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He is the high mighty of them all, the angry old man of Bollywood, Amitabh Bachchan. He is a dynamic personality, every word uttered by him is heard, and re-heard just in order to register the magnificent voice. Sarkar Raj was an opportunity to spend more time with family; surely, that is what he has achieved. Amitabh, Abhishek, Aishwarya Bachchan minus of course Jaya Bachchan.
So here's Amitabh Bachchan giving an exclusive interview for Bollywood Hungama.
What new will we get to see in the sequel for Sarkar Raj? What is the story?
First of all, let me tell you what Ramu (Ram Gopal Varma) has been saying that to everyone, Sarkar Raj is not a sequel, but an episode in the life of Nagre family. A family always goes through a lot of circumstances and conflicts, this film deals with one of them. Sarkar ended on a note, where Shankar Nagre (Abhishek Bachchan's character) takes over the responsibility of running the Nagre household. So in Sarkar Raj, Shankar Nagre takes certain decisions and we as family stand together and fight the circumstances.
Sarkar Raj is not a sequel, but an episode in the life of Nagre family
How was it working with the family, experience of working with Abhishek and Ash, on the sets of Sarkar Raj?
We were shooting in Hyderabad, in Ramoji Rao studio, which has all facilities within the premises. Everything was within the walking distance. So it was nice to spend time with the family after the pack up. We as a family are always very busy and this gave us an opportunity to be together. But when the cameras were on, we were totally engrossed in our characters and we were shooting like any other co artistes.
Ramu has been appreciating Abhishek, saying he has done a better job than you in Sarkar Raj⦠please comment.
Has Ramu said that? What can I say⦠all parents want their children to succeed and do better in life than themselves... this is a proud moment for any father to hear that his son has done better than him.
You have worked with RGV before and some of the films have not done well at the box office⦠please comment.
I believe that Ramu is a very capable director⦠he has always challenged me as an actor and pushed me as an actor to give better performances.
I believe that Ramu is a very capable director⦠he has always challenged me as an actor
The tagline of Sarkar Raj is that power cannot be given, it needs to be taken. What is power for youâ¦
Power as a word has a lot of ramifications and can mean several things to several people. Power is also that you can sit across me and ask questions, this is power of media. One kind of power is political; the other kind of power is power of common man walking on the streets⦠so it means a lot of things to lot of people. Source: Indiafm.com Features | 5 Jun 2008 | 4:27 pm
âA careful driver is one who honks his horn when he goes through a red light. â
The aforementioned quote clearly indicates the importance of red colour. Well, if one has to âenhanceâ the importance of the important, all that a person needs to do is make the important wear the importance! We are sure that everything above is Greek and Latin to you. But, to cut a long story short, the crux of the matter is that the powerhouse actress Tabu, in her red flaring dress, looks more than a million bucks, on the latest cover of Good Housekeeping, the magazine thatâs all about Home, Health and Happiness!
She speaks her hear out in this issue, as she goes on record to reveal all about her primitive years, her upbringing, her parents and her relationship with them and but of course Bollywood! Very few know the fact that it was Dev Anand who had auditioned both the fiery actor sisters (Farha and Tabu) for the role of his daughter in Jawaani Deewaani. Of the tow, it was Tabu who ultimately bagged the role, thus giving Bollywood, its very own answer to all-time acting greats!
The ever-so-sweet Tabu also adds that if the hit song from Vijaypath âRukh Rukh Rukh Arrey Baba Rukhâ hadnât happened to her, then, no one would know her or watch her in Chandni Bar! She minces no words when she âdeclaresâ a sweet something about her Cheeni Kum co-star, Big B! She says that she wouldnât work with any other actor, but him!
