The actors working on the final `Harry Potter` film `The Deathly Hallows` believe it is cursed after a series of mishaps and troublesome incidents. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 4:15 pm
The latest buzz in tinsel town is that Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan will star in Makarand Deshpande`s upcoming flick.The film titled Shah Rukh Bola Khubsoorat Hai Tu will have him playing Shah Rukh Khan,the superstar. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 4:15 pm
Veteran actor and filmmaker Dennis Hopper has said he wrote and directed the hit cult film “Easy Rider” along with Peter Fonda, although many other people claim credit for it. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 4:15 pm
What do you obtain when you combine the playful charm of Geeta Dutt`s voice and the resonating cadence of Shamshad Begham along with the simplicity and ethnicity of Rajasthani folk music? The answer of course comes in the form of Ila Arun, the undisputed queen of contemporary Indian folk-pop music. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 4:15 pm
Nicole Kidman has asked George Clooney– a longtime friend of hers – to be godfather to her unborn baby, say reports. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 4:15 pm
American socialite Paris Hilton insists that her romance with `Good Charlotte` guitarist Benji Madden is not a hoax. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 4:15 pm
Actress Priyanka Chopra is not Bollywood`s face of Pepsi any more. She has walked out of the deal because she was not happy with the money being offered to her. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 4:15 pm
James Bond actor Daniel Craig performed his own stunt by jumping from a moving boat while filming in Panama for the latest Bond movie `Quantum of Solace`. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 4:15 pm
âKind Affable and Trustworthy Really Intelligent Nice Adorable
Knowledgeable Articulate Indian Fabulousâ
Well, if you feel that we have gone bonkers, then, let us confess that we indeed have gone bonkers, over the latest issue of the men's magazine, Maxim, which has got none other than the Divine Goddess of Graciousness and Beauty herself, Katrina Kaif! She is one woman who has been in the news for all the right reasons. Now adding one more feather to the list of right reasons is her interview that simply takes your breath away as it simply sways you off the ground!
In this issue, Madame Kaif speaks all about her, right from her role in the her debut film Boom to her the in-famous Rs 6-crore deal, her definition of hell, and also the sexiest place in the planet, according to her!
All this and much more of this miracle called 'Katrina Kaif' in this never-before interview, which will only increase her ever-increasing fan-tribe called 'Katrina-ites'.
BTW, if you are still trying to decode those start-up words, then let us help you solve this 'Miss-stery'. Simply take the initials of the words which will lead you to a name that spells 'cool' not with a 'c', but with a Kapital 'K'! If you have found the answer, then, do let us know! Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 15 Mar 2008 | 2:55 pm
'Kabhi Socha Bhi Na Tha' ki one fine Tuesday afternoon, I would have to waste 2 hours of my precious time (rather life) watching one of the most inane and absurd movies ever made in the history of cinema called Kabhi Socha Bhi Na Tha ( KSBNT)
However, with a lot of hesitation I did push myself to reach the Apsara multiplex bang in the middle of Grant Road, to check out this film which supposedly was considered too mature for the Indian audience to be cleared by the censor board. I doubt if that was the real reason, may be the censors didn't want the audiences to suffer this nonsensical film Well, as soon as the lights went off , I knew what to expect considering the banner which has made the film is called 'Artiskinky Production'. The film (mainly in English) essentially talks about six good-for-nothing youngsters who have only one thing on their daily agenda- Sex, sex and more sex.
Well, for all those who think that the movie would be having enough of those titillating scenes, you would be sorely disappointed. 'Kabhi Socha Bhi Na Tha' ki a movie that talks about love, lust, and live-in relationships would barely have a handful of the 'so-called' steamy scenes (that too shot on a shaky handy cam). In fact, since the whole film is shot on DV format, you even have the DV details, timer etc. flashed near the bottom left side of the screen. Wish they had a countdown timer instead so that viewers would get an idea of how long they have to endure this piece of crap.
The film hardly has any path-breaking story so it comes as no surprise that I couldn't really fathom much of the story myself. However, nevertheless would try and convey the essence of the film so that you fortunate mortals don't have to undergo the same torture as Yours Truly. The movie starts off as a film inside a film where the six principal characters are giving auditions. Each one of them is asked questions such as:-
1. How important is sex to you?
2. What do you hate the most about the opposite sex?
3. What is love? What is lust?
4. What is marriage according to you?
5. Your views on one-night stands and many more such lousy questionsâ¦
This ritual of answering such questions by staring right into the camera continues throughout the film and after a point you do feel as if you are watching one of those candid confessions they show on seedy news channels.
A brief character sketch of the protagonists is as follows:-
Ozzy (Vishal Watwani) is a complete good-for-nothing youngster who rushes to the loo each time he sees a beautiful girl.
