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Era of villains is over, says Ashutosh Rana
"Cinema is a reflection of society, and as society changes so does our creativity. Earlier there would be a good guy and a bad guy.
Our villain would be a dacoit, a lender, and our hero would be a police officer, a teacher. "Then things changed, rich people and smugglers became villains and police and other people became heroes," Rana said in an interview.
Larger-than-life images of yesteryears' villains who went on rampaging the life of a hero, raping his sister and molesting his girlfriend were a regular feature of almost all the films. But times have changed and the 45-year-old actor says that the bad guy in movies these days has shades of grey and even the hero has ceased to be all-good.
"Now a common man is a hero, he is half good and half bad. And the villain now is also not an out-and-out bad guy.
He is a hero for his friends and villain for his enemy; the portrayal is very subjective," he said. Rana further said that over the years the concept of a hero has also changed, who is no longer simply a honest good man.
"The concept of hero has changed. If you ask me where is that villain, I ask you where is that hero," he said.
Even as Rana argues that the bad guys are not all that bad in films, he is all set to play a evil villain on the small screen this time. The actor, who started his career with Swabhimaan , will be playing Keshav Thakral, a powerful businessman who makes the life of an upcoming badminton player hellish in newly launched show Kali - Ek Agnipariksha on Star Plus.
"Power of money, knowledge, family and muscle power is all that a man can have, and if a person has all of them he stops competing with others and thinks his competition is with the God. This the character of (Keshav) Thakral.
This character is the king of evil," said Rana. The actor will also be seen brandishing a moustache in the serial.
The show apparently draws inspiration from the Ruchika Malhotra case, which the producers of the serial, however, denied
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Azim looks up to Salman, SRK and Aamir Khan
To make his character in "Qasam Se Qasam Se" appear realistic, Azim frequented call centre offices to absorb the finer nuances of the people working there. "It was quite a relevation for me as an actor.
I witnessed not only people's mannerisms but also the activities they indulge in during the break hour. Looking into the mirror, some guys would be busy ruffling their hair and taking care of their looks, while some would busy binging.
And there would others catching up with family and friends over their cell phones. This has helped shaped my character in the film.
" Azim feels that all our veteran actors were keen observers and would translate that on screen. "Whether it were the legendary actors like Dilip Kumar or the late Raj Kapoor or Dev Anand , they were schools in themselves.
I am a great fan of Salman Khan , Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan and look at them as a student who looks upon his guru. I am mastering the art of acting watching their films," he smiles
(less)Mahek Chahal reveals her beauty secret
My absolute must haves are browns, bronze and red shades of make-up, as they give my skin tone a very nice shine and suit me very well. I always carry these colors in my bag because I never know when I might show up at an event and feel completely under-dressed.
Also, any of these shades really adds that extra glow."
(less)Priyanka Chopra goes house hunting
She's been scouting for real estate in Juhu and Khar for a while now as she wants a bigger house. She also wants privacy, which one can't get in an apartment building.
Besides, it's been her dream to own a sea-facing bungalow." The source adds that PC wants a big garden that will include a space for her pets.
She also wants to accommodate a gym. When asked, Priyanka confirms that she's looking for a bungalow in the suburbs and adds, "I'm looking for a bigger place.
I'm very happy with the success of my last two films, so this is a good time for me to go house-hunting." Stars with sea- facing bungalows Akshay Kumar Rani Mukerji Shah Rukh Khan Rajesh Khanna Rekha Farhan Akhtar
(less)Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh marries again
While talking about the honeymoon plans, Riteish had told us, "We can't have a honeymoon this month. Our producer Kumar Taurani has strictly forbidden us to go anywhere till our film releases this month as he wants Genelia and me to promote the film in various cities.
David Dhawan's son Rohit gets married on February 10, so immediately after our wedding Genelia and I will have to rush to Goa for that again. After that, will be my brother Dheeraj's wedding during the end of the month to Honey Bhagnani .
I have to be there for all the pre-wedding arrangements so going for our honeymoon this month seems impossible now."
(less)I never thought I'd be a desirable woman: Sameera Reddy
"My name in the list means a lot to me. As as a young girl, I never thought even in my wildest dreams that I would become a desirable woman.
I yearned for a perfect body as I was ugly duckling in school. But now that I have entered films, I believe that beauty is hidden in the imperfections of people and it all depends on how you use them.
That's my definition of desirable and I am glad to have made it to the list," says Sameera. The actor is basking in the success of her last Tamil release opposite Madhavan and has Padma Shri Priyadarshan's Tezz to look forward to.
Sameera has now decided that she will do a mix of performance-oriented and glamorous characters on screen, something that Simran and Jyothika did in Kollywood. So is the report true that Sameera wants to become the next Simran and Jyothika? "You cannot become another person.
I had said that I look up to both Simran and Jyothika, who had a mixed bag of roles- performance-oriented and cute characters. Both had their own fan following .
They are my role models and I want to have a beautiful lineup of characters like them," says the actor
(less)Sherlyn Chopra likes being unconventional
Be it politics, cinema, sports, business or any other arena, women across the globe including India are in great form mentally, physically and consciously to undertake greater responsibilities and tougher challenges that are often encountered on paths less travelled." Sherlyn is also happy that she has gone from being just a pin-up girl to an entrepreneur.
Says she, "The rapid metamorphosis in my case would not have been possible had the mindsets of the majority of the people in the Hindi film industry continued to be goverened by prejudices. I look upto entrepreneurs who command respect and attention for daring to think out of the box and act accordingly.
They do not have a herd mentality. What they have is unadulterated creativity which is set on fire by courage.
" Naming films like " The Dirty Picture ", " Erin Brokovich ", " No One Killed Jessica "," The Black Swan " as cinema that has changed the way we think, Sherlyn says, "Unconventionality is no longer a taboo. It is being applauded and celebrated by both the classes and the masses.
The pulse of the youth is racing towards liberalisation. And I'm truly loving it.
" Asked why she decided to give us photographs that resembled those of the " Jism 2 " campaign, the actor quips, "I have pushed the envelope by choosing to cover my nakedness with nothing but pure consciousness."
(less)Kangana’s weird dressing at Fashion’s launch | Bollywood News and Gossip
Kangana Ranaut who left mouths wide open at her movie Fashion’s first look held at Cinemax. She was wearing something small in shining yellow and guess what she claims she has designed that dress herself.
Hold on… if you think this is the end then please wait, there’s more to come) She was also flaunting some red color false flowers and feathers on her made-up hair. Also a yellow color strap on her neck which resembled a dog collar.
If that wasn”t enough she also carried herself on shinning red heels and a matching red color bag. Thankfully Priyanka Chopra and Mugdha Godse too were present and were looking extremely stunning and beautiful.
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(less)Aishwarya attends Riteish, Genelia's reception
Aishwarya was briefly spotted and clicked when the Bachchans hosted media mogul Oprah Winfrey at their home during her first India visit. Later, she drove with Oprah, father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan and husband Abhishek to a party hosted by Parameshwar Godrej to welcome Oprah.
Do check back for pictures from the reception. Tweet
(less)Flash mob greets Imran at New York University
"I had a blast at NYU. Everyone was so enthusiastic, they put on a very polished, confident show, and the surprise flash mob at the end was perfectly executed.
My best wishes to all the students involved," Imran said in a statement. The students had been practising for the performance for over two weeks, ahead of Imran's visit to New York as part of the promotional tour.
"As the president of NYU Dillagi, a Bollywood dance team, I knew we had to have simpler steps that the general public would be able to do and we sent videos out to the public. I thought that the flash mob came out even better than expected since people kept joining the mob throughout the sequence and it definitely surprised those that did not know of it ahead of time," Mohit Chhatpar, coordinator of the flash mob, said.
"It was really fun to be doing a flash mob and having Imran among us was all the more fun. He was very sporting and interacted with the students.
We are excited about this movie as well and are glad he could come and be among us to talk about his movie," he added. The Dharma Productions' film, also starring Kareena Kapoor, is set to hit theatres Feb 10.
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(less)Mohit Suri to direct Aashiqui 2 with fresh faces
"It's been 20 years for that film. So, obviously now I will have to upgrade this story.
It will be the same realistic love story but with a modern theme," Suri told IANS. Aashiqui won critical accolades after its release at the time.
It also catapulted the careers of lead actors Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal, who forayed into Bollywood with this film. Suri is also set to hunt for new faces for the sequel.
"I will cast fresh faces with a new boy and a new girl," said Mohit. While some are referring to Aashiqui 2 as a sequel, others are calling it a remake.
However, producer Mukesh Bhatt of Vishesh Films sets the record straight. "It is neither a sequel nor a remake.
It can be said as the musical series of Aashiqui ..
.a new generation is making this film," he said.
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(less)Similar Results
Deadly Sanjay Dutt rocks!
Here friends and family congratulate him for his act. Sunil Shetty I went to see Agneepath with my entire family.
My son Ahaan has already seen it twice because Sanju is like God for him. My mother, who is very shy, actually called Sanju to tell him how much she loved his performance.
I thought he was deadly in the film. Everyone looked like a baby in front of him because of the intensity he had.
I'm so happy Deadly Dutt is back to doing what he does best - action! A few days ago, we had a heart-to-heart conversation and I told him, 'Agneepath is your film, and I have a strong feeling it is going to be a huge success.' Now I want to see baba to in his Munnabhai avatar again! It's amazing to see how effortlessly he transitions from playing the good guy to the baddest of the bad! Priya Dutt Roncon I loved Sanju's performance.
He was brilliant! Kancha stays with you long after the movie is over. Sanju is a great actor and has never bothered about the numbers game.
He works with his heart and gives it his best. We are so proud of him - he deserves it! Namrata Dutt I thought Sanju was fantastic in Agneepath.
It was a very challenging role for him, both physically and mentally. It was difficult for him to portray Kancha Cheena as he doesn't identity with the character.
For him to do such an evil role with conviction was brilliant. What I like about him is that he's not a method actor.
He can switch on and off easily. Whenever he returned from Diu, he never got Kancha home.
Now when I think about it, I realise it must have been very difficult to switch on and off like that everyday. Karisma Kapur Sanjay is out of this world as Kancha Cheena! This performance will rate as one of his best films ever.
People will remember his portrayal for a long, long time. No words are enough to laud his tremendous performance.
Milan Luthria Sanju strides across the screen like an evil colossus in Agneepath. After Gabbar Singh and Mogambo, here's a truly memorable onscreen villain.
We were at his house for dinner after watching the film, I told him how incredible it was that Munnabhai could morph into Kancha. He truly rocks.
Rohit Shetty Kancha is a visually striking villain. He can kill you with his look.
Kancha's menacing appearance on screen scares the audience. Sanju has done justice to the character and he will win many hearts in the cinema halls.
Ajay Devgn Agneepath! Sanjay Dutt ! That's the only thing that strikes me when I watch the film. Sanju is to Agneepath what Heath Ledger was to The Dark Knight.
Sanjay Dutt I am overwhelmed at the reactions for Agneepath. I visited some popular single screen theatres and was taken aback by the audience's response! I was stunned when they started whistling and clapping at my entry.
The noise was deafening. I felt on top of the world! I never expected such big opening collections either.
People have complimented me on my range as an actor - that I can play both the lovable Munnabhai and the horrible Kancha with ease. It's a very good feeling to be praised like that.
When you work hard and get such tremendous appreciation from both fans and friends, you feel a real sense of achievement
(less)Shy man, accidental actor, good samaritan - Ashok Kumar
Born in a Bengali family Oct 13, 1911, he did his schooling from Presidency College in Kolkata, and graduated in sciences and law. Not quite starry-eyed, he came to Mumbai in 1936 in search of a job.
He got the role of a lab assistant in the newly established Bombay Talkies. But one day film director Himanshu Rai was furious with the lead actor of his film who had vanished without informing him.
On the spur of the moment, he laid his eyes on Ashok and wanted the man as the lead in his film Jeevan Naiya . "Ashok Kumar was compelled to join films.
He was working as a lab assistant in Bombay Talkies. He was very shy and not a hero type; he wasn't that handsome either.
He even cut his hair to escape this offer, but nothing worked. Finally, he had to give in and this is how he accidentally landed in Bollywood, and as they say, the rest is history," film historian Nalin Shah said.
The accidental actor tasted real success with Achhut Kanya starring Devika Rani and the road ahead was smoother as he delivered hits like Kismet (1943), Parineeta (1953), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Khoobsurat (1980) and Khatta Meetha (1981), building a strong fan base all along. He has also lent his voice to songs like Main ban ki chidiya and Rail gaadi .
His unconventional and average looks never posed a problem for the actor. His personal life, however, was troubled as his wife Shobha was reportedly an alcoholic.
"In an era when handsome and good looking actors were popular, Ashok Kumar with his unconventional looks surpassed everyone and made his mark. He went on to do very good films.
He not only became a well-known character actor but he impressed all equally in main leads," said film critic Ram Kishore Parcha. Noted film historian Gautam Kaul agrees with Parcha.
"He was one of the first artists of the Hindi cinema who did not rely on looks to prove his acting; neither did he go bare. He was not the typical Bollywood actor in terms of looks, but he had a very mature appearance," said Parcha.
Ashok Kumar is also remembered as a good human being who helped his brothers - Anoop and Kishore - and some of his friends to get a break in the industry. "He was a pioneer in making the careers of many actors.
He played a prominent part in framing the career of actress Moushumi Chatterjee. He even brought his brothers Anoop and Kishore on the silver screen.
He was a very helpful man and enjoyed his life," said Parcha. In a span of over five decades, he worked in more than 300 films (Hindi and Bengali), and on the small screen as well.
His role of a narrator in the TV serial Hum Log reinforced the common man's fondness for him. His fine acting also won him four Filmfare awards, the Dadasaheb Phalke award in 1988 and the Padma Bhushan in 1998.
But Kaul feels the versatile actor got his due only after he passed away in December in 2001 at the age of 90. "I think he started getting credit for his talent and his contribution in the cinema world after his death.
He was the first to introduce the 'fluid and relaxed' way of acting on screen. He emoted naturally without any preparation," he said.
For Diana Mathias, 25, a media professional, Ashok Kumar's name immediately flashes the couplet and limericks he used to narrate in Hum Log . "I haven't seen much of Ashok Kumar's films but I will always remember him as the soul of 'Hum Log'.
He would appear at the end of each episode and deal with the story. I remember waiting for the couplet and limericks that he would recite while deliberating on the story," she said.
A great believer in astrology, a practising homoeopath who treated friends for free and a painter, Ashok Kumar was much more than just an actor. Tweet
(less)Kannada actor Darshan, wife, make up
"Please pardon me. It's a bitter incident of my life which should not have happened.
Darshan will not do it again", the popular actor said. "I am extremely thankful to my fans who were solidly behind me," he added.
Darshan's wife Vijayalakshmi, who appeared with him at the press conference, termed the episode as a "bad phase" and said they want to put it behind and move forward. Darshan, 34, a leading Kannada cinema hero, was arrested on September 9 after Vijayalakshmi alleged he threatened her with a revolver and assaulted her.
He was released on conditional bail on Friday, October 7. "He is a better man, changed person overall," Vijayalakshmi said and added, "In the heat of the moment, things tend to happen.
After rectifying mistakes, life will be better". She added that her bond with her husband has actually grown due to the one-month separation.
"We want to overcome it and lead a really good life". Darshan said film actor Nikita had no role in his estrangement with his wife.
After Darshan was arrested, the Kannada Film Producers Association had banned Nikita for three years after her name was linked to the actor but revoked it days later following public outrage. Vijayalakshmi said that nobody asked for her suggestion before banning Nikita and so she would not like to comment on the issue now.
The Karnataka High Court, which granted bail to Darshan, has ordered him and his wife, along with his counsel and public prosecutor, to be present in the presiding Judge's chamber on October 13 to "arrive at a suitable conclusion" through negotiations, if it's possible, leading to the couple having a "harmonious relationship". Tweet
(less)Beti B is a great joy: Amitabh Bachchan
Excerpts from an interview. For a long time you've been talking of turning 70, but you actually turn 70 only in October next year, yes? It is a way of calculating.
This is my 70th year. I don't understand the fuss about age.
If there is work and I can I do it, then I do it. There is no physicality involved.
If you have the capacity, you go ahead and do it. The way people keep harping on age, it makes it seem like one shouldn't keep this busy at 70.
I have almost seven films due next year! Really? It doesn't seem that way. I am committed to films with Ashutosh Gowariker , Prakash Jha and Shirish Kunder.
I'm still trying to fit in Nikhil Advani's film; it may or may not happen. In Ram Gopal Varma's Department, I've done around a week's work.
