Ayushman plays a Punjabi cricket player-sperm donor in love with a Bengali girl, to be played by television actress Yami Gautam, known from the soaps "Chand Ke Paar Chalo" and "Yeh Pyar Na Hoga Kam". "'Vicky Donor' is not a serious take on the subject of sperm donation.

I want to take a light-hearted look at the taboo attached to infertility and artificial insemination," says director Sircar. Sircar has been researching the subject for the past three years.

Ayushmann was chosen because of his popularity among the younger crowd. The "Roadies" winner who's been anchoring several musical shows on television, has been meeting medical experts to study the subject of sperm donation.

One of the top consultants in the field has been taken on board as the medical adviser for "Vicky Donor". Says the director: "Ayushmann and I have been meeting doctors and donors from Mumbai and Delhi since 2009.

Ayushmann has an immediate connect with the younger generation. For the part of Vicky, I wanted a face that was easily identifiable and yet unexposed in cinema.

" Ayushmann says he has been studying acting. "I attended theatre workshops with professor N.

K Sharma in Delhi to get that 'Dilliwala' feel. It wasn't difficult since I am from the north," he says.

Ayushmann claims to have turned down three films in favour of "Vicky Donor", because of the "unique subject and the director's credibility" (less)

She was addressing a joint press conference on the movie today with the director of the film Michael Winterbottom at the on-going International Film Festival in Goa. The Press Conference had the leading actress and the director of the movie interacting with the media about the film, the idea behind it, the making of the film and its presentation.

Speaking about her future projects, Freida Pinto said that a few of her projects were in the pipeline which she was currently working on. She looked forward to work in more India-centric projects and said that she would love to represent her country in projects which reveal the true identity of India on the international scale.

'Trishna' is a British drama film directed by Michael Winterbottom, starring Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed which is set in contemporary Rajasthan (less)

com on her latest film, That Girl In Yellow Boots and husband, Anurag Kashyap Kalki Koechlin (Pic: Varun Vazir) That Girl in Yellow Boots is co-written by both Kalki and Anurag. This is Anurag’s first film to have a global release.

The film also stars Naseeruddin Shah in a pivotal role and releases on September 2, 2011. Was Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara a conscious effort to break from your image as an unconventional actress? No, it wasn’t.

I never consciously try to make an image for myself. I don’t want to have a forced image.

I want to be who I am and want that to be captured on camera candidly. ZNMD happened because Zoya (Akhtar) had liked my acting in Dev D and believed in me.

I agree, it’s a masala film but yet very relatable. I could imagine three boys going on a fun trip.

I am not bothered, if I am the heroine or how many lines I have. It’s about whether my character makes sense in the film.

My character in ZNMD was of an annoying girl who spoils the party. It was challenging and very different from my own personality.

How did you go about That Girl…? It was Anurag’s story and he narrated me the brief outline and asked me to write it. At first, I was very reluctant as the subject was intricate and he wanted a woman’s perspective on it.

When I began writing, the content came really easily. For instance, the story is based on a white-skinned girl, Ruth.

And I know what it’s to be one. The way people stare at you and the way guys assume you to be a flirt.

But then there were many aspects about which I had no idea and that’s when I would talk to Anurag. I spoke to some actors on this and did a lot of research.

The title of the film is peculiar. What’s your take on it? We should call it Peele joote waali ladki instead of That Girl In Yellow Boots.

(Chuckles) It is not a mass film and is releasing only in metros. We wanted a title that would stand out and match with our central character Ruth, who is an alien to the city of Mumbai and looks very odd which immediately makes you notice her boots.

What is the film about? It is about a young British citizen Ruth who comes to India in search of her father. The film begins with her already present in India for a year and is trying to renew her tourist visa.

She lives as an illegal immigrant and ends up doing odd jobs. The authorities don’t kick her out but take undue advantage of her.

The plot reveals how Ruth, in her desperate and stubborn search for her father, ends up losing herself. How different was it working again with Anurag? We were dating during the shoot of That Girl… and were able to understand each other much better.

He knew me better as an actor and could trust me more. I knew him better as a director and wasn’t shy to question him.

There was a lot more freedom. I could trust him while performing intimate scenes because I knew he wasn’t trying to do something cheap.

Was it difficult to perform intimate scenes in front of Anurag’s presence? I think Anurag had more trouble than me. (Giggles) Of course it’s very uncomfortable! My co-actor was more scared than me.

He was very scared to touch me but at the end of the day, it’s a part of our job. Do things become easy having Anurag on your side? The truth is Anurag casts me only when he feels I fit a particular role.

I am not a part of his Gangs of Wasseypur . I can never play a Bihari girl.

We have a mature, creative sensibility. On the other hand, there is a down side of being his wife.

People think I will only do certain kinds of films and a lot of commercial people don’t even think of approaching me. Have film festivals become a platform to test films before their release? Film festivals are important if you want to be taken seriously on a world platform.

A lot of Bollywood cinema works abroad mainly because we have such an amazing NRI population. We watch Hollywood films, but foreigners don’t watch our films.

Films from all over the world get under one roof with same human nature. Cinema is a beautiful way of communication.

Anurag recently made a comment that he won’t work with you again until it’s a light hearted film. Comment.

I would like to work with Anurag again. We have done two intense films together ( Dev D and That Girl… ) and it’s important that we work again in a different genre.

You don’t want to get stuck in a rut. I want to work with as many directors as possible because you learn different things from each one (less)

Shah has managed to rope in the actor for the music launch of Shiney Ahuja and Sayali Bhagat starrer Ghost directed by Puja Jatinder Bedi. The actor has agreed to support Shiney, who is now out on bail.

A source informs Mumbai Mirror, "Bharat Bhai has known Sanjay for almost a decade now and considers him a very dear friend. Rascals, which released this year was presented by him and when the producer told him to launch the music at a media event, the actor readily agreed.

" Ghost landed into controversy at the start of the year when the director of the film candidly spoke about the Shiney's unprofessional attitude in an interview. However, the strained relationship between the actor and the director got sorted out in the course of time.

The source adds, "Sanjay understands the trauma Shiney went through and how he has had to struggle to win back some of the trust and goodwill in the industry. Sanjay too, at one point in time, faced several ups and down in his film career and hence agreed to attend the music launch.

" Confirming the development, Director Puja says, "Sanjay is very close to Bharat Bhai and I am very happy that he will grace the occasion with his presence." (less)

..

From a Shirish calling "Ra.One" a fizzled cracker to a Thackeray almost calling you a Pakistani loyalist, within a week - what did you do to trigger this? Both unimportant.

..

let me say something sincerely. I hope it doesn't sound too rude.

Successful people do things, and get over with it, and leave others to live their life off it. I DO them.

And then I leave it to others to live their life off it. It is so strange - if anyone takes my name, I have the ability to make them famous.

Just by taking my name. And that's God's gift.

My son asked me this the other day, 6 'o' clock in the morning he called me, and asked me, Papa, people say things about you. Don't you get angry? Don't you want to beat them up? And I said no, your father is gifted with this.

That if you want to be famous, you take your dad's name. And I said the only persons I don't want to be famous by taking my name are you and your sister.

Let the rest of the world do that. And I truly mean that.

I hope that comes true. I endorse so many people free (laughs)! But surely statements such as Thackeray's must provoke you to respond? Sometimes I don't want to dignify things with answers.

And it takes a huge amount of self-restraint, patience, control, and love for your own family, to keep quiet. And dignity, and perhaps the status that I have in the eyes of the people.

I was told by Amitji once - we were sitting backstage for a show - beta, jab stardom aati hai na, koi bhi aadmi aa kar tumko thappad mar kar chala jayega. Tum use kuch nahin keh sakte.

Kyunki agar tumne kuch kaha, to tum ameer ho, gareeb pe apna dum daba rahe ho. Tumne sharab pi hui hai.

Tum gundagardi kar rahe ho. Tum arrogant ho.

Tum apne aap ko samjhte kya ho? He said these are the things they'll say. You have to keep quiet, put on your blinkers, keep walking.

And that is why successful people finally become a little reclusive. It's not the reclusion of loneliness; my reclusion is the reclusion of avoiding, of ignoring, of saying, let's move on.

Hemaji told me something like this long ago, when I was new. Somebody wrote an article which said that I'd said that Hemaji was not a good director - while I'd said nothing like that, but you know how press mein aata hai.

..

so I was very scared and I said, ma'am, I didn't say anything like that. Hemaji told me see, this means, either I am very famous, or you are very famous.

And my fame has sort of reduced now, so this means you've become famous, and now this will be part of your life. The other night, I met her for the launch of her film, and she asked me - you remember na everything I said? And I said, yes, I remember everything.

So, yes, success makes people - people not related to you or to your field - like to take a dig at you. Sometimes I go to social networking sites for a while and I'm like, arre! Kaafi personal ho gaya! Quite vicious, the online tenor can be, on a bad day.

Yes, very. But then, I'm like, this is maybe a small dusty man in a small dusty room, taking out his angst, his loneliness, by taking someone's name, abusing him, and feeling happy that his achievement has been recorded.

So then I feel I'm also a source of inspiration for them, even if in a strange, negative sense. God bless them.

There is no dearth of actors - stars, rather - who share your surname. But the "Nishan-e-Pakistan" sort of compliments are usually directed exclusively at you.

Why's that? (Laughs) I know, I know what you mean. Maybe I'm too flamboyant.

Maybe like my son, I don't answer back enough..

. But why are you a target of angst across the range - from the guy in the dusty room to irked political leaders? I think I invoke radical passions in people - and that is why I am such a big star! I'll walk out with you just now, and you'll have men, women, of all nationalities, just hugging me.

I think it is the same intensity on the other side, in those who don't like my face. And I will choose to believe in the hugs more than the hatred.

Just like Hyundai uses me, as a professional, a lot of people use me unprofessionally. I've become a free-for-all brand.

I hope they come out with a rule that they can't use a person's name without paying him for it! And the most irritating part of it is one word - opinion. You ask someone, how could you say this about him? And the answer is - it's an opinion.

You're a dog - that's an opinion. You're an actor - that's also an opinion.

You're a Muslim - that's an opinion. Anything can be twisted into an opinion.

That's not good. Ek "Trimurti" mein line thi - kabhi picture mein shoot hi nahin kari woh! - mujhe badi achhi lagti thi: "Jisko dekho mera baap banna chahta hai" (laughs).

It's a strange thing. Jisko dekho mera baap banna chahta hai.

Lekin theek hai. God bless them.

So long as my children don't want to be my baap, it's ok! "RA.One's" revenues have been the subject of much national debate the past week.

Yeah..

. right now, as we sit down and talk, it is supposed to be the highest grosser, as of five days.

The business is different - number of theatres, screens, audience going in big numbers..

. so obviously the reactions are also larger, more volatile.

The projectionists have also become part of the reactions - and they like to make projections telling you that agle din business itna achha nahin hoga. Everybody has become hugely associated with the tangibility of this business.

It is unfortunate that it is so; a film should ideally be allowed to breathe, to reach people at its own pace. That was the old style.

But if you release it in the new style, like we have, with 5,000 theatres, which is the American way of doing it - and the right way - because there are no longer Silver or Golden jubilees, there's only a weekend or two of business. In the future, all big films will release in 5,000 theatres.

In an earlier interview, you said that films and filmmakers are part of a strange art form which is only measured by the yardstick of commerce. And that dichotomy is one you have to live with.

..

You have to live with it, yes, you have to. Earlier, the business of films was not discussed on every platform.

Now, if I'm getting off the plane from LA, people come up to me and say, 'Sir, congratulations, what big figures!' Earlier they would come and say nice film, good role - now they talk about earnings. The applause is mixed with the jingling of coins, you have to hear both together.

It doesn't make me too happy. My heart doesn't crunch numbers.

But my business partners are happy - mazaa aa gaya reactions. I'm like, ok.

..

I think a film should be measured differently also. Is it the media's obsession with you vs Salman that got translated into the almost hourly comparison of "RA.

One" vs "Dabangg"? I don't think it's just the media, honestly. I think there is a section of people related to the trade who also talk in these terms.

A trade person or a producer, he'll tell you it did well, but it didn't quite do as well as that one, or better than that one on the second day, or whatever..

. I feel conversations are not viable anymore; it's just communication.

And communication boils down to monosyllabic terms. Yes, no, ok, good, like, dislike, bye, 170 (crores).

It is no longer ki kaisi lagi picture..

. Nobody converses.

Reactions are like, wow, thumbs up, smiley. New genres, new stories are like a new shoe for a day or two.

And I've been in the business long enough to know ki yeh joota theek ho jayega. Now it'll swerve to the opposite - these figures are unheard of, etc, etc.

I would not like to participate in either of these discussions, Day 1, Day 2, week..

. the messages I get are like, '7 crores on a Monday! Super duper!' The first four days are just about communication, then it comes to conversation about a film.

Appreciating a film is like opening a wine..

. good wine needs a little breathing before you drink it.

On the point of commerce vs art: Wouldn't you be remembered for a role like "Chak De" even if that wouldn't be a movie that made a fraction of the money that "RA.One" is making? No, I don't think so, I don't think that's a case in point.

I work for now. I don't work for two things - I don't work for posterity, and I don't work for prosperity.

