To begin your career with someone like Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan by your side is half the battle won. We are talking about Vivek Sharma who, on the success of his directorial debut Bhoothnath says, âItâs a great feeling to have tasted success in your very first attempt and in addition to that, to be associated with the two top notch superstars of the film fraternity, that itself gives you a high.â
âBhoothnath will always remain very close to my heart and I will always remember what Amitabhjiâs told me donât go by the words of others instead introspect your work which will help you in the longer run,â says Vivek. So did you pay heed to Big Bâs golden advice? âOf course, I feel visual narration and screen staging are some areas where I will have to work on.â
When asked about the response he got from the people in the industry, he says, âI was both surprised and honored, when veterans like Ashutosh Gowarikar, Jaya Bachchan and Aziz Mirza praised my work and efforts.â
Workaholic to the core, Vivek is already engrossed with Vashu Bhagnaniâs Kal Kisne Dekhaa in South Africa. To which Vivek says, âJacky Bhagnani (Vashuâs son) would be launched in Kal Kisne Dekha which is a romantic thriller. The film would also introduce Vaishali Desai in the lead role. In addition, there is a surprise element in the form of Rishi Kapoor who would play a role he has never done before.â
Shedding some light on his future projects Vivek informs, âI am turning producer with a film, which will be presented by Tips films. This film would be a comedy of error with romance in the background and the star cast is yet to be finalized. We will commence shooting within two months. Then for another movie of mine with Ashtavinayakâs, I have signed Govinda. It is a multi-starrer, romantic-comedy which will go on floors by October.â Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 23 May 2008 | 3:28 pm
Aarti Chhabria didn't know what hit her when her sizzler 'Hari Om Hari Om' which has been on the air for one month now turned into 'Jale Mome Jale Mome' when the film Dhoom Dadakka released on Friday.
Not only that, huge chunks of the song had to be dropped because they apparently would've offended religious sensibilities. "Gaane ki to 'banned' baja di. I gave in immediately because I had no time to fight back. I find it very strange. So many songs suggesting so many things are freely being played on radio. My number's promo has been playing for a month. What sense does it make to censor it when everybody has already heard it?" says the livid producer-director, Shashi Ranjan.
Interestingly, the censor board had no objection to Akshay Kumar cavorting with a group of extremely religious bikini-clad women singing Hare Ram Hare Krishna in Bhool Bhulaiyaa just months back. "I don't know what the censorial yardstick is. A few members of the censor board objected to my song. They feared PILs against the words and the visuals. I had no choice but to change the words. What I want to ask is, what is the validity of the censor board if they're so scared of people going to the court? Let us filmmakers directly fight the PILs straight in the courts instead of going through the censor board," sighs Ranjan.
Shashi Ranjan says, "If you remember I was the president of the BJP's film cell. I had intervened when Bandit Queen got into trouble. I've constantly fought to discipline vulgar songs. But my song in Dhoom Dadakka is by no means vulgar. And then to subject me to this. Eight days before release I was told to make the deletions and changes. It was a nightmare." Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 23 May 2008 | 2:43 pm
Download Raat Gayi ... wallpapers
After Ranbir Kapoor, it's now Rajat Kapoor's turn, who will be seen dropping the towel
a-la Saawariya, in a sequence for his forthcoming film Raat Gayi Baat Gayi
Rajat Kapoor is taking no chances and has hit the gym with a vengeance. The scene requires him to be in the same frame as the sexy Neha Dhupia and he doesn't want to look less sexy than Neha.
Apart from being on a special diet and training hard, Rajat has also been practicing dropping the towel with flair.
Like the name of the film suggests, Raat Gayi Baat Gayi is a humorous take on one night stands. In a genre true to Rajat Kapoor kind of films, it is an outlandish comedy about a married couple, their friends and one night of passion that turns their lives topsy-turvy. The film stars Rajat Kapoor, Neha Dhupia and Vinay Pathak in pivotal roles.
Rajat laughs about this sequence, "Well even I am conscious about my looks⦠Jokes apart, I want to look as lean as possible. After all, I am in the same frame as Neha Dhupia. The truth is that I have never gone to a gym in my life but for the first time I am going through such a tough workout session."
