where the film is opening on Saturday (Oct 24), the advance booking has been very good in spite of heavy rains, and traffic in the city completely gone haywire. The film is opening in four Mount Road theatres, and all of them are sold out for the first three days!

Sathyam Cinema’s has reported a record sale of 27, 355 tickets for Aegan, which is sold out till Tuesday night. Says Manager of a Mount road theatre: “The Aegan combo of Ajit- Nayanthara is deadly, and the film’s posters are very stylish and the trailer looks as though it is Billa-2!
And news from overseas markets where Aegan has already released today(Oct 24) is very encouraging. The film is said to be a “rip-roaring entertainer”, and people are enjoying it. The film may turn out to be Ayngaran International’s first super hit!

Director Hari Interview Questions

Hari is the director of the masses, and has an awesome strike rate at the box-office. Last Diwali (2007), he stole the box-office with his Surya-Asin starrer Vel>, which became the ultimate winner. This Diwali, his Bharath starrer Seval is releasing against the mighty Ajit’s Aegan. On the eve of the release of his film Hari spoke to Sify.com

Are you getting the jitters that Seval has been pitched against Aegan ?
You know that I’m a cool guy. I’m very confident of my film because it is based on a solid script with lots of emotions laced with entertainment. My audiences are sure going to love Seval. My producer M.A Jinnah is very happy with the film. All areas have been sold at a reasonable price.

What is the basic story of the film?
I can’t reveal anything about the story. For me story and presentation are of prime importance. All that I can say is that there is something for everyone in this family film.

How has Bharat shaped out as an action hero?
It would give him an all-new image. I have seen to it that the story and action are intervined. He has done a good job. In the first half his comedy scenes with Vadivel will bring the house down. Bharath has potential to be a big commercial hero.

Why do you go for short titles like Seval, Vel etc?
I want my films to reach across to the masses. The titles in my films are kept simple, as the common man should understand them. It should be taken from our daily use and easy to remember.

What next?
I will be starting work on my next film Singam with Surya, which will start rolling some time next year.

2 days to Diwali-Aegan And Seval Releases

Diwali-2008 will go down in Kollywood history books as a Diwali with the least number of releases.

During this year’s festival of lights only two star films Aegan, Seval and a film with newcomers Megham are releasing. Normally anywhere between four to six films get released during this season including many big ticket films.

Remember last year (2007), when six star films- Azhagiya Tamil Magan, Agra, Kannammoochi Yaenada, Machakaran, Polladhavan, Vel clashed at the box-office? There was a competitive spirit which added to the fan frenzy. Competition brings the best out of a star, and his true star value can be gauged.

There is no buzz as an Ajith versus Bharath clash at the box-office is an uneven battle, not at all exciting to the fans. If Surya’s Vaaranam Aayiram was there it would have been a battle royale.

As expected Aegan advance booking has been good in Chennai city, where it opens on Saturday, while overseas it is opening on Friday.

Meanwhile Seval has a good buzz around it. The film's overseas release has also been advanced to Saturday, to get the weekend business, while in TN it is releasing only on Diwali day.

Anyway, 2008 is not going to be a cracker of a Diwali!

Diwali Dhamaka Billa And Chandramuki on TV

On Diwali day (Oct 27), it is fireworks on the small screen.

A big clash is taking place as market leader Sun TV is premiering the Rajinikanth blockbuster Chandramukhi (2005), 42 months after its theatrical release.

The same day, almost same time arch rival Kalaignar TV is premiering Ajit’s Billa (2007), 10 months after its release!

It is battle royal on television, as Chandramukhi is an all time favourite family film and stars Rajinikanth, the superstar of Tamil cinema. It is sure to garner record TRP’s, though skeptics say the film has already been shown in Telugu on Gemini TV and in Hindi on ZEE TV. Meanwhile Jaya TV is showing Kamal Hassan’s Mumbai Xpress for Diwali

Ajit’s Billa is the actor’s most successful film in his career and was a super hit. It is comparatively fresh as the film had its theatrical release in December 2007. The young viewers at home will root for this stylish film, which also has the famous Nayanthara bikini act!

In a way it is Nayan versus Nayan on television, as she is the Chandramukhi heroine, while on Diwali big screen she will call the shots with Aegan!

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Vaaranam Aayiram is the one of the most popular upcoming films. Finally the tracks of Varanam Aayiram will be launched on the 24th of September at Sathyam Cinemas in Chennai. It is a good news for Tamil music fans and those who have been eagerly awaiting the audio of Vaaranam Aayiram. Varanam Aayiram starring Suriya has musical score by Harris Jayaraj.The Varanam Aayiram movie is being directed by Gautham Menon. The movie Varanam Aayiram features Simran, Divya Spandana and Sameera Reddy as the heroines. Four tracks from the Varanam Aayiram movie have been given exclusively to four radio FMs, including Radio Mirchi, Big FM, SFM and an another station to be played on air. Vaaranam Aayiram movie is produced by Oscar films. Vaaranam Aayiram will be Harris Jayaraj’s 26th film.Songs List:1. Adiyae Kolluthey - Krish, Benny Dayal, Shruthi Hassan2. Nenjukkul Peidhidum - Hariharan, Devan, V.Prasanna3. Yethi Yethi - Benny Dayal, Naresh Iyer, Solar Sai4. Mundhinam - Naresh Iyer, Prashanthini5. Oh! Shanthi Shanthi - Clinton, S.P.B.Charan6. Ava Enna - Karthik, V.Prasanna7. Annul Maelae - Sudha Raghunathan
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Aegan Movie Stills
Ajith starrer Aegan audio was launched on October 9th. This film, which is the debut directorial venture for choreographer and actor Raju Sundaram, has generated enough hype already.
Yuvan Shankar Raja has composed the music for this Ajith-Nayantara starrer. This is the third Ajith starrer that this talented music director is composing music for. He had earlier composed the music of Dheena and Billa. All the songs of Aegan are good and some of them have the popular hip-hop touch.
Nayan is said to be at her glamours best yet again in this movie. ‘Aegan’ is ultimate star Ajith 's 48th film.
The music of Ultimate star Ajith's Aegan has been released yesterday. Ajith's much awaited Aegan is nearing completion. Aegan is under post production at present. Aegan crew will leave this Monday for the Switzerland Alps to shoot for a song in the film. Raju Sundaram the director of Aegan will choreograph this song. The rest of the portions have already been shot in locations inside and outside India.The Aegan movie also brings Nayantara and Ajith together again after the superhit Billa. Music of this Aegan movie is Yuvan Shankara Raja. The music was released under the Ayangaran music label, while the online version is brought to you by Think music.
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Vaaranam Aayiram postponed to Nov 14