Lastly, one has always heard of the saying âPainting the town Redâ. But our dearest Tabu has smashed apart this phrase into a million fragments by going million of steps ahead of this and âwearingâ Red! Source: Indiafm.com Features | 5 Jun 2008 | 3:35 pm
Cocktail waitress Sarah Larson is definitely "moving forward" after her split from George Clooney, says a pal. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 5 Jun 2008 | 12:40 pm
French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy will release her third album next month, her US label said on Wednesday, a signal that the pop singer is not letting official duties interfere with career goals. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 5 Jun 2008 | 12:40 pm
The bodylicious John Abraham is more than being just an eye-candy – the hunk devotedly works for a cause, small wonder then, that he is to be recognized as an `Eco Warrior`, on World Environment Day for his works with elephants. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 5 Jun 2008 | 12:40 pm
In a book to be published this week, France`s first lady speaks out about falling head over heels in love with President Nicolas Sarkozy, not only for his "physique", but also for his "five or six brains". Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 5 Jun 2008 | 12:40 pm
The feud between the Thackerays and the Bachchans has taken an epic proportion – the latest evidence is that the Thackeray clan were not shown the special screening of `Sarkar Raj`, despite Balasaheb Thackeray and Raj Thackeray`s request. Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 5 Jun 2008 | 12:40 pm
Soap opera queen Ekta Kapoor has changed the title of her much talked about 'Mahabharata' to 'Kahani Hamare Mahabharat Ki' as the former was registered with B.R. Chopra Productions -- this also gave her an opportunity to insert her lucky 'K' in the title. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 5 Jun 2008 | 11:12 am
Red Carpet Films Ltd., a joint venture between Subhash Ghai's Mukta Arts and Manish Goswami, has signed four directors for their forthcoming films. They are Shivam Nair (also director of Ashtavinayak's MAHARATHI), Suhail Tatari, Ajay Chandhok and Mahesh Kothare. Cast and credits are being finalized. Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 5 Jun 2008 | 11:08 am
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Cinemax hosted the music launch of Marathi film SANAI CHAUGHADE, directed by Rajeev Patil. Held at the luxurious Red Lounge in Cinemax Versova, a host of celebrities from the Marathi film fraternity attended along with movie's star cast Shreyas Talpade, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Tushaar Dalvi, Shilpa Tulaskar, Subodh Bhave and Sai Tamhankar. Farah Khan stepped in as the chief guest to support Shreyas in his debut venture as a producer. Avdhoot Gupte has composed the music. Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 5 Jun 2008 | 11:08 am
Prankster Emraan Hashmi recently roped in buddy and cousin Mohit Suri to scare the living daylights out of Kangana Ranaut while shooting in Shimla for Raaz 2. Says Emraan, chuckling with glee, "We are staying at this isolated century-old mini-castle with long draughty corridors. Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 5 Jun 2008 | 10:59 am
Cinemax hosted the music launch of Marathi film SANAI CHAUGHADE, directed by Rajeev Patil. Held at the luxurious Red Lounge in Cinemax Versova, a host of celebrities from the Marathi film fraternity attended along with movie's star cast Shreyas Talpade, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Tushaar Dalvi, Shilpa Tulaskar, Subodh Bhave and Sai ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 5 Jun 2008 | 10:55 am
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It happened in the crowded Dongri area where Rajeev Khandelwal shot his debut film Aamir with hidden cameras hoping he won't be recognized. Unfortunately, a female fan jumped out of the crowd and accosted Rajiv when she recognized him as Sujal from the Ekta Kapoor soap Kahiin To Hoga.
"We were shooting on the road in Dongri where I had to run across the street. And there couldn't be a re-take for obvious reasons. Suddenly this woman spotted me from a taxi. She stopped her vehicle mid-street got out and started screaming my name. The camera was rolling. I told her I needed to cross the street before the lights changed from red to green. She wouldn't listen. So I gently pushed her hands away and crossed as per script. That shot of the woman stopping me is in the film. "
Many times as we see Rajiv talking into the phone in Aamir it's actually the director instructing the actor rather than the character being instructed by people in the plot. "It was a great challenge. We shot for 28 days on the streets of Mumbai. Except a shot in an airport washroom everything has been shot outdoors in some of the most congested areas of Mumbai. We first tried shooting with normal cameras. But that didn't work. Coming from television when people in Dharavi and Dongri saw cameras pointing at me, they immediately recognized me."