Neel (Dibyendu Bhattacharya) is a dark, plump, be-spectacled jobless writer who has not even written a single line for his book and either keeps boozing or watching the idiot box the whole day.
Ritu (Seema Mishra) is Neel's live-in partner who has done some course from Cambridge or Harvard or some such top notch school abroad.
Diya (Sandhya Shetty) is the quintessential model who sleeps with each and ever man she comes across.
Sukhi (Rishi Khurana) is a gawky youngster who keeps fantasizing about sexy girls but doesn't have the balls to approach them.
Radhika (Madhoo) is a counselor who herself needs counseling as she is confused about her own sexualityâ¦.
The film shows Neel and Ritu as a couple who are living together in Mumbai. Ritu tries to hook her 2 friends Ozzy and Diya together. Ozzy and Diya do spend a night together but Diya humiliates him for not living up to her expectations in bed. Meanwhile, Sukhi is making the trips to a counselor Radhika to come out of the depression of his girl having dumped him. Before you know it he starts getting attracted to the counselor herself but gets the shock of his life when he discovers that she is a lesbianâ¦
This was when the film reached its mid-point and I heaved a sigh of relief. The post interval portions are even worse as almost all the cast members end up sleeping with each other. Neel and Ritu break up after a showdown and Ritu moves out of his place and into Ozzy's pad. Neel has a quickie with model Diya. Just as I caught a wink, I realize Neel is now visiting the shrink (Radhika) and even getting attracted to her while. Sukhi is now dating Diya. By the time I could figure out who is going around with whom, it was time for me to get an appointment with a shrink.
As for who gets whom in the end, I couldn't care less but would like to point out that the gawky Sukhi finally gets married to a Mongolian female wrestler because he felt her hug was really warm. Gaaaaaaaaawwwwwwd! save us poor souls from such torture.
The film even suffers in the technical department. The sound is inconsistent throughout; the background music oscillates between irritating and annoying and you even have Jolly Mukherjee crooning the title song towards the climax just as you want the film to badly end.
The performances are nothing to write home about. Except Rishi Khurana (funny at times) and Seema Mishra (bearable) the others are stiff and wooden and seem to carry one expression throughout while delivering dialogues, while making out or while even staring at the camera and answering those stupid questions.
The direction is absurd and confusing. What point is director Kallol Sen trying to prove? If it is the fact that sex is no longer considered taboo in modern India, surely he could have conveyed it in a better manner than by showing everyone sleeping around with each other.
However, the most disgusting aspect of the film is its crude, corny and cheesy dialogues. When you hear two girls discussing about men in bed and saying dialogues like , âHe even applies cologne on his ballsâ¦..and he keeps farting in his sleepâ, you know you have had enough and its time to rush towards the exit door.
Enough endured and suffered, must say maine 'Kabhi Socha Bhi Na Tha' ki 2 hours of movie- watching experience would seem more torturous than 2 days of starving without food and water.
This master-piece deserves a place in the archives of all film-making schools just to show the students how not to make a film, how not deliver dialogues and more importantly how not to act.
Rating: *1/2 Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 15 Mar 2008 | 1:44 pm
Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor stole the show at the ongoing Wills Fashion Week here as he walked the ramp for designers Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna's label Cue. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Mar 2008 | 1:00 pm
A brigade of celebrities including Celina Jaitley, Soha Ali Khan, Sophie Chaudhary, Zayed Khan and style guru Manish Malhotra walked the ramp, providing ample Bollywood flavour to the fourth day of the ongoing Wills India Fashion Week here Saturday. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Mar 2008 | 12:33 pm
It was a reunion fans of superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal have been waiting for years and the two relished coming together for the cause of Malayalam movie artistes with a lunch at Mohanlal's residence here Saturday. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Mar 2008 | 11:31 am
Actor-politician Sarath Kumar, president of the South Indian Film Artistes Association, Saturday said the association would constitute a 'core committee' to look into charges of Tamil and Telugu film artistes faking documents to travel to US. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Mar 2008 | 11:30 am
'Before the Rains', the English language debut film by acclaimed Indian director-cinematographer Santosh Sivan, will be released in Los Angels and New York May 9, followed by a national release May 16. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Mar 2008 | 11:02 am
Ayub Memboob Khan, son of legendary filmmaker Mehboob Khan, died Friday at his residence here, family members said Saturday. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Mar 2008 | 11:02 am
Wrestler Dara Singh kick-started the trend of wrestlers entering Bollywood which is being continued by Dalip Singh. If the name Dalip Singh
doesnât ring a bell in your mind, then, the name âKhaliâ definitely will! Commonly known as âThe Great Khaliâ in World Wrestling
Entertainment (WWE) arena, this âHunkiest of them allâ Hunk is all set to make a beeeeg and an apt splash in Bollywood with Ramaa â
The Saviour, a childrenâs adventure film.