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an extended cameo. I also have cameos in Gauri Shinde's English Vinglish and The Great Gatsby.
In fact, I have just one scene in The Great Gatsby; it's a friendly gesture. Even today young directors are charged up about working with you.
It is wonderful to know that there are people who want to work with me. I haven't worked with these people before, so I am equally looking forward and excited.
I'm fortunate enough to have captured the interest of the younger generation. They are the ones who have all the fresh ideas and new technology and style of making films.
It is always a great adventure. Sometimes with age, you just want to keep reflecting on what has happened in the past.
I don't think that is such a good thing. One has to look ahead.
After four decades in the movies, are there any challenges in a role? Well, if a role is challenging it makes life easier. In Ashu's film, I'm a detective.
In Shirish Kunder's film I play a common man. It will depend a lot on how both directors wish to present their films.
I'm happy that there are different kinds of offers. They weren't offered to me when I was younger.
But when you were younger, your angry-young-man image was larger than life. This is something the audience decides.
I don't think the writers deliberately go out and try to make an image. Are you looking forward to the next season of Kaun Banega Crorepati .
Yes I am. We started KBC in 2000.
It has been 11 years. I didn't do it for one season in between.
Channels have changed. It has been a long period for a game show to last and that too with this kind of a success.
It is very astonishing. You were recently voted a fashion icon.
I read someone's tweet on that. I must thank Rohit Bal for dressing me up the way he did in the latest season of KBC.
He just felt that I had been formal for too long. When I like something that someone is wearing, I hope that I can fit into it.
Many a time it may look a little outlandish. But if I am happy wearing it then I am ok.
Incidentally Rohit is family. He grew up in front of my eyes in Srinagar.
Our families have been very close. As a calendar year comes to a close, is there a sense of deja vu? Nothing of that sort happens.
I just think another year has gone by. And I look forward to the New Year and hope it will be a good one.
Do you make resolutions at the end of the year like most people do? I always say why wait for December 31 to make resolutions? Every year they ask me this question. If I want to make a resolution I will make it today or tomorrow or whenever.
People no longer refer to you as the Big B. You are called 'Dada B' now? (Laughs) Oh yes, my grand child is a great joy.
She is the apple of everyone's eye. It is nice to have a new entrant to the family.
All our attention is diverted there. I keep asking - 'what is she doing? Is she awake, is she asleep? Is she crying?' All of us at home are clued into her.
You've been a great grandpa to Shweta's kids. Is the experience any different a second time around? Abhishek and Aishwarya's baby is closer home.
Shweta lives in Delhi. One hears you are finally learning to speak French and also taking music lessons.
Yes, I have these tapes from which I am trying to grasp the language. As for my music lessons, there are two pianos at home but I haven't gotten started.
They are currently there only to look fashionable and showy. I think it is a huge asset for someone in the later years to know to play a musical instrument.
It will be fantastic. Is gardening a new passion too? No, I have been looking at the garden in Prateeksha for a long time now.
I do it every day without fail
(less)I could have played Mr Bachchans role in Sarkar: Om Puri
"How can you give away crores of money to an actor because he has achieved star status?" Puri admits that he "is not a rich actor. If I got stuck with my ideas, how would I survive?" Puri agrees to good cinema being churned out by filmmakers like Vishal Bhardwaj, Dibakar Banerjee, and Ashutosh Govariker with the only difference being "that the actor in those films is replaced by a star who is highly saleable.
For a film like Sarkar , Mr Bachchan's role could have been essayed by me or Naseruddin Shah but Mr Bachchan has a wider reach so he was chosen. I think the onus of producing good cinema lies in the hands of Shah Rukh Khans, Aamirs and Akshays of Bollywood.
They have the power." Puri managed to grab critical acclaim for his portrayals in popular telly shows.
He says, "TV is a great example of how everything sells today. Bad content, bad scripts and bad actors.
" On a parting note, we ask him if Bollywood has any lessons to be learnt and he says, "The cinema of the 60s and 70s was socially relevant and entertaining. I am hoping that we would have someone like Bimal Roy and Mehboob Khan to make films.
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(less)ADL calls upon Zee TV to remove 'Hitler' title
The show, starring the actress Rati Pandey, premiered on November 7 on Zee TV in India and is also being carried on the network's affiliates in other countries, including the US. The title refers to a young woman in the show who is known for being strict.
In a statement, ADL said it has received numerous complaints about the title and its use in online promotional materials and videos. Last week, they wrote to network executives with the request to change the name to one "not freighted with the taint of the Nazi Holocaust".
"Let's preserve the name 'Hitler' as a villain of incomparable evil and not trivialize his legacy or the Holocaust with a serial TV title," ADL wrote in a letter to Punit Goenka, managing director & CEO, and Subhash Chandra, chairman of Zee Entertainment. "We strongly urge you to reconsider the choice of title and rename your show," ADL said.
When contacted, the channel sources confirmed that they have received a letter from ADL, adding, they are yet to take a call on it. Tweet
(less)Ours is a sexually repressed society: Randeep Hooda
"In this film, we have shown extramarital affairs but those things do happen in real life and are spoken about. Boldness in our movie is very topical.
We don't have bad language. There are some intimate scenes but they make sense because they are so emotionally and passionately driven that they seem to be a part of the film very seamlessly.
So it's not done to titillate anybody," he added. Mahie Gill and Jimmy Shergill join Randeep in the cast of "Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster", about love, betrayal and ambition revolving around the three central characters.
Helmed by director Tigmanshu Dhulia, it is set for a Sep 30 release. Randeep, who has moved from the role of a cop in "Once Upon A Time In Mumbai" to that of a gangster in "Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster", describes his character as an innocent man who falls madly in love with a married woman.
"I play Babloo, who is a young boy employed as a driver at the palace of Jimmy Shergill and Mahie Gill, who are playing 'sahib' and 'biwi' respectively. Mahi's character makes him fall in love with her and he falls head over heels for her.
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that's where the complexities in the plot start. "He becomes a passionate lover who will do anything for love and that borders on possessiveness.
It's very complicated yet a nice and innocent character," added the 35-year-old who took inspiration for this character from the people he grew up with in his hometown Rohtak, Haryana. "My inspiration for this character went back to my roots in Haryana, to the time I grew up and people I observed.
My uncles were drivers and I thought of those times and people around me," he said. Finally, the actor, who is also working in the sequel to "Jannat" with Emraan Hashmi and Prachi Desai, says after the success of "Once In A.
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" things have started looking up for him. "Things have really changed for me professionally because before 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbai' I did take a hiatus from acting, but that film brought me back in a big way.
Now other directors and production houses look at me as an actor who can carry bigger parts and a longer screen presence. So it has helped me a lot," he said.
A management graduate from Australia, Randeep's stint with movies started with "Monsoon Wedding" and it was followed by movies like "Darna Zaroori Hai", "D Company" and "Ru Ba Ru"
(less)I would never dance with Hrithik: Akshay
Akshay recently said, "Hrithik Roshan is one of a kind Actor/Dancer..
. He must know he makes all us heroes envy his dance moves! .
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What that man brings to the dance floor is refreshing, extremely talented, and everything the youth needs to see in a hero. If he opens a dance school I know my son would be the first one to attend.
Hrithik has performed some of the most memorable and difficult dance steps in the last decade. I of course would never dance a duo with this guy, but I'd definitely love to make an Action film with him.
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(less)Akshay Kumar’s top 15 movies
1Enter the Dragon: Bruce Lee A legend in every sense of the word, this film opened my eyes and changed my path. In fact, Bruce Lee inspired my life to the point that I fear if he had never existed neither would I! My favourite martial arts film always.
2Die Hard: Bruce Willis Every young man's Saturday night action flick. Boys wanted to be him, men wanted to copy him and women wanted to be with him! 3Predator: Arnold Schwarzenegger The film that stopped people from trekking in the jungle.
Arnold's most deadliest film till date, it had an amazing concept and visuals that made even the bravest men cringe and the woman run to the kitchen. Awesome action and ultimate climax.
Schwarzenegger's finest! 4Leon: Jean Reno The most touching sniper film Hollywood has ever made. Jean Reno introduced to the world to the soft side of a killer.
It was also probably Natalie Portman's best role ever. One of the only action films to actually bring a tear to many a man's eyes.
5Kung Fu Hustle: Stephen Chow The funniest, most extreme Kung Fu film I've ever seen. The characters were outstanding, the idea superb, the axe dance unforgettable, the old landlady still haunts many husbands, the action and effects brought a new light to the whole martial arts film.
6Ong Bak Hero: Tony Jaa Groundbreaking emotional action. Tony Jaa is an action God, his talent, his skills, his speed is unbeatable.
He makes us martial arts lovers look slow and non-versatile. He is really inspiring.
It's a film I'll never forget. 7District 13: Cyril Raffaelli, David Belle and Tony D'Amario Greatest Parkour film that few have seen but it is extraordinary in the world of raw action.
These guys are fearless, insanely brave, immensely talented, and inspirational to all adventurous people. They made a film many action heroes would die for, but would probably die trying.
8 Kick Ass: Aaron Johnson , Nicholas Cage and Chloe Grace Mortez The most unexpected action film in a long time. I love this film because I remember taking my son for it and we had no idea it was going to be this good.
The girl is outstanding and kicks ass more then most guys can. 9Rambo: Sylvester Stallone This list wouldn't be complete without either Sylvester or Rambo in it.
The Italian that brought silent anger to the world of action, he was mean, fierce, and made bandannas look cool. He was the underdog that made everyone sit up and appreciate him.
Raw, real, a genuine all time favourite action film. 10Kill Bill Vol 1&2: Uma Thurman One of Quentin Tarantino's finest and the greatest female action film ever.
I've never seen an untrained Hollywood actress perform martial arts as well as her. The passionate vengeance in this film is addictive.
The world desperately wanted to know what happens next. 11Sholay: Amitabh Bachchan , Dharmendra Deol and Sanjeev Kumar It is the perfect mixture of action, romance, drama, acting and changed millions of lives.
Being a small boy, I remember doing so many household chores just so I could earn enough pocket money to sneak off and go see it over and over again. 12 Bourne Identity Trilogy: Matt Damon The film brought heroism to being a spy.
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the 007 of recent times. The kind of expensive action these films featured still hasn't been copied.
Matt came into his own in these films and made boys stay at home at weekends to watch it. 13Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh and Ziyi Zhang The most cinematic Chinese film ever made.
It changed the face of stunts, brought techniques that nobody knew about in India. I think the world is still trying to copy what they created 10 years ago.
It had talent and grace you'll never witness in kick ass films. 14Khiladi 420: Akshay Kumar The most dangerous action film I've shot in my career yet! The stunts I performed in this film are ones I swore I would never do again.
I'm lucky I survived the first time around! It gave a boost to my career, as people recognised that I was prepared to do anything for my films! 15Kick Ass: Aaron Johnson, Nicholas Cage and Chloe Grace Mortez The most unexpected action film in a long time. I love this film because I remember taking my son for it and we had no idea it was going to be this good.
The girl is outstanding and kicks ass more then most guys can
(less)Ours is a sexually repressed society: Randeep Hooda
"In this film, we have shown extramarital affairs but those things do happen in real life and are spoken about. Boldness in our movie is very topical.
We don't have bad language. There are some intimate scenes but they make sense because they are so emotionally and passionately driven that they seem to be a part of the film very seamlessly.
So it's not done to titillate anybody," he added. Mahie Gill and Jimmy Shergill join Randeep in the cast of Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster , about love, betrayal and ambition revolving around the three central characters.
Helmed by director Tigmanshu Dhulia, it is set for a Sep 30 release. Randeep, who has moved from the role of a cop in Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai to that of a gangster in Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster , describes his character as an innocent man who falls madly in love with a married woman.
"I play Babloo, who is a young boy employed as a driver at the palace of Jimmy Shergill and Mahie Gill, who are playing 'sahib' and 'biwi' respectively. Mahi's character makes him fall in love with her and he falls head over heels for her.
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that's where the complexities in the plot start. "He becomes a passionate lover who will do anything for love and that borders on possessiveness.
It's very complicated yet a nice and innocent character," added the 35-year-old who took inspiration for this character from the people he grew up with in his hometown Rohtak, Haryana. "My inspiration for this character went back to my roots in Haryana, to the time I grew up and people I observed.
My uncles were drivers and I thought of those times and people around me," he said. Finally, the actor, who is also working in the sequel to Jannat with Emraan Hashmi and Prachi Desai, says after the success of Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai things have started looking up for him.
"Things have really changed for me professionally because before Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai I did take a hiatus from acting, but that film brought me back in a big way. Now other directors and production houses look at me as an actor who can carry bigger parts and a longer screen presence.
So it has helped me a lot," he said. A management graduate from Australia, Randeep's stint with movies started with "Monsoon Wedding" and it was followed by movies like Darna Zaroori Hai , D and Ru Ba Ru .
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(less)Rana Daggubatti's dream girl is not in Mumbai
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" and Rana, who at 26, is still coming to terms with the 'man about town' tag his chiseled good looks and 6'3" height have got him patiently explains to Reema that he is still single. "Tell me," he asks in all earnestness, "Which girl would want to be with a guy who is away from home for 200 days a year, who isn't at all settled?" "You could take her with you," she counters and he caves in, "I hadn't thought of that," he admits.
The banter goes on. Reema has done her homework so she knows lots of things about Rana, that he grew up in a film family and so is completely knowledgeable about the process of filmmaking and that he had his own animation company.
So she asks him to tell her one thing about himself that she might not know. And is surprised when he says that he was a part of starting a chilli powder plant.
"You are obviously multi-faceted," she compliments him to which his comeback is, "You are kind to put it like that but honestly it was just that I was trying to figure out what to do in life and this was one more avenue to explore. Now I've decided that what I want to do is films.
Chilli powder was very boring and besides, my eyes watered all day long." 'Home' is a recurring factor in his conversation.
When Reema asks him what qualities in a girl he looks for, he tells her instead what he doesn't like. These are "extreme mood swings, anger and brashness".
When asked how close he is to finding her, he says with a smile, "I just want to go home first. I've been in Mumbai for a while and am shooting continuously, and I miss home.
" Obviously, Rana's dream girl is not in Mumbai. Continuing with the home motif, he tells Reema rather gleefully that at the end of the year, he will be shooting a Telugu film in Hyderabad and other parts of Andhra Pradesh and can't wait for that to happen.
"At the moment, my home feels like a holiday resort to me," he says, "I go there so rarely." So what does he miss about home? "I'm just so comfortable there," he says wistfully adding, "The whole family moved into a new home about a year ago and ever since, I've hardly spent any time in my new room.
" He confides that because of his size, he has a tough time shopping. "I recently spent a long time in Malaysia and couldn't go shopping at all because the whole country doesn't make my size.
But I liked a pair of shoes and went in to ask if they had size 13. The saleslady brought a smaller size and when obviously it didn't fit looked at me and said 'Oh! You weren't lying about the size.
' And I'm like; why on earth would I lie?" As we bid Rana goodbye, he tells us that he will now be doing a long schedule for his second Bollywood film, Department, with Ram Gopal Varma in Mumbai and invites Reema to visit him on the sets someday. Reema leaves with stars, or should we say one specific star, in her eyes.
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(less)Prakash Raj is the main villain of Dabangg 2, says Arbaaz Khan
"The extremely talented actor Prakash Raj is the main villian of Dabangg 2 ," Arbaaz posted on his Twitter page recently. The southern actor-filmmaker is excited about the new role.
"Just heard the narration of Dabangg 2 . Arbaaz has a sureshot winner on hand.
Happy and excited to join Salman bhai once again. Cheers!!!" Prakash Raj tweeted.
This has put a question mark on actor Sonu Sood's role in Dabangg 2 , the sequel to the 2010 action blockbuster Dabangg . Sonu played Chaddi Singh, the bad man in the original movie.
But if Prakash Raj will play the "main villain" in the sequel, one wonders what will happen to Sonu. But Sonu, who is repeating his villainous act in Osthi Tamil remake of the film, tweeted: "@arbaazSkhan is a fab guy, I know he will make a great film.
I will always be there with him may be not as an actor this time but as a brother." However, what will be retained in the sequel is the pairing of Salman and Sonakshi Sinha.
Dabangg 2 will release in December 2012. Tweet
(less)I want to get married: John Abraham
While the actor has surely reached an enviable physical state, the same cannot be said about his emotions. Opening up about his decade-long relationship with Bipasha Basu , the actor told Mumbai Mirror, "Whatever had to happen has happened.
I think we needed to move on. And we did just that.
" Denying all speculations about John cheating on Bipasha being the reason behind the breakup, the actor said, "Speculations and perceptions are usually wrong. This one is no exception.