Some people work for prosperity. I've worked for that.

But now I am prosperous, I am ok. And I don't work for posterity.

Yaar main yeh kya nishaan chhod ke jaa raha hoon? Because posterity is not created by you; it's created by talk, by cinema, by life itself. If you're working for either of the two, you're on a shaky wicket.

I work for NOW. I want to be untouched by this whole tangibility factor.

I was speaking to Lady Gaga, I had this long interview with her, and she said some very nice things. I really appreciated it because when I say those things, I sound as if I am philosophizing too much.

But she was saying the same thing. If finally someone were to give her a choice between giving up her money, her stardom, all that she's earned, or give up singing, she'd choose not to give up singing.

If someone were to give me the choice between giving up all my cars and my money and giving up acting, I'd say, yaar, acting karte rahenge, will let those go. Maybe if you are as successful as I am today, you have that choice.

Maybe that's not a choice one has in the first two years of one's career. But this is my reality today.

I don't work for the prosperity; yes, it happens along the way, Mashallah, it's very good for the business. And I don't think about posterity.

I will not think about posterity because I still haven't ended; I think my posterity will be when I sit down and start watching my own films, which I still don't do. Never? Never, yaar.

I can't watch my own films. I've kept that for old age - ki baith ke dekhoonga, kiya kyaa.

What is old age? Old age, for me? The way I'm going, about 140. That's what my friends say.

I'm 46 now - so about a hundred to go! Your dad was 50-something when he passed away. You've talked about thinking more of mortality, and of him, when you approach 50.

Yes, then I did. But now I don't.

..

because I am the healthiest I ever was right now. And I am also more relaxed.

In a happier space as a person. To me it's no longer about wanting to have my finger in every aspect of life, like I used to be maybe 15 years ago.

But ya, it is strange to think that my son today is as old as I was when my father died. I do get reminded of that, ya.

Not necessarily about mortality..

. but it's good to be reminded of that, too.

Like Steve Jobs said, if you know finally you're going to die, there seems to be no risk in anything you do in life. He said this when he had cancer.

I think our fear of mortality stops us from living life to the fullest. I am living my dreams - how many people get a chance to do that? Lady Gaga tweeted a picture with you and said 'screw Hollywood!' That must have made you happy! Yeah! Actually all the reviews of my movie in Hollywood are like that.

You should read the reviews in LA Times, New York Times..

. a journalist said to me, 'It's like we've been saying this for 8-10 years, suddenly, seeing "RA.

One", we're telling Hollywood, dude, even technically they're here now - and the cost is one-hundredth of your films.' I think it's a sign of the times, whether it's Akon or Lady Gaga, they all want to come to India.

In reverse, it took an Oscar for us to recognize the genius of a Resul. As to Lady Gaga, she's a sweet lady, really, really upfront, honest.

I spent three hours chatting with her. It was fantastic.

Simple, down-to-earth middle-class girl..

. 'Simple' and 'middle-class' are not the first words that come to mind when you speak of Lady Gaga.

..

An image. An image that's bordering on the bizarre.

And it's just an image. Amazingly intellectual.

A philosopher. She is very clear.

As a person, she is so deep, she knows the philosophy of the world, she ad verbatim knows the philosophers..

. It was a great learning experience - and I say that about very few people, more so those who are 25 years old.

She said a great thing to me. She said, an artiste's personal life should not be discussed beyond a point, because it somehow blunts the art of the artiste.

People start taking the art less seriously than the personality. She says my personality is me, my art is what you see - and they are two distinct, two clear thoughts.

Seeing her on stage, you expect her to be this really wild, vivacious girl - she's actually a calm, normal person who says her most interesting pastime is cooking food for her father whenever she's in New York. Middle-class girl.

She's very clear - I just want to sing. It was a fantastic learning experience for me, and it was also stuff that I completely believe in.

Whatever I am out here is for the people - I'll dance for you, I'll do a "Chammak Challo", I'll wear a tight suit and fly if that makes you happy. But in my personal life, I'm a deeper person.

So when you say silly things about me..

. I have to disassociate and say, these guys don't even know me personally.

So the comment is unfounded. This guy doesn't even know me.

I was flipping through an article and somebody had written, 'This is the most expensive mid-life crisis of a person'. Why are you talking about my mid-life crisis? What do you know about my crisis? Or where I am? Talk about the film - that's what you're paid for.

Review the film. Don't review my personal life.

I don't sell my personal life to you. Talk about the actor, don't talk about the person.

When you make a personal remark about me, without knowing me, I have to take it like that - it's your own issues in life maybe, you're just putting it upon me because iske paas yeh sab kyun hai, hamare paas kyun nahin. I guess it's just that, finally.

Are you still an outsider in the system after all these years? Well, if you look at it, I'm an outsider, which my son won't be, so maybe he'll have it easier..

. but it's not that.

I'm told that I may be coming across as rude. I'm not really very social.

Maybe it's because I don't bend. Maybe because even in the face of bad things, I'm smiling.

It irks people sometimes. They're like, saala, akele yeh sab kaise kar leta hai? I do that because I sleep less, I work harder.

Everyone finds a different reason for my success except the fact that I act. 'Yeh marketing guru hai yaar'.

'You know what, saale ki luck chal rahi hai'. Luck chal rahi hai, for 20 years? Haan, saala, bees saal se luck hi chal rahi hai! It's 'Arre wohi kare ja raha hai, love stories karta rehta hai'.

'Gaane nikal jaate hain iske; gaane achhe mil jaate hain saale ko'. 'You know what, Muslim audience bahut pyaar karti hai isko.

' 'Overseas! Overseas ki wajah se itna chalta hai.' They find strange reasons for my success.

But the real reason is - early to bed, early to rise, work my a** off, and advertize. It's as simple as that.

I am my one man walking talking team. I can handle 5-6 things at a time.

I can handle a cricket team, I can handle production, I can set up a VFX studio, I can make the most expensive film in the country. I can still come and launch a kabaddi tournament in Bhatinda and deliver a speech at Adasia which everybody loved and still go back home and celebrate my birthday with my kids.

And I can play video games with them. And I'm not tired.

And I'm everywhere. But your being everywhere was a point of much talk in the run-up to "RA.

One" - he's on every show, everywhere..

. And why not? An actor once told me - I won't name him - 'I don't like dancing at weddings'.

I said, and how often have you been invited to dance at weddings? The answer: 'I'll never do it'. I said, pehle chance toh mile! If I'm invited, if I'm put on people's shoulders, if I'm asked to be on, from "KBC", to whatever programme - if I'm called, I like to do it, I'm ok.

This is what I'm here for. I like doing that.

You do that if you're called. Just because you're not invited, don't run down my party.

I'm invited to every party. And I like to attend all of them.

And I enjoy myself. Life is beautiful.

I am beautiful. And the few things around me that are not beautiful - I like to think of them as nazarbattoos - tils.

Woh kehte hain na, tere chehre pe yeh jo kaala sa til hai, lagta hai daulat-e-husn pe darbaan bitha rakha hai. So yeh jo negative baatein karte hain mere baare me, yeh mere daulat-e-husn ke darbaan hain, mujhe nazar lagne se bachate hain.

You looked tired, run-down sometimes while being everywhere..

. I got tired.

I fell sick, actually. I got a bronchitis attack but I couldn't stop, film ke premieres they.

Then I was on antibiotics. Superstars don't rest, do they? I sleep an average of 30-35 hours a week.

Today I slept just an hour, but on the flight from LA, I slept for 16 hours straight. I guess it comes out to an average of 5 hours.

I don't sleep very early anyway. I like that time at night.

That's the only time I get to be with myself. No cars, no clothes, no films, nothing, just my thoughts.

That's important. People think insomnia hai, but it's not that.

I like that time - 2, 3am. You hear crickets, it's quiet.

I like that time of the night. For 20 years, when so much is asked of you, and you want to give it with happiness and love, you deserve that time by yourself.

I just sit quietly, I do nothing. I'll write, or surf channels, or read a really silly book.

That time, I feel, gets me ready for the next day, more than the sleep (less)

It comes as no surprise then that the recent flick under his banner, " Bejawada" has ruffled a lot of feathers. And in the typical manner in which an RGV story unfolds, the director has now been getting death threats.

Now, the contentious suffix "Rowdilu," has been dropped from the title, but controversy surrounding the film just refuses to die. "Speculations are rife because of the title.

Unlike " Raktha Charitra", I've never said that I am basing this film on the lives of real people. It is director Vivek Krishna's story and I never said that it is based on anybody," clarifies RGV.

But this isn't a first for the filmmaker who loves to kick up a storm. Almost all his movies have a strong foundation on controversies.

For an observer, it's pretty clear - a successful publicity strategy. "When you are making a film on contentious subjects, naturally everybody will have an opinion.

It's just that no one else has tried to do it. It is the public interest in the subject matter that creates controversies and not the film by itself," argues the director.

But if you thought that after all the mini storms in the tea cup, the film maker would refrain from the hullabaloo, then you are wrong. For Ram Gopal Varma, controversies are nothing but mere 'entertainment'.

"I find it (controversies) very entertaining, and I am sure the media thinks the same about it too," he says with a know-it-all smile. But being called all sorts of derogatory names must get under his skin at some point? "Well, I've been called names all the time.

The media calls me Ramu. After a point, you just lose sensitivity to it.

The fact that I just do not care seems to accentuate the point," he explains. Having said that, one however, wonders how can someone be so oblivious to criticism that comes his way almost all the time? Aren't most filmmakers known to be the 'please-all' types? "Well, I give a f**k about anybody.

I make films because I love it and I want people to watch them. Whether they like it or not is another thing altogether.

I am basically pushing my vision down their throats. Sometimes they might swallow it and sometimes they might just puke it out," he quips.

The industry has always been kind to success. Is that the reason why most people tend to forgive him for his jibes and remarks? "For me, success is about being able to get up in the morning and doing whatever you want to do until you go back to bed at night.

By that definition, I have been successful from the time I was five years old," he says in typical RGV style. Now that leads to the question, what happened when he was five? "My mother dropped me on my head," he retorts, poker face.

Maybe, that was his eureka moment. "I don't believe in God or religion.

I don't have any commitments and have never donated a single rupee for a cause. In short, I have done nothing that a good human being is supposed to do, yet I am able to do whatever I want to do.

I just enjoy every second of my life because I know exactly who I am and what I want." So how does RGV enjoy 'every single moment'? "It is all about pleasing my senses - be it listening to music, making films or looking at a beautiful woman," he says.

And he doesn't stop at that. For the maverick, material possessions too are of utmost importance.

"My most valuable possession is my collection of porn," he says without twitching a facial muscle. One can't help but take the liberty of asking if there are any specific preferences in that department.

"It's hard to classify porn, you see," he retorts. With so many movies under his belt, one can't help but ask why hasn't he made a love story yet.

"I want to make a love story soon. It will be gritty and will break all conventions about how love stories are made traditionally," he says.

"I live for today and don't think about yesterday unless it's about reliving a pleasurable memory. I don't think about tomorrow because I want it to surprise me, if it doesn't, I will try to surprise myself, I live like that," he says before signing off (less)

Featuring Manoj Bajpayee as Raavan and Arjan Bajwa as Vibhishan, the film is produced by ASA Production and directed by Maqbool Khan. The film aims to highlight love, loyalty, betrayal and justice.

Tweet (less)

The magnum opus is based on the epic love story of the renowned Maratha general Peshwa Bajirao and his half-Muslim second wife Mastani and is now being revived. Bhansali's film went through a lot of casting upheavals in the last eight years.

The filmmaker had announced the film in 2003 with Salman and Aishwarya Rai, but the film hit a roadblock when the then couple split. The director tried reviving the film in 2005 with Sallu and Kareena Kapoor but without any success.

An industry source reveals, "After things couldn't work out with Salman Khan, Sanjay was disheartened and didn't know who he should approach for the role. Since it's a big budget film, only a star can pull it off.

A friend of Sanjay suggested he consider SRK. He was quite kicked with the idea and immediately called up King Khan and offered him the role.

The actor who is aware of the film and liked the subject asked him to give him a proper narration." Interestingly, SRK and Bhansali had issues during the release of Saawariya and Om Shanti Om ; the films released on the same day.

While the former tanked six ways from Sunday, SRK's Om Shanti Om became the then biggest hit of all time. Looks like they have put those issues behind them and are willing to work together.

However, sources close to Bhansali say that he is not working on Bajirao Mastani but some other script. Tweet (less)

5 crore with a net of Rs 18.5 crore on Wednesday (October 26th) making it the highest ever Diwali day collection in the history of Indian cinema.

The second day collections on Thursday, 27th October, were even more impressive with the film raking in a whopping Rs 36 crore gross with a net of Rs 25.10 crore net, making it the highest collection ever for a single day for an Indian film.

RA.One released on Diwali and while some critics gave it a thumbs up for blending elegance of Hollywood with Indian sensibilities, others panned the superhero drama by labelling it a 'video game'.

The reviews notwithstanding, the film managed to collect Rs 18 crore at the home box office on the opening day. Earlier, as predicted by trade pundits, the film couldn't break the first day collection records of Salman Khan-starrer Bodyguard , which earned Rs 22 crore in the domestic market on the opening day.

