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