I respected Bipasha when she was in my life. I still respect her when she is not in my life.
" Bipasha seems to have no such inclinations to even greet her ex. The actresshad famously said, "I don't believe in wasting a minute over someone who doesn't value me.
" The actor however, said that he doesn't believe in washing his dirty linen in public. "Bipasha and I respected what we had.
We are now in different spaces. Think of it, what's the point in tracing backwards?" quipped John.
Does it hurt to hear about her linkups with Rana Daggubatti , Josh Hartnett and Shahid Kapoor? He said, "If she is happy in whatever she is doing, that's all that matters." Bipasha may have moved on, but what about John? Denying all rumours about him dating a certain Priya Marwah , the actor said, "There is no Priya Marwah.
She doesn't exist. At least in my life.
" And what about Deepika Padukone? "I am overtly fond of Deepika. She is a lovely girl.
But I was certainly not dating her. I have nothing to lose when these rumours make headlines.
I just feel bad for the girls involved," replied the actor. "I don't want to be known as a guy who is roaming around with five women.
I was very fair in my relationship with Bipasha. I guess I need to change a bit now.
I'll speak more frequently and clearly hereafter," revealed the actor about his plans for the future. He also revealed that he wouldn't mind falling in love again.
"I really don't know what my life holds for me. I am very happy with my present state of being.
But I can fall in love again," said John and surprised us by adding, "I want to get married," and quickly followed it up with, "Yes, I have this tag of the sexiest man but married men are attractive too."
(less)Force brings back the era of macho men
And for those who aren't impressed with punches and kicks, there is the romance between lead pair John Abraham and Genelia D'Souza. John steps into the action genre with Force, playing a narcotics officer.
He consciously raised the bar with this film, whether it was bulking up or performing action scenes. He spent eight months training to bulk up and developed eight-pack abs to look the part.
He also stuck to a rigorous diet and believes that this film will establish him as an action hero. So what makes an ultimate action film? A deadly villain.
And Vidyut Jammwal was chosen for this part after beating 500 other contenders. He is a trained martial arts expert and has excelled in the Indian fight form kalaripayattu, also having learned gymnastics, which made for some kickass action between the hero and the baddie.
"I am delighted that I got the opportunity to display my martial arts skills and put my seven years of training to use," says Vidyut. Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah adds, "When we were casting for the film, John was adamant that the villain match him in physical strength and martial arts.
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he insisted that he would only fight a real man!" The film has used various styles of martial arts and fight techniques like jiu-jitsu, kalaripayattu, capoeira and parkour. Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios adds, "Recent trends suggest that film audiences are clearly looking for action with a difference.
Force brings back the era of macho men who look and fight like real men, where the hero and the villain are equals."
(less)New York Times Reviews Ra.One: 'Great effects, lame script'
Not that it could be mistaken for anything other than what it is: a Bollywood epic with a magpie appetite and, of course, songs and dances. (The catchy, clubby Chammak Challo , featuring Akon, is already a hit.
) For all its cost, digital effects and virtual reality feints, Ra.One is a traditional, if somewhat undercooked, Hindi movie confrontation between good and evil.
After all, the villain is named Ra.One (for Random Access Version 1.
0), which can be pronounced Raavan, like the 10-headed demon in the Ramayana. And G.
One, the hero, is also Jeevan, which means life. Sporting a wig of floppy curls, Shah Rukh Khan, the film's star and guiding force, plays Shekhar, a nerdy computer game designer in London.
(Even the thieves speak Hindi in this town.) To win the admiration of his son, Prateek (Armaan Verma), he creates a game in which the bad guy, Ra.
One, is more powerful than the hero, G.One.
But Ra.One breaks into the real world and wants to kill Prateek, which sends the boy and his mother (Kareena Kapoor, looking great with a few new pounds) to India with G.
One (Mr. Khan again, sans curls), who has also come to life.
Ra.One , directed by Anubhav Sinha, works hard with its money.
(The Times of India has reported the budget as $30 million.) Full of digital effects, wire work and things that go flying (cars, men, supermen) the movie is technically as sophisticated as anything Bollywood has produced.
A standout is G.One's rescue of Kareena on a runaway train that crashes rather spectacularly out of Victoria Terminus in Mumbai.
You can see the money on screen, if not in the screenwriting. The exposition is longwinded and confusing, as are the rules of the game, in the virtual and the real worlds.
The bumbling Shekhar is too clownish; Ra.One is a dud demon (Raavan is invoked to little effect) who disappears for chunks of time; and you probably won't hold your breath as good fights evil.
But if the storytelling disappoints (shocking!), the film mostly doesn't. It relies on action and effects and Bollywood's trump card, star power, to carry the day.
This is Shah Rukh Khan's movie, and once he sheds Shekhar's droopy locks, he shines as the deadpan, action-hero robot with digital snot and smooth moves on the dance floor. Tweet
(less)Ashutosh Rana plays the role of police inspector
The audience would see me in a completely different role quite different from what they have seen me earlier in.,"" says the actor who had won accolades for his roles in films like Dushman, Sangharsh.
The actor who was recently seen in film Monica says ""that right marketing strategy is essential for even a good film to hit the theatres""
(less)Prakash Raj is the main villain of Dabangg 2, says Arbaaz Khan
"The extremely talented actor Prakash Raj is the main villian of Dabangg 2 ," Arbaaz posted on his Twitter page recently. The southern actor-filmmaker is excited about the new role.
"Just heard the narration of Dabangg 2 . Arbaaz has a sureshot winner on hand.
Happy and excited to join Salman bhai once again. Cheers!!!" Prakash Raj tweeted.
This has put a question mark on actor Sonu Sood's role in Dabangg 2 , the sequel to the 2010 action blockbuster Dabangg . Sonu played Chaddi Singh, the bad man in the original movie.
But if Prakash Raj will play the "main villain" in the sequel, one wonders what will happen to Sonu. But Sonu, who is repeating his villainous act in Osthi Tamil remake of the film, tweeted: "@arbaazSkhan is a fab guy, I know he will make a great film.
I will always be there with him may be not as an actor this time but as a brother." However, what will be retained in the sequel is the pairing of Salman and Sonakshi Sinha.
Dabangg 2 will release in December 2012. Tweet
(less)John Abraham's opponent to display his martial arts skills
But for a change, a villain will be unveiled at a special event. Vidyut Jammwal, who plays the bad guy in 'Force' and a worthy opponent to John Abraham in the film, was kept under wraps so far.
And now the makers of the film have decided to give a special launch pad to the bad boy, since his role in the film is as important and prominent as that of the hero, John Abraham. Vidyut, who is a trained martial arts fighter, will be displaying his skills on his launch event.
Interestingly, he has a team of boys, whom he had gathered from the slums of Dharavi and Wadala and who had exemplary martial arts skills and interest but no one to guide and train them. Vidyut started training them and has produced exceptionally different and advanced stunts for entertainment, which he has created especially for the launch and will be showcasing them in front of everyone along with his boys.
Vidyut says, "I have developed my own style of fight by amalgamation of Kalaeippayattu, gymnastics, Kung Fu and many other forms of fights, which I have also inculcated in the film and the event." The slum boys do different jobs to survive from selling books in trains, to running vada pav stalls to working as compounder at a hospital to selling brooms and fish.
But at the beginning and end of every day, they all train together and conjure new acrobatic stunts, which the audience will be seeing in the movie Force as well. The same stunts will be performed by Vidyut and his team at the event today.
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(less)Manoj Bajpayee: As you grow up, you learn to be a liar
Ramu too has announced his own version of The Ramayan. What's this latest fascination of Bollywood with the epic? It's mere coincidence because when this film was written, "Raavan" was not even in the picture.
The director and writer were so new that they didn't know how to get in touch with actors like me. Eventually, they did so but by the time they got in touch with me, "Raavan" had been made.
Ramu must be having his own take of how he wants to handle the mythological text. My "Lanka" is inspired by the relationship that Ravan and Vivishan shared.
"Lanka" explores the small town culture of western UP. You've played a character that would be synonymous to Ravan in mythology.
Is your role essentially evil? Not really. I play a powerful guy and he uses his power too when he falls for a girl, who doesn't reciprocate.
How would you define it in the context of the film industry? Power is the ability to give three hits in a year. Nothing else can give power.
Critics might praise my work but if my films keep failing at the BO, nobody will give me work. So, where you would find yourself on any powerlist? Oh! I would be very low in the pecking order.
That I am still managing to survive is only because of some directors, who have faith in me. Nothing goes against a person if he is part of a hit movie.
Whether he is talented or not is immaterial. Anurag Kashyap is one such director and you've done "Gangs of Wasseypur" with him recently.
How has been the experience been? Anurag uses me very well. He is too intelligent a director and considering that he tours the world over, he has a lot of new ideas.
After Shekhar Kapur and Mahesh Bhatt , he is Indian cinema's biggest actor's director. It's not easy to become a director who understands the emotional requirements of an actor.
Your "Chittagong" too will eventually be releasing. Are you aware of comparisons with "Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey"? Nobody is scared of comparisons but I must add that director Bedabrata Pain has a very different take on the subject.
A child in awe of Masterda is in the foreground, whereas I am the second or third lead in the movie. This movie has a new style of storytelling that I absolutely loved being a part of.
Having done movies like "Raajneeti" and "Aarakshan", are their any movies/roles of yours that you now can't sit and watch? I will never do a "Bewafaa" or a "Fareb" now. Today, I realize that I was not the right cast for these films and that I was not good in the roles either.
You admit that fatherhood has toned you down. What are the things you will never say or do now? Internally, there has been a shift in search towards spiritualism.
Of course, my daughter ( Ava Nayla ) has changed my life too. Even as I speak, she is sitting on my chest and looking at me with wide-eyed wonder.
Seeing her grow is a unique experience. I have calmed down a lot.
I am an actor and I have realized that even if I don't like a performance, I'll never say the truth on anyone's face. In this industry, people can't accept the truth.
As a child, you are told to be truthful. But as you grow up in the industry, you learn to be a liar.
That's a survival tactic. You might believe that you are saying the truth because you want to be honest.
But not only will you lose friends by doing so, you will also end up losing a few years in the industry by rubbing people the wrong way. So, what's the biggest lie in the industry? I'd like to mention two lies - talent survives and that a good film does well.
In reality, anybody can be a part of a hit film. He will survive and there will be hype surrounding him.
Truth is that a film that becomes a hit is not necessarily a good movie. Did you ever attract a Vivishan in your career? I am no Ravan in real life to have a Vivishan.
On a serious note, nobody is that close to me apart from my family. They are all very loyal to me both during my good and bad times.
There is no giant Lanka that I have built to be pulled down to ashes. What about your wife's film career? She is a mother now.
Currently, she is too involved with our daughter. She doesn't believe in keeping a domestic help and does everything by herself
(less)It's one of the greatest highs to play a villain: SRK
"I really enjoyed it. I will be really honest and I am not glorifying badness in real life and these are just films and stories, but as an actor it is one of the greatest highs to play a villain's role," said Shah Rukh at the launch of the video game based on " Don 2", which is releasing Friday.
Directed by Farhan Akhtar, the film also stars Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani, Lara Dutta, Om Puri and Kunal Kapoor. "Farhan Akhtar as a director-actor and Priyanka as an actor would agree that it's a different kind of a high for an actor to play a villains role," said SRK.
The 46-year-old, who rose to fame by playing negative roles in super hit films "Baazigar" and "Darr", believes in the existence of one central character, who can be either good or bad. "I started with theatre and there was nothing like a hero for me.
There was a protagonist, a central character. I have been a bad guy on stage, I have been a good guy on stage.
..
," said SRK. "I was thrilled that I got this opportunity and I did not think of the hero type roles.
Now that I am getting a chance to play a negative role in 'Don' after so many years, there is no justification to it and being bad is also important to take the world forward," he added. This year Shah Rukh's mega-budget sci-fi film "Ra.
One" released and he also made cameo appearances in "Always Kabhi Kabhi" and "Love Breakups Zindagi"
(less)B'wood bowled over by Sanju-Hrithik Agneepath
Film critic Rajeev Masand says, "I loved it. It is one of the most visually impactful promos I've seen in a long time.
The very first visual of Sanjay Dutt, who plays the baddie Kancha, dragging a man (who I am assuming is Hrithik Roshan's father) up the stairs leaves a mark. The montage of the huge Ganpati statue and several such images stay in your mind.
The film has an A-list star cast like Rishi Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Hrithik Roshan ." Masand is all praise for Dutt.
"His look is so menacing. I must hand it to the actor for going all out to get this look right.
He has bravely shaved his head, donned earrings, bulked up his physique; everything is so larger-than-life. I think he is the meanest character one has seen on screen in a long time.
" Rajeev continues, "Hrithik is equally exciting as Agneepath marks his return to the action genre. .
Hrithik's Vijay complements Sanjay's Kancha perfectly. If Sanjay wasn't such a mean villain, the hero may not have had enough to chew on.
But here, you can see Agneepath as being a fight between equals." Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, "Agneepath could well be Hrithik's Dabangg.
The actor did well for himself with ZNMD and Agneepath will see him consolidate his position. As for Sanjay, it will be the turning point of his career.
Kancha is so ferocious, so venomous and Vijay is so angry, so livid that the clash between the two takes on gargantuan proportions. I know a lot of purists felt that Karan Johar and Karan Malhotra shouldn't have touched a cult classic like Agneepath.
However, after seeing the promo, I think this version will be a revelation." Vajir Singh, the editor of a film trade journal, feels that the Agneepath promo is a fine example of what commercial mainstream cinema is.
Says he, "KJo and Karan Malhotra know mainstream cinema really well. And their promo shows just those aspects.
This has been beautifully conveyed in the teaser. The good versus evil formula works very well here and reprising the characters of Vijay and Kancha works beautifully.
"
(less)I like bad boys: Priyanka Chopra
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and take them home. Read on.
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Were you successful at catching Don this time around? Well, Roma is feistier this time around. She's angry! But Don ko pakadna namumkin hai.
You can get really close to him, but he vanishes in thin air. SRK is always on-the-go, how do you manage to keep up? We traveled so much for the film because we want people to know about it; it's definitely better than the first Don.
Yes, SRK has high-energy, but I have amazing energy too. We believe you like bad boys.
..
This quote of mine is going to go down in history. Yes, I like bad boys, and I like to take them home to my mom.
She also likes bad boys..
. Ha, ha, ha.
..
You love your stunts and you love your action. Quite a different genre for an A-list actress.
..
You do films that you like. I love dabbling in different genres, and I like being good at different genres of cinema.
We haven't seen you in an out-an-out item song yet..
. I did Desi Girl, but that was in my own film.
I don't think songs in your own films should count as 'item songs'. But I would love to do a song in someone else's film.
It's all about 'Girl-power' nowadays. Heroines are turning 'heroes' in films.
..
I think it's amazing that women-oriented films are working. Be it Vidya in The Dirty Picture, Rani in NOKJ, Katrina in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan or Saat Khoon Maaf.
I think Fashion brought back the trend. I went against all odds with that one.
How's the music coming along? It's been a fabulous experience. I lived, breathed and ate music in USA.
I'm trying something so new and I hope it's something that makes our country proud. Your song lyrics have apparently said a lot about your life.
..
Ha, ha..
. Not a lot, but I certainly took a second look at the lyrics and thought that it was much more than I'd usually say about myself.
At the end of the day, the songs are supposed to by my expressions..
. Priyanka ko pataana kitna mushkil hai? Priyanka ko pataana bhi namumkin hai! I'm turned off by romantic gestures and flowers and chocolates.
I have very high standards. So what are these high standards that the guys need to achieve? I don't like guys who are conventional.
I'm an achiever; he has to be an achiever. I admire drive, I admire ambition.
I like a guy who keeps my on my toes. But are you a romantic at heart? Tremendously.
I live with romance in my brain. I'm a true-blue Cancerian like that.
I cry during romantic scenes, books..
. the works.
Give us a quick Don sign-off line..
. Kaun kehta hai ki chamatkaar nahi hote? Kabhi mujhe kareeb se dekha hai? For exclusive interviews, B-town parties & events, watch 'B Tonite' from Mon - Fri at 10pm, only on zoOm - India's No.
1 Bollywood channel. (Contributed by Madhureeta Mukherjee and Nihit Bhave for zoOm)
(less)I don't trust anybody: Ekta Kapoor
Refreshingly, Ekta Kapoor admits to all of them but says she's a changed woman today. Ques : After enjoying huge success, your company went through a really bad phase in 2008 and suffered a loss of around Rs 14 crore.
What did that phase teach you? Ekta Kapoor : We lost more than Rs 14 crore. After a steady success for eight years, suddenly everything started going wrong.