Ramaa-The Saviour is to be produced by actor Sahil Khan of Style fame, and will have Khali playing super human, while Sahil
will play Lord Rama opposite Tanushree Datta.
Aaprently Ramaa-The Saviour is not exactly Khaliâs first brush with âfame and frameâ, this 35-year old has already faced the camera in
Hollywood for the film, The Longest Yard. He will also be seen in a prominent role in the upcoming Get Smart starring Steve
Carell, Bill Murray, the film will star yet another wrestler, the Rock. Khali is very image conscious and has made it very clear to Sahil
that he will only settle for a positive role. Mainly because Khali has a huge fan following among kids in India and does not want to leave
any negative impact on the young minds!
As for Khaliâs wish-list, he simply would love to work with the likes of Bollywood hunkies like Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan and
Akshay Kumar! If this happens, then, it will be a visual treat for not just Bollywood but also the WWE fans! Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 15 Mar 2008 | 11:01 am
Finally, it's happening for debutant director Tarun Mansukhani. The cast and crew of his film Dostana, left on Friday, for Miami for a non-stop shooting on the beaches there. Two of the three principal actors have been rushing to complete their projects. Abhishek Bachchan has been working round-the-clock completing the current schedule of Rakeysh Mehra's Dilli 6.
Priyanka Chopra was going ballistic trying to wrap up Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion before rushing off Bangkok to shoot an ad with Saif Ali Khan, She joins the Dostana gang in Miami from there. Only John Abraham who plays Abhishek's best friend and flat-mate in Dostana was relatively free before departure. "I've been going crazy trying to wrap up all my work here before heading to Miami with my director," Karan said hours before leaving the country for a month-and-a-half. "It's at times like these that I miss my father the most. He'd have made all the pre-production work plus travel arrangements look like a cakewalk. I'm going insane trying to cope."
While in the US Karan also intends to finalize locations for his own directorial venture Khan which he intends to shoot in New York at the end of the year.
"Once we're in the US and the shooting for Dostana starts I'll leave my director and his team to their own devices. I'll just be there in the background. Let me tell you, Tarun has written one of the funniest scripts I have ever read. It is a very urbane kind of comedy. I don't know what the so-called interiors are going to make of it." Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 15 Mar 2008 | 10:08 am
While Emraan Hashmi was romancing around the trees (or can one say, balconies of high-rise buildings?) with his heroines, there was a steady base of fans being built over the years. So what's new in that? Well, what came as a surprise to Emraan himself was the fact that his fan base didn't just comprise of young girls and boys but even small kids.
"Imagine being told by kids as young as 7/8/9 years old that they have liked me in my films,â exclaims Emraan in mock amusement, "I was like - where have you seen me dear? Most of the films I have done have primarily dealt with adult subjects! Hence, it surprised me that there are kids out there who claim to have been 'appreciating' my act. God!" When and where did he come across this newfound fan base? "It was in the 'Chote Ustad' reality show where I was a guest. Kids came to me and started talking to me about Awarapan, Gangster, and even my debut film, Footpath. I guess satellite channels and DVDs are really helping awareness grow in these kids. To think about it, so many of these kids would not have even started talking when my Footpath released," jokes Emraan.
So what is he planning to gift back to the young ones considering the appreciation he is garnering? It can't be more kissing on the screen, right? Laughs Emraan, "Of course not, it cannot be that. I would have to do something different." Getting serious, he says, "I am quite serious about doing a film which appeals to children. And by a film for children, I do not necessarily want to equate it to a kiddie-kiddie film. It has to have a universal subject though with a heart in place for children." Is it the Taare Zameen Par factor, which has given him an added confidence on experimenting with something like this? "It is, it is", says Emraan promptly, "Of course it helps to see the market growing in such a way that films like these are not just being made and released well but also becoming blockbusters. If a film entertains and yet has a message that makes one learn, why not make more of such films?"
Considering the kind of films, he has done in the past, though there have been numerous hits, won't it be difficult to be going for an image shift? "You are forgetting that I have played a father on screen very recently,â states Emraan, "In 'The Train' I had a daughter though that angle did have a miniscule part to play in the narrative. In any case, it won't be wrong to say that it is the script which drives an image." And how is he going ahead in his endeavor to do a children's film? "I am going through a lot of scripts and may soon be narrowing down on one as well. May be in a few months time, I should be having something rolling soon too!"