Rajeev says he felt much more comfortable facing the movie camera than television.
"The minute I heard the script I loved the sound of it. The idea of my character roaming anxiously in crowded areas of Mumbai taking instructions on the phone from mysterious people really caught my attention. But it's not a copy of the Hollywood film Cellular. People jumped to the conclusion when they saw running helter-skelter me with a cellphone in hand."
In real life Rajeev loses his phone more frequently than his temper. "I lost my phone last month. Then again last week I dropped it on the beach and lost the phone and all my numbers at a time when I need to invite all my friends and associates for my premiere."
So far his movie debut has been smooth. "My most cherished moment was when Hema Maliniji after seeing Aamir said, 'Welcome To The Film Fraternity.' I don't think of the hurdles. Yes, Sarkar Raj is also coming with me. So what? The minute you stop focusing on the finishing line and start looking around you are finished." Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 5 Jun 2008 | 10:54 am
One suspects Riteish Deshmukh to get irritated, in fact really irritated, on being prodded incessantly about his long delayed solo hero act. However, to one's pleasant surprise, he is quite patient when the query is raised and surprises by saying that going solo is indeed in his mind now. Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 5 Jun 2008 | 10:33 am
Final touches are being made to the movie Sarkar. The movie is directed by Phani Raj and produced by K Venkateshwara Rao under the banner of Santi Priya Productions. Nagababu and Ramya Krishna are in the lead. The film also had 'Anand' of 'Photo'-fame and Suhasini as the young pair. ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 5 Jun 2008 | 10:26 am
After a slight dilly-dallying in the last few weeks w.r.t. its arrival at theaters, Khushboo has finally been confirmed for its release. It would now be arriving on 20th June, a fortnight after the Sarkar Raj euphoria settles down. Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 5 Jun 2008 | 10:24 am
The audio of Vaade Kavali would be launched on June 8 and Aditya Music would market the audio. The movie is directed by Rajendra Darshan and produced by Kasani Viresh Babu and Raghunath Sogi under the banner of Veeru Creations and Sri Sadguru Cinema. Sairam Shankar and Suhasi are in ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 5 Jun 2008 | 10:13 am
Bollywood current bombshell Kareena Kapoor who had shed a lot of flab for her chic and sleek look in Tashan has now gained few kilos to sport a new look in her upcoming flick Main Aur Mrs Khanna. Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 5 Jun 2008 | 10:10 am
The Nitin-Mamata Mohandas starrer Victory is busy wrapping up the post-production formalities. Final touches are being made for the film directed by Ravi C Kumar and produced by Venkat under the banner of RR Movie Makers, which is likely to hit the screen in the third week of June. Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 5 Jun 2008 | 10:05 am
All of 20 years of age, Adhyayan Suman, son of Shekhar Suman, is a picture of confidence. In fact, interacting with him makes one really feel if the lower cap of an actor making his debut is further going down!
However, Adhyayan (which by the way stands for 'studying'), is quite sure about what he is looking for in his career ahead. He says, "What makes me most happy about debuting with Haal-e-Dil is the fact that I have grabbed this opportunity on my own terms."
Please add. "I am a star son. After all I have Suman as my surname and it does carry it's own weight", he reasons, "If my father wanted he could have launched me in a multi crore project. He may have possibly approached the Chopras in the business and recommended my name. But we were sure that we didn't want to follow any of these routes."
So what route did he choose to follow?
"In fact it was pure luck that got me Haal-e-Dil ", explains Adhyayan whose Haal-e-Dil also marks the launch pad of Kumar Mangat's daughter Amita Pathak and Nakuul Mehta. âI had gone for a hair cut and Ajay Devgan happened to be there. He was looking at someone to be playing the other lead (apart from Nakuul) in the film and though he had auditioned actors from Delhi as well as Pakistan, no one had been zeroed down."