I was a wreck. Channel 9, where we had many serials running, shut down, we had this fight with Star TV, we had paid advance to a company to make films and that wasn't materialising, ask me what didn't go wrong.
Only post Pavitra Rishta things started looking up. This is when I realised that if I took calculated proposals it would be a big risk to take.
My choice was making a huge film and spend two crores over promotions or make a three crore film and depend on the content. Brand Balaji going for the brand value of Dibakar and going completely against the flavour and texture of what they have been doing itself made enough noise to launch a brand.
Ques : Also this perhaps gained you more respect as till then in spite of being called the czarina of television you were also criticised for making regressive content..
. Ekta : But if you ask me, I am still more proud of my achievements in television.
It is so tough to cater to that many tastes. I might not understand the financial situation of a middle class home but the middle class values I can totally identify with.
In fact, there was a survey that said that women in homes got more assertive after this TV boom started. So many of my friends told me that I make regressive serials, but these were the people who wouldn't even watch TV.
They would say - 'Oh I watched one or two scenes and I didn't like what I saw'. I would call such people myopic.
I still have far more respect for TV producers because there is no star power there; all that works is the content. Those TV producers are not lunching with Salman Khan or dining with SRK.
All they have is the content that could either make or break a serial. I on a personal level just ran out of stories to tell on television, so the only other medium available for me was films where I could explore darker, edgier stories.
Stories with more layers..
.in truth, I am bohemian in thought and conservative in action.
Ques : When you were riding high you were a short-tempered, impatient person. Did the low phase mellow you down? Ekta : I was 17 when I started my TV career.
If you have the number one show when you are 19 and at 25 the whole era on television is being dedicated to you, you are bound to grow cat's whiskers. I made some really stupid decisions, I lost some really nice friends because I asked them to leave the company.
I was short tempered because I had too much work. I didn't know how to absorb it all.
It is not the low phase but it is success, which taught me a few things. Now when I look back I have realised that no longer do I want to be a slave to success.
I was in such a hurry to be successful that I simply didn't care. Today I know that you have to be a human being first.
Tomorrow if none of my films do well, I am not going to reach the lowest rungs of depression like I used to. I know that I have many other things to be thankful for.
If I am not successful maybe the world will value me lesser, but the world's view not necessarily be my own view of myself. Today spirituality comes to me before success.
In fact, it is my strong belief in God that has cushioned my failure. I have not become a saint, but I can say sorry more easily now.
I am willing to accept my fault. I have killed my ego and learnt to say sorry.
Ques : And is there a regret you can't amend? Ekta : Yes, I didn't have time for amma. She was my guardian and took care of us for 27 years.
When she was dying I was too busy to be with her. I gave work my highest priority.
She took care of me for so many years and I couldn't spare a few months for her. Regret lasts longer than anything else and that is a karmic burden I will always carry.
Ques : You also had trust issues? Ekta : I still do. At one point I stopped talking to people, started closing all doors and I was very wary of people in general.
Now you see the much lighter me. I used to feel that everyone is after me for something.
It is then my mum told me, if you close the very first door, how would you know when a genuine person wants to enter? She said keep the door open, and then the second door let only few people enter and then slowly you can reach the trust lever with fewer people. People tell me that after a certain age you can't make friends, but now I know that if you haven't kept the doors open, someone out there who might share the same world as you, will not have been given the opportunity to come close to you.
Ques : If the door is open, why is your love life still not happening? Ekta : I really don't know why. I am very pissed with myself for that.
Either I am too intimidating or it is the bad placement of stars. I don't want to get involved with an actor.
..
Ques : Why? Your dad was an actor..
. Ekta : (Laughing) But my mum was not a producer.
That door is never open for an actor..
..
Ques : Are your standards high? Ekta : No. My standards are really low.
But it just doesn't happen. Even a flirty situation has not come up.
I have not been remotely interested in a guy since last one year..
.But my trust issues come up here too.
I still think somewhere you have got to be careful. I just want to protect my heart from rejection.
Also I am not sure who is approaching me for what I am. I joined a gym and I couldn't work out because there were four aspiring actors working out only around me.
I take a flight, pursers give me their numbers. If I write a story, I will have the most amusing real life incidents to narrate.
How will I ever know who wants to genuinely be my friend and not use me? A friend was asking me the other day if there is anyone I trust at all, and I said yes, only my mother. I have learnt many things now.
I have learnt to delegate. I have also learnt that I won't die if I don't continue being successful.
People's expectations of you can be killing. In 2005 I thought I can't give a flop ever.
But today I wouldn't care less. If I fail and if you don't want to talk to me, that's your problem.
I am on this let me be happy phase. For me spirituality comes first and then success.
It can be really lonely at the top and the company you have around is not what you want. So I am not taking that risk again.
Tweet
(less)It's good to be bad in Bollywood
Instead, King Khan plays the positive character G.One.
The resurrection of the big Bollywood villain, who had become almost redundant over the last decade, seems like a welcome change. One barely saw imposing antagonists in the last few years barring a few.
The villains of the earlier decades (Gabbar Singh, Mogambo, Dr Dang) were so intense and menacing that they would completely overshadow the hero. While Shah Rukh Khan's look in RA.
One was revealed a while back, Arjun Rampal's look was fiercely guarded for over two years and was unmasked only recently, during Dussehra. The actor's look with the scarlet suit, goatee and the baldhead, makes his character look particularly intimidating.
In fact, King Khan said in one of the interviews that he was feeling insecure of Rampal stealing all the thunder from him. Similarly, Sanjay Dutt who plays the negative role of Kancha Cheena in Karan Johar's Agneepath remake has generated more buzz than the lead actor Hrithik Roshan, who steps into the big boots of Amitabh Bachchan.
The curiosity in Dutt's character is also raised owing to his interesting look. In fact, the list of strong villains does not end here.
Reportedly, even Krrish 2 has a powerful villain. The role played by Vivek Oberoi is said to be on the lines of Joker from the Batman series.
A film veteran says, "It's a good trend. Unless you have a good adversary, the hero won't stand out.
" Shah Rukh Khan stunned everyone by opting for negative roles in Baazigar, Darr, Anjaam, early in his career. The Don remake in which King Khan played a baddie, too, received a warm reception at the box office and is being followed by its sequel.
From the current breed of actors, Saif Ali Khan too has experimented with dark characters. His career took a different turn after he played negative roles in Ek Haseena Thi, Being Cyrus and Omkara.
John Abraham and Hrithik Roshan wowed the audience as baddies in Yash Raj Film's Dhoom series. Now, Aamir Khan is gearing up to play the bad man in the Dhoom triquel.
Sadly, we haven't seen many great negative roles written for female actors in Bollywood apart from the stereotypical horrid mothers-in-law. The ones, however, that stood out were the characters played by Priyanka Chopra in Aitraaz and Saat Khoon Maaf, Preity Zinta in Armaan, Kajol in Gupt, Amrita Singh in Aaina and Anu Agarwal in Khal-Naaikaa.
Directors like Vishal Bhardwaaj and Anurag Kashyap are fascinated by grey characters and are known to make dark films. Vishal had earlier said in an interview, "I find dark humour very fascinating - it instigates something in you- it scares you, disturbs you but is funny at the same time.
" Tweet
(less)New York Times Reviews Ra.One: 'Great effects, lame script'
Not that it could be mistaken for anything other than what it is: a Bollywood epic with a magpie appetite and, of course, songs and dances. (The catchy, clubby Chammak Challo , featuring Akon, is already a hit.
) For all its cost, digital effects and virtual reality feints, Ra.One is a traditional, if somewhat undercooked, Hindi movie confrontation between good and evil.
After all, the villain is named Ra.One (for Random Access Version 1.
0), which can be pronounced Raavan, like the 10-headed demon in the Ramayana. And G.
One, the hero, is also Jeevan, which means life. Sporting a wig of floppy curls, Shah Rukh Khan, the film's star and guiding force, plays Shekhar, a nerdy computer game designer in London.
(Even the thieves speak Hindi in this town.) To win the admiration of his son, Prateek (Armaan Verma), he creates a game in which the bad guy, Ra.
One, is more powerful than the hero, G.One.
But Ra.One breaks into the real world and wants to kill Prateek, which sends the boy and his mother (Kareena Kapoor, looking great with a few new pounds) to India with G.
One (Mr. Khan again, sans curls), who has also come to life.
Ra.One , directed by Anubhav Sinha, works hard with its money.
(The Times of India has reported the budget as $30 million.) Full of digital effects, wire work and things that go flying (cars, men, supermen) the movie is technically as sophisticated as anything Bollywood has produced.
A standout is G.One's rescue of Kareena on a runaway train that crashes rather spectacularly out of Victoria Terminus in Mumbai.
You can see the money on screen, if not in the screenwriting. The exposition is longwinded and confusing, as are the rules of the game, in the virtual and the real worlds.
The bumbling Shekhar is too clownish; Ra.One is a dud demon (Raavan is invoked to little effect) who disappears for chunks of time; and you probably won't hold your breath as good fights evil.
But if the storytelling disappoints (shocking!), the film mostly doesn't. It relies on action and effects and Bollywood's trump card, star power, to carry the day.
This is Shah Rukh Khan's movie, and once he sheds Shekhar's droopy locks, he shines as the deadpan, action-hero robot with digital snot and smooth moves on the dance floor. Tweet
(less)Shahid Kapoor, Bipasha Basu break up!
The reason? Apparently Shahid became increasingly indifferent to Bips after the initial excitement of meeting someone new waned. A source reveals,"Bipasha takes people at face value.
Although they were only just getting to know each other, she was keen to see where things would go with Shahid. Post her break-up with John, she wasn't in a hurry to get into another relationship.
She was wary of opening up to someone new, but took a chance with Shahid as he really pursued her at the start." However, friends and acquaintances who hung out with the seemingly cosy twosome knew the courtship would be shortlived.
The source adds, "They're like chalk and cheese. Shahid is quite controlling, while Bipasha is a free spirit.
After the initial high, Bips realised Shahid was slowly distancing himself from her. She's not the sort of woman to do things in half measures or stay with a man who does anymore.
" The final straw was a minor fight that took place before Bips took off to Greece. "She was quite upset when it was over, as she didn't think it would be so soon.
This has given her Dum Maro Dum costar Rana Daggubatti the perfect opportunity to play knight in shining armour though. He's being a good friend to Bipasha and helping her deal with the break up.
While Bips was upset with the way Shahid ended things, her friends have told her to think of him as a rebound man and move on with life," says a close friend
(less)Gali Gali Chor Hai: Movie Review
In a country governed by corruption, the common man is still ruled by red-tapism. The maximum that he can do is hurl a shoe at bureaucracy or slap the system.
And that's precisely what the hero of the film does. Beyond that he and his story are as powerless as the common man.
Bharat (Akshaye Khanna) works as a bank cashier who plays Hanuman in the local Ram Leela and aspires to upgrade to the lead role of Ram someday. When he refuses to offer his house for the political campaign of a local candidate (Murli Sharma), the politico's younger brother (Amit Mistry) gets him embroiled in a bureaucratic mess.
He is forced to reclaim from court, a table fan supposedly stolen from his house, for which he has to bribe everyone from the constable, witness, lawyer to even the thief. He ends up paying a fortune for the fan, which, in first place, was never his.
Problems persist when he wishes to get rid of the ill-fated fan. The basic theme and treatment of this political satire is right away reminiscent of Pankaj Kapur's popular TV series ' Office Office ' which highlighted the common man's vulnerability against a corrupt system.
The struggle for retrieving an object, which was neither yours nor desired by you, gives way for an interesting black comedy. Moreover in a society bogged down by bureaucracy to extremities and where anything and everything is possible, writers Mumukshu Mudgal and Rumy Jafry don't need to go that extra mile to make the black comedy believable enough.
Things fall into place in the script almost through the inherent spirit of bribery. The narrative also smartly establishes the irony that when another household object is actually stolen, the cynical Bharat never reports its loss.
But once the 'systematic' exploitation is firmly established in the first half, the audience expects the tables to turn in the second half with hopes that the hero would give his detractors a taste of their own medicine. Sadly what follows is more turmoil for him in his attempts to get rid of the fan that boomerangs back.
Since you identify with Bharat's common man character who is repeatedly at the receiving end, it becomes distressing after a while because you see your defeat in his. Some sequences are genuinely funny but by large the screenplay seems 'fan'atically stretched over a single conflict.
The actual scope for some (courtroom) drama in the climax is hastily edited in a transition song. While the social satire mocks at corruption through its runtime, in the climax, the hero has to resort to corruption to set himself free.
Thereby this anti-graft drama sets a sad example for itself and endorses bribery, when everything else fails. And when you expect the politician's payback time to have actually started when the hero slaps him, you are surprised to see the end credits roll.
Director Rumy Jafry never makes his common-man protagonist larger-than-life, perhaps implying that there is no practical solution to the widespread disease of corruption. Unfortunately his film hangs between neo-realism and escapism.
The hero waving the national flag in end credits can induce artificial patriotism but not curb corruption. The narrative is needlessly corrupted with love song and item number - both of which are absolutely avoidable.
What's more redundant is a tangential track where Bharat's wife (Shriya Saran) doubts him of having an affair with the paying guest (Mughda Godse). The family drama remains unconnected with the core corruption saga and the film could have easily done without a romance track.
The Ram Leela episodes that play in parallel makes for an interesting setting but the director could have used its analogy with the central plot more effectively. Akshaye Khanna, for a pleasant change, doesn't go theatrical despite his staged Ram Leela acts.
He maintains restrain in his performance and convincingly brings out the susceptibility of a common man without overdoing it either. Annu Kapoor, as the corrupt constable, dominates the bureaucratic escapades and is the scene-stealer.
Vijay Raaz is funny in his two-bit role. Satish Kaushik , as the plump papa, plays his part well.
Amit Mistry makes for a good villain. Shriya Saran looks beautiful.
Mughda Godse was absolutely avoidable. Veena Malik's item number is downright vulgar.
Despite a decent premise, this one falls short of being a fan-tastic film. Alas Gali Gali Bore Hai ! Verdict: Average
(less)I don't trust anybody: Ekta Kapoor
Refreshingly, Ekta Kapoor admits to all of them but says she's a changed woman today. Ques : After enjoying huge success, your company went through a really bad phase in 2008 and suffered a loss of around Rs 14 crore.
What did that phase teach you? Ekta Kapoor : We lost more than Rs 14 crore. After a steady success for eight years, suddenly everything started going wrong.
I was a wreck. Channel 9, where we had many serials running, shut down, we had this fight with Star TV, we had paid advance to a company to make films and that wasn't materialising, ask me what didn't go wrong.
Only post Pavitra Rishta things started looking up. This is when I realised that if I took calculated proposals it would be a big risk to take.
My choice was making a huge film and spend two crores over promotions or make a three crore film and depend on the content. Brand Balaji going for the brand value of Dibakar and going completely against the flavour and texture of what they have been doing itself made enough noise to launch a brand.
Ques : Also this perhaps gained you more respect as till then in spite of being called the czarina of television you were also criticised for making regressive content..
. Ekta : But if you ask me, I am still more proud of my achievements in television.
It is so tough to cater to that many tastes. I might not understand the financial situation of a middle class home but the middle class values I can totally identify with.
In fact, there was a survey that said that women in homes got more assertive after this TV boom started. So many of my friends told me that I make regressive serials, but these were the people who wouldn't even watch TV.
They would say - 'Oh I watched one or two scenes and I didn't like what I saw'. I would call such people myopic.
I still have far more respect for TV producers because there is no star power there; all that works is the content. Those TV producers are not lunching with Salman Khan or dining with SRK.
All they have is the content that could either make or break a serial. I on a personal level just ran out of stories to tell on television, so the only other medium available for me was films where I could explore darker, edgier stories.
Stories with more layers..
.in truth, I am bohemian in thought and conservative in action.
Ques : When you were riding high you were a short-tempered, impatient person. Did the low phase mellow you down? Ekta : I was 17 when I started my TV career.
If you have the number one show when you are 19 and at 25 the whole era on television is being dedicated to you, you are bound to grow cat's whiskers. I made some really stupid decisions, I lost some really nice friends because I asked them to leave the company.
I was short tempered because I had too much work. I didn't know how to absorb it all.
It is not the low phase but it is success, which taught me a few things. Now when I look back I have realised that no longer do I want to be a slave to success.
I was in such a hurry to be successful that I simply didn't care. Today I know that you have to be a human being first.
Tomorrow if none of my films do well, I am not going to reach the lowest rungs of depression like I used to. I know that I have many other things to be thankful for.
If I am not successful maybe the world will value me lesser, but the world's view not necessarily be my own view of myself. Today spirituality comes to me before success.