In the overseas market, the Red Chillies Entertainment and Eros International co-production raked in Rs 6.5 crore.

If reviewers have a different take on the film, viewers are also reacting differently but theatre owners predict good business in the coming week. "Although the film has got mixed reviews, the first day has been really good.

We witnessed more than 80 percent occupancy," a source in PVR said. "Moreover, the extensive marketing of the film has created a curiosity among people, who are eager to see what is the film all about," the source added.

Cinemax witnessed an average footfall on the first day. "There could be two reasons -- the 3D version of the film was made available a little late.

Although in metros it was fine, but in other cities due to delayed release in 3D we had to cancel some of the shows," said Sunil Punjab, CEO of Cinemax. "Also, we saw a decline in the occupancy in the evening as it was Diwali time and people were busy in Diwali puja.

But today (Thursday) the response has been encouraging since morning we have had good number of people coming to see the film," he added. Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the Rs 150-crore film, which also stars Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in prominent roles, was released in as many as 3,500 screens across the world.

Even before the film reached the theatres, its makers earned money by selling its satellite rights reportedly for Rs 35 crore and the distribution rights for Rs 77 crore. The film's highlight is high-tech VFX shots, which were outsourced from multiple specialty studios in London, Paris and Bangkok, as also the US.

Puneet Sahay of Spice Cinemas, however, informed that the film is not appealing to adults. "Although Shah Rukh's acting is good, RA.

One is basically a film for children as it boast of lot of animation and special effects. Adults are not actually liking the film.

However, it is likely to do well in the coming days," Sahay said. "Actually, it's nothing more than a video game," said college student Akhil Sharma.

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5 crore with a net of Rs 18.5 crore on Wednesday (October 26th) making it the highest ever Diwali day collection in the history of Indian cinema.

The second day collections on Thursday, 27th October, were even more impressive with the film raking in a whopping Rs 36 crore gross with a net of Rs 25.10 crore net, making it the highest collection ever for a single day for an Indian film.

RA.One released on Diwali and while some critics gave it a thumbs up for blending elegance of Hollywood with Indian sensibilities, others panned the superhero drama by labelling it a 'video game'.

The reviews notwithstanding, the film managed to collect Rs 18 crore at the home box office on the opening day. Earlier, as predicted by trade pundits, the film couldn't break the first day collection records of Salman Khan-starrer Bodyguard , which earned Rs 22 crore in the domestic market on the opening day.

In the overseas market, the Red Chillies Entertainment and Eros International co-production raked in Rs 6.5 crore.

If reviewers have a different take on the film, viewers are also reacting differently but theatre owners predict good business in the coming week. "Although the film has got mixed reviews, the first day has been really good.

We witnessed more than 80 percent occupancy," a source in PVR said. "Moreover, the extensive marketing of the film has created a curiosity among people, who are eager to see what is the film all about," the source added.

Cinemax witnessed an average footfall on the first day. "There could be two reasons -- the 3D version of the film was made available a little late.

Although in metros it was fine, but in other cities due to delayed release in 3D we had to cancel some of the shows," said Sunil Punjab, CEO of Cinemax. "Also, we saw a decline in the occupancy in the evening as it was Diwali time and people were busy in Diwali puja.

But today (Thursday) the response has been encouraging since morning we have had good number of people coming to see the film," he added. Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the Rs 150-crore film, which also stars Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in prominent roles, was released in as many as 3,500 screens across the world.

Even before the film reached the theatres, its makers earned money by selling its satellite rights reportedly for Rs 35 crore and the distribution rights for Rs 77 crore. The film's highlight is high-tech VFX shots, which were outsourced from multiple specialty studios in London, Paris and Bangkok, as also the US.

Puneet Sahay of Spice Cinemas, however, informed that the film is not appealing to adults. "Although Shah Rukh's acting is good, RA.

One is basically a film for children as it boast of lot of animation and special effects. Adults are not actually liking the film.

However, it is likely to do well in the coming days," Sahay said. "Actually, it's nothing more than a video game," said college student Akhil Sharma.

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But the Kannada remake is certainly not well-crafted with its poor production values and very ordinary narration killing the soul of the movie. The essence of the movie which is reflected in the relationship between a very good son and his strict and enraged father fails to penetrate deep in the minds of the viewers mainly because director Umakanth's narration lacks seriousness.

Despite very good performances by Diganth and Avinash, Puthra does not rise up to the standards of the original. The two actresses have competed with each other in delivering drab expressions and even the senior technicians have worked without any imagination.

Despite being good to his family members and others, Krishna is much misunderstood by his short-tempered father Narasimha who runs a grocery shop. Despite being cowed down by his father, Krishna remains obedient and takes on all the insults heaped by him with composure.

In his college, Krishna's classmate Madhu loves him intensely. He likes his relative Thulasi but the two families have a long history of misunderstanding which separates them.

He tries to unite the two families which further enrages Narasimha. Krishna and Thulasi leave their homes and lead a separate life.

How Krishna respects his father even after he acquires good reputation in society forms the climax of the film. Diganth surprises with his convincing emotional performance.

He tries to save the film by understanding the nuances of the complex role. Veteran Avinash has excelled in the role of a tough father.

The two heroines of the film fail to make an impact. Veteran actor Tennis Krishna has done a good job while Sundar Raj fills in perfectly for his role.

Naveen Suvarna's camera work is ordinary while Raja Ramesh's music does not raise above ordinary levels. Puthra is an ordinary film despite a good story and neat performances from the two lead male actors.

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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)

Veena has already shot for the item song in Ritesh Deshmukh-Genelia D'Souza starrer Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya directed by Mandeep Kumar. In the Channo song, Veena plays a dancer, who comes to Mumbai to entertain politicians through her sizzling and sensuous performance.

"Veena was never exposed to item songs; she can groove. I was sure she will do justice to the song by her brilliant performance.

The song is shaping up very well and Veena has given a brilliant performance," Director Rumy Jafry said. Gali Gali Mein Chor Hai has been produced by Nitin Manmohan under the banner of One Up Entertainment Pvt Ltd.

The film, which also stars Fashion actress Mugdha Godse, will release on February 3, 2012. Tweet (less)

5 crore with a net of Rs 18.5 crore on Wednesday (October 26th) making it the highest ever Diwali day collection in the history of Indian cinema.

The second day collections on Thursday, 27th October, were even more impressive with the film raking in a whopping Rs 36 crore gross with a net of Rs 25.10 crore net, making it the highest collection ever for a single day for an Indian film.

RA.One released on Diwali and while some critics gave it a thumbs up for blending elegance of Hollywood with Indian sensibilities, others panned the superhero drama by labelling it a 'video game'.

The reviews notwithstanding, the film managed to collect Rs 18 crore at the home box office on the opening day. Earlier, as predicted by trade pundits, the film couldn't break the first day collection records of Salman Khan-starrer Bodyguard , which earned Rs 22 crore in the domestic market on the opening day.

In the overseas market, the Red Chillies Entertainment and Eros International co-production raked in Rs 6.5 crore.

If reviewers have a different take on the film, viewers are also reacting differently but theatre owners predict good business in the coming week. "Although the film has got mixed reviews, the first day has been really good.

We witnessed more than 80 percent occupancy," a source in PVR said. "Moreover, the extensive marketing of the film has created a curiosity among people, who are eager to see what is the film all about," the source added.

Cinemax witnessed an average footfall on the first day. "There could be two reasons -- the 3D version of the film was made available a little late.

Although in metros it was fine, but in other cities due to delayed release in 3D we had to cancel some of the shows," said Sunil Punjab, CEO of Cinemax. "Also, we saw a decline in the occupancy in the evening as it was Diwali time and people were busy in Diwali puja.

But today (Thursday) the response has been encouraging since morning we have had good number of people coming to see the film," he added. Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the Rs 150-crore film, which also stars Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in prominent roles, was released in as many as 3,500 screens across the world.

Even before the film reached the theatres, its makers earned money by selling its satellite rights reportedly for Rs 35 crore and the distribution rights for Rs 77 crore. The film's highlight is high-tech VFX shots, which were outsourced from multiple specialty studios in London, Paris and Bangkok, as also the US.

Puneet Sahay of Spice Cinemas, however, informed that the film is not appealing to adults. "Although Shah Rukh's acting is good, RA.

One is basically a film for children as it boast of lot of animation and special effects. Adults are not actually liking the film.

However, it is likely to do well in the coming days," Sahay said. "Actually, it's nothing more than a video game," said college student Akhil Sharma.

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"I have to write the exam in London and I would like to do well. I am studying hard to score good marks.

I prefer to study the subject thoroughly before taking the exam, so I am concentrating only on my books for the moment," she said. So what about celebrations for the film's success? "I will party after the exam is done!" Tweet (less)

I was in San Fransisco same time last year for Nootrenbadhu . This time, Im in the opposite end of the country.

..

New York City!!! It's been really rewarding for me both personally and professionally. I love working on this film with a team thats so creative.

And personally, the proximity of NYC to home gives me the liberty to see my family and have friends and family come visit me! It's been a year since I've seen them all, she says. Priya adds, We are shooting in sync sound for this film.

It's my first time and I am really curious to see the outcome. Fortunately for me, language is not a boundary and I have been fortunate enough to dub for myself in all the languages I've worked in.

I'm looking forward to doing more films with live sound recording (less)

The initial response from all the theaters is excellent and it is just because of the publicity it got," Roy told reporters. Roy, a naval architect, made Dam 999 with $10 million.

It is a tale of a dam built during colonial rule that is cracking and revolves around nine characters and their emotions. "The film has got nothing to do with the agreement between Tamil Nadu and Kerala over the Mullaperiyar dam.

People have mistaken it because I have also done a documentary on the Mullaperiyar dam and that has got nothing to do with DAM 999 ," said Roy. Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been at loggerheads over the Mullaperiyar dam, built under an agreement signed in 1886 between the then erstwhile royal of Travancore and the British administration.

While the dam is located in Kerala's Idukki district, its waters serve Tamil Nadu. In recent years, Tamil Nadu has demanded that the dam's storage capacity be raised by increasing the dam height from 136 feet (41.

5 m) to 142 feet (43 m) to meet the increasing demand of water for irrigation. While Kerala has been demanding a new dam, Tamil Nadu has been vehemently opposing it.

To break the deadlock, the Supreme Court earlier this year set up a high-level empowered committee to go into all issues, including the safety aspects, of the Mullaperiyar dam. "A dam burst is just one part of the film - the film delves into aspects of love, emotion, ayurveda, astrology, music and a few other elements.

This film should be seen with a serious perspective. If Slumdog Millionaire depicted India as a slum, through my film India would be known for other things, which is a big plus point," said Roy.

He added that his partners are busy speaking to people in Tamil Nadu to inform them that the film has nothing to do with the dispute between the two states. "The censor board officials cleared my film after seeing it more than once because they were asked to make sure there is no trouble in the country because of the film.

I have decided not appeal against the ban by Tamil Nadu because I am confident that their opposition will die down once they get the feedback that it has got nothing controversial," said Roy. He added the satellite rights of the film will be sold to 200 countries and a record one million DVD's will be sold, for which agreements would be inked soon.

"I have now started to work on my next film and it would be based on Somalian pirates and the script is expected to be ready by next year." Tweet (less)

But then she vanished from the big screen for three years and returned with director Onir's film Sorry Bhai in 2008 followed by Mishra's another film Yeh Saali Zindagi this year. "What is different about commercial films is there are so many changes like there is so much of make-up, different hair styles, slow motion shots etc.

The exciting part was you glam-up for a role, you dance, you have those fantastic clothes, high heels and that whole girly thing," Chitrangada told PTI in an interview. "In the end a girl is a girl, we all love these things.

I had a great time doing all this," she said. Chitrangada is officially foraying into commercial cinema with Rohit Dhawan's Desi Boyz opposite Akshay Kumar.

"I don't think it is like a plan that I would do now do commercial films. I enjoy it and I hope I can carry it forward.

It's a good shift. Like I did off beat films for some time and now I will to do this for some time, she said.

Ask her about promotional strategies for both kind of cinema, Chitrangada, feels, commercial cinema brings in more recognition and connects with a larger audience. "Promotions are stronger for commercial films.

The numbers, the budget is high for marketing, there is a proper team. When there is a niche film you do it on that level.

It is a great and different experience," she said. Citing an example, Chitrangada said, "Like during one of our promotional tours, the kind of response that Akshay and John got was insane, incredible.

I was like surprised, got cold feet..

thousands of people jammed in a mall." Contrary to what you expect of Chitrangada, considering her on-screen image, she dons a glamorous look in yet-to-be released film Desi Boyz .

She has recreated the sexy and stylish college professor look for the movie. Since her character required her to look edgy, smart, stylish and yet mature, her stylist gave her fringes for her hairdo.

"I play Tanya Sharma, a professor at the Oxford University. Akshay's character Jerry and Tanya have a past.

When Tanya was a student, Jerry was her senior and she had a huge crush on him. He comes back to complete his studies while Tanya has rejoined the college as a professor.

Whenever Jerry is around, everything goes into slow motion," Chitrangada said. Desi Boyz , also starring John Abraham and Deepika Padukone, releases on November 25.