After Saawariya's towel dropping scene, what next Rajat? Maybe SRK's 'Dard-e-Disco' step. What say? Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 23 May 2008 | 1:30 pm
Jannat has enjoyed a fantastic first week in India as well as overseas which has confirmed it's HIT status in a matter of days.
While next few days would decide the quantum of the film's success, producer Mukesh Bhatt is leaving no stone unturned to make sure that the momentum doesn't show a dip for this Kunal Deshmukh directed flick. Looking at the kind of success this Emraan Hashmi-Sonal Chauhan film is enjoying, the film's prints have been increased all over.
Confirms Mukesh Bhatt, "We had gone for a medium range release but in the process ensured that the show timings were apt. Now with the huge demand that the film is generating all over and requests for additional prints, we have floated 47 extra prints in the market. While 40 prints would be for the Indian market, 7 prints have already been dispatched overseas. The film was earlier being shown at 700 screens but from today onwards as many as 772 screens would be occupied."
In fact at multiplexes, the shows have been almost doubled. From 4-6 shows a day, the count has increased to as many as many as 10 shows in number of prominent multiplexes, including PVR.
"Yes, we are looking at the second week to be as good as the first week, if not more", says Mukesh Bhatt excitedly when asked about the kind of drop expected in the second week for Jannat, "I have always maintained that Rs.20 crores in first week is quite viable after the humongous opening that the film got. Collections would be out tomorrow for everyone to see. Now we are hoping for this number to be doubled by the end of week two."
Adds Emraan Hashmi from Delhi while on the second round of promotion in the city, "The film has sustained so very well on the weekdays as well. Man, it's crazy the way Jannat has created such a strong buzz all around. Since Sarkar Raj is still a fortnight away (the RGV film arrives on 6th June), we should be having a relatively open field here."
Concludes Hashmi with a sigh of relief, "After Awarapan, I realised that sometimes one has to do on screen what his image demands. Guess the naughty-n-mischievous streak to my character in Jannat eventually paid though there were strong gray shades to it. The film's success couldn't have been more sweetly timed." Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 23 May 2008 | 1:02 pm
After Shah Rukh Khan hogged the limelight for most of April and May (courtesy IPL and his new T.V. show), looks like its now the turn of Salman Khan to be in the forefront.
By now its common knowledge that the actor would be making his TV debut with the game show Dus Ka Dum on Sony Entertainment Television. However, what is not known is that Salman is going all out to promote his show. And like his other colleagues who seem to be seen more on the cricket field than in the studios, Salman too would be seen during the finals of the ongoing IPL. According to reliable sources, Sallu (who is currently shooting in Australia for Main Aur Mrs. Khanna) would even do a dhamake-daar performance during the IPL finals scheduled to take place at the D.Y. Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai on June 1. Taking into account the number of people who would be watching the finals live and on T.V., Salman surely seems to have found the right platform to promote his show.
Moreover, it's not just the IPL finals where Salman would be promoting his new show; After Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, Salman seems to be the latest superstar bitten by the 'blogging' bug. The actor it seems has taken to writing seriously and has already started writing his blog on a website run by Sony Entertainment Television, the producers of his TV show. Needless to say, his first two posts revolve around the game show.