In fact, it is my strong belief in God that has cushioned my failure. I have not become a saint, but I can say sorry more easily now.
I am willing to accept my fault. I have killed my ego and learnt to say sorry.
Ques : And is there a regret you can't amend? Ekta : Yes, I didn't have time for amma. She was my guardian and took care of us for 27 years.
When she was dying I was too busy to be with her. I gave work my highest priority.
She took care of me for so many years and I couldn't spare a few months for her. Regret lasts longer than anything else and that is a karmic burden I will always carry.
Ques : You also had trust issues? Ekta : I still do. At one point I stopped talking to people, started closing all doors and I was very wary of people in general.
Now you see the much lighter me. I used to feel that everyone is after me for something.
It is then my mum told me, if you close the very first door, how would you know when a genuine person wants to enter? She said keep the door open, and then the second door let only few people enter and then slowly you can reach the trust lever with fewer people. People tell me that after a certain age you can't make friends, but now I know that if you haven't kept the doors open, someone out there who might share the same world as you, will not have been given the opportunity to come close to you.
Ques : If the door is open, why is your love life still not happening? Ekta : I really don't know why. I am very pissed with myself for that.
Either I am too intimidating or it is the bad placement of stars. I don't want to get involved with an actor.
..
Ques : Why? Your dad was an actor..
. Ekta : (Laughing) But my mum was not a producer.
That door is never open for an actor..
..
Ques : Are your standards high? Ekta : No. My standards are really low.
But it just doesn't happen. Even a flirty situation has not come up.
I have not been remotely interested in a guy since last one year..
.But my trust issues come up here too.
I still think somewhere you have got to be careful. I just want to protect my heart from rejection.
Also I am not sure who is approaching me for what I am. I joined a gym and I couldn't work out because there were four aspiring actors working out only around me.
I take a flight, pursers give me their numbers. If I write a story, I will have the most amusing real life incidents to narrate.
How will I ever know who wants to genuinely be my friend and not use me? A friend was asking me the other day if there is anyone I trust at all, and I said yes, only my mother. I have learnt many things now.
I have learnt to delegate. I have also learnt that I won't die if I don't continue being successful.
People's expectations of you can be killing. In 2005 I thought I can't give a flop ever.
But today I wouldn't care less. If I fail and if you don't want to talk to me, that's your problem.
I am on this let me be happy phase. For me spirituality comes first and then success.
It can be really lonely at the top and the company you have around is not what you want. So I am not taking that risk again.
Tweet
(less)ADL calls upon Zee TV to remove 'Hitler' title
The show, starring the actress Rati Pandey, premiered on November 7 on Zee TV in India and is also being carried on the network's affiliates in other countries, including the US. The title refers to a young woman in the show who is known for being strict.
In a statement, ADL said it has received numerous complaints about the title and its use in online promotional materials and videos. Last week, they wrote to network executives with the request to change the name to one "not freighted with the taint of the Nazi Holocaust".
"Let's preserve the name 'Hitler' as a villain of incomparable evil and not trivialize his legacy or the Holocaust with a serial TV title," ADL wrote in a letter to Punit Goenka, managing director & CEO, and Subhash Chandra, chairman of Zee Entertainment. "We strongly urge you to reconsider the choice of title and rename your show," ADL said.
When contacted, the channel sources confirmed that they have received a letter from ADL, adding, they are yet to take a call on it. Tweet
(less)Shahid Kapoor, Bipasha Basu break up | Bollywood News and Gossip
The reason? Apparently Shahid became increasingly indifferent to Bips after the initial excitement of meeting someone new waned. A source reveals,”Bipasha takes people at face value.
Although they were only just getting to know each other, she was keen to see where things would go with Shahid. Post her break-up with John, she wasn’t in a hurry to get into another relationship.
She was wary of opening up to someone new, but took a chance with Shahid as he really pursued her at the start.” However, friends and acquaintances who hung out with the seemingly cosy twosome knew the courtship would be shortlived.
The source adds, “They’re like chalk and cheese. Shahid is quite controlling, while Bipasha is a free spirit.
After the initial high, Bips realised Shahid was slowly distancing himself from her. She’s not the sort of woman to do things in half measures or stay with a man who does anymore.
” The final straw was a minor fight that took place before Bips took off to Greece. “She was quite upset when it was over, as she didn’t think it would be so soon.
This has given her Dum Maro Dum costar Rana Daggubatti the perfect opportunity to play knight in shining armour though. He’s being a good friend to Bipasha and helping her deal with the break up.
While Bips was upset with the way Shahid ended things, her friends have told her to think of him as a rebound man and move on with life,” says a close friend. Sphere: Related Content Posted in
(less)Bipasha Basu is ready to tie the knot
We asked her what the bombshell felt about the fact that someone who was rather close to her (read John Abraham ) deciding to get hitched next year. Pat came the reply, "Nobody close to me is getting married.
If somebody close to me does get married, I'll just wish him luck, that's it. There is nothing more to it.
" What about herself ? Is she planning to tie the knot anytime soon? She nonchalantly answered, "Aap ladka dhoondo na. Main shaadi ke liye taiyar hoon, par ladka toh dhoondon pehle.
" Bips feels that nobody from the current Bolly lot flutters her heart. ( Rana Daggubati , are you hearing?) "Why does he have to be from Bollywood? A handsome man, with a great sense of humour is all that I want.
" Finding the right guy for the sizzling lady might be a daunting task, but meanwhile, she is all ready to do another Bengali film. "I would love to do another Bengali film after "Shob Choritro Kalponik".
But at this stage I can't go scouting for roles," she revealed. Bipasha talked about shooting in Murmunsk in Russia at a temperature of -30 degrees for her latest flick.
"The camera crew were the real hero while shooting. Nobody goes there in that frigid place.
I had a great opportunity of stepping out of my professional space and totally lived it up". Bips wants to be able to lie well in 2012 and yes, that's a resolution she's hoping to keep.
Lie? "I have failed miserably last year. In the coming year, I just want to be a good liar".
Ahem, we say!
(less)Year of the new directors
Vajir Singh, editor Box Office India remarked, "This has been a very positive year for Bollywood, with numerous directors making their debut into the industry. While Kiran Rao, Luv Ranjan, Amol Gupte, Bijoy Nambiar, Ali Abbas Zafar and Rohit Dhawan impressed us with their maiden ventures, we was very disappointed with Roshan Abbas and Deepa Sahi.
There were surprise hits in Pyaar Ka Panchnama and Faltu, while there were many disappointments as well. I would not like to sum it up as a mixed year as there were more positives than negatives and a couple of more directors to make their debut this year.
" With more than 70 new directors releasing their projects this year, Mumbai Mirror zeroed down on the ones that were most touted - for reasons that were good, bad or ugly and how they ended up being received. ? Sizzlers Kiran rao's (Dhobi Ghat) It was Aamir Khan's wife Kiran Rao's maiden venture.
Possibly, for that singular reason the film garnered a lot of attention from fans and film critics alike. Though the eyeballs did not really translate into a big box office figure, the film remained a talking point for a better part of the year.
Remo D'Souza's (F.A.
L.T.
U) Another choreographer trying his hands in direction. No A-list stars.
A bunch of young actors put together in a film with a storyline that seemed old. Surprise.
Surprise! Remo managed to convert all of this into a hit. With some really good direction, good choreography, music and fresh ideas.
Abhinay Deo's (Game & Delhi Belly) First time director. Two different films.
While Game failed to please, Delhi Belly created what is being described as 'history'. Amol Gupte 's ( Stanley Ka Dabba ) His first attempt at making a child a hero was successful.
But that ended in a controversy. So, he returned with Stanley.
..
and made his own son Partho the hero. A sweet film that won many awards in India and abroad, reminded 2011 Bollywood that children's films can make big bucks as well.
Siddiqui Lal's (Bodyguard) Siddiqui had Salman Khan as the male lead in his debut film. Need we say more? ? Average Pavan Kriplani's (Ragini MMS) With a scandalus MMS as the subject and Ekta Kapoor marketing the product, Pavan Kriplani couldn't have gone wrong with his debut.
Luv Ranjan's (Pyaar Ka Punchnama) He may not be a girl's best friend any longer, but his film did make him quite a hit with the all males aged 18-30 this year. Vikas Bahl & Nitesh Tiwari's ( Chillar Party ) Another children's film.
The USP - Salman Khan . Of course, it did well.
Rohit Dhawan's (Desi Boyz) It was David Dhawan's son making his directorial debut. Panned by critics, it did do average business even though Rohit was expected to do better.
Bijoy Nambiar's (Shaitaan) A new concept. Fresh actors.
Good music. And brillaint cinematography.
Though not made for the masses, the film did not fail to please the multiplex audience. ? Disappointing Roshan Abbas's (Always Kabhi Kabhi) Shah Rukh Khan backed Roshan Abbas's maiden venture.
And even made promos for it. but the film just went to prove that at times, even stars might fail to shine.
Parvin Dabas' (Sahi Dhandhe..
.) 'It is made with a lot of heart' said Parvin's wife Preeti Jhangiani.
However, Sahi dhandhe Galat Bande just failed to touch the audience's hearts. Raghav Dhar's (My Friend Pinto) The village idiot goes to the city in search of his friend.
Dar had got his storyline in place. And also some great performers.
However, the masses couldn't find a reason to watch the film. Puri Jaggannath's (Bbudhah Hoga.
..
) Amitabh Bachchan people love. But Amitabh Bachchan trying too hard to be funky? And that was perhaps what went wrong with Jagannath's debut venture.
Pankaj Kapur's (Mausam) Father directing son in his debut venture. Everybody waited to see it.
And then they couldn't wait for it get over. Even lead actor Shahid took a break after this one
(less)Kannada actor Darshan, wife, make up
"Please pardon me. It's a bitter incident of my life which should not have happened.
Darshan will not do it again", the popular actor said. "I am extremely thankful to my fans who were solidly behind me," he added.
Darshan's wife Vijayalakshmi, who appeared with him at the press conference, termed the episode as a "bad phase" and said they want to put it behind and move forward. Darshan, 34, a leading Kannada cinema hero, was arrested on September 9 after Vijayalakshmi alleged he threatened her with a revolver and assaulted her.
He was released on conditional bail on Friday, October 7. "He is a better man, changed person overall," Vijayalakshmi said and added, "In the heat of the moment, things tend to happen.
After rectifying mistakes, life will be better". She added that her bond with her husband has actually grown due to the one-month separation.
"We want to overcome it and lead a really good life". Darshan said film actor Nikita had no role in his estrangement with his wife.
After Darshan was arrested, the Kannada Film Producers Association had banned Nikita for three years after her name was linked to the actor but revoked it days later following public outrage. Vijayalakshmi said that nobody asked for her suggestion before banning Nikita and so she would not like to comment on the issue now.
The Karnataka High Court, which granted bail to Darshan, has ordered him and his wife, along with his counsel and public prosecutor, to be present in the presiding Judge's chamber on October 13 to "arrive at a suitable conclusion" through negotiations, if it's possible, leading to the couple having a "harmonious relationship". Tweet
(less)Ours is a sexually repressed society: Randeep Hooda
"In this film, we have shown extramarital affairs but those things do happen in real life and are spoken about. Boldness in our movie is very topical.
We don't have bad language. There are some intimate scenes but they make sense because they are so emotionally and passionately driven that they seem to be a part of the film very seamlessly.
So it's not done to titillate anybody," he added. Mahie Gill and Jimmy Shergill join Randeep in the cast of Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster , about love, betrayal and ambition revolving around the three central characters.
Helmed by director Tigmanshu Dhulia, it is set for a Sep 30 release. Randeep, who has moved from the role of a cop in Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai to that of a gangster in Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster , describes his character as an innocent man who falls madly in love with a married woman.
"I play Babloo, who is a young boy employed as a driver at the palace of Jimmy Shergill and Mahie Gill, who are playing 'sahib' and 'biwi' respectively. Mahi's character makes him fall in love with her and he falls head over heels for her.
..
that's where the complexities in the plot start. "He becomes a passionate lover who will do anything for love and that borders on possessiveness.
It's very complicated yet a nice and innocent character," added the 35-year-old who took inspiration for this character from the people he grew up with in his hometown Rohtak, Haryana. "My inspiration for this character went back to my roots in Haryana, to the time I grew up and people I observed.
My uncles were drivers and I thought of those times and people around me," he said. Finally, the actor, who is also working in the sequel to Jannat with Emraan Hashmi and Prachi Desai, says after the success of Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai things have started looking up for him.
"Things have really changed for me professionally because before Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai I did take a hiatus from acting, but that film brought me back in a big way. Now other directors and production houses look at me as an actor who can carry bigger parts and a longer screen presence.
So it has helped me a lot," he said. A management graduate from Australia, Randeep's stint with movies started with "Monsoon Wedding" and it was followed by movies like Darna Zaroori Hai , D and Ru Ba Ru .
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(less)I'm not one of those to look back at life: Kareena Kapoor
Otherwise I've let my work speak for myself, let people see me on screen, and left it at that, at least the past two years or so. Having these experiences with the media - them misunderstanding me and portraying me as somebody else, as someone I am not - left me in a bit of a corner, you know, in a personal zone.
So I was just like, let my people know me, and my fans can know me through the work I do. But you'd have idolized stars as you grew up, and wasn't knowing them as much a part of the idolization as seeing their movies in a theatre? Absolutely.
But then the press was so different at that time. There was a certain amount of respectability that was left - now, it's scary.
We have to train our minds and become this harder person inside, to be able to accept just anything. What's 'anything'? It's a long story, from me and Saif getting married in a nikah four years back, to families having problems about our bond.
These things make life a little murky. I don't know from where all this comes up.
And as to stuff about me and Saif, it's boring even for us to read, now, so I'm honestly pitying the reader! From the Kapoors being not-so-comfortable about their girls entering cinema, to how the Pataudis will feel about you as and when you formalize the relationship - you've been sort of under the scanner for good behaviour over a pretty long while now, haven't you? I guess it's about a search for gossip, a little controversy, kya hai..
. The Kapoors and the Pataudis are very liberal minded, cosmopolitan people.
I was already an actor when Saif met me. Saif's mother and sister are actresses, and there's a certain amount of respect, and I'm sure none of them mind the fact that I am an actress.
My parents love the fact that I'm an actress. Don't fans in India love the stars more than the films? No disrespect, but Salman doesn't need a script of any great detail for "Bodyguard" to make truckloads, does it? But I think that's the case with most actors in Bollywood, isn't it? We say the script is the real hero, but is it really the real hero? We don't really know.
There are no answers to that. Salman has a persona on screen that he can carry off anything under the sun.
But even if people go to see a star, there must be something in the movie to bring them to cinemas. You were ready for all this when you entered the industry? Umm.
..
of course, I come from a film family, so I was armed in a way. And my parents warned me that it wouldn't be easy.
We lead very public lives. I tried to keep my track uni-dimensional, just to be known as a good actor.
And the perks of superstardom are not really perks; they're usually about reading something in the dailies each morning. Trust me, there are absolutely no perks to this.
When you were 20, there weren't many actresses in their 30s. Of course, the female leads have had shorter lifespans than the heroes.
Did you think you'd see yourself being talked about in all these mega-box-office terms after you'd crossed 30? In today's generation of stars - or at least, I'd like to believe - it's, at least in my case, also about talent. It's about what you offer on screen, it's about what you offer directors.
And I think it's not like somebody is 30 or 31, so there isn't space for them. I don't want to believe in that.
I hope one day I can be doing a "Devil Wears Prada" when I'm 64. And I want to believe in it and I think that if I believe in it, it'll happen.
It's not that I'm sweet 16, or Bollywood is looking for someone who is sweet 16 anymore. It was a little like that in Karisma's time, but not any more.
Our scripts may not be changing much, but certain directors' mindsets are changing. They don't care how old somebody is, they just want to work with someone who's talented.
When I was around 20, I was giving some of the biggest flops in my career, while "3 Idiots" came just two years back. So it's not like it's the age that matters, it's from film to film.
How have you changed through your twenties? Of course I've changed. I hope I have grown.
The ultimate goal is that one should grow, not only as an actor, but also as a person. It'll help in my performances as well.
In my 20s I was a little more impulsive. Today, my likes and dislikes have changed a little, but I think that comes with age.
..
I don't know..
. I know many people say that 'Oh, is it because of Saif?' I don't know.
I am hoping that it's also a little bit because I have grown on my own, with my own personal experiences, I know. I am sure Saif was also doing and thinking differently when he was 25, 30, as compared to what he is today.
If I say to Saif, we have to go to a party tonight, and there's going to be loud music, he gets a little perturbed. But when he was 28, 29, perhaps the only thing he wanted to do was to listen to the loud music.