Now that she has ventured into commercial cinema, the actress would continue doing parallel cinema. "In terms of offbeat cinema if something exciting comes my way, which is challenging and a good role, with a good director like say Vishal Bhardwaj or somebody, I would love to do that again and go right back," she said.

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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)

Desi Boyz was the stepping stone in commercial cinema for dainty Chitrangada Singh . But she maintains that she will always do good cinema, "Chahe jo bhi ho jaaye.

..

(come what may) whether commercial or whatever genre. This (Sudhir Mishra's untitled film with Arjun Rampal) is as commercial as Yeh Saali Zindagi or maybe a little more.

..

Yeh Saali..

. did fantastically well for us.

.so I think whatever does well is commercial," believes the actress who has to finish some patchwork for I, Me Aur Main (with John Abraham ) and there is something big coming up which she is tight-lipped about.

But Chitrangada wants to continue her journey with commercial cinema in a big way."Ya absolutely, I loved doing Desi Boyz.

It was a good change. And these days there is no difference between art or commercial.

Some people say it to prove a point. I loved Dhobi Ghaat.

Kudos to Aamir as he lends his name to such films giving it a kind of credibility..

.more people should work towards good cinema," says Chitrangada.

But be it commercial or middle of the road cinema, looks like Chitrangada believes in doing thorough research for every film she does. Her untitled film with Arjun is a love story set in a complicated situation with sexual harassment in a corporate house in the backdrop.

And Chitrangada researched on the subject by asking some HR heads as to what happens in sexual harassment cases. "Now it is mandatory by law that if there is a complaint you have to look into it.

. Committee sits on it.

Lot of times the girl is given golden handshake if the guy has to stay on," says the actress sounding extremely confident about the subject. She adds, "And we can relate to the subject because at some point of time most of the girls have gone through it.

Get in and get off in a DTC bus and you will get the experience of sexual harassment." (less)

"I have to write the exam in London and I would like to do well. I am studying hard to score good marks.

I prefer to study the subject thoroughly before taking the exam, so I am concentrating only on my books for the moment," she said. So what about celebrations for the film's success? "I will party after the exam is done!" Tweet (less)

The New Year holds a lot of new promise in Bollywood. We list down 10 debutantes to look forward to in 2012.

Varun Dhawan: David Dhawan's elder son Rohit Dhawan made his debut as a director in 2011 with Desi Boyz. His younger son Varun Dhawan will debut as an actor with Karan Johar's ambitious project 'Student of the Year'.

Both sons of David Dhawan have paved their own path into Bollywood without the need of their father having to launch them. Varun has earlier assisted Karan Johar on My Name is Khan .

Alia Bhatt: Other than David Dhawan's son, Karan Johar will also be introducing Mahesh Bhatt's daughter Alia Bhatt in his campus love-story 'Student of the Year'. Alia Bhatt is Mahesh Bhatt's daughter from his second wife Soni Razdan.

Again like in the case of Varun Dhawan, even Alia isn't being launched by the Bhatt banner Vishesh Films, especially when Bhatts are known for introducing several new talents in Bollywood. Nevertheless with Karan Johar at the helm of affairs, it should be a dream debut for Alia anyways.

Siddharth Malhotra: Siddharth completes the debut factor in the lead cast of Karan Johar's 'Student of the Year'. Not to be confused with the director of We Are Family (also a Karan Johar production), Siddharth Malhotra is a Delhi boy who boasts of great looks.

Karan Johar would ensure he acts well too. Arjun Kapoor: 2012 seems to be a year when most celebrity children are being launched in banners outside their home productions.

Prominent Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor's son and Anil Kapoor's nephew, Arjun Kapoor will be launched by Yash Raj Films. Arjun was to debut with a film called 'Virus Diwan' until the banner scrapped the project and is now introducing him with 'Ishaqzaade' to be directed by Do Dooni Chaar director Habib Faisal.

Like Cousin Sonam Kapoor, even Arjun used to be overweight at 140 kgs. But under Salman Khan's gym-guidance, he lost oodles of weight and is now his smashing-self.

Arjun Kapoor assisted on films like Kal Ho Na Ho, Salaam-e-Ishq, Wanted and No Entry . Ileana D'cruz: Ileana is a popular Telugu actress who has to her credit superhit films like Pokiri, Kick and Nenu Naa Rakshasi.

She makes her Bollywood debut opposite Ranbir Kapoor in 'Barfii'. Director Anurag Basu has put her through meticulous diction coaching so that she is comfortable with the Hindi language.

And with Ranbir playing a mute character, she is expected to do all the talking in the film. Subsequently she will be seen opposite Akshay Kumar in 'Khiladi 786' and 'Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai 2'.

Tapsee Pannu: Another Telugu actress Tapsee Pannu will be making her debut in the remake of 'Chashme Buddoor' being directed by David Dhawan. The charming actress will be reprising Deepti Naval's role from the original and is paired opposite Ali Zafar in the film.

Tapsee was a Miss India contestant in 2008. Amy Jackson: After Katrina Kaif and Nargis Fakhri, Amy Jackson in another foreign import in Bollywood who will make her debut opposite Prateik Babbar in 'Ek Deewana Tha' - the Hindi remake of Tamil hit Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa .

The ravishing looking actress has won titles like Miss Teen 2008 and has already worked in a Tamil film Madrasapattinam . Esha Gupta: Model Esha Gupta bagged the role in 'Jannat 2' for her hot looks and sex appeal.

Bhatts wanted an actress with a bold body language and thereby she replaced girl-next-door Prachi Desai who was earlier signed for the film. The dusky bombshell is known as the desi Angelina Jolie in modeling world and was also considered as the second lead for Krrish sequel.

Pulkit Samrat: Best known for his television stint as Lakshya Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi , Pulkit Samrat was out of the scene following fallout with Ekta Kapoor. He now makes his Bollywood debut with 'Bittoo Boss' from the same banner that produced the hilarious flick Pyaar Ka Punchnama with a complete new cast.

Imran Zahid: Imran Zahid would be another Bhatt discovery who will debut with 'Jannat 2'. This theatre artist has worked with Mahesh Bhatt earlier and Jannat 2 will mark his foray into feature films (less)

Unlike in the original, the monologue plays pretty late in the remake, whereby it establishes Vijay's identity over merely introducing him and with such individuality and elegance that it pays a perfect homage to the original, while at the same time not blatantly imitating it. That is how a remake is supposed to be! Retaining the spirit of the original and having a soul of its own.

This dialogue kinda summarizes the overall aura of the remake. The basic backdrop remains the same.

Kancha Cheena (Sanjay Dutt) is the uncrowned king of Mandwa Island and terminates the rebellious village schoolmaster. The master's son swears revenge and grows up to be Vijay Dinanath Chauhan (Hrithik Roshan) under the wings of Rauf Lala (Rishi Kapoor).

Lala who trades in human and drug trafficking, rules the Mumbai underbelly. Vijay uses Lala to reach Kancha and thereby reclaim his island and self-esteem.

While the primary plotline remains the same as Mukul Anand's classic, director Karan Malhotra along with co-writer Ila Bedi Datta refreshingly revamps the screenplay giving it a new structure and approach. So you never miss the omission of Mithun Chakravarthy's award-winning Krishnan Iyer from the original and welcome the induction of Rishi Kapoor's foul-mouthed and despicable kasai character.

If at all the film falls into predictable zone, it's not because you are familiar with the original but because at the core of it, the story remains a basic revenge drama. The film employs the age-old conflict of a reformist school-teacher versus the conniving zamindar, duping the villagers of their lands.

The remake isn't essentially remodeled to modern times because the film retains its original era thereby reviving the raw essence of the 1990 film. And beyond the epoch, Malhotra also imparts the cinematic treatment of that time period to his film.

So both the villain and hero have stylized entries, their confrontations boast of high-voltage drama and, in the climax, when the bruised and battered protagonist rises to take revenge (in exactly the same manner like his father was killed), he wins instant applause. Also the idea of Vijay concealing his identity from his teenaged sister is so intrinsic of the era (a la Anil Kapoor's Jeevan Ek Sanghursh ).

Where the new Agneepath raises the bar is by casting Sanjay Dutt as the baddie. In his black-attire and bald-look, Dutt has such solid screen-presence that the director makes things difficult for himself with a challenge of how would Hrithik's hero overpower the villain.

Thereby the film employs some extreme action, which is more brutal than boisterous, to justify Kancha's imposing persona and the subsequent seethe in Vijay's revenge. Thankfully, what puts Agneepath a notch above the recent mindless actioners is that it has a basic human connect which it reasonably balances with the extreme action and never blatantly exploits any emotion.

Piyush Mishra's dialogues are impressive with rhetoric punches every now and then. And even when the lines go unrefined for Rishi Kapoor's crude character, it leaves immense impact without crossing the familial domain.

Cinematography by Ravi K Chandran and Kiran Deohans is remarkable. Akiv Ali's editing is accomplished and despite the film having a three-hour runtime, you never lose the narrative for a moment.

The only slacker is the obligatory romance track (Priyanka Chopra) but thankfully even that is kept short. Ajay-Atul's music and esp.

the background score are effective. Abbas Ali Moghul's action is raw and unrestrained.

Beyond his hold on the subject, Karan Malhotra succeeds in extracting inspiring performances from the impressive cast. The usually suave Hrithik Roshan convincingly glides into his coarse character here and has a towering presence.

He completely redefines Vijay Dinanath Chauhan and never in his act do you see even a glimpse of the original. Sanjay Dutt reeks of menace and malice through his sadistic laughs.

At times he overdoes his guffaws but therein lays his strength, which he uses to the hilt. Rishi Kapoor has never looked or played so mean onscreen before.

As the kohl-eyed Rauf Lala, the affable actor reinvents his screen image with a beastly streak to his character. So good is the actor that you never get enough of him.

Arish Bhiwandiwala as the young Vijay Chauhan puts in a confident act. Priyanka Chopra, Zarina and Om Puri are functional.

With Bollywood being obsessed with remakes in recent times, Agneepath is an important lesson on how to pay proper tribute to the original. Despite the original being his home production, Karan Johar attempts playing with fire (treading uncharted territory) with Agneepath and emerges victorious.

Agneepath has the fire for a lustrous entertainer! Verdict: Better than Good (less)

Tamil remake was titled Kavalan and Vijay and Asin Thottumkal starrer received a satisfactory response at the ticket window, and the Hindi version starring Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor was a hit too. While the earlier three versions were directed by Siddique, Anand wielded the megaphone for the Kannada remake.

In fact, he returned to direction after a long time. The film suffers on many counts.

The artists selected for lead roles are miscast. Actor-director Guru Datt, who plays heroine's father, doesn't fit the bill either.

Jaggesh, who does well in comedies, doesn't look good in his role. Poor production values has also affected the film badly.

Though the Kannada version has followed the Malayalam original, its screen presentation is of low quality. The melodramatic twist in the last 20 minutes is certainly a treat for the viwers who have not seen the original or the other two versions.

Jaggesh has tried his best to salvage the film by his comic timing and peculiar dialogue delivery. But Jaggesh's effort will not overshadow the weak points in the film which includes lack of depthness in the narration.

The film moves at snail's pace and crucial sequences are marred by poor writing. When a politician is attacked by his opponents, safety of his and his family members becomes an issue.

So, Ashokanna hires Jayakrishna as his daughter Ammu's bodyguard. Jayakrishna accompanies her even to her college, which makes things awkward for Ammu.

Ammu pretends to love Jaykrishna and even calls him from a private number. But Ammu's pretence becomes reality and she actually falls for her bodyguard.

Meanwhile Ammu's friend Poorna plays a spoil sport. How Jayakrishna and Ammu are united in the end forms the rest of the story.

Daisy Shah looks artificial and her performance leaves much to be desired. Spoorthi is just okay.

Sadhu Kokila shines in comedy sequences. Ashok's camera work and Vinaya Chandra's music are much better when compared to other technical work in the film.

Body Guard is just an average flick which can be enjoyed only by ardent Jaggesh fans. Tweet (less)

Anna is expected to watch the film along with its cast and crew, including Akshaye Khanna , Shriya Saran , Mugdha Godse , Satish Kaushik , Annu Kapoor , Anu Malik , producer Nitin Manmohan and director Rumy Jafry. Since the plot of Gali Gali Chor Hai deals with the issue of corruption, the film's core team felt it would be just right for Anna,the anti-corruption crusader, to share his valuable views on the subject.

Confirming that Anna Hazare was indeed going to see the film, producer Nitin Manmohan said, "Anna has a huge fan following and his supporters have taken a strong stand against corruption. I am keen to know what he thinks of my film.

I must add that though my film deals with a serious issue, it has been peppered with humour and I am sure Anna will enjoy watching it. It tells the story of the common man and how he gets pulled into the neverending vortex of corruption.

What's worse is that the system complicates things for him. Akshaye too takes a stand, and the situations depicted in the film are so realistic that the viewer will feel, 'Yes, I have encountered this in my life.

' Every one of them will be able to identify with Akshaye's character." Nitin Manmohan's team members got in touch with Suresh Pathare, who works closely with Hazare.

"He scheduled an appointment for us for the screening. Anna will watch GGCH with the villagers," said Manmohan.