Looks like Salman is trying out ten different things to pack his 'Dus Ka Dum' punch. Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 23 May 2008 | 1:00 pm
Washington (ANI): In a bid to finally kick her drug addiction, Amy Winehouse will be flying all the way to a top Israeli rehab centre. The troubled singer will go through a 'very short, intensive and effective treatment' costing 12,800 dollars within the next few weeks at the Barzilai Medical ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 11:55 am
Prachanda Ravana, the much-anticipated film featuring Devraj, the dynamic star of Kannada films, directed by young Srinivasaprasad will be released on 23rd May. Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 11:52 am
Washington (ANI): Legendary singer Phil Collins is pondering joining hands with hip-hop stars Akon and Pharrell Williams so as to give his music a modern twist. He revealed that he was a bit surprised as well as flattered when he first heard that both Akon and Williams were fans of ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 11:50 am
v Produced by Ramesh and directed by Umakanth, Sundari Ganda Sadananda will be released on May 23rd, said the film's distributor Shiva Kumar. Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 11:46 am
London (ANI): Christina Aguilera is so amazed by her post-pregnancy boobs that she's kept the tags of her bras to prove how big her breasts got. The Dirrty singer and husband Jordan Bratman have been stunned by the impressive growth in her bust, which got swollen to an E-cup, since ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 11:45 am
The audio launch of Ganga Kaveri will be on 29th May at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall in Bangalore.Renowned singers Dr. Bala Murali Krishna, Dr. S.P. Balasubramanyam, Dr. P.B. Sreenivos, S. Janaki, Chithra, Kasthuri Shankar, B.R. Chaaya, Manjula Gururaj and Padmashri P. Susheela will be felicitated during the function. All of these ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 11:42 am
Washington (ANI): Elvis Presley's fans may bid for a hat he once owned when it goes under the hammer later this month. The second Icons Of Music auction, to be held on May 31 in New York, will also give Madonna's fans a chance to bid for her high-school year-book. ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 11:39 am
Delhi model cum actress Meera Chopra has been chosen as the heroine for Arjun starring Darshan in the lead. The film is being produced by Jayanna and is directed by Sahuraj Shinde who had earlier directed Darshan's flick Snehaanaa Preethinaa. Meera Chopra is now busy in Tamil and Telugu films ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 11:35 am
Washington (ANI): British pop duo Pet Shop Boys have dismissed rumours that they want to work with Amy Winehouse to record the theme song for the new James Bond movie Quantum of Solace. British newspaper The Sun reported that the duo were desperately looking forward to tie up with Bond ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 11:30 am
The penultimate day of the market....... the township of Cannes is already beginning to resemble a graveyard.... it's my last day in The Palais before I return to London tomorrow after 12 rigorous days of activity.....
Besides the Rome Party at The Palais Stephanie and some others by The Croisette, the key event last night was the event "Cinema Against AIDS 2008" to benefit amfAR. The chairs included Kenneth Cole, Patrick Demarchelier, Michel Litvak, Madonna, Carine Roitfeld, Sharon Stone, Harvey Weinstein and Michelle Yeoh.
In my opinion, the most interesting announcement of the day came in the form of the gas-rich Gulf state Qatar getting into the international film biz with a film on the 13th century Persian poet, Rumi. Deepak Chopra is the script consultant and Muzaffar Ali will helm the project with Oscar-winning lenser Vittorio Storaro. Seems the flick is being largely funded by the wife of the emir of Qatar.
If you've been tracking the preceding diaries, the fact that this was among the slowest Cannes (in terms of business) across the board should be evident. Was it the recession? Was it the dollar exchange? Was it the spasmodic rain? Or was it the glut of product? Deals were closed and new bridges were built but on the whole the market lacked the punch. Scarily enough, for the first time, no US distributor has made a major acquisition. That said, everybody who is anybody was present and a lot of aspiring nobodies too!
The overall buzz on the films screened in the competition category was not all that; the exceptions (from the buzz doing the round) appearing to be: Waltz With Bashir (Ari Folman), Three Monkeys (Nuri Bilge Ceylan), 24 City (Jia Zhangke), Changeling (Clint Eastwood), Lion's Den (Pablo Trapero), Linha De Passe (Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas), and Gomorrah (Matteo Garrone). As always, it is anybody's guess who will win the Palme D'Or. The verdict will be out this weekend.
Till the next edition of the Marche, bien a vous!