And similarly with me as well. I also would rather sit across with friends and have dinner, today, rather than go to these crazy parties with a hundred or two hundred people.
Once I used to look forward to it. I guess it's just a natural progression that takes place.
What else is part of the natural progression ? I think I'm a little healthier and my brain is a little stronger. I am much more aware.
My brain has grown to be sharper, if I may say so. And not in a wrong sort of way.
I think im just a little more aware; at 21 I wasn't that aware of things, not as alert. And of course, I'm healthier than what I was when I was 21.
Your health and weight have, of course, been subjects of national debate. Oh my god, yes, even that.
I am very health conscious, though. I like to do yoga.
I am normal also, there are days when I fall off the wagon and have my pizzas and do stuff like that, because, I'm a human being, yaar! Does being more aware translate into being more diplomatic now? I don't generally understand this term, when it's asked if someone has become more diplomatic. I don't think I have become diplomatic, it's just that I've become more conscious of the pros and cons of things.
But you do say blunt stuff now and then, even now, don't you? I mean, I'm honest, yes, I am open and I'm honest. And with the press, I'm as honest as I can be.
But the 'as honest as I can be' has changed, hasn't it? Umm..
. I'm a little more wary now.
I have my family to protect; I have my relationship to protect. And I don't know - ya, I don't want anything to be murky.
I hold back a little bit on that account, yet. And frankly I wish people would ask me more about my work, more about specific things I'm interested in, rather than ask me again about where Saif is, and what colour suit he is wearing on our next holiday, you know, that's what they're often asking! Do reading tastes also change over age? Sorry to disappoint, I'm just not into reading.
Saif would earlier buy me books but he's given up, poor chap, and says it's a waste of money to buy me any. I read the papers and all that, I like to know what's going on, but I'm not one to take a book and sit down.
I'd rather spend that time in watching DVDs; I play a lot of Sudoku, I'd rather do that for a couple of hours. What sort of DVDs do you watch? Mostly English movies; I like watching Meryl Streep's work, like the "Bridges of Madison County".
Of course, "Godfather". Stuff like that.
Drama based, and love stories. Hindi - I don't watch too many of the latest releases.
The last movies I saw were "3 Idiots" and "Dabangg". We don't watch a lot of Hindi movies.
..
That's a question of taste, or of not having much to learn from them? (Laughs) I think it's also a question of a lack of time, and a little bit of a lack of interest. Isn't that a diplomatic answer? Well, there is a lack of time.
Both I and Saif are not very hot on going to the theatre and watching the latest release, at least the latest Hindi release. I think the last movie he saw was also "3 Idiots", and later he saw "Dabangg" on DVD.
He's not seen "Bodyguard" also. How tough a bargainer are you? During the time you were in the process of signing "Heroine" there was a lot of talk that the final call was being held up since Kareena was driving a hard bargain over the money.
..
Oh God! I don't get into the money aspect of things at all. My managers do that and stuff.
And also, there's a lot of speculation about such things, most of which is not true. Let me tell you, I'm making the least money in every project possible! Is that so? You're commonly described as the 'highest paid actress' and you make the least? (Laughs) But nobody knows actually how much I get paid.
And trust me, I wish it was a little more! The common reader has a vague idea that you're charging 8 crore for "Heroine". I wish that was true! I really do! The birthday is a time for family? Yeah.
..
I guess we'll just spend time with friends and family. We're not really travelling out of the country because we want to be closer to Saif's dad.
So it's not quite the way we have sometimes done it in past years. Are you the sort to go to a temple first thing on your birthday? I don't know if I am very religious.
I go everywhere. When I was in Patiala I went to the gurdwara.
When I am shooting in Ajmer I go to the dargah. If I am in Jammu I will go to Vaishno Devi.
I think I am more spiritual than religious. So it's not like I will go out of my way to you know, be religious, or this sort of thing.
I go to church because we believe in Jesus; my mum is like half Catholic. I didn't know that.
You've been attending church since childhood? Yeah. I've been going since I was in my mother's arms; it's part of my childhood.
Every Christmas, it's a must. I'll probably make my children do that as well, it's a tradition and an offering of love and respect.
That is something that will always be there. Is there an instinct to look back, to rewind, as you end another year of life? No, I don't look back.
I've never done that. Good things are remembered, bad things forgotten.
If I have done something, it's obviously for a reason. I want to obviously move ahead.
And I learn from my mistakes, that I do. But I'm not one of those to look back at life.
What did you ask Santa for, on Christmas, most often? It was always like, never take my loved ones away - that's always been the basic prayer, whether it was Santa or Jesus Christ. It was always, always like, never take me away from my loved ones.
That's it. I've never asked for anything much.
You're happy with life? Happiness is quite relative..
. but yes, I really couldn't have asked for more.
I think God's given me a lot. I'm happy, I am
(less)There are no villains: Manoj Bajpayee
"I don't do villainous or positive roles. I do human being roles.
They are positive and negative both. If you say that I do only villain roles then your research is wrong," Manoj told reporters here.
Manoj has played negative roles in films like "Aks", "Road", "Raajneeti" and "Aarakshan", but maintains that his characters can't be called villains. "'Shool' was not villain's role, 'Zubeidaa' was not villain's role, and 'Lanka' has me in role with grey shades.
The character is like any human being in the society, like you or like me. We all have positive and negative aspects.
So they can't be called villains," added the actor, whose best remembered role is that of underworld don Bhiku Mhatre in "Satya". The 42-year-old admits he has a few negative aspects in his personal life.
"I am very ambitious and I leave a lot of things for my work. Sometimes I lie and sometimes I want to earn a lot of money, sometimes I feel like earning a lot of money without doing much work.
So there are many bad things inside me that I don't want to share with you," said the actor here at a celebration party held for "Lanka". Directed by Maqbool Khan, "Lanka" also stars Arjan Bajwa and Tia Bajpai.
The film released Friday. His next films include "Chittagong", " Gangs Of Wasseypur ", and "The Whisperers"
(less)Ashutosh Rana to appear in a play
The actor plays the character of President of the State Bar Council. The actor who has dabbled in a variety of roles says, "it is easier to be do a particular genre of roles rather to experiment.
Evolving a style through similar kind of roles certainly earns a brand status to the star which is heady for the artist. But brands have their limitations as they are confined to an era after which they wither in the oblivion.
Experimentation is initially tough but it is more long lasting," says actor"
(less)Aruna Irani on winning the Lifetime Achievement Award
Having a repertoire of around 300 films in Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and Kannada, Aruna Irani has won the Filmfare Award twice in the Best Supporting Actor category. In an exclusive conversation with Gaurav Malani, the versatile actress speaks about her film career spanning more than five decades.
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award I was dumbfounded when I was told I was chosen for the Lifetime Achievement Award. Esp.
because I am not doing any films as such these days. It was really nice and kind of Filmfare to remember me and consider me for such an honour.
The award kind of made me feel I am not so bad after all (laughs). One might know that they are good at their work but the recognition should come from others.
That's what made me really happy! Debuting at 10 I was just 10 years old when around 500 children from our society were going for an audition. I was least interested because I thought what would I get going there.
But then we were told there would be wafers and coke served and I got excited. Certain of not being selected, I was sitting aloof on a bench, munching wafers when I heard a voice saying 'aye ladki, idhar aao' (hey girl, come here).
I turned to see Dilip Kumar saab calling me. I was surprised.
I wiped my face and touched his feet. And before I knew I got a role in Ganga Jamna.
"My father wanted a son" We came from a very humble background and my father was a poor man. I was eldest amongst eight brothers and sisters and my father always wished his eldest child should have been a son who could have taken care of his younger siblings.
So I started working in films to support my family and not with the dreams of being a big star. I had dreams of marrying a Prince Charming and settling down in life but things weren't as easy.
But thanks to that responsibility of mine and my good fortune that today I am a known figure. Else I would have died like any ordinary woman.
When you are pushed in water, you somehow learn to swim. That was the case with me.
My family is largely responsible for what I am today. I credit my success to them.
Supporting Actress over Lead Heroine My responsibilities towards my family never gave me the time to be the leading lady. I couldn't afford to wait for months to get the right role for the main lead.
I had a family to look after and had to get enough work to make ends meet. But when I look back at it today, I never regret at my decision.
Had I been a heroine, for how long would I have survived - 10 or 15 years at the most? I believe God has his own plans for everybody. The Wicked Vamp If you eat biryani everyday, you won't relish its taste anymore.
It's important to have dal chawal in between (smiles). I am lucky to get the opportunity to play diverse characters.
Whether leading actress, supporting characters, motherly roles, emotional roles or vamp - it was fun to do different stuff and kill the monotony. I would say I started enjoying acting when I learnt acting.
And I believe it came to me much late - maybe by then I was 32 or 34. The Dancing Queen I was never trained in dancing nor could I afford to attend any classes.
So dancing was the last thing I could think of doing. Dance director Suresh Bhatt played an important role in getting the best out of me.
He recommended my name for the role in Caravan. Now he couldn't let himself down and so ensured that I gave my best.
He used to give me some movements and allowed me to do it my way. The one thing he always told me was to keep a smiling face while dancing.
Favourite Directors I really admired K Vishwanath with whom I did a film called Aurat. Rekha and I worked in that film and would go on sets even when we didn't have to shoot.
Being an actor himself, Vishwanathji used to enact the scene for us and it never felt he was acting. He was the only director who had a natural approach to filmmaking.
K Vishwanath and Hrishida (Hrishikesh Mukherjee) always made very soft films. Favourite Films Mili, Caravan, Beta, Raja Babu, Qurbani and Sankoch "Today, heroes and heroines hardly have parents in films" There are hardly any good roles for us today.
The last mother character I remember in films was perhaps Jaya Bachchan in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Ghum or Farida Jalal in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. The problem is that in today's films, the hero and heroine hardly have parents.
I am not saying that they are bad films but senior actors hardly have anything substantial to do in films. In our times, films had chacha, chachi, mama, mami and so many more of them.
There are no more extended joint families in films. Shifting to the small screen Television gives us the kind of roles we wish to play at such age.
It's fabulous working for TV. The only problem is that television has deadlines, which makes life a little difficult.
Once you are committed to a show, you are dead for a couple of years. You don't have any holiday and you work round the clock.
Ageing actresses like me do need a break once in a while. But other than that I love TV.
"TV keeps the actress in me alive" I play a very strong character of Rajmata in 'Dekha Ek Khwab' and a very simple and lighthearted character in 'Laxmi Tere Aangan Ki'. Television keeps the actress in me alive
(less)It's good to be bad in Bollywood
Instead, King Khan plays the positive character G.One.
The resurrection of the big Bollywood villain, who had become almost redundant over the last decade, seems like a welcome change. One barely saw imposing antagonists in the last few years barring a few.
The villains of the earlier decades (Gabbar Singh, Mogambo, Dr Dang) were so intense and menacing that they would completely overshadow the hero. While Shah Rukh Khan's look in RA.
One was revealed a while back, Arjun Rampal's look was fiercely guarded for over two years and was unmasked only recently, during Dussehra. The actor's look with the scarlet suit, goatee and the baldhead, makes his character look particularly intimidating.
In fact, King Khan said in one of the interviews that he was feeling insecure of Rampal stealing all the thunder from him. Similarly, Sanjay Dutt who plays the negative role of Kancha Cheena in Karan Johar's Agneepath remake has generated more buzz than the lead actor Hrithik Roshan, who steps into the big boots of Amitabh Bachchan.
The curiosity in Dutt's character is also raised owing to his interesting look. In fact, the list of strong villains does not end here.
Reportedly, even Krrish 2 has a powerful villain. The role played by Vivek Oberoi is said to be on the lines of Joker from the Batman series.
A film veteran says, "It's a good trend. Unless you have a good adversary, the hero won't stand out.
" Shah Rukh Khan stunned everyone by opting for negative roles in Baazigar, Darr, Anjaam, early in his career. The Don remake in which King Khan played a baddie, too, received a warm reception at the box office and is being followed by its sequel.
From the current breed of actors, Saif Ali Khan too has experimented with dark characters. His career took a different turn after he played negative roles in Ek Haseena Thi, Being Cyrus and Omkara.
John Abraham and Hrithik Roshan wowed the audience as baddies in Yash Raj Film's Dhoom series. Now, Aamir Khan is gearing up to play the bad man in the Dhoom triquel.
Sadly, we haven't seen many great negative roles written for female actors in Bollywood apart from the stereotypical horrid mothers-in-law. The ones, however, that stood out were the characters played by Priyanka Chopra in Aitraaz and Saat Khoon Maaf, Preity Zinta in Armaan, Kajol in Gupt, Amrita Singh in Aaina and Anu Agarwal in Khal-Naaikaa.
Directors like Vishal Bhardwaaj and Anurag Kashyap are fascinated by grey characters and are known to make dark films. Vishal had earlier said in an interview, "I find dark humour very fascinating - it instigates something in you- it scares you, disturbs you but is funny at the same time.
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(less)Joining politics worst decision of my life: Govinda
"I found myself dealing with Ram Naik instead of Karishma Kapoor. It was really difficult time for me.
I became 108 kgs during that period. When I decided to say goodbye to politics, it was hard to shed the extra flab," Govinda told PTI.
"Sometime something does not suit and the same happened to me. I won't call it a dirty game but I must say it's very difficult to survive in politics when you don't have any political background.
It was literally the saddest period of my life. I am happy that I came out of it without a bad name," said the actor.
Govinda, who gave hits like Raja Babu , Coolie No 1 , Hero No 1 and Partner , says he used to feel nostalgic about films while he was busy with politics and finally decided to return to where he belonged. The actor is seen sharing screen space with newcomers like Mimoh Chakraborty and Shweta Bhardwaj in comedy film Loot , which released today.
"I had to lose almost 30 kgs for the film. Our director Rajneesh Thakur was a complete fitness freak.
He used to make the entire crew get up by 5 in the morning and take us for a jog. It was necessary for me to lose weight because the new league of actors are very health conscious," he said.
Though Govinda has made sure that he is visible on the silver screen, his last few films like Money Hai Toh Honey Hai' , Life Partner and Naughty @ 40 did not do well at the box-office. "I tried my level best to come up with good films but they didn't do well at the box-office.
I chose some big banners but the films eventually didn't release on time or didn't get promoted properly. "But I am not deterred by it, I will keep working.
It's just a bad phase of time in my life," Govinda said. The actor, who gave many hits with friend and director David Dhawan, has no plans so far to team up with Dhawan again.
"I must thank Dhavid for standing up with me in my bad time and relaunching me with 'Partner'. But so far there are no plans of teaming up with him.
Over the years even David's style of working has changed. Even he wants star power in his films," he said.
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(less)Kannada actor Darshan, wife, make up
"Please pardon me. It's a bitter incident of my life which should not have happened.
Darshan will not do it again", the popular actor said. "I am extremely thankful to my fans who were solidly behind me," he added.
Darshan's wife Vijayalakshmi, who appeared with him at the press conference, termed the episode as a "bad phase" and said they want to put it behind and move forward. Darshan, 34, a leading Kannada cinema hero, was arrested on September 9 after Vijayalakshmi alleged he threatened her with a revolver and assaulted her.
He was released on conditional bail on Friday, October 7. "He is a better man, changed person overall," Vijayalakshmi said and added, "In the heat of the moment, things tend to happen.
After rectifying mistakes, life will be better". She added that her bond with her husband has actually grown due to the one-month separation.
"We want to overcome it and lead a really good life". Darshan said film actor Nikita had no role in his estrangement with his wife.
After Darshan was arrested, the Kannada Film Producers Association had banned Nikita for three years after her name was linked to the actor but revoked it days later following public outrage. Vijayalakshmi said that nobody asked for her suggestion before banning Nikita and so she would not like to comment on the issue now.
The Karnataka High Court, which granted bail to Darshan, has ordered him and his wife, along with his counsel and public prosecutor, to be present in the presiding Judge's chamber on October 13 to "arrive at a suitable conclusion" through negotiations, if it's possible, leading to the couple having a "harmonious relationship". Tweet
(less)I know Ajay Devgn was disappointed: Sanjay Dutt
He also has high fever and is as 'grumpy as a baby' the wife says. A candid chat with the actor-producer on his next home production, wife Maanayata, dosti with Ajay Devgn and his next film Agneepath which releases this week: Maanayata is turning producer soon? Yes, Maana will be producing the super-hit Telugu action film Badri.
Maana has designed the new office in Bandra and now our house too. She does everything in a cost-effective way.
She is also into designing jewellery. I have told her that she should bring out her own jewellery line.
I offered the remake of Badri to Ajay (Devgn) as Rascals was a disaster and I owe him one. Is Ajay upset about Rascals? He hasn't told me but I know he was disappointed.