Khanna said, "A single individual rocked the government and he is the most revered personality in the country. It is an honour that the Gandhi of today is watching our film.

" Parag Maniar (less)

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)

This zillionth Bollywood spin-off on the second half of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is no different! Jai (Zayed Khan) and Naina (Dia Mirza) are in their individual mismatched relationships. Until they meet in a common friend's wedding.

Amidst song-dance routine, cupid strikes Jai by the interval point. Naina is uncertain until her doting mother advices ' wahi karo jo tumhara dil kehta hai ' (how pioneering and profound!) Alas she takes a little too long to decide while the viewer has already reached to the conformist conclusion.

Till date, Bollywood has devised only two alternatives for the climax of a film like this. In the feel good format, the other man willingly decides to let go his ladylove for the main hero (like Salman Khan did in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai ).

The other option is when this other man acts difficult (Jimmy Sheirgill in Tanu Weds Manu ). This film belongs to the former feel-good variety.

While the film could have brought some variety with its other assorted couples, the problem with the writing is that all the supporting tracks are half-baked. Jai's friend (Cryus Sahukar) falls for a 'Sheila' (Tisca Chopra) who isn't exactly 'jawaan'.

While this odd-aged couple has its moments of charm and comedy, their bonding could certainly have been explored in a better way. The girl from Dairy Milk ad (Umang Jain) has graduated to having ice-creams here after her multiple break-offs, but her sweet revenge spree was far from funny.

The film does have a lighthearted mood throughout but one does feel that its sense of humour, though not bad, could have been more fine-tuned and sharp. While this brand of comedy is anytime better than a senseless slapstick, there is a feeling that the film could have been funnier.

At the same time while the director tries to keep things subtle and avoid melodrama, some situations lack the basic intensity that the drama demands. Like Jai's breakup with his first girlfriend (Pallavi Sharda) comes across so casually that it seems as if nothing has happened.

The pacing is slow and the length is a little too long for a predictable film. Zayed Khan and Dia Mirza share good chemistry and are decent in their acts.

Dia has a natural charm. Cyrus Sahukar underplays his character and is the butt of most jokes.

Tisca Chopra looks delightful despite playing a (slightly) elderly female. Umang Jain is cute but has a short-lived character.

Vaibhav Talwar plays in a limited range but pulls off his part. Satyadeep Mishra is good.

Pallavi Sharda and Auritra Ghosh get no scope. From all the special appearances, Boman Irani is hilarious and leaves more impact that Shah Rukh Khan who doesn't do much beyond playing himself and endorsing furniture brand.

Director Sahil Singha doesn't show any innovation in the storytelling of his debut venture but he still has the command to bring a smile on your face, thanks to the breezy romance and the film's optimistic outlook. While being conventional cinema, it isn't essentially exasperatingly cliched.

Neither utterly lovely nor breakthrough! Love Breakups Zindagi is that variety of predictable cinema that is passable (less)

The scene is considered the highlight of the movie, as it is seven minutes long, believed to be one of the longest ever in Hindi cinema. The main idea behind the scene is to show the pain of a woman, who is forced to have a physical relationship with a man.

Inever thought I would do a rape scene, but it was very important to show the feelings of a girl. The director of the film said that I only had to show my face expressions and not body, says Arti.

Bijuka is about a girl whose marriage is not consummated and goes back home to her parents.In the past, Aishwarya had portrayed an almost similar character in Provoked, where Ash had played the character of a housewife, who was repeatedly assaulted by her husband (less)

The actor is currently out on bail after he challenged the sentence in the Bombay High Court. He is now making a comeback in Bollywood with Bharat Shah's horror film Ghost after a gap of three years.

On whether he would be able to score again with filmmakers he said, "I don't know if anybody will call me..

.may be somebody will.

I am waiting for the film to release. I would approach people whom I am in touch with like Sudhir Mishra, Anurag Basu and few others and love to work with them," Shiney told PTI.

"From the industry everybody I have worked with who knew me, stood by me like Anurag, Sudhir and now Bharat Shah. I don't know what would have happened if I did not had this film," he said.

Ghost would see Shiney share screen space with actress Sayali Bhagat. The film made by producer-turned director Puja Jatinder Bedi, hits cinema houses today.

There were reports stating that even director Puja and co-actress Sayali made allegations of sexual harassment against Shiney. However, Sayali later clarified that nothing of that sort happened.

"Initially..

.I couldn't explain or express my reaction.

More than my reaction I was just praying to God that does not come in print tomorrow. If it comes in print, I thought I would get up early.

.my dad goes for walk he is a 60-year-old.

If he reads it I don't know how much more he could take. I was very worried about him," Shiney said.

"But then I realised that may be in the past two years several things have been written about me to which I have confessed that I have not done..

.news comes in and so does the apology, but then the damage is done," he said.

"When time is not good then there is nothing one can do. I cannot blame one person or community or family.

..

they have gone through a lot. When things are like that one cannot do anything," Shiney concluded.

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A name that became the punch line of every Indian and Bollywood fanatic; ‘Vijay Dinanath Chauhan’, one of Amitabh Bachchan’s most remembered and cherished characters of all times. To create the same magic Dharma Productions released the first look trailer of their upcoming movie Agneepath along with the whole cast of the movie.

The movie is likely to hit the box office on January 13, 2012 , though this version of Agneepath will get a new ‘Vijay’ in the form of Hrithik Roshan. The cast of Agneepath When you remake a classic there are bound to be comparisons and that’s what the stars of this flick had to face during this event.

Explaining his character Hrithik who plays the main lead said, “I am not Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, I am simply Vijay and my Agneepath is the journey of one man on a mission.” “Even though, I feel that Agneepath is not a remake I still think the plot and the soul of the film remains the same.

Eventually, it’s our presentation to the generation who missed out on the legacy of what Agneepath was all about” said Priyanka Chopra who looked quite excited about the film. Besides Hrithik and Priyanka, Sanjay Dutt and Rishi Kapoor along with producer Karan Johar and director Karan Malhotra were also present at the event.

Although, the trailer looks quite impressive it’s only after the release of the movie, we’ll get to know whether Dharma Productions is able recreate the magic of the original Agneepath or not (less)

But the Kannada remake is certainly not well-crafted with its poor production values and very ordinary narration killing the soul of the movie. The essence of the movie which is reflected in the relationship between a very good son and his strict and enraged father fails to penetrate deep in the minds of the viewers mainly because director Umakanth's narration lacks seriousness.

Despite very good performances by Diganth and Avinash, Puthra does not rise up to the standards of the original. The two actresses have competed with each other in delivering drab expressions and even the senior technicians have worked without any imagination.

Despite being good to his family members and others, Krishna is much misunderstood by his short-tempered father Narasimha who runs a grocery shop. Despite being cowed down by his father, Krishna remains obedient and takes on all the insults heaped by him with composure.

In his college, Krishna's classmate Madhu loves him intensely. He likes his relative Thulasi but the two families have a long history of misunderstanding which separates them.

He tries to unite the two families which further enrages Narasimha. Krishna and Thulasi leave their homes and lead a separate life.

How Krishna respects his father even after he acquires good reputation in society forms the climax of the film. Diganth surprises with his convincing emotional performance.

He tries to save the film by understanding the nuances of the complex role. Veteran Avinash has excelled in the role of a tough father.

The two heroines of the film fail to make an impact. Veteran actor Tennis Krishna has done a good job while Sundar Raj fills in perfectly for his role.

Naveen Suvarna's camera work is ordinary while Raja Ramesh's music does not raise above ordinary levels. Puthra is an ordinary film despite a good story and neat performances from the two lead male actors.

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And though it has its share of inconsistencies, the desi duo is entertaining enough in the larger picture. In a recession-hit UK, it doesn't take too long for the jobless duo of Jerry (Akshay Kumar) and Nick (John Abraham) to rename themselves as Rocco and Hunter and turn towards the morally-low but highly-paying profession of male escorts.

They strip at hen parties though never cross the preset (Bollywood hero) limits of sleeping around. Things go wrong when Nick's girlfriend Radhika (Deepika Padukone) discovers of their clandestine career.

Jerry and Nick fall apart and the narrative divides into their individual episodes with Sajid Khan's Heyy Babyy being a strong influence for both tracks. Nick tries every trick in the trade to seek forgiveness from Radhika.

Anupam Kher, as her dad, reprises Boman Irani's part from Heyy Babyy supporting the repentant boyfriend. On the other hand, the flippant Jerry turns serious in life to win the custody of his orphan nephew.

For that he walks that extra mile - to the university, bringing back memories of Farah Khan's Main Hoon Na also. Rohit Dhawan's storytelling is simple and swift and the comedy never takes the no-brainer route with adequate conviction in the writing.

He smoothly establishes the comic chemistry between Akshay and John and never lets anyone overshadow the other, thanks to their reasonably written roles. Renuka Kunzru's dialogues, ranging from the witty to the wacky variety, are a major highlight and pack the requisite comic punches with some much-needed freshness over the customary synchronized lines in most recent comedies.

Certainly Desi Boyz isn't unblemished and has its set of flaws and formula. The basic conflict of Akshay Kumar going back to college to acquire a clean-chit image that could help him legally win back his nephew sounds too silly.

If that was not enough, he graduates in less than half a year, thanks to private tuitions by his super-hot teacher (Chitrangda Singh) who gives economics lessons through salsa and striptease sessions. Then the film treads in absolute unnecessary territory, taking its desi title a little too seriously, giving sermons on the intelligence of Indians amidst firangs who demean our country.

Sadly the Namastey London gimmick seems completely out of place in this film. After an interesting graph to the narrative, the film is marred by a weak end, which lacks the high point that a climax demands.

A courtroom drama, which drastically changes the scene tone from being comedy to contemplative, isn't a befitting culmination for the otherwise engaging flick. Nevertheless, on second thoughts, you find it as a much better end as compared to the commotional climax that most slapsticks resort to in present times.

And like its climax, the film underplays in its humour and romance. The decibel levels don't go deafening in an attempt to make you laugh and you prefer the half-baked Akshay-Chitrangda track rather than the plot straying into an extended love story.

Thankfully the film balances the Desi Boyz' acts and smartly summarizes their striptease stunts in a couple of songs. The strip-shows never go crass and are classily captured with the requisite gloss and glamour.

Akshay and John's sculpted bodies save the show and the average audience is never grossed out. With striking cinematography, crisp editing and vibrant costume design, the film's a technically superior product.

Pritam's music is catchy and peps up the mood of the film. Akshay Kumar is in good form and after long a film does justice to his impeccable comic timing.

He often steals the scene even where his presence is not primary. John Abraham is cool, convincing and glides effortlessly through his part.

Their casual chemistry makes the film work big time. Deepika Padukone is charming and makes her presence felt in the male-dominated flick.

Chitrangda Singh might not have as much extensive role but brings a refreshing appeal and immense screen presence to her character. Anupam Kher is funny.

Omi Vaidya is hilarious in his short role. Sanjay Dutt, in a cameo, perhaps gets the best lines in the film.

So make some way for the Desi Boyz . And be sure, they won't disappoint you! Verdict: Good (less)

Sources say John is very serious about his new lady love and wants to make it official by getting engaged as early as April 2012, followed by a wedding at the end of the year. Post his very public breakup, the 38-year-old actor has suffered an image-bashing over stories of how he left Bips in the lurch after all these years, with some even claiming he had been unfaithful.

And now, when she's clearly moved on, John wants to prove a point to the world. In recent times, he's often been quoted saying he's looking forward to settling down soon.

Sources insist he is totally smitten by his 26-year-old financial analyst girlfriend and wants to show the world he's not the Casanova he's been projected to be. We wonder if Priya is banking on it? (less)

Even I told myself, 'who wants to act in a horror film?' But when I was given the narration, I liked the subject. It is not just a horror film where you see demons and dead bodies flying and screaming.

It is rare in the sense that it is a story of a doctor who believes in ghosts. Science and demons do not go hand-in-hand, but this film shows that and that is why it interested me.

After doing the film, I have actually started believing in ghosts. The audience will get to see the movie through my eyes.

So, is it more your film than anybody else in the flick? The film shows a beautiful romantic relationship between Shiney Ahuja and me. But yes, the narrative is through me.

Even in earlier horror films like "Raaz" and "Bhoot", it was Bipasha Basu and Urmila Matondkar who were crucial to the plot. I think women are given more importance in horror flicks because they have varied emotions - love, fear, vengeance - all in extremes.

You made headlines recently with your allegations against some of the big names in the industry. You did clarify but those allegations got Big B to take to a microblogging account and voice his anger.

I am still agitated with the whole episode. I still can't understand why he (Anant Narayan) did it! It appalls me.

..

. And not just me, he has done it with so many other celebs.

I don't know why he never thought that he could be arrested. I understand Mr Amitabh Bachchan's sentiments.

Anybody would have gotten angry. And I think when he posted about the allegations, he was talking about the 'malign' against me and not about me leveling allegations against him.

So many names were dragged into it and that night itself (when the news about allegations broke), I made frantic calls to each and every person concerned and clarified that it is not me who has leveled such allegations against them. I am fortunate that they heard me out and understood me.

I had a word with Shiney's wife as well. It must be a relief now that he (Anant) is arrested? It is, but, like I said, I am yet to recover from the entire episode.