(Media and international business expert, Tanuj Garg, will do an honorary Cannes 2008 diary for Bollywood Hungama. This will feature periodic updates on the mood and the action on The Croisette over the next fortnight. Tanuj is currently Marketing & Distribution Head for the UK & Europe at Studio 18) Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 23 May 2008 | 10:56 am
Jennifer Lopez has decided to become a full-time mum for her baby twins thus refusing to find a new nanny for them. The nanny Lopez and husband Marc Anthony hired Max and Emme to look after three-month-old twins. But they left the job last month, and, instead of replacing her, ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 10:49 am
Get Movies updates: Rediff - 1 hour ago Produced and directed by Shashi Ranjan, this Dhoom stars veteran actors Anupam Kher [Images], Gulshan Grover [Images], Satish Kaushik and Satish Shah, as well as Shaad Randhawa, Aarti Chhabria [Images], Sammir Dattani [Images], Shama Sikandar and ... Dhoom DadakkaSify Dhoom Dadakkaentertainment.oneindia.in all 3 news articles
On what basis does the Bihar government allot plots, the Patna High Court wanted to know here while hearing a petition against a series of allotments for filmmaker Prakash Jha. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 23 May 2008 | 10:31 am
Download Neetu Chandra wallpaper
Neetu Chandra has gone ahead and done what majority of other leading ladies are doing today i.e. kissing their leading man for a film.
After being in the industry for close to 3 years, she has shared her first on-screen lip lock with Abhay Deol. No wonder, Deol would be all pleased and call himself 'lucky' as this happens for their upcoming flick Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, which, in sweet and simple manner, can be termed as OLLO.
Confirms a source on condition of anonymity, "Yes, Neetu indeed has a kissing scene in OLLO. She has always believed in doing whatever it is best for the film. She didn't think twice about sharing screen presence with two other girls even as stakes were so high for Garam Masala."
She goes on to add, "Later she grabbed the opportunity when Madhur Bhandarkar finalised her for Traffic Signal. It was a big departure for her to get into a non-glam role after a playing an airhostess in her debut film. When everyone was still contemplating around her next move, she took the risk of being one of the four heroines in One Two Three. Now everyone knows that she was the one who stood out most in the role of a Jat cop. This is why when she was told that OLLO would require her to kiss Abhay Deol, she was game for it. She doesn't believe in creating any unnecessary fuss!"
Over last few months gone by, there also have been murmurs about Abhay and Neetu being an item. Wouldn't that too have aided in making her decision easier?
Laughs the source, "Well, off screen and on screen intimacy are two different things. While I don't want to comment on the kind of equation that Neetu and Abhay have in real life, I can say for sure that on screen they do manage to sizzle. The kissing scene would surely catch many unaware."
In OLLO, Neetu gets to play a typical Punjabi girl belonging to Delhi whose wardrobe comprises of casual T-Shirt and Jeans. From an airhostess costume to a 'kathaiwadi' outfit to a police uniform and now T-Shirt and Jeans - Neetu seems to be doing it all!
Led by Paresh Rawal from the top, OLLO is a UTV Motion Pictures production and is aiming for a release during the festive season of October. Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 23 May 2008 | 10:19 am
'Lagaan', 'Swades', 'Jodhaa-Akbar'... After three intense films, Ashutosh Gowariker is ready to get into a light frothy romance that he says requires 'no research'. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 23 May 2008 | 10:02 am
Click above for more stills
Nothing can equal the zeal and passion of a father launching his offspring. While Harry Baweja goes all -out to launch his son Harman, producer Kumar Mangat isn't leaving any stones unturned for his daughter Amita either.
Or should that be, no TONES unturned? On Thursday morning Filmistan studios in Mumbai came alive for an extra spot of shooting for Kumar Mangat's daughter's debut film Haal-e-Dil.
The film is complete â¦shooting over, post-production and editing done. Even the music album has already been released. And yet the producer called for an extra song from the item specialist Pritam Chakraborty at the risk of incurring the soundtrack's composer Vishal Bhardwaj's annoyance.
"Yes we're shooting an extra song for Haal-e-Dil. We all felt the film needed a peppy youthful number. The rest of the songs are all ballads. So we asked Pritam to give us a number immediately. Fortunately, he obliged at such a short notice, otherwise we'd have been stuck. The song is being choreographed by Ganesh Acharya on my three lead players Adhyayan Suman, Nakuul Mehta and my daughter Amita at this very moment," said the anxious producer on Thursday.