Till then, kids can enjoy listening (and seeing) his 'Bheege Honth Tere' (Murder), 'Aashiq Banaya Aapne' (Aashiq Banaya Aapne), 'Jhalak Dikhla Ja' (Aksar) and 'Jawani Diwani' (Jawani Diwani) amongst many other Emraan hits!
Parents, are you watching?! Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 15 Mar 2008 | 10:01 am
Tanushree Dutta who has been in the news for her ugly spat with director Shona Urvashi during the shooting of Saas Bahu Sensex in Pune, is in no mood to forgiveâ¦or forget. "I've taken enough rubbish from them; all because of my producers, Warner Brothers are really cool. But Shona Urvashi has been a nightmare. I wouldn't even want to go there again. But she has been calling up the media telling them I'm on drugs and that I'm another Parveen Babiâ¦Another Parveen? Me on drugs? This is my 13th film. Please check with my other directors-producers, if I have ever been erratic in my behavior. I think these people need to check their own mental balance."
Getting even more candid Tanushree goes back to the beginning of her stint in Pune. "I signed on this film without knowing what I was in for. At first things seemed okay. Shona was the director, her sister Masume is also in the cast (though it's another matter that there seems to be some kind of a stress between the sisters). I've the main role. Their mother is the producer and father looks after production. So it was all a family affair. I was the outsider. I kept my distance. Maybe they didn't like the fact that I didn't party with them after work. But if I've an early morning shoot I'd rather sleep and be fresh."
Whatever the reason for their rancor, all hell broke loose on February 14. "Shona decided to harass me pointedly and continuously on that day. She'd pick on me for no reason. At first, I laughed it off, thinking they were making a bakra out of me. But then I realized they were serious. I was made to say the same line for hours on-end. I wasn't allowed to go back to my van between shots. For fifteen hours non-stop they made me shoot, taunting, jeering, and openly harassing me. The lights and AC were switched off in my van. It was like a nightmare. And at the end of it there was promise of more. They couldn't wait to have me back on the sets the next morning for a dose of the same treatment."
Tabushree left Pune and refused to go back until the producers accompanied her. "I reluctantly went back and shot on 19th and 20th. But it was bad. The producers saw how bad it was and blasted the team, wondering how an actor was supposed to work under such stressful circumstances. Then Shona insisted she needed me for 10-12 days. The producers decided 4 days were enough. I went on the sets at the given time tried to do my work and left."
Now there're just four days of work left, and Tanushree wonders how she'd be able to go through it. "It's a fantastic script. But the worst experience of my career. Now I wonder if they were doing all this just for publicity. Shona Urvashi has directed one film before. Maybe she needed to get noticed. But is this the way to go about it?" Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 15 Mar 2008 | 9:44 am
Washington (ANI): New dad Marc Anthony is so smitten with new born twins that his wife Jennifer Lopez and her staff have nicknamed him the 'Burp Whisperer'. Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 9:44 am
Melbourne (ANI): Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia appears to have snagged a new man the son of billionaire Richard Branson. The 'Torn' singer was spotted cozying up to 23-year-old Sam in London, say reports. The 33-year-old was one of the guests at a 100,000 pounds ski-themed party to celebrate Sam's planned Arctic ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 9:37 am
Washington (ANI): Sir Paul McCartney has refused to record the theme tune for new Bond movie The Quantum Of Solace because he is finding it hard to pen words that rhyme. The former Beatle, who wrote Live And Let Die in 1973 for the movie of the same name, confessed that ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 9:26 am
London (ANI): Victoria and David Beckham are the celebrities that most British school children wish to be, says a new survey. According to a survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, majority of the students look up to Posh Spice and Becks as their icons. Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 9:21 am
Washington (ANI): Legendary singer Sir Paul McCartney's love for animals has extended Down Under as he's now voiced his disgust against Australia's plans to cull a large number of kangaroos. The 65-year-old came out in support to a campaign by Vegetarians International Voice for Animals (VIVA!), who are working towards stopping ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 9:12 am
London (ANI): Pop star Michael Jackson has managed to refinance his Neverland ranch, avoiding a public auction of the property that had been scheduled next week. The 'Thriller' hitmaker's attorney L Londell McMillan has revealed that the pop star has worked out a 'confidential' agreement with Fortress Investment Group allowing him ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 9:03 am
London (ANI): The cast and crew of hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother have been forced to wear wristbands on the set while Britney Spears is filming her cameo role – in order to prevent onlookers from clicking the troubled pop star at the studio. Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 8:43 am
The Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF), which organises the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) every year, has decided to scrap the 'mainstream section' of the festival that showcases popular Indian cinema. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Mar 2008 | 8:30 am
Tanushree Dutta who has been in the news for her ugly spat with director Shona Urvashi during the shooting of Saas Bahu Sensex in Pune, is in no mood to forgive or forget. Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 7:51 am
Shahrukh Khan went out of his way to accommodate the Roshans by shooting an item song for their production Krazzy 4, and Hrithik can't thank the busy Khan enough. "I'm doing the song for my own home production. But Shah has gone out of his way to accommodate the project ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 7:37 am
Melbourne (ANI): Actor Eddie Murphy believes that he had been 'trapped' by Spice Girl Melanie Brown into having a baby. According to a US report, Murphy has reportedly told his friends that he believes he was tricked by Scary Spice, insisting that she had said that she was on birth control. ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 15 Mar 2008 | 7:32 am
Debutant director Tarun Mansukhani is finally going somewhere. The cast and the crew of his movie, 'Dostana', left Friday for Miami to shoot non-stop on the beaches there. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Mar 2008 | 7:30 am
Film: 'Juno'; Cast: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney; Director: Jason Reitman Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Mar 2008 | 7:30 am
Actress Priyanka Chopra is not Bollywood's face of Pepsi any more. She has walked out of the deal because she was not happy with the money being offered to her. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Mar 2008 | 7:30 am
Heres a lass really adventurous! After having tried her hand at acting and dancing Masumeh is keen to take lessons to be an air-pilot. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 15 Mar 2008 | 12:00 am
Pal Zileri celebrates the opening of its first store in Mumbai with a Luxe Rendezvous at Hotel Hilton Tower. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 15 Mar 2008 | 12:00 am
Sophie Choudry is going places! The actress has just replaced Malaika Arora Khan and Amrita Arora for an item number in Sanjay Gadhvis Kidnap. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 15 Mar 2008 | 12:00 am
Studio 18 is set to attend MIPTV, the worlds biggest market for audio-visual content. This years MIPTV in Cannes will take place between April 7 - 11 and The Indian Film Company-Studio 18 will exhibit from Booth 9.16 in The Palais. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 15 Mar 2008 | 12:00 am
Manisha Koirala literally got mobbed during the shoot for her forthcoming film Sirf- Life looks greener on the other side, releasing on 4th April. Film unit was shooting on the roof top of a building in Dharavi. Director Rajaatesh Nayar had erected a complete set of two flats on the 16th floor because these scenes required the view and skyline of Mumbai. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 15 Mar 2008 | 12:00 am
Nileish Malhotra, director and producer of the forthcoming film Monopoly- the game of money, has been signed for a three films deal with a Corporate. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 15 Mar 2008 | 12:00 am
Young debut director Mangesh Hadawale’s film TINGYA, bagged the BEST FILM award in the Indian Competition section and the CRITIC’S AWARD in the International Category of the 10th MAMI Intl Film Festival. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 15 Mar 2008 | 12:00 am
Abbas Mustans RACE has certainly raced ahead what with the film being marketed uniquely. Posters of RACE with Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, Saif Ali Khan, Bipasha Basu and Katrina Kaif staring at you from the hoardings are a head turner. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 15 Mar 2008 | 12:00 am
Click above for more stills
The 10th MAMI International Film Festivalâs awards ceremony was held on Thursday night, (March 13, 2008), and the Spanish Director Carlos
Saura was felicitated with the Global Lifetime Achievement Award. Chief Guest of the event Dev Anand, veteran Actor-Director, presented the
Lifetime Achievement award to Dharmendra.
To commemorate a decade of excellence, this year MAMI IFFM â08 introduced a host of exciting new initiatives. The Global Lifetime Achievement
Award has been instituted this year. The first award was conferred on Carlos Saura, the renowned Spanish director who was in Mumbai to attend
the function. The other awardees at the Festival were Rishi Kapoor for Significant Contribution to Cinema over 25 years, Gulzar for
Outstanding Contribution to Indian Film Music as Lyricist and the Kodak Award for Technical Excellence to Hitendra Ghosh.
In order to nurture talent and provide a platform to new generation of filmmakers on its 10th edition, Jaya Bachchan, one of the trustees of
MAMI, introduced a new initiative called âDimensions Mumbaiâ.
On the Closing Gala Night, the Japanese film The Mourning Forest was screened, a film that won the Grand Prix at the 60th edition of
Cannes Film Festival in 2007.
The Italian silent film Pinocchio (1911) restored by Cineteca was one of the attractions of the festival. Daily master classes were conducted
by renowned filmmakers like James Mimikos, Sriram Raghavan, Stefano Odoardi, Prof. Dragan, Govind Nihalani and Dan Wolman.