"Once he interacted with me for a while, I got a call from Kumarji in 30 minutes flat. He wanted me to go through the script and needless to say, I was bowled over by its brilliancy. I didn't have to think much before signing on the dotted line", reveals Adhyayan.
On a parting note, he adds, "My dad is a self made man and I am happy that I too am following his footsteps. To be honest, there couldn't have been a better dream launch than Haal-e-Dil." Source: Indiafm.com Features | 5 Jun 2008 | 9:54 am
Cricket is more than just a game today. You see scantily-clad cheerleaders kicking around in the cricket ground. Film actors are often seen cheering in the stands, adding glamour to the game. Sometimes you don't know whether to follow the game or watch the Bollywood beauties. Yes, so many things ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 5 Jun 2008 | 9:50 am
Generally, film directors and big actors take a break after completing a film. But actor Kamal Hassan is an exception to all these kinds of routine things. After completing his 2 years hectic schedule for Dasavatharam, it seems that the actor starts his work for his next grandeur Marmayogi, jointly ... Source: Oneindia - Entertainment | 5 Jun 2008 | 8:59 am
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - "Sarkar Raj", a new Bollywood film on a shrewd businesswoman's plan to build a power plant caught up in development politics is drawing comparisons with the controversy behind the failed Indian project of U.S. utilities giant Enron.
For 654 weeks, this man has watched DDLJ twice every day. From the
projector room of Maratha Mandir
Tujhe dekha toh yeh jaana sanamâ¦" he hums as he sits on his high stool,
staring at the projection window and occasionally at the sparse but
animated audience in the hall below. Then, with a resounding snap and a
jerk, he changes the reel. The audience claps and cheers, then there's
a loud whistle as Raj Malhotra utters the famous words: "Bade-bade
shehron mein choti-choti baatein hoti rehti hain."
It's the 654th week of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge at the Maratha
Mandir cinema hall and Jagjivan Vitthaldas Maru (58) doesn't care if
Yash Raj belted out another dud in Tashan. As the man who has completed
nearly 13 years of manning the projector at Maratha Mandir, Jaggu, as
he's fondly called, remains very much in love. With Yash Raj; with Raj
and Simran; and with the movie, that's running its uninterrupted course
straight into the record books as the longest running film, ever. After
all, Jaggu's been running with it, since Day One.
Having started in 1972 as a young die-hard Bollywood fan, Jaggu was
first employed as the projector technician at the Gaiety-Galaxy cinema
in Bandra, earning a princely sum of Rs 300 a month. His father's
business had collapsed and Bollywood was bailing him out. He shifted to
Maratha Mandir a few years later and has been here since.
He remembers rolling out the Sholay reels in
1982 for two weeks, but says: "Sholay's popularity is nothing in
comparison to DDLJ's.
Now, there are dozens of familiar faces that I can spot here every
weekend, some have been coming for years."
The fair and medium-built technician hails from the tiny town of
Mohabbatpara in Gujarat. A Std X pass, Jaggu starts his day at 10 am,
after a long commute from Vasai to Mumbai Central. His shift ends at 6
pm.
"I still can't believe how this movie attracts such a huge audience;
the halls still go jam-packed on festival days occasions and weekends.
Will you believe it, the film actually did not do well in the first
week of its release in our theatre," he wonders aloud.v
His own favourite movie is Mother India and his all-time favourite star
pairing is Raj Kapoor and Nargis. Shyly, he recalls how when they were
newly married, his wife Bharti would be hugely excited about his work.
"People have this misconception about our job  that it's all fun
watching a film all day. But the reality is that we need to be alert at
all times, to keep checking if the film reel is playing well or not.
The reels need to be handled with utmost care  any breakage or scratch
spoils the quality on screen." He says automated machines for
reel-rolling were introduced only about five years ago. "Before that,
we had to sit and roll the reels manually. It's not an easy task you
know, we sweat and toil to keep the show going."