Isn't it unusual to shoot a song after the music release? "Well⦠not just the young hip item song, we're shooting another song, a love ballad featuring Amita and Adhyayan from June 1 in Lehâ¦just two weeks ahead of release. How will these songs be censored? Oh, the rest of the film will be censored first. We can get the two songs censored later. Amita is my only daughter. And I know she has it in her to make it. My son is not interested in acting. He's going into direction. We've had so many fathers launching their sons. But I think this is the first occasion when a producer-father is launching his daughter. As a father, I've to make sure I leave nothing to chance for Amita. Adding the songs to the film will, we feel, really add to the film."
Adds Pritam Chakrabroty, "It was Bhushan Kumar of T Series who asked for an immediate song for Haal-e-Dil. Fortunately, a Bhangra song sung by Labh Janjua (of 'Soni De Nakhre' from Partner) was with me. I had composed it for another film where the Punjabi flavour didn't fit in. Bhushan and Kumar Mangatji loved the song and I had no problems giving it to them."
But isn't this stepping into Vishal Bhardwaj's jurisdiction? Says Pritam, "I made the producers get me a NOC before I gave them the song. And besides Vishal, there're two other music composers in Haal-e-Dil. If it was just Vishal I'd have never contributed. I respect him too much to step into his territory." Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 23 May 2008 | 9:55 am
Eros International and Lionsgate, an independent filmed entertainment studio, have agreed a deal to form a joint venture for distribution of Lionsgate and other English-language content in original as well as dubbed language versions within South Asia including India, across all distribution formats such as cinemas, home entertainment, television and new media.
The announcement was made at Cannes Film Festival by Eros International Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kishore Lulla and Lionsgate Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer.
In addition, Lionsgate will acquire North American home entertainment distribution rights to 20 select titles (including EKLAVYA and the critically acclaimed GANDHI MY FATHER) from Eros' library of over 1,900 film titles.
The venture will also explore the production of Indian formats and remakes based on Lionsgate and third-party film catalogues and create crossover films that will tap into India's booming local language market as well as wider audiences outside of India. Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 23 May 2008 | 8:29 am
The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) has announced a stellar list of performers and events, to be held in Bangkok, Thailand this year. These include -
* Performances by Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Govinda.
* Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja will showcase Harry Baweja's LOVE STORY 2050.
* The DE TAALI team of Aftab Shivdasani, Riteish Deshmukh and Ayesha Takia and the MISSION ISTANBUL cast of Zayed Khan, Vivek Oberoi and Shriya Saran promise to set the stage on fire. ACID FACTORY, a film that has just begun production, will share its first look on stage with a performance by Dia Mirza, Fardeen Khan, Dino Morea and Aftab Shivdasani.
* Global Business Forum will be attended by heavyweights from Thailand and the Indian business fraternity.
* IIFA will honor Nobel Peace Prize laureate and climate change scientist, Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri.
* The much-awaited SARKAR RAJ will be premiered on day one at Major Cineplex.