The closing gala event had the esteemed presence of film directors from Mexico, France and European countries along with Shyam Benegal,
Chairman of the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image (MAMI) and other Trustees of MAMI. Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 14 Mar 2008 | 4:35 pm
Manmohan Shetty, the founder and former CMD of Adlabs Films Ltd. and ex-Adlabs head of animation Siddhartha Jain have joined hands to form a
production house called I-Rock Media.
Excited about his new venture, Mr. Shetty says, âI believe the company will soon create its own niche in the Indian film industry. The
industry is in constant flux and an innovative content development approach is required to cater to the ever demanding Indian audiences.â
The production house will be making eight films, of which 2 are animation and 6 are live action with VFX / animation. âI am very excited to
have Mr. Shetty as a mentor & investor in this company. It is a dream opportunity and provides us with a fantastic platform. We will be
producing âvisually excitingâ content and want to be known for specific kind of content. I-Rock will invest in development of âhigh-conceptâ
film content in live-action & animation for the Indian audiences. The focus will be on technology dependent content, which will be rich in
animation and visual effects. Care will be taken to ensure a wide 360 degree exploitation plan for all our intellectual properties,â says
Siddhartha Jain, current, the CEO of the company.
The first animation film, a part of a series of films based on Franchise, is slated to go on the floors in April, and will be released next
year. The second one is a sequel to & based on Bollywoodâs cult comedy Andaz Apna Apna for which the new script is currently being
developed. Zudora would be the first live action VFX film based on the popular book by the same name, it is a fantasy-magical adventure set
in the mysterious world of Zudora. Apart from Zudora, there are a couple of VFX based films made on fantasy-magical-war, of epic proportions
set in a parallel world. Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 14 Mar 2008 | 4:04 pm
MOVIE DETAILS
Cast: Complete non-actors. For the records, they are called Mast Ali, Aziz Naser, D C Shrivastava and Shweta Khanduri
Director: Masood Ali
Producer: Masood Ali
Music: Prem Kumar
THE FILM
My wife was aghast when I received the DVD of Hyderabadi Bakra for review. She asked me, "Never knew we would 'actually'
be playing a B grade film like this at home!" "B grade," I murmured under my breath, "It is C grade actually, and I know that."
Gathering courage, I counter argued, "See, the film comes from the team of The Angrez which kind of got a parallel
Hyderbadi industry in the running a couple of years back. I hear the movie was liked by the gentry due to it's true Hyderabadi
flavor with actors conversing in trademark Hindi/Urdu lingo. Since I couldn't see that one, let me try my luck with Hyderabadi
Bakra!"
She wasn't convinced though and protested, "I am sick and tired of you not just torturing yourself by watching any random movie
but also make the entire family suffer."
I had to get my 'brahmastra' out, "Dear, a job is a job. Achcha-bura, dekhna padta hai. I can't help it!". " Ok, so play it on
when I am asleep. And put your cordless headphones on, I don't want to be disturbed," as always, she had the final word!
So, at around 1 am. odd, I quite bravely put on the film's DVD and sat down with my cola and popcorn next to me. What followed
next was a nightmare, which could potentially come only at 1 am. One looses count of adjectives to describe the film. It is
disgusting, atrocious, horrible, and last but not the least, embarrassing. One dreads to imagine what people outside India would
feel about cinema coming out from our country if they see this film. The least that may happen is a permanent disqualification
from the Oscars!
The film in fact doesn't even try to be funny. It is downright cheap and it wants the world to believe that the lead characters in the
film (Ajju and Majju) who are cheap, down-market, and absolutely shameless are supposed to be the stars of the show. And we are
supposed to laugh with them when Ajju and Majju con an unsuspecting Nawab into shelling out 2 crores from his pocket on the
pretext of making a film in Dubai.
They not just steal his money right under his nose but also go around Dubai hunting for girls and eye them as 'items'. Whether it
is a 'shareef-khandaan-ki-bholi-bhali-ladki' who is out for a job in Dubai or a bar girl, they seem to be falling in love with
these crooks on the first sight. The guys hardly love them though and tell them on their face about their real intentions!
I am not even going further into what followed next. And that's because I don't want you to go through the same torrid time as I did.
In fact, at least 3-4 times during the course of my ordeal, I felt like giving up (and throwing up) but then a job is a job. I realized that
my website people are good people and they trust me to watch a film till the end credit roll before I write a review. So yes, I did see
it till the end and to my (not so pleasant) surprise realized that the makers even had the guts to show a few bloopers as the titles
rolled!
Well, doesn't seem that the bloopers were required because entire 110 minutes of visuals in Hyderabadi Bakra are a series
of bloopers in motion!
PS: Oh yes, I forgot to mention this. My wife did ask me next morning how the film was. She said she was concerned. Why?