Any bloopers? He laughingly recalls one day in 1980, during the
screening of the film Dard starring Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz. At the
end of Part One, the audience began to get on to their feet an sat down
abruptly as he began to play Part Two. "I'd forgotten to give the
intermission time," he says. "Luckily, no one created a scene and
everybody simply sat down to watch the second part." But films made
nowadays are no good, he says, explaining why he won't let his
four-year-old grandson watch any new movies.
Manoj Desai, the proprietor of Maratha Mandir, calls Jaggu an
"excellent technician and a dedicated employee". "He joined as my
employee in Gaiety in 1972," Desai says. "He has been like my son.
Without him, I think, the screening of DDLJ will lose its essence."
Screen India Source: Indiafm.com Features | 5 Jun 2008 | 7:25 am
Budding actor Mashhoor Amrohi, who is the grandson of legendary filmmaker Kamal Amrohi, feels he is getting free publicity from a defamation case filed by his aunt against poet-lyricist Nida Fazli. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 5 Jun 2008 | 3:32 am
Songs became an integral part of Indian movies ever since the talkies era started with 'Alam Ara' in 1931. Released on March 14 that year, it had seven songs. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 5 Jun 2008 | 3:30 am
Subhash Ghai who came back to directing after a break with the film Black &White and now basking in the glory of seeing his Whistling Woods Film Institute doing extremely well and getting back to his usual flamboyant way of film making with the Salman Khan film Yuvaraj, the show man has gone for yet another way to satisfy his creative drive. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 5 Jun 2008 | 12:00 am
The girl who created waves among the adolescents of South India is celebrating her birthday today. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 5 Jun 2008 | 12:00 am
Nakuul Mehta, a descendent from the Royal family of Udaipur, Rajasthan, is making his debut in the film industry with Eros and Kumar Mangat produced Haal-e-Dil, starring him and Kumar Mangats daughter Amita Pathak. Film is scheduled to release in the 3rd week of June, 2008. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 5 Jun 2008 | 12:00 am
As is pretty obvious after the first weekend gone by, HASTEY HASTEY has bombed badly at the box office and doesnt have anything working in its favor to show an improvement. Everything about it was poor - its opening, subsequent reviews, word of mouth and post release buzz. And to think of it, this was one of the better Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 5 Jun 2008 | 12:00 am
If Kareena lost weight for her chic and sleek look in Tahshan, the gorgeous gal has now added a few kilos for her look in Main Aur Mrs Khanna. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 5 Jun 2008 | 12:00 am
In his acting debut Woodstock Villa, Sikandar has portrayed fine acting skills. Sikandar, who plays a Casanova, seems quite confident. He suits the image of a playboy, who constantly gets into trouble. It does not look like this is his first performance on screen. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 5 Jun 2008 | 12:00 am
What happens when in a bid to play a prank on someone you become a victim of the prank yourself? Well, the results are for you to see! Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 5 Jun 2008 | 12:00 am
Vidya Balan did not just add Bollywood Glamour to the event but also did her bit to create more awareness and contribute to the well being of our planet. Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 5 Jun 2008 | 12:00 am
Vidya Balan has not been much in the news since her last release Halla Bol in January this year. The talented actress has been quite a regular on the endorsement front and is seen often on T.V. along with South star Madhavan in the Airtel commercials.
On the eve of World Environment Day, Vidya Balan was present at a tree plantation drive held by Lanxess India along with the 'Save The Children India' organization. They planted over 100 samplings in an initiative to increase the green cover and stimulate worldwide awareness of the environment. Indeed a noble gesture on the beautiful actresses' part.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Vidya Balan has recently signed on with Bling! Entertainment Solutions, a leading talent and celebrity management company in India founded by Atul Kasbekar. Bling! Entertainment Solutions shall now handle all the endorsement deals of the actor as well as protect her long term interests.