I was so mad and felt helpless as I didn't know how to go about stopping him from maligning me further. An actor friend then told me that I should contact the cyber crime cell.

I didn't even know that something like cyber crime cell existed and that maligning somebody is a non-bailable offence. After I got to know about it, I took it further.

There were talks that it was all a publicity gimmick..

. No, it was not.

I have heard about it too. I have heard people saying 'Oh! her film is soon to release, that's why she is doing all these to be in news'! Why would I malign myself to be in the news? It's bizarre.

Moreover, my film is releasing in January, so where's the connection? It is wrong to make up stories, you know. I didn't do anything for publicity, otherwise why would I call up every actor who I 'supposedly' maligned and clarify myself and also get Anant arrested? Today, I am scared to Google my name because all my contributions to modeling comes later and all the controversies are on the first page.

Like most celebs, controversies have followed you too..

. when Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik tied the knot, you were questioned because you once dated him.

..

why did you answer questions? Being in the industry for the past seven years, I know what controversies mean. I have accepted the fact they will always keep following us.

When Sania and Shoaib got married, I was dragged into the controversy. There was no need for people to question me, but they did and I had to answer because I can't shy away.

I am a public person and I understand the importance of media. Even now, as I promote "Ghost", I know I will be asked questions about the allegations and Shiney.

Yes, Shiney..

. while working with him, did you at any point feel that he was disturbed by all that has happened to him? Let me tell you first that I was scared of Shiney.

I was very apprehensive about whether we will be able to work together or not. I felt uncomfortable for the first two-three days.

Then one day, on the sets, I saw him eating a cheesecake. And I went up to him and said, 'I am jealous, because I love cheesecakes'.

That broke the ice. I remember that night I called my dad and told him that I think I am now comfortable and see the film happening.

It was not because the ice between Shiney and me had broken, but also because I wasn't scared of Shiney anymore, all the fears had gone. We then started talking about films, life and many other subjects off sets.

And I realized he is not only an interesting person but also very philosophical. It was very interesting in fact, to discover that we had so many subjects of interest in common.

So, have you also discovered a philosopher who can be with you for the rest of your life? You are talking about a boyfriend, right? Well, I really don't know whether I have a man in my life or not. Right now I am in a confused state.

It's like I am a confused single because things are just starting and I don't know where it is headed. And if you want to know whether he is an actor or not, well, I am not going to tell you that.

(laughs) (less)

Tamil remake was titled Kavalan and Vijay and Asin Thottumkal starrer received a satisfactory response at the ticket window, and the Hindi version starring Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor was a hit too. While the earlier three versions were directed by Siddique, Anand wielded the megaphone for the Kannada remake.

In fact, he returned to direction after a long time. The film suffers on many counts.

The artists selected for lead roles are miscast. Actor-director Guru Datt, who plays heroine's father, doesn't fit the bill either.

Jaggesh, who does well in comedies, doesn't look good in his role. Poor production values has also affected the film badly.

Though the Kannada version has followed the Malayalam original, its screen presentation is of low quality. The melodramatic twist in the last 20 minutes is certainly a treat for the viwers who have not seen the original or the other two versions.

Jaggesh has tried his best to salvage the film by his comic timing and peculiar dialogue delivery. But Jaggesh's effort will not overshadow the weak points in the film which includes lack of depthness in the narration.

The film moves at snail's pace and crucial sequences are marred by poor writing. When a politician is attacked by his opponents, safety of his and his family members becomes an issue.

So, Ashokanna hires Jayakrishna as his daughter Ammu's bodyguard. Jayakrishna accompanies her even to her college, which makes things awkward for Ammu.

Ammu pretends to love Jaykrishna and even calls him from a private number. But Ammu's pretence becomes reality and she actually falls for her bodyguard.

Meanwhile Ammu's friend Poorna plays a spoil sport. How Jayakrishna and Ammu are united in the end forms the rest of the story.

Daisy Shah looks artificial and her performance leaves much to be desired. Spoorthi is just okay.

Sadhu Kokila shines in comedy sequences. Ashok's camera work and Vinaya Chandra's music are much better when compared to other technical work in the film.

Body Guard is just an average flick which can be enjoyed only by ardent Jaggesh fans. Tweet (less)

But the sequel, more or less, turns out to be a remake or rather rerun of the original. So in this sequel to their 1978 film Ankhiyon Ke Jharoke Se , almost 80% of the screen-time is an exact replay of the original film.

So it doesn't matter whether you have watched the original film since you get to see most of it in the sequel. But that's precisely why the sequel doesn't work for you either, because with the repeat telecast of the original, it sets a direct contrast and thereby highlights the mediocrity of the sequel.

After losing the love of his life Lily (Ranjeeta) to cancer in the prequel, it is but obvious for the affluent Arun Prakash Mathur (Sachin) to start a cancer hospital in her name. He is a philanthropist and unable to forget Lily, has remained single so far.

What follows is the most convenient way to initiate a sequel. A lookalike of Lily is introduced in the form of novelist Asha (Ranjeeta).

And coincidentally Asha is commissioned to pen a biography on Arun. Arun agrees and narrates his personal account through liberal flashback footages from the original film.

Predictably they fall in love by the end. While Ankhiyon Ke Jharoke Se was based on Eric Segal's popular novel Love Story (which was also made into a Hollywood film in 1970), the sequel Jaana Pehchana is a mundane plot of falling for the lookalike of your lost love, witnessed zillion times in Bollywood from Kasme Vaade, Agar Tum Na Hote to Kaho Na Pyaar Hai .

The sequel's basic brainchild of falling in love with the facsimile, in a way, stresses on the film's shallow belief that love is more of physical attraction. The beauty in the narrative of the prequel lied in its tragic culmination, which made it an immortal and elementary love story.

Sachin, who doubles up as the director this time, attempts to start-off the sequel from where the original ended (tragedy) and take it forward to a happy ending. But that's where the film loses, both, its original essence and charm.

Not just extensive scene footage from the original is revisited in the sequel, almost every song is replayed too. Though Ravindra Jain's compositions are soulful, one can easily see through the commercial considerations of the sequel in exploiting the popularity and purity of the original, since it doesn't has much of its own merit.

With the prequel footage serving as an obvious reference point, one can't escape noticing age having caught up with both the leads. The natural charm of Ranjeeta is replaced by her plastic beauty and Sachin's youthful appeal is substituted by his venerable conduct.

While the chemistry between Ranjeeta and Sachin was youthful and charming in the original, here there is no palpable camaraderie between the two. The film is replete with regular Rajshri brand elements like conflict-free screenplay, convenient writing and slow pacing.

Also there are customary characters like the doting Ramu kaka and a gajar-ka-halwa making neighbour. And god forbid, even Lily's spirit is revoked in the climax.

Comparisons with the prequel are inevitable and both Ranjeeta and Sachin are plain average in retrospect. Also one can't really say it's a pleasant surprise to see yesteryear actors like the jaded Junior Mehmood and the bespectacled Birbal in itsy-bitsy parts.

Irrespective of whether you have watched Ankhiyon Ke Jharoke Se or not, it's no point seeing the sequel. Eyes wide shut for this! (less)

The initial response from all the theaters is excellent and it is just because of the publicity it got," Roy told reporters. Roy, a naval architect, made Dam 999 with $10 million.

It is a tale of a dam built during colonial rule that is cracking and revolves around nine characters and their emotions. "The film has got nothing to do with the agreement between Tamil Nadu and Kerala over the Mullaperiyar dam.

People have mistaken it because I have also done a documentary on the Mullaperiyar dam and that has got nothing to do with DAM 999 ," said Roy. Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been at loggerheads over the Mullaperiyar dam, built under an agreement signed in 1886 between the then erstwhile royal of Travancore and the British administration.

While the dam is located in Kerala's Idukki district, its waters serve Tamil Nadu. In recent years, Tamil Nadu has demanded that the dam's storage capacity be raised by increasing the dam height from 136 feet (41.

5 m) to 142 feet (43 m) to meet the increasing demand of water for irrigation. While Kerala has been demanding a new dam, Tamil Nadu has been vehemently opposing it.

To break the deadlock, the Supreme Court earlier this year set up a high-level empowered committee to go into all issues, including the safety aspects, of the Mullaperiyar dam. "A dam burst is just one part of the film - the film delves into aspects of love, emotion, ayurveda, astrology, music and a few other elements.

This film should be seen with a serious perspective. If Slumdog Millionaire depicted India as a slum, through my film India would be known for other things, which is a big plus point," said Roy.

He added that his partners are busy speaking to people in Tamil Nadu to inform them that the film has nothing to do with the dispute between the two states. "The censor board officials cleared my film after seeing it more than once because they were asked to make sure there is no trouble in the country because of the film.

I have decided not appeal against the ban by Tamil Nadu because I am confident that their opposition will die down once they get the feedback that it has got nothing controversial," said Roy. He added the satellite rights of the film will be sold to 200 countries and a record one million DVD's will be sold, for which agreements would be inked soon.

"I have now started to work on my next film and it would be based on Somalian pirates and the script is expected to be ready by next year." Tweet (less)

Pyaar Ka Punchnama: The year's sleeper success that kept us awake for a good 2 hours with its celluloid anthem of ribtickling misogyny. Three room-mates and their troubled love relationships formed the core of the comic conflict.

Every character and each episode spilled over with a delightful deja vu. Debutant director Luv Ranjan managed a 3-guys-in-a-sexist-soup comedy much better than Madhur Bhandarkar in Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji also released this year.

And the director did it with untried actors. Kartik Tiwari(who is now doing the same director's next Saathi) and Divyendu Sharma(who is in David Dhawan's Chashme Buddoor) were among the best discoveries of the year.

We luv you,Luv, for bringing push to shove without tripping over. 2.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara: It never rains in Spain except when three friends take off on a holiday to the country, to do the things they always wanted to(but were afraid to ).Zoya Akhtar's anthem to human dreams and aspirations did what Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Rang De Basanti had done 5 years ago.

It prompted the audience into a spiritual awakening.This time the candles were being lit not at the Gateaway of India but in thousands of hearts.

'Guys, go for it!' said the movie.After seeing the film people actually went and did what they always wanted to.

Incredible! 3. Shor In The City: Gritty, witty and pithy this one paid a homage to the city of Mumbai through three inter-connected stories that jumped the gun, literally, firing salvos at conventional storytelling techniques while creating a language that was cohesive in its own disembodied way.

Does that make sense? Shor In The City's directorial duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK tried to make sense of the chaos of the city without resorting to exaggerations and gimmicks. And a whole of lot dark humour.

Uniformly competent performances added a sheen of excitement to this on-the-edge drama-thriller. 4.

Rockstar: As Jordan the rockstar from Pitam Pura(if that isn't a contradiction in terms, what is?) Ranbir Kapoor sold his soul to a film that seemed to revel in the ripples of Rahman's rock rhythms. Yes, the narration lacked a cohesive sense of purpose and seemed to drift in as many directions as the protagonist's music took him.

We were finally left with a film that worked for its medium-pitch rendering of a musical symphony on the artiste as a selfdestructive creature. Ranbir played Devdas on acid.

And it worked.Jim Morrison ki kasam.

5. Shaitaan: Debutant director Bejoy Nambiar's clenched tooth-edged look at one night in the lives of a bunch of selfdestructive upperclass kids in Mumbai.

Adrift and hedonistic, the portrait of self-gratification was dead-on.And deadly.

Nambiar plunged into the lives of his characters with unapologetic gusto, bringing to the surface the harsh reality of lives lived on the brink of destruction.Convincing performances, a fabulous script and an editing pattern that didn't celebrate abstrusness Shaitaan brought the devil out of the closet straight on screen.

A special mention of Rajeev Khandelwal as a cop on the edge.He re-defined the cliched part.

6. Tanu Weds Manu: Those who couldn't digest the over-sweetened level of shaadi-video in Sooraj Barjatya's Hum Aapke Hain Koun breathed a sigh of relief when Aanand Rai (a late bloomer for sure!)came forward with a film that made the festivities and flirtation during a typical North Indian wedding actually seem pleasant and enjoyable.

The romance that grew in the Bunty aur bubbling brew was panoramic yet intimate and warm.And the small towns of North India never looked more inviting.

Give or take a wedding card. The narrative meshed the Madhavan-Kangna relationship into acres of music masti and other diversions without flirting too hard with frivolity.

No mean achievement. 7.

I Am: Onir's segmented and layered, gentle sensitive and hardhitting 3-in-1 package about fertility clinics, police harassment,Kashmir militancy, child abuse and alternate sexuality provided a revealing view into contemporary life. Not allowing the narrative to be crowded with ideas , not leaning excessively on social statements , the troubled and troubling stories in I Am flowed in a smooth motion of life.

Fluently. 8.

Stanley Ka Dabba: For the sheer happiness of watching a film that walked with the child and doesn't talk down to him,for the sheer relief of hearing an original voice in the gaggle of derivative children's films, Amol Gupte's debut film scored high marks. And for making little Partho Gupte and his friends act and react the way children in real life do we will be eternally indebted to the director.

This one tugged at our heartstrings without playing the violin. 9.