* The show will be hosted by Karan Johar. Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 23 May 2008 | 8:25 am
Amitabh Bachchan and composer Aadesh Shrivastava will come together for a musical rendering of the Bhagwad Gita as written by the late Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 23 May 2008 | 4:32 am
Being a part of reality game show 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hain' with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is the best thing to have happened to her, says 11-year-old child actor Shriya Sharma. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 23 May 2008 | 2:31 am
He might be shuttling around the around the globe for his film shoots or to be with Aishwarya at Cannes, yet Abhishek Bachchan knows how to play the good son. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 12:11 am
Pregnant Nicole Kidman has reportedly followed in the footsteps of Demi Moore, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and posed in the buff for a magazine cover. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 12:11 am
British pop duo Pet Shop Boys have dismissed rumours that they want to work with Amy Winehouse to record the theme song for the new James Bond movie `Quantum of Solace`. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 12:11 am
Troubled singer Amy Winehouse has been booked to play this year`s Glastonbury music festival, organisers said Wednesday, despite her very public personal problems. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 12:11 am
After his Saawariya debacle, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has once again geared up courage for his upcoming flick, which according to sources, is on the lines of his dark spectacle – Black. Bhansali, who has been busy with his opera `Padmavati`, plans to shoot for the film at the end of this year. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 12:11 am
Yeah-yeah you read it right! The ex-love birds Kareena and Shahid haven`t drifted apart completely and are still very much in touch and what better way of keeping in touch can one think of besides SMSing? Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 12:11 am
Hollywood actress Jessica Alba`s secret wedding to fiancee Cash Warren has come as a surprise to her family and close friends. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 12:11 am
After Big B and Aamir, King Khan has decided to go blogging. But it`s for mud slinging or name-calling, SRK`s first blog is dedicated to the new found love in his life, `Kolkata Knight Riders`. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 12:11 am
In a scandalous crime of passion, a 27-year-old Kannada film actress,
Monika Susayraj and her boyfriend, Lieutenant M L Jerome Mathew, have been nabbed for murder of Neeraj Grover, the producer of Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hain. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 12:11 am
Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Thursday said the annual International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) weekend was not just an awards function but an occasion to build bridges with people from various walks of life. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 23 May 2008 | 12:11 am
The music of Mere Baap Pehle Aap was recently launched at PVR Cinema on Wednesday. The entrance resembled a wedding venue with a proper Band Baaja playing. The entire star cast of the movie was present except for the Groom –Mr. Paresh Rawal along with Mr. Om puri and Mr. Nasereddin Shah. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 23 May 2008 | 12:00 am
Because of similar incidents in the past, for Shah Rukh Khan the experience will not have the same impact as that for Poonam Mahajan, a fifty four year old housewife from Kolkata. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 23 May 2008 | 12:00 am
Theres lots happening in Sophie Choudrys life and what we are about to reveal is sure to make other female singers go green with envy. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 23 May 2008 | 12:00 am
Neha Uberoi, who danced with one of the best cheerleading squads at Bangalores IPL match, left the audiences impressed. The actress performed on her Dhoka number from Woodstock Villa. Neha is paired opposite Sikandar Kher in Woodstock Villa, directed by Hansal Mehta, which is releasing at the end of this month. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 23 May 2008 | 12:00 am
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - better known internationally for its famous Oscar awards - has sued a premier film company in Tamil Nadu for using the name 'Oscar'. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 22 May 2008 | 5:33 pm
Nobel laureate R.K. Pachauri would be honoured with the Global Leadership Award at the Indian International Film Academy (IIFA) awards to be held at Bangkok June 6-8, the organisers of the event said here Thursday. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 22 May 2008 | 5:31 pm
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has decided to stay away from Indian Premier League (IPL) matches involving his team Knight Riders until he has a clear understanding of the code of conduct. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 22 May 2008 | 4:01 pm
Bollywood actor Salman Khan, who is to anchor Sony TV's new reality game show 'Dus Ka Dum', has turned a blogger and writes in his first entry that he takes all his decisions on instincts rather than calculations. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 22 May 2008 | 4:01 pm
Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt's film on cricket bookies and match fixing, 'Jannat', has set the cash counter ringing and the producers give the credit to the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 22 May 2008 | 4:00 pm
Kannada film actor Marria alias Monika Susayraj, arrested in Mumbai for the murder of a senior official of a television production company, was indifferent to pursuing a career in Kannada film industry, says S. Govind, who directed her debut film 'Jhoot'. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 22 May 2008 | 3:32 pm
MOVIE DETAILS
Cast: Shawn Ku, Tenzin Tashi, Christy Chung, Neelesha BaVora
Director: Pan Nalin
Producer: Monsoon Films
Music: Sukhwinder Singh
Lyrics: Ibrahim Ashq
THE FILM
When filmmaker Pan Nalin, whose full name is Pandya Nalinkumar Ramniklal, would have embarked on a journey called Samsara, even he wouldn't have imagined that over the years his film about spirituality would travel as many as 30 countries with worldwide gross of more than Rs. 100 crores. Though the film saw it's cinematic release in India only last year, the DVDs have now hit the stands.