The promos of Vidya's next big release Kismat Konnection opposite Shahid Kapoor are already generating a lot of curiosity. Looks like Vidya indeed has a lot of reasons to flaunt that million dollar smile of hers. Source: Indiafm.com Features | 4 Jun 2008 | 4:33 pm
Harman Baweja, who is debuting with the much talked about 'Love Story 2050', has been taking the comparisons with Hrithik Roshan on his chin. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 4 Jun 2008 | 4:30 pm
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Bhushan Kumar's Karzzzz has been in the news ever since it was announced. For the first time ever, a remake had the blessings of the director and actor of the original classic Karz. Yes, Subhash Ghai and Rishi Kapoor were present at the Muhurat of Karzzzz which took place a few months back and the film took off in grand style.
Now, thanks to the strong production values and amazing music, Reliance Big Entertainment has acquired the world theatrical, internet and satellite rights of T-Series' Karzzzz. Interestingly, the film slated to be made at a high production value of Rs. 28 crores (approximately) is said to have already raked in the moolah for the makers with Reliance parting with Rs. 35 crore as a part of the deal. This could only be because of the marketing and music acumen of the company which has now ventured into film production with three diverse musicals that have brought to the fore directors like Satish Kaushik, John Mathew Mathan and Pooja Bhatt in three Himesh Reshammiya starrers.
Though the makers refuse to second the figure (confirmed by our sources), the fact that there is no denial pretty much sums up things. With the kind of pricing Bhushan Kumar has managed for this film, looks like this is just the beginning for this young and dynamic entrepreneur.
Karzzzz sees Himesh Reshammiya portraying the role which was played by Rishi Kapoor in the original classic and also stars Urmila Matondkar, Shweta Kumar, Raj Babbar, Danny Denzongpa, Gulshan Grover and Rohini Hattangadi in other stellar roles. Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 4 Jun 2008 | 3:10 pm
After a star-studded announcement, Star entertainments Pvt. Ltd. presentation Red Alert- The War Within has gone on floors from May 19, 2008. The entire team has moved to an outdoor location and the current schedule will run through till June 14, 2008.
This is the true story of Narsimha, a farm laborer, who desperately needed money to fund the education of his children. He finds himself in the midst of Naxalites where his mission becomes a mere subset of a greater cause that the militant's pursue.
Red Alert - The War Within is produced by T.P Aggarwal and Rahul Aggarwal under the banner of Star Entertainments Pvt. Ltd. Anant Mahadevan is directing the film, written by Aruna Raje, K. Rajkumar is the Director of Photography and Executive producer is George F Cameron. Creatives for the film by Brainstorm.
Red Alert- The War Within stars Sunil Shetty, Sameera Reddy, Ayesha Dharker, Seema Biswas, Makrand Deshpande, Bhagyashree, Ashish Vidyarthi, Ehsaan Khan, Suneel Sinha with Gulshan Grover, Naseeruddin Shah and Vinod Khanna. Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 4 Jun 2008 | 2:35 pm
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If you are someone who is glued to T.V. then you would have surely seen her in serials like Saara Akash and Hotel Kingston. She even featured in the popular music-video Maeri by Euphoria. She is none other than the vivacious beauty Sonal Sehgal. After having done quite a few commercials, music-videos and T.V. serials, Sonal is looking forward to her big Bollywood release- Aashayein which has her paired opposite Bollywood hunk John Abraham. Bollywood Hungama spoke to the effervescent actress who has all her Aashayein pinned on this Nagesh Kukunoor directed film.
Sonal, you are a familiar face on Television and are now stepping into mainstream Bollywood with Aashayein. How does it feel?
It feels great to enter Bollywood with such a fantastic director and such a good film.
The title Aashayein itself is very inspiring. What is the film all about?
In one word, the film is about Hope. What you take from the film as learning is to learn to live life. All of us deep down know about that but in the course of our day to day life we forget about it and get caught up with the rat race and meetings, deadlines etc.
What is your character in the film?