He asked me to just forget it. You are an actor but have banned daughter Trishala from acting? Why? There's nothing wrong for a girl to be in the film industry.
But my father ( Sunil Dutt ) had a few rules about the girls in his family whether it were my sisters Namrata or Priya or their kids and they are very pretty girls too! They knew it right from the beginning that they can't even go that way. I want to carry my dad's legacy forward.
When people ask me why can't Trishala be in films I will say just one thing - Trishala is my daughter and nobody can tell me what to do! They have no right to talk about it. First take care of your kids and let me take care of mine! Is Trishala is upset with your decision? She may have been upset but I am sure some day she will understand what I have done after she starts doing well in another field.
She's graduated in forensic science which I always felt was a very dignified job. She wants to earn lots of money and I keep telling her that Rome wasn't built in a day.
I hope some sense comes to her soon as she's a very intelligent kid. Maana is more in touch with her than me.
Agneepath releases this week..
. Yes it's a role which fascinated and repelled me.
When Karan Malhotra came and narrated me the script that I was blown away by it. It was phenomenal! Kancha Cheena is the most complex, crazy, dark, unpredictable and evil character I have ever played in my life.
I was an anti-hero in Khalnayak but this guy is too evil! Kancha is a very dark character his lines are very funny! One of my favourite lines is when Hrithik's father comes to me and says, 'Hum usko milke maarenge.' To which I retort, 'Tu kya kisiko marega mama?' He's an old, half-dead guy how will he help me? I have some really good one-liners in the film.
Did you have any objections to becoming bald for the role? Yes. When Karan (Malhotra) told me I had to go bald for the role, initially I objected.
I told him I could do prosthetics. A lady from Los Angeles came and we had the look test with the prosthetics.
But the real test came in Diu where it was so hot the prosthetics melted. It took me three hours to put it on and two to take off.
When I put it on and went out there it just melted in the heat! There was a unit of 500 people and we had to decide what to do. I couldn't keep putting it back on and off.
I just had to take a call so I told Karan that I would shave off my hair as there was no other way out. I think it was the best thing I did because it helped me in my performance.
Imagine something stuck on your head for 10 hours. Everything gets restricted and I can't focus on my performance.
As it gets hotter and hotter as you get more irritable. It was the best thing that happened and luckily my other producers understood.
But when I went bald on the first day I felt funny..
. From being a great-looking guy you look ugly and menacing in Agneepath.
Did you ever feel insecure about the way you looked as compared to Hrithik? If I said yes to the script that means the character attracted me. I never had any insecurities with anybody in the industry in the last 32 years, why should I have it now?
(less)I am a brand now: Emraan Hashmi
Do you think I look 45 ? I am sure Akshay Kumar will do justice to the role. He is one of the finest actors as well.
You have now chosen to do films outside the Bhatt camp. Are you getting more ambitious? Yes, earlier it was because of the comfort level with the Bhatt family that I continued doing films with them.
I had this sense of security with the Bhatts. And it proved to be true as well, so many of my films were hits.
I need to get more experimental and ambitious with my career. If you see my career graph, I have done many memorable roles.
My films are making around 60 crores today and am hoping that like the big-budget films, they will cross that mark in the next year as well. So I pursue good scripts, good roles and if that requires me to get out of my comfort zone, why not? I don't thing anyone can say that ' Emraan has done films with bad scripts'.
It's been reported that you got bored with the serial-kisser image, sepecially after Murder-2. Is that true? Don't ask me about it! It's boring to the core.
My lips are tired now. (laughs).
Imagine in every movie and with every heroine, there were intimate scenes woven into the script. It is so technical, so boring and sometimes a given.
So now for me, an intimate scene is all about beenthere-done-that and to finish it fast as I can. It is quite a routine process.
But yeah, I don't regret doing those because I have kissed some of the most good-looking women in my films. You are one actor who keeps a low profile so far as public appearances are concerned.
Comment. Yes, I am what I am.
I am not like others, don't my films say that? I don't believe in going out of my way to talk about my film because that's not just me. If the film is good it will talk at the box-office and haven't they talked so far? But yeah, I am a brand.
Nobody can deny that. Emraan Hashmi is a brand at the box office.
And as far as public appearances for endorsing brands is concerned, I will do that. Maybe it will take time, but you will see me doing that very soon.
The last 10 years have gotten you what you wanted in the film industry? You own a villa in Goa? Yes, I have been lucky and thanks to my directors and scripts. Yes, I own a house in Goa and would love to spend the rest of my life there.
But work is worship and I am too young now to think of spending the rest of my life in Goa. Mumbai is home because that has given me all what I wanted.
I love doing films that have an ideology, which are bold and talk of the real-life situations in society. I am happy that I have been offered such realistic roles than the roleswith-frills
(less)Deepika Padukone's a lovely girl: Saif Ali Khan
n Yeah true. On the one hand I have an issue-based film like Aarakshan that is releasing tomorrow, and later this year I have a suave Bond-like thriller with Agent Vinod.
Are issue-based films important to be made and watched? I don't think you can make anyone pay money to watch anything that is not entertaining. The deal is that Prakash (Jha, the director) manages to find an issue-based subject that is inherently dramatic and gives his unique take to it.
These films can be interesting, but you cannot imply that issue-based films are boring. Aarakshan is a nice movie.
You also have Race 2 and Cocktail coming up. Cocktail is a sweet film and Race 2 should go on floors later this year.
I've realised that an actor must keep working. I didn't work for a short period in between because I was also involved in production.
People noticed the break, but I was okay because I have worked for 20 years continuously. Now I enjoy being on a set.
When I get the occasional two days off, I love spending it with the people who matter. Workaholic Saif, haan? No! Honestly, I have started to enjoy the process of acting much more now.
I know some films will run, some won't. I feel I am good at what I do.
I'm lucky to be in a profession that I enjoy and I should quit worrying about success and failure. It's rewarding to come home after a good day's work, read a book, watch some television, call it a night, then go back on set the next day.
Deepika and you seem to be quite an on-screen pair after four films. Without any offence, I must say there are only four major leading ladies in Bollywod today.
That certainly doesn't leave me with much choice. Deepika and I in four films.
..
I certainly didn't engineer it. It just happened.
She is a lovely girl, but I am hoping to team up with other girls too. Currently, I am in a good space.
Life is balanced. I can focus on my career with no distractions, which is a nice feeling.
You have become a Prakash Jha favourite..
. I am fortunate.
It is not about being another Bihari. He chose to work with me in Rajneeti and then I suddenly landed up working with him in Aarakshan.
Earlier he spoke to me about something else that didn't happen, and then this role in Aarakshan came about. He told me it is a negative role and no one else can do it.
I said ok..
. I enjoy working with him so much.
He gives me the freedom to creat something new. We really got along well during Rajneeti.
Somehow we agree on more points than we disagree on. He is an expert on the milieu that he puts in his film, and listening to him is an education for an actor.
I listen to him and then I explain to him how I am going to portray my character and wait for his value addition. On the set, he lets me do my thing.
One hears the role is really black..
. Yes it is a negative role; not a grey role.
Cinema is not about heroes and villains anymore. It is about characters.
I always felt that there is nothing good or bad in this world. Grey gives you so much scope.
Even Bhiku Mhatre (Satya) was grey, but this guy in Aarakshan is black. You also have Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur.
..
Anurag and I have grown together professionally. I can say he is one of the most evolved directors I have worked with.
It was like going back to theatre workshops and reinventing. I also have Chittagong and a Vikram Bhatt movie coming.
Reports of these films from the editing room are very encouraging. Life is good at 40? Yes.
..
I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere. I love spending time with my daughter.
I am enjoying myself. On Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston said that once you are 40 you become easy in your skin.
The desperation goes away and things become much more clear. I would say the same.
How was the experience of working with actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Saif and Manoj? The shoot of Aarakshan was unbelievable. I was blown away by Amitji's passion for acting and his undying energy on set.
He is a living legend, and I got to work with him so early in my career. Working with Saif was great too.
He took me under his wing and looked out for me. He made me comfortable and would help me with my lines, especially in scenes where there were hundreds of onlookers.
Manoj, too, is an incredible actor and it has been my good fortune to work with such great talent. I was like a little kid on set, everyone was always looking out for me.
Tell us a little about your character. I play a young college student called Sushant Seth.
He is from the upper caste, and an affluent family. I'm friends with both Deepak (Saif) and Poorbi (Deepika), and our friendship goes through major turmoil post the judgement for the reservation of seats.
My character faces conflict by siding with the "youth for equality" movement as opposed to my friends. Then he goes through that journey of realising that nothing is black and white.
The character is very different from what you've done before. Each character poses its own challenges.
Being an actor, getting to experience different perspectives, lives and points of view is arguably the most exciting bit. I would not want to keep playing one type of character.
Acting in Aarakshan was a challenge because of the language. We're not used to speaking that kind of heartland Hindi.
I enjoyed the process of learning my lines and mastering the nuances of the dialogues, along with creating a unique space for my character. Watch Video'+'';} else {tmpdiV="";} var b1=""; var b2=""; var hid="526"; if(sldemsidcnt>1){imglinksh='View Images';}else{imglinksh='View Image';} var b2 = ''+''+ capt +''+ tmpdiV +''; bellyad.
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(less)ADL calls upon Zee TV to remove 'Hitler' title
The show, starring the actress Rati Pandey, premiered on November 7 on Zee TV in India and is also being carried on the network's affiliates in other countries, including the US. The title refers to a young woman in the show who is known for being strict.
In a statement, ADL said it has received numerous complaints about the title and its use in online promotional materials and videos. Last week, they wrote to network executives with the request to change the name to one "not freighted with the taint of the Nazi Holocaust".
"Let's preserve the name 'Hitler' as a villain of incomparable evil and not trivialize his legacy or the Holocaust with a serial TV title," ADL wrote in a letter to Punit Goenka, managing director & CEO, and Subhash Chandra, chairman of Zee Entertainment. "We strongly urge you to reconsider the choice of title and rename your show," ADL said.
When contacted, the channel sources confirmed that they have received a letter from ADL, adding, they are yet to take a call on it. Tweet
(less)Don 2: Movie Review
Don 2 , the sequel starts off almost from where the earlier episode ended and while it attempts to maintain some continuity with the last installment, it fails to bring back the intelligence of the original. Don (Shah Rukh Khan) emerges in Malaysia and gets himself arrested only to get the convicted Vardhan (Boman Irani) out of jail.
Vardhan has keys to a video footage which they use to blackmail a bank vice president (Alyy Khan) to get access to a German bank's security systems. The big plan is the old-fashioned and formulaic robbery of the currency printing plates from the bank.
So the sequel to Don merely boils down to being a heist film. The film, more or less, starts as an action flick with Don's one-man-army introduction in Thailand , a convenient escape from Malaysian prison and some conventional car-chase sequences in Germany.
None of them excite much until you realize you have already reached the interval. The plotting and scheming starts in the second half with an easy induction of a hacker (Kunal Kapoor) who can not only barge into the security systems of the vault but also seems to have blueprints of the bank building to the minutest details.
The writing by Ameet Mehta, Amrish Shah and Farhan Akhtar is more style over substance attempting to camouflage cliches with the cool quotient. Even the central heist seems confusing and convoluted but Farhan Akhtar intentionally keeps the pacing swift enough, leaving no time for the viewer to notice any loose ends.
However, the more he makes the situation easy to suit his script, the more it becomes difficult for the audience to digest things. Even the robbery seems mundane Hollywoodish exercise with no moments of thrills in particular.
However the highlight isn't the heist per se but Don's hidden agenda behind it. While it isn't much difficult to decode the mystery, it makes for a decent climax.
The director mercifully keeps mush away from the major proceedings though he can't resist the temptation in the climactic portion in his attempts to induce chemistry between Don and his rival, Roma (Priyanka Chopra). But Don would have been better-off as the suave and stonyhearted killer rather than a 'Rahul' prototype.
Thankfully the chemistry is peripheral and never blooms into romance. Also one would have preferred to see Don as more brain over brawny hero but the director makes him a jack of all trades giving him James Bond kinda complete-man characteristics.
Vulnerability is alien to Don, essentially making him larger-than-life. But despite being an unethical drug-lord, Farhan Akhtar's treatment is such that you still adore him as the hero over abhorring him as an outright villain.
Don 2 never gets into the good v/s evil battle. The cinematography by Jason West is striking.
However Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's musical score doesn't leave a mark this time and the background score has to repeatedly resort to the theme-piece from the original for some impact. Farhan Akhtar's punch-lines in dialogues are initially amusing but with a Don-ism in every second line, it sounds hackneyed and hollow after a point.
Shah Rukh Khan is in his comfort zone as the Don bringing more charm than cruelty to his character. He rules supreme and the film's indulgence with him is as much as Don's obsession with himself.
Everyone else is overshadowed. Priyanka Chopra is passable.
Lara Dutta , as the Don's moll, is simply a substitute for Isha Koppikhar from the prequel and is hardly there for a few scenes. Boman Irani is underused.
Kunal Kapoor fails to register any impact. Om Puri, Alyy Khan and Nawab Shah are plain functional.
Sahil Shroff irritates. Don 2 ends with the promise of Don 3 (that's what the number-plate of Don's bike reads) and the trademark dialogue ' Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi, namumkim hai ' (It's not just difficult to catch don, it's impossible).
But we would surely want to 'catch' up with a more worthy sequel to this. It's not impossible Farhan.
Is it? Verdict: Above Average
(less)My father was the last of his kind: Saif Ali Khan
. Yes, yes.
You know, when I first joined movies, a producer once asked me, 'What should we keep as your screen name?' I thought about it for a while. Because, in school, I was always known as Pataudi.
It started with Sanawar, where my grandmother used to like to stitch a red Pataudi label on my clothes (so they could be identified when they went to the laundry). My name at Sanawar and then at Locker's Park in England and at Winchester was Pataudi - because of Abba also.
I'd always called myself Saif Pataudi - it says that on my passport also. So when I was asked what I would be known as, I said, this profession is looking a little unsure at the moment, and I would hate to bring any sort of failure or dishonour to a successful name internationally - so let's go with Saif Ali Khan.
My father, in any case, always kept the worlds separate. What he did in Pataudi, he kept largely to himself.
He'd say to me, 'One day it'll come to you, and then you do whatever you want.' It wasn't like part of a family plan.
How much did Abba shape you? I admired and looked up to Abba so much, and not just for his achievements on the cricket field. He paved the way for me in school at a time when the English were capable of being quite racist - the late seventies and the eighties - but because of that name which is written on so many boards in Winchester and in Locker's Park also, so many sporting records, people were generally nice to me as a result.
So this admiration for him was there from a very young age. Not just because he was my dad, but as a sportsman, and then his persona - a little reserved, funny at times, but always very correct.
After he passed away, the amount of press surprised my mother also. I was thinking, what was it that made him such a big star? She said that it is because he was the last of his kind.
But being an actor, and a history student also, I think I could understand the elements that made him what he was. He, in a way, took on the British - being better educated than them, being better looking than some of them, and then being more talented than them, at their own game.
The sex appeal really of having one eye and then going out to bat and doing what he did - if you see Senna's documentary, what stands out is the man winning a race when your gearbox is stuck in sixth gear. That puts you into a different league, that adversity.
200 against England with one eye can never be taken away. He used to say the most beautifully simple things.
I once gifted him a pair of very nice, quite expensive shoes, and he said to me, 'They seem too nice to walk in'. Those sort of memories bring tears to my eyes still.
He had a lot of humility - and on some occasions, arrogance too. It was a beautiful mix.
Arrogance, such as? Geoffrey Boycott said that it was not possible to play cricket with one eye and that my father must be exaggerating his vision loss. Father explained to me that Boycott had a friend called Colin Milburn, an English batsman, who lost an eye and could never play again, which is why he thinks that way, that it's impossible.
So I asked Abba, how did you manage then, if it's that tough? He said, 'See, I was very good with two (eyes), and so I was, you know, good even with one' (laughs). How English was he himself? He was a little English, yes, but also Muslim aristocracy, really.
He loved playing the tabla, but not in the cliched enjoying the mujra sort of way. Slight contradictions; a nice whiskey, good classical music, playing the flute.
It was because of him that I was exposed to England, which is such a valuable part of my past. The fields of Bhopal, the shikaar, driving those jeeps, playing cricket in the back garden - I have these pleasant, beautifully civilised memories.
A lot of privilege, really, but in a very understated way. He would constantly emphasise that.
And I would consciously want to be a little louder because of the constant repression of 'be subtle, be subtle'. I remember finding gold achkans in the family cupboards, while Abba got married in a white achkan himself.