Set in Tibet, the film asks a pertinent question - "What is more important: Satisfying one thousand desires or conquering just one?â The film tells the tale of lead protagonist, Tashi (Shawn Ku), who lives as many as 3 years, 3 months and 3 days in meditation and is now a monk in a Buddhist monastery. Still young, he is unable to shrug away his materialistic and physical desires and takes a plunge into the real world - Samsara. He starts making living hood as a farmer, marries a young girl, fathers a boy, and is overall content, only to find temptation coming his way in the form of another woman who works as a farmer with him. With guilt overpowering his soul, he decides to leave everything behind him and return to monk hood. But would it all be so easy now?
The best part of the film though is it's landmark technical finesse. Frankly, one can't recollect any other film by an Indian filmmaker which boasted of such neat cinematography. Ladakh landscape only helps the cause for Pan who makes sure that the scenery is captured in it's full glory. Also, the protagonist's tale is depicted well through climatic changes.
This is why in the beginning of the film; a barren land demonstrates that there is not a single soul around, what with a cold cutting wind blowing and emptiness all around. The moment color green comes on the screen; there is life with men, women, and fields around. Later, when autumn sets in, it marks the depiction of everything existing in harmony. With camera helping his cause, Pan Nalin conveys certain decisions and emotions quite well through visuals, colors, and sound!
Of course, with an idea like Samsara, the film can hit upon a miniscule audience. It is not everyone's cup of tea to be reveling upon the cinematic experience of Samsara and hence for 'aam junta' looking for routine entertainment, it doesn't really have much to offer. Nalin does right though in adding some drama and twist to the tale in order to make the proceedings engaging. Still, all of that doesn't threaten to take this film on a tangential route which sticks on to it's roots.
PACKAGING
The film comes in an international class packaging with a soft cardboard case. There is an extensive booklet included as well which details around the film's synopsis, statement from the director, making of the film and other details around the cast and the crew of the film.
DURATION
The film comes in a single DVD pack with the film's duration being approx. 135 minutes and special features lasting close to 45 minutes.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Pan Nalin Interview
- Behind the Scene Clips
- Behind the Scene Featurette
- Sound Track
- Theatrical Trailer
- Gallery
- Presskit
There isn't much excitement generated while through the special features of the film. Pan Nalin's description about Samsara and the thought about it has been heard a million times before in his countless interviews over the months while sections around 'Behind the scenes' happenings only give a candid account of how different departments from the production unit came together to work in Samsara. In fact, there is an extensive footage around the recording of live music for the background score of the film though one wonders how many people would be really interested in watching it? Overall, a section which can be easily skipped!
TECHNICAL DETAILS
- 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
- Subtitles in English
- Dolby Digital 5.1
PRICE
Rs. 349/=
CONCLUSION
Samsara is a work of art, no two words about it. It is not what you term as a true blue commercial entertainer. From the very question it raises to it's setting to it's style of narration to it's pace to it's culmination, Samsara keeps in mind that it is being made for a thinking audience. It is not for those who are looking for their Saturday night entertainment but for those who wish to introspect on the true meaning of life.
Rating: **1/2 Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 22 May 2008 | 11:02 am
It has been quite some time since Bollywood got its bona fide dancing star. Hrithik Roshan was the last major star to get rocking with 'Ik Pal Ka Jeena' and 'Sitaron Ki Mehfil' [Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai] and since there has been a long lull. And yes, we are ready to ignore Mimoh Chakraborty here for his criminal Jimmy!
Well, the wait gets over the moment Harman asks the question - 'The Party Is Over?' in Love Story 2050. And he himself gives the answer as he gets dancing to the tune of 'Milo Na Milo' which is put to music by Anu Malik and is written by Javed Akhtar.
A complete package material which is just the right start for a dancing star to make his presence felt, 'Milo Na Milo' allows Harman to demonstrate his prowess when it comes to moving his body on some pulsating music. Set in future, the song is even more fun with red-haired Priyanka Chopra choosing to watch from a distance as dozens of aliens/robots give Harman some good company.
Yes, the wait is indeed over and here is looking forward to a lot more of the dancing star! Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 22 May 2008 | 10:38 am