Breaking News! News has just come in that that Gautham Vasudeva Menon’s magnum opus Vaaranam Aayiram, will not light up this Diwali on October 27!
This has come as a major disappointment for Surya and Gautham fans across the globe who were eager to watch the film during the festival weekend.
According to sources in the trade, the film has been postponed to November 14, nearly three weeks after the festival.
The main reason is that the trade on the film, selling of distribution areas is going slow. Added to that in smaller stations all the good screens has been taken over by Aegan and Seval.
The Telugu rights of the film are yet to be finalized. The Kerala distributor has made it clear he will release the film only two weeks after the release of the Malayalam mega multi-starrer Twenty:20, opening on October 30.
The overseas distributor of the film has to get theatres, as Aegan has grabbed all the screens this Diwali. Two big Tamil films cannot be accommodated at the same time in FMS area.
It is a very good decision taken by Gautham and his new partner in “Cloud Nine”, who will be marketing the film in Tamilnadu. A solo release on Nov 14 worldwide will ensure more screens and a bumper opening.

Audio of Anantha Thandavam launched

The lead pair of Tamannaah and new boy Siddharth along with Rishi who plays an important role (villain?), director Gandhi Krishna, cameraman ‘Jeeva’ Shankar and music director GV Prakash Kumar were present to meet the media and release the audio.
First things first- The audio rocks. The first song Pattu Poochi…. sung by Naresh Iyer is soft and melodious while the second song which is GV’s personal favourite Kallil Aadum… is hummable.
It was an informal get-together arranged by Nandini of Sony BMG at a coffee shop which was cramped but like Tamannaah said: “ Everybody is talking about space constraints but I feel nice as I feel very near to the media and there is a certain amount of closeness among all of us”.
Director Gandhi Krishna was all praise about late writer Sujatha’s story which inspired him to make this film and producer Aascar Films who had tremendous faith in him. He said: “In fact, I consider Aantha Thandavam as my first film and it is a dedication to Sujatha. I have not changed anything in his story including the names of characters and locations where the story happens from Papanasam to New York. I thank GV Prakash for fantastic songs, Vairamuthu for meaningful lyrics, and my lead actors for giving life to the characters”.
New boy Siddharth, a computer engineer was a bit tensed but thanked the entire unit especially director Gandhi Krishna for giving him a dream debut. Small screen actor Rishi gave a small speech followed by GV Prakash but it was the demure Tamannaah who took everyone by surprise by her confident speech about her experience of working with the team of Anantha Thandavam.

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Madhavan is the golden boy of Tamil film industry. He could do no wrong after his dream debut in Mani Ratnam's Alaipayuthe. And after Gautham Menon's minty cool Minnale he became hot among the teen brigade. They called him Maddy and were mad about him. The college going audience liked his first four films - Alaipayuthe, Ennavale, Minnale and Dumm Dumm Dumm. They were all fun movies- pleasant, cute and fairly wacky.


But somewhere along the line, Madhavan decided to do serious roles in K.Balachandar's Paarthale Paravasam and his mentor Mani Ratnam's Kannathil Muthamittal, both the films bombed at the box-office, though Kannathil Muthamittal was critically acclaimed.

Madhavan made his debut in Hindi with Rehna Hai Terre Dil Mein (RHTDM), the remake of Minnale. His second film in Hindi was the musical love story Dil Vil Pyar Vyar.


Along came Lingusamy's Run in Tamil, which has become one of the biggest blockbusters of 2002. The audience loved Shiva, the character played by Maddy, right from the moment he appeared on the screen singing Theradi Veediyil Devathai... and his love at first sight with the heroine.

Madhavan proved with Run that he was not only the so-sweet-Maddy, but could also do action scenes with conviction. He was pitted against the living legend Kamalhassan in Anbe Sivam followed by films like Aethiree, Aayitha Ezhuthu, Priyasakhi, Thampi, Rendu, Arya, Evano Oruvan and Vazhthukkal.

In Hindi, Maddy had a second innings with Ramji Londonwale, Delhi Heights, Rang De Basanti, Guru and the recent Mumbai Meri Jaan. He has completed Naan Aval Athu and Guru En Aalu in Tamil and is doing Sunglass, Sikandar, Three Idiots, Teen Patti, My Name is Khan in Hindi.