I play John's live-in girlfriend. I am a regular city girl who has a 9-to-5 job and he is a good-for-nothing gambler. But I am too much in love to be upset with him for not working. We have this beautiful life and share some really happy moments till we are confronted by certain circumstances and how we get out of it, without losing hope forms the crux of the film.
I play John's live-in girlfriend. I am a regular city girl who has a 9-to-5 job and he is a good-for-nothing gambler
A lot of girls would die to debut with a hunk like John. How has been your experience with him?
It has been fantastic working with John. In spite of the fact that he is a big star and is bestowed with adulation all the time, he still doesn't behave like a star on the sets. He is very down-to-earth, professional and makes everyone feel comfortable. He was always there on time for the reading sessions, rehearsals etc. He didn't throw any tantrums whatsoever.
John is very down-to-earth, professional and makes everyone feel comfortable
How was it working with a director like Nagesh Kukunoor? Was he the taskmaster on the sets?
Nagesh is very thorough when it comes to his work. Once you are on the sets, there is no time for discussion. All the discussions about the character, the scene etc. happens before you go to shoot. So in that sense, he is very organized. There is no time (on the sets) for fooling around and playing pranks etc. But at the same time it gives you a different high when you are working with people who are so honest and sincere about their work. We used to shoot around 12-15 hours everyday, yet we never felt fatigued because when everybody is giving in their 100% you also feel like putting your best foot forward.
A major portion of the film has been shot in Pondicherry. Could you share some interesting moments during the shoot?
We were shooting at this resort in Pondicherry where there was no Television, no Internet, no newspapers and no cell-phone connectivity. There was a reason why this resort was chosen, as Aashayein was shot in sync-sound. As per international guidelines, whenever you are shooting for a sync-sound film, there should be pin-drop silence for at-least a 5 km radius. So even when you are not shooting your scenes you can neither watch T.V. nor chat with someone on the phone. What's more you couldn't even talk with your co-stars because sync-sound is so sensitive that it will catch the voice. I felt like I am at some Vipasana camp. So, finally John and I used to play chess as that is the only game which we could play quietly (laughs).
We had to keep pin-drop silence as we were shooting in sync-sound. So John and I used to play chess as that is the only game which we could play quietly.
You have starred in T.V. serials like Saara Akash and Hotel Kingston and are now looking forward to your big release Aashayein. Did you always want to be an actress?
I think the acting bug bit me when I was really small. My mother tells me that when I was 3 years old, I used to go around telling everyone that I want to be Charlie Chaplin. He was my favorite actor then and still is. My parents were worried because other kids dreamt of becoming a doctor, or an engineer or a pilot and I wanted to only become Charlie Chaplin (laughs). Even when I was in my late teens, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do in life. Sometimes I wanted to be a pilot and at times a fashion designer or an architect. That's when my sister came up with this idea and said that I should become an actor as I could then play all the roles which I want to. I was thrilled (laughs).
When I was 3 years old, I used to go around telling everyone that I want to be Charlie Chaplin
So how did you get your first major break in the world of modeling and T.V.?
I started out as an assistant director to Pradeep Sarkar on his ad films. It's quite a funny story how I landed up in Euphoria's music-video Maeri. We were shooting around New Year's time and all the models are usually partying in Goa at that time of the year. We did not find a girl for a long time. So Dada told me in his typical innocent tone, âSonal you come in your white salwar-kameez for the shoot. If I don't find a model, then I will ask you to feature in the videoâ Next thing I know I was starring in the video. The funniest thing was that I used to be taking the clap, throw the clap on the floor and start acting (laughs).
I started out as an assistant director to Pradeep Sarkar on his ad films.
A lot of T.V. actors (Rajeev Khandelwal, Shweta Salve, Shama Sikander and Prachi Desai) are making the transition to the big screen this year. Your commentsâ¦
I am very happy that it's happening now. In fact I am looking forward to seeing Rajeev's film Aamir. There are some really talented people in T.V. but not everyone gets the right, big opportunity to act in films. Even if they do it's usually the role of the hero's friend or some supporting character. But I am glad that today times are changing. A lot of T.V. actors are getting to play the lead roles in films and it's mainly because even they have such a huge fan following. So I am really happy about T.V. actors finally getting their due.