No One Killed Jessica: A sensational true-life crime brought alive on screen with the deft delicacy of a chef slow-boiling a delicate digestible meal , this one was a class act. Recreating the events around the sensational Jessica Lal's murder in Delhi director Rajkumar Gupta also fashioned the ultimate chick flick with Vidya Balan and Rani Mukherjee putting in super bravura performances.

It's hard to make a watchable feature film out of a real-life incident. This one managed just that.

With resounding success.Jessica lived again.

This was a rare bio-pic that didn't offend those whose lives the plot touched. 10.

The Dirty Picture: An uneven storyline, a blurred moral code and a jerky graph for the colourful protagonist's character couldn't take away from glory that Vidya Balan brought to Silk's role. Blossoming into a formidable figure of vibrancy and voluptuary she virtually re-invented the heroine for the first time since Jaya Bhaduri, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil.

If a Dirty Picture can be so delectable we can't wait for it to get filthy. Other remarkable films of the year: Prawal Raman's 404 Nitesh Tiwari & Vikas Bahl's Chillar Party,Shoaib Mansoor's BOL ,Abhinay Deo's Delhi Belly, Anurag Kashyap's That Girl In Yellow Boots, Nila Madhab Panda's I Am Kalam,Neerav Ghosh's Soundtrack, Kiran Rao's Dhobi Ghat (less)

But beyond that when it strays into entirely different terrain, the movie loses its audience. Vidyadhar (Vinay Pathak) works in a private company but lives (as an illegal tenant) in a government colony in Mumbai.

Mehek Malvade (Neha Dhupia) who works as a backup dancer in films shifts next doors. She is anything but the girl-next-door and her cheeky conduct initiates enmity with her neighbour.

When a vigilance raid renders her homeless, Mehek moves in Vidyadhar's apartment, much against his wish. As their initial hostility is replaced by a friendly bond, they come close.

But the ambitious Mehek is besotted by glamour world and will stop at nothing to make her starry dreams come true. Writer-director Saurabh Shukla starts the film on a promising note and though it never gets outrageously funny (like one expects it to be), it doesn't bore you either.

The pace is slow and the tempo keeps dropping every now and then. The Bambaiyya v/s Banarasi attitude of brawl between Vinay Pathak and Neha Dhupia defines their cross-connected chemistry here.

The tone of humour is inconsistent ranging from some hilarious moments to some plain passable ones. But beyond humour, the film focuses more on the heartwarming bond that it subtly develops between its odd pair.

But as Mehek's journey to reach the stars takes over, the film loses focus. Going on a completely different tangent, it highlights the turmoil of a struggling actress and how her family disapproves of filmdom.

Furthermore it distances her from love. Disillusioned in the city of dreams, Vidyadhar moves back to his hometown and the film attempts to give an insight on the urban-rural divide.

Until Naseeruddin Shah (reprising a role immortalized by Anupam Kher in Bollywood ) persuades his son to seek true love. And just when you presume that a seemingly lecherous producer (Rajat Kapoor) would make a pass at Mehek, he plays agony uncle guiding her to true love.

Finally when the end credits roll in a film-studio, showcasing the behind-the-scene existence of the movie industry, one wonders why the film needlessly treads into Zoya Akhtar's Luck By Chance zone. What was the central plot after all? The murky side of movie world? Despair in city of dreams? What point did the film attempt to make after wandering off into so many offshoots, when we were always under the impression that it was a minimal tale of mismatched romance? The performances are perfect.

Vinay Pathak doesn't fall prey of overdoing his underplaying act and is poised in his character. Neha Dhupia completely justifies her meaty role with an audacious act.

Rajat Kapoor is restrained as usual in his small bit. Naseeruddin Shah gets a cliched character.

Brijendra Kala and Sanjay Mishra lend decent support. The film ends with an off-track moral to the story - to accept a person without expecting them to change.

But it's difficult to accept this partially engaging film, unconditionally! On that note this pappu doesn't pass muster. Alas pappu fail ho gaya ! Verdict: Average (less)

They might not essentially be flops but turned low on the immense expectations that they came with. As we reach the yearend starts the predictable countdown to the best of the year.

While most award functions will go on to honour the good works of 2011, we go a step ahead to list down some of the most disappointing films of the year. They might not essentially be flops but turned low on the immense expectations and promise that they came with.

Here's the Top 10 list..

. 1.

) Aarakshan Director: Prakash Jha Cast: Amitabh Bachchan , Manoj Bajpayee, Saif Ali Khan , Deepika Padukone , Prateik Babbar With Prakash Jha's past repertoire one may reserve the right to believe that his films are social, sensible, well-researched, hard-hitting and conveys a message. But he proved us wrong with Aarakshan .

This film touched its core theme of educational reservations only partially and peripherally. Jha played safe by barely emphasizing anything about reservations beyond what is common knowledge.

The issue and its implications were seen through the confines of the viewpoint of its principal protagonist (Amitabh Bachchan) and the narrative lacked any broader perspective on the national issue. Not only does the film fail to offer any solution to the issue, it doesn't even illuminate interlinked concerns like the debate over the extent of reservations or the aftermath of compromise on merit.

Moreover the narrative very conveniently overlooks one of the most potent and prevalent hidden-agenda behind the quota system - the vote-bank politics of government. The film reeked of idealism and yet attempted to tackle a practical issue! 2.

) Dhobi Ghat Director: Kiran Rao Cast: Prateik, Monica Dogra , Aamir Khan , Kriti Malhotra What would you call a film whose central characters comprise of an aspiring actor, a photographer, a painter and a videographer? 'Art' cinema! Well jokes apart and with due respect to arthouse cinema, which can be an enriching and exquisite experience, Kiran Rao's directorial debut seems like a pretentious attempt to adapt to the prerequisites of the offbeat genre. Minimalism, as a tool, is effective when it adds merit to the medium.

But here it only leads to nothingness in the narrative. Dhobi Ghat is the kind of cinema where you expect the end-credits to appear after any random scene in the concluding reels.

The long pauses, slow pacing, extended shot-taking, erratic editing and a murky look at Mumbai clearly work towards giving the film its intended artistic aura. However the story lacks the depth that could have added more meaning to this tangential look at the town.

Blame it to the weak chemistry of the characters or the premature culmination of the plot but the melancholy of the characters fails to move you beyond a point. Mumbai is predictably captured by means of ordinary people like housemaid, vegetable vendor, fisherwoman, street rat-killers to the laundryman ( dhobi ) - like how it is regularly portrayed to the international audience in its underprivileged glory.

Unfortunately the depiction of Mumbai as an additional character in the film doesn't add any new dimension to the narrative. All it does is give a new Indian ambassador to the world - so after dabbawala , it's now the dhobi .

Is that what you mean by world cinema? 3.) Game Director: Abhinay Deo Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Kangana Ranaut, Sarah Jane Dias, Boman Irani Coming from ever-bankable Farhan Akhtar and Delhi Belly director Abhinay Deo, Game was surprisingly a weak attempt.

It only played with our sensibilities. The narrative of Game was as much inconsistent as the continuously changing geography of the plot that kept shifting from Thailand , Istanbul , India, UK to Greece.

Under the guise of an espionage thriller and a slick murder mystery, Game ended up being a formula flick driven by ancient cliched conflicts like badle-ki-aag and jaydaad-ki-ladaai . It was too convoluted, cliched, convenient and coincidental for a suspense thriller.

Surprisingly Farhan Akhtar's dialogues only added to the corniness. The direction was mediocre and storytelling blemished with too many loose ends.

Abhishek Bachchan tried too hard to be cool but he needs to 'get idea' of good scripts. 4.

) Mausam Director: Pankaj Kapur Cast: Shahid Kapoor , Sonam Kapoor What you expect to be a timeless love story turns to be an endless episode in Pankaj Kapur's Mausam . Kapur uses actual unfortunate events from communal riots to terrorist attacks as the backdrop to symbolize changing seasons of love in his coming of age love story.

And the sluggish story makes an attempt to push itself 'only' during these adversities. So disillusioned are you after a point that you hopelessly pray for another catastrophe to strike and thereby end your turmoil.

Sonam Kapoor appears too juvenile for the role and lacks the maturity and range to handle a character which spans a decade and demands diverse emotions. The entire basis of this ill-fated love story heavily depends on the chemistry between Sonam and Shahid but it certainly wasn't of the kind that one could rave about.

And with their mediocre rapport, you don't feel as much for the love birds as one should ideally have. Marred by its unrelenting length, what Mausam serves in its three-hour runtime is so shallow and stretched that you yearn for the onset of the next season.

5.) Rascals Director: David Dhawan Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgn, Kangana Ranaut Rascals is what one can call a 'vacation' filmmaking stint where everyone works on the film as if they were on a 'holiday' and the audience is expected to 'leave' their senses behind.

The actors make least efforts to add conviction to their performances and the patchy writing just allows them to play as they please. Invariably the director tries to camouflage the shallowness in the story by adding depth only in the decibel levels of the dialogue delivery.

The one-upmanship between Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn doesn't work primarily because Kangana Ranaut doesn't share any chemistry with either men and so their persistent pursuit to get the girl falls flat. Also thanks to the dull camaraderie, the viewer never really bothers which hero would actually win the heroine in the end.

The humour lacks imagination or wit and one can easily see through most of the worn-out gags. You laugh more on the corniness of the scenes than the comedy per se.

The tone of humour is consistently loud and commotional. Ajay Devgn keeps screaming most of the time and hams outrageously.

Sanjay Dutt doesn't seem interested. Kangana Ranaut is ill at ease in comedy.

She struggles to hold her own and emerges as a bimbo in her act. Rascals ended up being a silly and stupid comedy! 6.

) Thank You Director: Anees Bazmee Cast: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Irrfan Khan, Suniel Shetty In times when comedy is being redefined with rational and refreshing wit, the likes of Anees Bazmee have demoted themselves to the old school of humour. This is another comedy on the theme of adultery, perhaps with commercial considerations of reviving the success of Bazmee's No Entry .

Akshay Kumar is ruthlessly repetitive and remains in his comfort zone. Knowing that Sonam Kapoor and Bobby Deol can't act for nuts, Bazmee tries to balance it off by giving Irrfan Khan and Rimmi Sen more mileage.

And though the two try their best to salvage the situation with their decent comic timings, the load is too much for them to handle. Sadly this Shaadi No.

1 -meets- Biwi No.1 narrative is adulterated with so many tacky references that you end up saying thank you but no thank you.

7.) Ra.

One Director: Anubhav Sinha Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor , Arjun Rampal Shah Rukh Khan's superhero character takes too long to boot in this science fiction flick. G.

One arrives just five minutes before the interval point by when you have already restarted your system several times, which has been hanging into nothingness. And the film's title character Ra.

One, a skeletal villain, gets a face (Arjun Rampal) even later in the second half. Is it worth the wait? Only intermittently and inconsistently! While the sci-fi film is able to pull off some visual dazzlery, fast-paced storytelling and thrilling action sequences, it relies too much on SRK's stardom than the script.

The title character Ra.One is not half as menacing as it claims to be.

Not only is Arjun Rampal inducted pretty late in the plot, being an 'outcome' of virtual reality he is too shallow and ineffective as the main villain Also the film has a very crude sense of humour and surprisingly the dialogues are more vulgar than witty for a film largely targeted at the family audience. With the theory that anything sells in the name of Shah Rukh, you are served with butt-spanking, crotch-grabbing, cleavage-popping, nose-picking, condom innuendoes, gayish and garish gags.

While any other actor doing that would have been tagged as 'cheap', girls going gaga over SRK would still like to call it 'charming' over here. At best Ra.

One qualified for a 'one' time watch. 8.

) Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji Director: Madhur Bhandarkar Cast: Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Omi Vaidya A love story seen through the male perspective, Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji with three stars in its cast failed to achieve (or even come close to) what Pyaar Ka Punchnama did with its complete new cast (arriving a few months later). That's because the latter had a brilliant story to say while the former didn't.

Surprisingly the makers should have sensed this considering both the films came from the same production house. Madhur Bhandarkar's first attempt at making a lighthearted 'feel-good' film got an adult censor certificate but it certainly turned out to be a certified childish attempt at comedy.

The film tried too hard to be funny but became bland and repetitive after a point. The pacing was too laidback, proceedings too predictable and the graph of the narrative never picked up.

Emraan Hashmi was in his comfort zone. Ajay Devgn seemed uncomfortable.

Shahazn Padamsee irritated with her constant childish demeanour. And the only (unintentionally) funny moment in the film is whenever actor Aditya Raj Kapoor attempts to speak any casual line.

It's good that Madhur Bhandarkar is sticking to his brand of expose cinema (making ' Heroine ' next), because this juvenile attempt has exposed his weakness in handling other genres. 9.

) Mere Brother Ki Dulhan Director: Abbas Ali Zafar Cast: Katrina Kaif , Imran Khan, Ali Zafar It's more than obvious with a self-explanatory title like Mere Brother Ki Dulhan that the story of the film would be about a guy falling for his brother's bride-to-be. Predictability seeps in this Yash Raj romantic comedy from the title itself.

When Imran Khan does a takeoff on the three ruling Khans of Bollywood in the opening credits, you somehow sense that the film has defined its domain. And it isn't long before you realize that the narrative is taking the route of Shah Rukh Khan's Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge .

By the time the boy comprehends his love for the girl, she is already engaged to someone else. Only this time it's the boy's brother - so it's more of an inhouse affair! With Imran Khan restricted in his range and the immensely talented Ali Zafar being reduced to a second fiddle and grossly underused, it's left up to Katrina to save the ship which she ably does as far as the average script allows her to.

Mere Brother ki Dulhan was relatively old and familiar entertainment. 10.

) Tell Me O Kkhuda Director: Hema Malini Cast: Esha Deol, Dharmendra , Vinod Khanna , Rishi Kapoor Life seems to have come full circle for Hema Malini . In an attempt to reintroduce daughter Esha Deol with Tell Me O Kkhuda , the yesteryear dreamgirl does a spinoff on Dil Aashna Hai (1992), a film with which she attempted to launch herself as a feature filmmaker.

And the outcome is the same - dud! A girl who learns she's an adopted child sets on an aimless, endless and pointless journey to find her biological parents. She has managed to preserve her 24-year old hospital birth tag (phew) that wins her paternal prescriptions from the municipal hospital.

And every time the hospital is refurbished, she gets new options for Daddy dear! Hema Malini's direction is slack, shallow and lacks the dramatic punches when the scene demands and, on the contrary, gets melodramatic when not required. There is no palpable tension when the protagonist confronts any of her prospective papas for the first time.

And by the time Esha Deol walks with 'four fathers' in the climax, you realize that this dull drama dates back to your 'forefathers' (less)

Featuring Manoj Bajpayee as Raavan and Arjan Bajwa as Vibhishan, the film is produced by ASA Production and directed by Maqbool Khan. The film aims to highlight love, loyalty, betrayal and justice.

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But then she vanished from the big screen for three years and returned with director Onir's film Sorry Bhai in 2008 followed by Mishra's another film Yeh Saali Zindagi this year. "What is different about commercial films is there are so many changes like there is so much of make-up, different hair styles, slow motion shots etc.

The exciting part was you glam-up for a role, you dance, you have those fantastic clothes, high heels and that whole girly thing," Chitrangada told PTI in an interview. "In the end a girl is a girl, we all love these things.

I had a great time doing all this," she said. Chitrangada is officially foraying into commercial cinema with Rohit Dhawan's Desi Boyz opposite Akshay Kumar.

"I don't think it is like a plan that I would do now do commercial films. I enjoy it and I hope I can carry it forward.

It's a good shift. Like I did off beat films for some time and now I will to do this for some time, she said.

Ask her about promotional strategies for both kind of cinema, Chitrangada, feels, commercial cinema brings in more recognition and connects with a larger audience. "Promotions are stronger for commercial films.

The numbers, the budget is high for marketing, there is a proper team. When there is a niche film you do it on that level.

It is a great and different experience," she said. Citing an example, Chitrangada said, "Like during one of our promotional tours, the kind of response that Akshay and John got was insane, incredible.

I was like surprised, got cold feet..

thousands of people jammed in a mall." Contrary to what you expect of Chitrangada, considering her on-screen image, she dons a glamorous look in yet-to-be released film Desi Boyz .

She has recreated the sexy and stylish college professor look for the movie. Since her character required her to look edgy, smart, stylish and yet mature, her stylist gave her fringes for her hairdo.

"I play Tanya Sharma, a professor at the Oxford University. Akshay's character Jerry and Tanya have a past.

When Tanya was a student, Jerry was her senior and she had a huge crush on him. He comes back to complete his studies while Tanya has rejoined the college as a professor.

Whenever Jerry is around, everything goes into slow motion," Chitrangada said. Desi Boyz , also starring John Abraham and Deepika Padukone, releases on November 25.

Now that she has ventured into commercial cinema, the actress would continue doing parallel cinema. "In terms of offbeat cinema if something exciting comes my way, which is challenging and a good role, with a good director like say Vishal Bhardwaj or somebody, I would love to do that again and go right back," she said.

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The magnum opus is based on the epic love story of the renowned Maratha general Peshwa Bajirao and his half-Muslim second wife Mastani and is now being revived. Bhansali's film went through a lot of casting upheavals in the last eight years.

The filmmaker had announced the film in 2003 with Salman and Aishwarya Rai, but the film hit a roadblock when the then couple split. The director tried reviving the film in 2005 with Sallu and Kareena Kapoor but without any success.

An industry source reveals, "After things couldn't work out with Salman Khan, Sanjay was disheartened and didn't know who he should approach for the role. Since it's a big budget film, only a star can pull it off.

A friend of Sanjay suggested he consider SRK. He was quite kicked with the idea and immediately called up King Khan and offered him the role.

The actor who is aware of the film and liked the subject asked him to give him a proper narration." Interestingly, SRK and Bhansali had issues during the release of Saawariya and Om Shanti Om ; the films released on the same day.

While the former tanked six ways from Sunday, SRK's Om Shanti Om became the then biggest hit of all time. Looks like they have put those issues behind them and are willing to work together.

However, sources close to Bhansali say that he is not working on Bajirao Mastani but some other script. Tweet (less)

It may have backfired like in Easan . But by and large, it has worked out for the duo.

Poraali , which Samudrakani has scripted and directed, and Sasikumar has produced and played the lead in, is one such off-the-routine fare that engages you for the most part. The struggle of two men Kumaran and Nallavan, to eke out a living in the city, forms the core of the plot.

Working at a petrol bunk, Kumaran hits on an innovative idea. Getting into the business of making door deliveries for a small price, it is about the transformation it brings in the duo's lives, the changing relationship with their neighbours, the women in their lives, and the past casting its shadow.

All narrated with humour, sentiment and action. As the reticent angst-driven Kumaran, Sasikumar gets to sport two different looks.

He brings out impressively the various nuances of his character. A perfect foil is Naresh as Nallavan (a strong comeback after Kurumbu ), who makes an impact in the moments where a terrified Nallavan battles his inner demons.

The colony has some interesting characters with their own quirks, who add to the humour quotient. The women get their space too - whether it's Bharathi (a cute Swathi) whose dislike for Kumaran turns to affection; or the gutsy rural belle Selvi (a very impressive Vasundhara) who fights his cause.

The flashback of Kumaran and his avaricious relatives could have been trimmed. If it's Ganja Karuppu who regales us as the duo's slippery friend in the earlier part, it's Suri in the latter.

The plight of the mentally challenged at an institution and the callousness of the relatives is touching and insightful. The finale fight is well choreographed.

Shifting his ambience, bringing in multi characters and issues, the script may seem a tad loosely etched at times, unlike his earlier Nadodigal . But Samudrakani manages to get his grip back on the narration, knotting it all up into a fairly engaging whole.

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The two biggest action heroes of present day Bollywood have decided to come together for Rohit Shetty's next action flick that will go on floors late next year. The news of the patch-up has shocked the entire industry because from the very get-go, when Akshay and Ajay worked together in Sandesh Kohli's 1994 film, they were never able to see eye-to-eye.

Tensions between Akshay and Ajay escalated to a new high when Ajay announced that his next project would tentatively be titled Son Of Sardar, which incidentally was already registered under Akshay's banner Hari Om Entertainment (Mumbai Mirror, July 23, 2011). However, the same subject of dispute ended up being the platform on which Akshay and Ajay made peace.

A source informed us that the two, who last worked together in the 2005 film Insaan, bonded when Ajay went to meet Akki on the sets of Rowdy Rathore to request Khiladi Kumar to part with the film title, Son Of Sardar. "Akshay explained to Ajay that he could not part with the title as he had already finished scripting the film and it would be going on floors very soon.

That is when Akshay proposed that they should do a film together. Ajay loved the idea and they immediately got down to planning the project.

They decided to co-produce the film under both their banners. Ajay also spoke to his close friend Rohit Shetty to direct the venture," explained the source (less)

Last time, my performance in "Vivaah" had won me an award. And this time around, I will be getting the Best Actress award for "Love U.

..

Mr. Kalakaar !" Fact is, it always pays to be a Rajshree heroine.

During this trip, I intend to win not only award but also the hearts of Kolkatans (laughs). Any plans in store? It'll be a day's trip.

But I've instructed my friends to get me rosogollas and mishti doi for me. The best part of it all? I can dig into tonnes of it and yet not put on an ounce.

Careerwise, ever thought of testing the Tolly waters? Years back, I was offered a film by Aparna Sen , which did not happen as I had date issues. I was juggling dates for three Hindi films.

But Rahul Bose is a good friend of mine and I did manage to watch his "The Japanese Wife". But I've never really asked him to put in a word to directors on my behalf though I love the language, food and culture here.

You see, I have a Bengal connect. My great-grandfather and grandfather worked very closely with Netaji in the INA.

What's keeping you busy in Bollywood? I am filming my next with Boman Irani and Arshad Warsi . All I can reveal for now is that it's an intriguing and funny subject.

I instantly agreed to come on board. But why this lull careerwise? For me, the priority has never been to win the race but to continue doing what I love doing without compromizing on my comfort zone or value system.

I am going slow and steady. I'm happy with my work.

In fact, I think "Love U..

." saw me as a better performer.

What do you mean by 'comfort zone'? I'll never kiss or do lovemaking scenes on screen. As far as it comes to sporting a bikini in films, let me clarify that I'm not against the trend.

But I speak for myself. It is subject to individual discretion.

And as long as you are happy doing what you do, everything else is secondary. Is that why you are stereotyped as the girl next door, forever? It is.

But I take this to be the biggest compliment in the middle of this glam industry. I want to be India's girl next door, not the prototype, the behenji, but one who is smart, intelligent, has a sense of humour and is the life of a party.

I want to show that the girl next door can be desirable too. Okay.

Going back to the Barjatyas and their banner then, news is Salman will be back as Sooraj Barjatya's Prem. Will you be part of that venture? (Laughs) I am known as their ghar ki heroine.

But the way Soorajji functions, he always gets his script in place and music ready before he approaches an actor. For "Vivaah" too Soorajji had said, 'Amrita I want you on board.

Do you also want to be part of the project?' They never exploit the fact that they are the Barjatyas. Considering how busy an actor Salman is, he must have been kept in the loop since the beginning.

Don't you wish you are part of the film? I am hoping the call will come. Coming to microblogging, every actor is laying bare their thoughts, words and actions on it.

But you don't seem to let your guard down here too..

. For me, this is a direct medium to connect with my fans.

As actors, we usually communicate via journalists except for the electronic medium. But there too, the questions are predecided.

Microblogging helps me express my candid thoughts. As far as settling scores or campaigning through the site is concerned, I feel change happens when you want it to happen.

I might have expressed my opinions on twitter but I've never tried to be influential. Some time back, there was news that you are seeing someone.

There was no truth to those stories. I am single and ready to mingle.

But how exactly did you manage to remain so? I believe in destiny. And the best things in life have happened to me as they were destined to be so.

I know the person will come at the right time and I'll follow my heart (less)

The two biggest action heroes of present day Bollywood have decided to come together for Rohit Shetty's next action flick that will go on floors late next year. The news of the patch-up has shocked the entire industry because from the very get-go, when Akshay and Ajay worked together in Sandesh Kohli's 1994 film, they were never able to see eye-to-eye.

Tensions between Akshay and Ajay escalated to a new high when Ajay announced that his next project would tentatively be titled Son Of Sardar, which incidentally was already registered under Akshay's banner Hari Om Entertainment (Mumbai Mirror, July 23, 2011). However, the same subject of dispute ended up being the platform on which Akshay and Ajay made peace.

A source informed us that the two, who last worked together in the 2005 film Insaan, bonded when Ajay went to meet Akki on the sets of Rowdy Rathore to request Khiladi Kumar to part with the film title, Son Of Sardar. "Akshay explained to Ajay that he could not part with the title as he had already finished scripting the film and it would be going on floors very soon.

That is when Akshay proposed that they should do a film together. Ajay loved the idea and they immediately got down to planning the project.

They decided to co-produce the film under both their banners. Ajay also spoke to his close friend Rohit Shetty to direct the venture," explained the source (less)

As if this wasn't enough, Sajid, it is heard, even prohibited her from kissing Hrithik Roshan on screen, and that cost the beautiful damsel Krrish 3! Of course, love is blind, and we only wish the best for this handsome couple, but has Jacqueline ever asked herself the question 'What if'? While many from the film industry are insistent that she's making the wrong choice, Jacqueline is only too happy wearing her heart on her sleeve rather than shedding her clothes! A filmmaker, on the condition anonymity, expressed, "To wear less clothes, isn't the same as no clothes. These days filmmakers shoot with a certain amount of aesthetics.

But then, to each his own." Well, let's hope all the effort to say 'No' to the biggies ultimately pays off for Jacqueline! (less)

The director recently tweeted: "Been shooting at a hectic pace in dehradun..

.early mornings.

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foggy evenings!!! But alls good because of an outstanding cast and crew!!!" The director had earlier posted about this film: "So on my way for the long outdoor of SOTY..

. siddharth,varun,alia.

..

and a full on young cast and crew!!! Will be the uncle on set!!" But his film apart KJo is also waiting for Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar . He says, "Can't wait to see ROCKSTAR!!! am a big IMTIAZ ALI fan! And I believe Ranbir's performance is beyond extraordinary.

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