Because supposedly I was whispering a lot of nonsense in my sleep the entire night and sounded quite disturbed. What was I
talking about? Well, your guess is as good as mine is as my wife is refusing to tell me about that!
PACKAGING
The DVD comes in an ordinary plastic case with a shoddy design and layout that goes with the mood and flavor of the film.
DURATION
The film comes in a single DVD pack with the film's duration being approximately 110 minutes.
SPECIAL FEATURES
The DVD doesn't come with any special features. Thank goodness. Else, it would have been further torture to watch the making of
something, which the makers feel as a film but in actuality, is nothing short of a nightmare. Also, deleted scenes would have only
added to the misery.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
- 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen format
- Subtitles - None
- Dolby Digital 5.1
PRICE
Rs. 149/-
CONCLUSION
Ok, so Hyderabadi Bakra never aspired to be counted for Oscars. But how about some basic things like a script, screenplay
and dialogues in place? In my entire career of watching numerous B and C grade cinema (oh, yes I have watched a lot of them in
my college days, especially so many of them coming from the house of Ramsays and Ooty-wood), I have never come across a film
as farcical as Hyderabadi Bakra. In fact 15 minutes into the film and you realize that words like acting, sound design,
dubbing, cue coordination, camera placement and editing would be nothing short of alien for its makers!
Rating: Not Applicable Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 14 Mar 2008 | 3:37 pm
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A lot has been written about Priyanka Chopra not being the Bollywood face of Pepsi any longer. The electronic media has been going ballistic
about how Priyanka has been 'ousted' from her cola status.
"Wrong!" says a very close friend of the actress. "Priyanka just couldn't agree with the price that was being offered. The Pepsi people
wanted her to work for the same fee again that they paid her earlier. Priyanka naturally wanted to re-negotiate her deal. When the company
didn't budge, she opted out."
Adds the friend, "Priyanka is plush with endorsement assignments. In fact, she's at this very moment shooting an ad with Saif Ali Khan in
Bangkok." Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 14 Mar 2008 | 3:20 pm
Shah Rukh Khan went out of his way to accommodate the Roshans by shooting an item song for their production Krazzy 4,
and Hrithik can't thank the busy Khan enough.
"I'm doing the song for my own home production. But Shah has gone out of his way to accommodate the project because he
respects dad. His gesture has touched all of us. It's very kind of him. He doesn't need to dance."
Hrithik can't stop raving about the item song. "It's the best dance track I've ever performed. My uncle Rajesh Roshan has outdone
himself. And Vishal Dadlani who has sung the number has also been extremely gracious. He didn't accept the cheque that my dad
gave him after the song. He did it for my dad and uncle. As a family we Roshans are overwhelmed by the respect that has been
shown by everyone associated with the item song."
Tell him it's because of the respect his dad's banner commands and Hrithik corrects me. "No I think it's more to do with the kind of
person my father is. If he wasn't the person he is, Shah Rukh, Vishal and everyone else wouldn't have gone out of their way to
accommodate us, no matter how successful we may be. I think my dad has earned the respect he gets. He doesn't command it."
Hrithik further informs, "Shah Rukh's version of the song will be part of the main movie, while mine will be used in the end titles,
also on MTV, Channel V and other promotional campaigns for television."
The triumphant Jodhaa Akbar behind him Hrithik is now looking forward to starting his next film with Anurag Basu. "That's
one film I'm really looking forward to. I'm a big fan of Anurag's cinema. I think he's a very sensitive director. He's really going to be
doing something different with me. I can't say much about the subject. But it will be a different experience for me, though
something right up his alley."
The industry was abuzz about Sonam Kapoor being Hrithik's leading lady in Anurag's film. "Both Dad and I think Sonam is
wonderful. But she was never considered for Anurag's film. The role requires someone from abroad. So yeah, I'll have an
international co-star in Anurag's film."
Hrithik and Aishwarya looked pretty international in Dhoom 2 and Jodhaa-Akbar. "I can't dispute that. It's so true.
Ash and I share a fabulous rapport. It's always fun to work with a co-star who isn't selfish. We both gave so much of ourselves to
Jodhaa Akbar. Aishwarya has been one of my most helpful co-stars. I really cherish working with her. She is an incredible
actor and an even better co-star. And since all three of us-Abhishek, Aishwarya and I-are friends; we've great fun even when not
shooting."
Hrithik craves for the perfect chemistry with his co-star. "I don't think it's possible for me to give my best if my co-star isn't doing
the same. I try to surround myself with like-minded people. And I think I've found the right people operating at my frequency to
work it, be it Ashutosh Gowariker, Sanjay Gadhvi, Aditya Chopra or my dad. I'm fortunate, I guess." Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 14 Mar 2008 | 2:15 pm
It looks like Akshay Kumar is hell-bent on making 2008-09 his year of action films. In maverick producer Sajid Nadiadwala's Kambhakth
Ishq, he plays a Hollywood stuntman.