We went to somebody's wedding and he told me, 'You're not the dulha, why are you trying to dress up?' But because of that, I would do that more. He would sit at the last row in functions so that he could leave unnoticed quicker, rather than at the front where people think it's more important to sit.
It always amuses me at the Filmfare Awards where people are fighting to sit in that front row. What's the practicality of the inheritance? Anything I've inherited comes at a time when it becomes more of a responsibility than a childish joy.
If there were certain rifles that were in the family, or shotguns from Holland, other works of art that I would really want, I wouldn't get them - now I realise they are a responsibility; take care of them, get the paperwork done, keep them safe. It's no longer just the outer sheen of it.
Similarly, inheriting Pataudi and all of that..
. frankly, it's still a little surreal for me.
I'm not interested in being a Nawab in any way. I find friends of my parents, similar backgrounds, without naming names, there are other ex-royal families.
..
I mean, there has to be more to it than being on the cover of a travel magazine, with all due respect. To us, it's always been about something else.
We've never harped about it. But it is legacy, and what that means in practical terms is to look after the estate, to look after the trust, maybe to do some charity work; Abba had an eye hospital, I want to maintain that.
And I want to renovate Pataudi Palace. I want to infuse new blood into that property, which perhaps our family has not been able to afford to do so far.
Like a lot of families, when the privy purses were taken away, they couldn't afford to maintain their estates. By the grace of God, with my profession, maybe I will be in a position to refurbish it, and that I feel will be a contribution which will make my father proud.
That's my dream. How clued was he into your cine career? He didn't like movies very much, except Clint Eastwood, and he certainly didn't take them very seriously.
He called for "Omkara" once and wrote me a note for "Parineeta" once, but that was about it..
. What did the note say? Just 'Good job, Saif'.
And he said, I can't understand what you are saying in "Omkara", but it sounds quite convincing! (laughs) I used to feel a little bad when on the dining table he was outnumbered when it was me, Soha, Amma and him - so we tried not to talk about movies very much. He was, however, I think, happy that as a result of being in cinema, we weren't asking him for money any more (laughs).
But cinema didn't dominate conversation in our house. As a result, I think, my outlook is that while I love my job, there has to be something beyond that.
Stars can get very insular. How easy is it for a flamboyant actor and a royal to relate to all these people from the villages around Pataudi who pour in to meet you, to speak to you? This is a little psychological, my point here - Everyone you meet has a front.
And everyone has a sheen of politeness and the helloji and namasteji and it goes on. But if you can break through that for a moment, every person is unique and very entertaining.
There are different types of people you meet as an actor, you learn to quickly classify and computerize who they are. There is some annoying guy with dark glasses and leather jacket who is from Muzaffarnagar and who, let's face it, is annoying.
And I can't be bothered to bring out the nice in him, you know. And there are these really humble, nice guys and you connect immediately.
It's not that great to be brought up in a city, you're quite out of touch with this country. Even Bombay, that way, is a great corruptor of language, of culture.
It's the centre of the filmmaking industry, but Karan Johar somehow knows like what are the customs of India, but the knowledge otherwise isn't great. The language - ek gilas paani mangta hai - we don't know how to talk after a point.
It's important to have connections in rural India and other cities. It enriches you, the way they speak.
It's what makes, for example, Mr Bachchan's language so wonderful to listen to - it's not a big city or a Bombay influence for sure. Do you feel older now, in the given circumstances? I'm conscious about my age.
As to work - umm..
. Aamir Khan once asked me, when we were doing make-up in the same room during the shooting of "Dil Chahta Hai", he said, 'do you think I'm getting old to play love stories like this?' I said no.
So he said, well, my wife thinks so. I hope Aamir doesn't mind me saying this.
And he said, but I disagree; I feel the audience grows old with you if they accept you, and so long as you are vaguely sensible, you can continue to do what they like to see you do. I wanted to do a movie like "Agent Vinod" also because I was looking to be accepted playing a slightly older, mature, manly character, rather than playing a boy.
I can play a dashing RAW agent at 40 but if I were to play a college boy, that might be pushing it a bit..
. (laughs) Films apart, as a person, how 'old' are you feeling, now that the 30s are past? Physically, it's a little different; you can't do things you did earlier.
I have been nice, not drinking and smoking much and exercising. There are nights when you fall off the wagon, and that feels awful since most of the time I'm not doing that.
I feel these things age you, so I think one should try to sacrifice them. But that apart, I feel on top of my game and if I support my body by not abusing it, then I will look on top of it also.
I feel very confident and comfortable right now. I'm also sensible; I know it won't last forever, so I'd like to get the most done over the next six years or so, so that if it wanes off, I'd like to be at least well-off sitting in Pataudi, not renting it out (laughs).
Stardom today comes with a fair share of attention, not necessarily benign. How do you cope? I think there is an emerging Indian personality that was a little dormant when I was growing up.
I see it becoming a more confident lot, and it's not the most benign one. They are a dangerous bunch, these Indians.
They'll tear you apart. The aunties will rip you apart, they are worse than the Italian mafia.
We are not an overly nice race, but we have this veneer of being extremely nice. But there's nothing you won't say about a film if it flops.
Or any event that happens, the SMS jokes that start, are fairly vicious, you know, they are sharp. I don't know if any culture is quite as bad! In fact, that's started entertaining me now, earlier it would deeply disturb me.
Now I'm like, I read something and I go, bahut haraami hai yeh, dekho kya bol raha hai (laughs and laughs). How do you rate your degree of flamboyance, a decade back, and now? See, flamboyance is very dangerous to try to do, because if you overdo it you appear terribly loud and affected.
Ten years ago..
. long hair bobbing around, but that is not necessarily flamboyant! Hiring a chartered plane to travel is also flamboyant, which couldn't have been done 10 years ago.
Somebody once said to me that a fit and sorted out 40-year-old is way more attractive than a 25-year-old. It's a different thing, a different vibe.
More control over things, more confident and self-assured, I think. When I'd say to dad that I don't know how to run my house, he'd say, you'll know when you're 40.
It's a good age. I wish I was 30 with this experience, but it doesn't work like that, sadly.
You're re-interpreting flamboyance, essentially? Umm..
. no, it's not just that.
There's much more maturity, I feel. There's much more care, sensitivity to others, more respect for oneself, there's a lot of honesty in working hard, in understanding that there are 50 other people on a set who expect something.
..
Earlier it was like, schools or films, there was a sort of immortal sense of time, there's forever to do everything. Who was interested in working in a particular way or trying to leave a mark or even taking stuff seriously in being an actor? Which is probably a defence mechanism - you have the fear of failure so you don't even bother trying.
It's completely different today. When did this transition happen? Very recently.
..
Now, really. From now on, I feel what I do should be my best, and people should judge me by that.
Earlier, I didn't even want to be judged. When your father's alive, you can afford to, in a way, bunk.
It may sound cliched, but when you are the only man in the family, suddenly everyone looks to you. You want to make them proud, you want to make him proud, live up to a memory, and not ever let it be sullied in any way.
But you don't mind sullying it while he is alive - that's rebellion! What would you have noted in your diary as dad's life tips? Treat people equally. Don't be flashy, keep it subtle.
Invest your money well - and don't tell anyone where it is! Always declare to customs if you're carrying something you shouldn't be..
. there are so many things.
Women only mind you drinking, and when other women are involved with you - nothing else, really. Did he advise you on your personal life? Never.
Sometimes, when I asked him what to do, he'd say, oh, you've got yourself into a bit of a mess, but that was about it. When I ran away and got married, though, I don't think he appreciated it very much.
Yet, he was very gracious about it, very gracious. What did he say? He said a very deadly thing.
He said, 'you didn't ask me before you did this, meaning you didn't really care what I think when you did this. So I'll let you know what I think, in time.
' For me, that was panic. Then he had a chat with Amrita, and said, fine, welcome.
Then he said to us, 'When Rinku and I got married, the press gave us two weeks; it's been 25 years. I hope you can say the same someday.
' How do you compare yourself with your father, as a father? I think it's my responsibility to ensure that these guys are educated a little bit internationally. I don't live with them.
..
I see a lot more of Sarah than of Ibrahim. But BB messenger, funnily enough, has connected us tremendously, and we're very close in that sense.
Sarah is a brilliant student, and I want her to go to college in England, and Ibrahim too, if he can. I'm working hard to invest, so I can afford to do that.
That would be the biggest contribution. To answer your question honestly and with all due respect to Abba, I think in some ways I am better, and in some ways inferior.
I think your father is always your benchmark in whatever you do. Either you're doing it because he did it or you're not doing it, because he did it.
You are a less controlling parent? I think I'm a little more friendly and approachable, not as reserved. Maybe because I'm much younger.
Abba was certainly not emotional or outspoken. But for him to then say, 'bete, take care', is the equivalent of me saying 'arre Sarah I love you more than anything else in this world'.
Much easier to use fewer words, emotionally easier too. When you, for instance, talk to your girlfriend, you have to say certain things; it's not enough to say, 'see you' or 'miss you', full stop.
Abba was precise..
. Wonderful to be able to get away with so much succinctness! (laughs)
(less)It's good to be bad in Bollywood
Instead, King Khan plays the positive character G.One.
The resurrection of the big Bollywood villain, who had become almost redundant over the last decade, seems like a welcome change. One barely saw imposing antagonists in the last few years barring a few.
The villains of the earlier decades (Gabbar Singh, Mogambo, Dr Dang) were so intense and menacing that they would completely overshadow the hero. While Shah Rukh Khan's look in RA.
One was revealed a while back, Arjun Rampal's look was fiercely guarded for over two years and was unmasked only recently, during Dussehra. The actor's look with the scarlet suit, goatee and the baldhead, makes his character look particularly intimidating.
In fact, King Khan said in one of the interviews that he was feeling insecure of Rampal stealing all the thunder from him. Similarly, Sanjay Dutt who plays the negative role of Kancha Cheena in Karan Johar's Agneepath remake has generated more buzz than the lead actor Hrithik Roshan, who steps into the big boots of Amitabh Bachchan.
The curiosity in Dutt's character is also raised owing to his interesting look. In fact, the list of strong villains does not end here.
Reportedly, even Krrish 2 has a powerful villain. The role played by Vivek Oberoi is said to be on the lines of Joker from the Batman series.
A film veteran says, "It's a good trend. Unless you have a good adversary, the hero won't stand out.
" Shah Rukh Khan stunned everyone by opting for negative roles in Baazigar, Darr, Anjaam, early in his career. The Don remake in which King Khan played a baddie, too, received a warm reception at the box office and is being followed by its sequel.
From the current breed of actors, Saif Ali Khan too has experimented with dark characters. His career took a different turn after he played negative roles in Ek Haseena Thi, Being Cyrus and Omkara.
John Abraham and Hrithik Roshan wowed the audience as baddies in Yash Raj Film's Dhoom series. Now, Aamir Khan is gearing up to play the bad man in the Dhoom triquel.
Sadly, we haven't seen many great negative roles written for female actors in Bollywood apart from the stereotypical horrid mothers-in-law. The ones, however, that stood out were the characters played by Priyanka Chopra in Aitraaz and Saat Khoon Maaf, Preity Zinta in Armaan, Kajol in Gupt, Amrita Singh in Aaina and Anu Agarwal in Khal-Naaikaa.
Directors like Vishal Bhardwaaj and Anurag Kashyap are fascinated by grey characters and are known to make dark films. Vishal had earlier said in an interview, "I find dark humour very fascinating - it instigates something in you- it scares you, disturbs you but is funny at the same time.
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(less)I still don’t have a TV: Dibakar Banerjee
Whatever roles he has done -be it films where he had to kiss his partner or fight in the rains -the audience can always identify with his emotions. There is an instant connect.
Even if Emraan is serenading a girl wearing a sharkskin jacket while driving a sports car, he makes the members in the audience believe that they too can do what Emraan is doing. In "Shanghai", I made Emraan play a character who represents this viewer whose icon is someone like Emraan Hashmi.
He is a small town guy eking out a living by being a photographer. He does odd jobs, isn't very well-read or articulate and has two or three press cards on him.
Basically, he is a man of all seasons. What's nice about Emraan is that he is a natural actor and has great comic timing.
He is sharp and his presence adds the laugh lines to "Shanghai". His character undergoes a transformation and by the time the film ends, he is finally facing his own reality.
You are the only director with whom Abhay Deol has done two movies. How did you see him evolve as an actor? Abhay is usually the black sheep in most of his films.
In "Shanghai", he is the core of conservative, middle class India who clings on to his patriotic belief that India has to take over China one day. I've known Abhay as a very spontaneous actor who doesn't rehearse much.
But in this film, Abhay was different. He was playing a Tamil Brahmin who is an IAS officer.
Abhay asked for a language coach and insisted that everyday, before we shot the scenes, he spent at least 40 minutes with him. He researched on IAS officers apart from interacting with two different Tamilians from different social classes.
He also got a book to learn Tamil alphabets. It's a tough task to speak in Tamil-accented Hindi without turning it into a caricature.
Your movie is based on Greek author Vassilis Vassilikos's novel titled Z, the rights of which you had purchased. There is a Costa-Gavras movie that has already been adapted from the same book.
How difficult does the scope of adaptation become in such cases? The organic difference between a book and a film is that while in the former we need to read what the character is going through and figure it out in our heads, the audience has to see those experiences in a movie. Ergonomically, a book often meanders in terms of the narrative.
A film, in contrast, has to be more evocation and linear in structure. Writing the screenplay of an adaptation is a tough job.
Urmi Juvekar and I bickered for a year to get the screenplay in place. It is a continuous iterative and interactive process.
One has to be flexible. In the book, there are two characters who come from the lowliest of society.
They are involved in negative acts but Vassilis has dealt with them quite positively. He understood the compulsions of these two characters.
The earlier film ignored these two characters. I didn't.
Is this because in the Indian context, finding a sentimental reason for a character's flaw is always a great way to win over the audience? No, that's not it. The book was set in the 1960s and was written in the context of the Left and the Right wing politics.
Today's India has no political ideologies as such. It is more about the rich and the poor.
From being a transmutation of a "Left and Right film", "Shanghai" became a "Rich and Poor movie". "Shanghai" is a political thriller at a time when real-life political scenario has become one big tamasha with a lot of thriller element.
Does that interest you? No. Most of the political thrillers in India are about this tamasha.
But my film is about the politics of real life. It is about the politics that decide where you will live and which road will be open for you and which building will be demolished to create which mall.
The great Indian political tamasha, in contrast, is a creation of the bad habits of the elite media of our country. One has to manufacture tamasha and have people opine on every possible event because there are so many pages to fill up.
My interest doesn't lie there. My movie is about the blood and sweat politics of real survival.
While you spent a year deciding on the screenplay of the movie, most of the hits in India today don't even have the script. What's the importance of scripts in the context of Indian cinema then? A script of an Indian film is as important as you make it.
A film with lots of stars and expensive locations might generate 100 crore at the box-office. But who knows whether the film wouldn't have generated 200 crore at the BO if more attention was paid to the script or not.
For me, the important factor is the need to make better and well-made cinema that's organically complete. A well-made cinema should not be judged by its BO success.
The maker and his respect for what he does in cinema should not be judged by what he earns by doing so. Are you happy with what you've earned? Yes, I am.
I have my house, my cars and can afford a decent standard of living. Do you still not have a television at home? I don't.
My mobile still doesn't have Internet connectivity. But do I look ill-informed? I have my iPad and I am very prompt about replying to e-mails.
Does your daughter insist that you let her to watch cartoons on television? We don't have a television at home. She doesn't watch it.
Can she speak Bangla? No, she can't. The fault is completely mine because I have never spoken to her in Bengali.
My wife, Richa, is from Kolkata and can speak the language. But Richa and I speak Bengali only when we have some secret to share in front of others.
Otherwise, we speak in Hindi and English. I certainly want our daughter to be introduced to Bengali literature.
My parents did that to me and hence my world opened up. I too would want that to happen to her and will soon gift her a Barnaporichoy
(less)Sacha Baron Cohen to star in Tarantino's next
" Though the role is small, Tarantino was concerned about choosing a suitable actor for the part as the character is vital to the story. Django Unchained follows the story of Django, a freed slave who under the tutelage of a German bounty hunter Ace Woody becomes a bounty hunter himself.
"After assisting Woody in taking down some bad guys for profit, he tracks down his slave wife and liberates her from an evil plantation owner, variety.com reports.
The cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio as the film's villain, Calvin Candie; Jamie Foxx as Django; Christoph Waltz as Ace Woody, the bounty hunter on Candie's tail; Kerry Washington as Django's wife, Broomhilda; and Samuel L. Jackson as an outspoken slave.
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