"This would be the first Indian film to be shot within Universal Studios. We've got the permission not only to shoot within Universal
Studios, but also to use their logo. Akshay Kumar plays a stuntman from Universal Studios. The film will also have some big Hollywood icons
making their appearance in the film. We're working out the legal aspects," informs Sajid.
The entire film is to be shot in Hollywood, Los Angeles. "It'll also star 12-15 leading actors from Hollywood in various parts. It's a
candyfloss, 'safe' film. We had to bring in an extra gloss in the backdrop. That's why Hollywood. When I produced Mujhse Shaadi Karogi
it was the first beach film in Bollywood. After that, we had dozens of beach films in Hindi. Likewise, my Jaan-e-Mann was the first
romantic-comedy with visual effects. While making full-on commercial films we need to change the backdrop." Sajid agrees shooting
Kambhakth Ishq in Hollywood won't be an easy task. "It will be expensive, yes. We'll have 40-50 crew members flying to LA. We're
thinking of chartering a flight from Mumbai. It'll be more economical. Or maybe we should just buy a jet," he jokes. This is Sajid's most
ambitious film to date with a budget of Rs. 60 crores. Kareena Kapoor plays a brand model.
Why a new director for such a lavish film? "Sabir Khan has grown up in front of me. He assisted in my production Mujhse Shaadi Karogi.
He's very hardworking. And if you're suggesting that I should've first let Sabir make a smaller film then let me say, I don't make small
films. I've dreamt 70mm dreams from before that format was invented." Sajid has been signing many new directors. "After a lot of
introspection, my company has decided that we need to continue making commercial films but with a little deviation. That's where my three new
directors Sabir Khan, Siddharth Anand and Imtiaz Ali come in. They have the discipline of commercial cinema and the ability to take cinema
further. Siddharth's film (which will probably star Saif Ali Khan and Ranbir Kapoor) isn't the routine candy floss film. We start at the end
of 2008. Siddharth wants to do something different. So do I.. It's a film set against Mumbai. It isn't a dark film. But not frothy either."
Imtiaz Ali will first direct a film for Saif's production house. "After that in March-April 2009, Imtiaz will make a film for me. I think his
forte is romance. We'll go by that. Though I'd like to take a little risk with the successful directors." Pushing the envelope isn't seen as
a healthy trend in some quarters of Bollywood, if we go by the opposition to Ashutosh Gowarikarâs Jodhaa Akbar. "No," Sajid protests.
"I think Jodhaa Akbar was commercially viable from the start. Not a single critic questioned Ashutosh for making the film. The promos
weren't that good. But in 5-6 places in the film we stood up and clapped." Siddharth will direct for Sajid this year and Imtiaz Ali comes in
next year. How does Sajid pick his directors? "I don't look at the directors' success graph. In 2006, I gave a break to Shirish Kunder (in
Jaan-e-Mann) when he was a film editor. In 2008, I took on Sajid Khan who had no background in movies. In fact, he was a stand-up
comedian and a critic. To put a commercial 45-crore project on his shoulders needed some guts and vision. Though Jaan-e-Mann didn't do
well I'm proud of it. My biggest blunder was to release it alongside another big commercial film Don. It was one of the biggest blunders of
my career. I failed with my release strategy. I take full responsibility. Lagaan and Gadar - Ek Prem Katha had done well on the
same Friday. But two films with over a 1000 prints each was wrong. The economics were wrong. Eventually, many people saw Jaan-e-Mann
on satellite television and loved it."
Why isn't Kunder making his second film with Sajid? "He needs to start his own production house. Maybe he feels producers become a hurdle
because they bring in a business factor. I don't know why bringing the topic of commerce into cinema is considered cheesy. The minute you
talk commerce to a filmmaker he falls back on creativity," Sajid says with uncharacteristic sarcasm. He then grows retrospective. "This is my
54th year in the industry. I must've inherited the filmy genes from my father. I do feel alone. I wish I had a sibling or a partner. My son
is just a child. Yes, I've a first-cousin Feroz Nadiadwala who's also a very successful producer. I did work with him for two years. But we
chose to work separately."
Why not direct his own film? "I do a lot of homework on all the scripts that I produce. But I'm too sensitive and shy to instruct a hundred
people on the set. I won't be able to shoot with an actor I don't like. I'm an escapist in real life. Maybe I can direct a good escapist
entertainer." Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 14 Mar 2008 | 12:40 pm