I am really happy about T.V. actors finally getting their due
What about yourself, are you going to do only films or would you even be doing T.V.?
If I keep getting good films to do, I will do them. But God forbid, even if I don't, I won't do seedy roles in films. I'd rather be a heroine in a T.V. serial than a heroine's friend or sister in a film. These days the biggest stars are on T.V., so I don't think this is the time to say no to Television if something exciting comes up. I am just keeping my fingers crossed and hoping to get some good offers. As for now, I'll just take things as they come and go with the flow.
I'd rather be a heroine in a T.V. serial than a heroine's friend or sister in a film
Any particular directors / actors you would love to work with.
I think there are lots of fantastic directors like Farhan Akhtar, Anurag Basu, Anurag Kashyap, Sudhir Mishra and even Aamir Khan for that matter who are doing good cinema these days. Even the audiences' tastes are changing and if you have a good script, it is going to work. So I think now is a great time to be a part of Indian film industry.
In Bollywood they say a heroine's career is pretty much finished the moment she ties the knot. Not many may know but you have been married for some time now. In fact, you are one of the few actresses who are making their debut after her marriage. Do you think it will affect your image in any way?
I don't know. In fact I don't think these things actually matter. What matters at the end of the day is the quality your work. The audiences today have become very smart and have really evolved. These things don't really matter to them either. All they want to see at the end of the day is a good film which entertains them and gives them value for money.
Your husband Naresh Kamat is a musician and is part of the band Kailasa along with Kailash Kher. Are you also musically inclined?
No, I'm not (laughs).
So how do you like spending your free time?
In my free time I watch a lot of movies, I read a lot of books, and I keep joining all the new dance classes that are opening in the city (laughs).That I feel is a great way to workout and plus you get to learn something new. So I've been learning various dance forms be it Salsa, or Belly-dancing, and Capoeira .I don't know any of them perfectly but I am still learning. I am like the 'Jack of all dances and Master of none' (laughs)
You did star in U Bomsi, N Me but the movie didn't click. Do you consider Aashayein as your real debut?
The problem with U, Bomsi N Me was that it was an English film and hence catered to a very niche audience. Aashayein on the other hand is a commercial film. Nagesh always has his own set of loyal audience who come to watch his films. And then there is John,
who is going to really surprise everybody with his performance in this film. You have to see it to believe it.
John is going to really surprise everybody with his performance in this film
The music of Aashayein was unveiled in a really innovative way with a concert recently. How do you think the music has evolved?
The music of the film is fantastic. It's going to be a big hit. To give you an instance, when we had the wrap-up party we were dancing whole night to that song 'Ab Hai Ujala'. So you can imagine, if we were dancing the whole night to just one song what a big hit it's going to be. Then there is 'Shukriya Zindagi', and 'Pal Mein' which leave a lingering impact on your mind. I simply love the music.
What are your future projects?
I'm just meeting people and reading scripts at this point of time. I always feel if your first film launches you then your second film establishes you. So you have to pick the right film and I'm in no hurry. After debuting with such a great role and with a great director, I don't want to do run of the mill kind of roles.
Finally, what is your Aashayein from Aashayein?
I hope everyone goes to watch the movie not because I'm starring in it but because I feel people should support good films. So if you believe in good, intelligent and entertaining cinema then go and watch the film because a film like this comes once in a while. Aashayein is an extremely positive film and that itself is its biggest strength. Source: Indiafm.com Features | 4 Jun 2008 | 2:34 pm
Sikander Kher's next release Summer 2007 will hit the screens on June 13. The film seeks to explore with deep humanism, the fascinating coming together of India's youth with the Agrarian Crisis that is threatening to spiral out of control. The film is produced by Adlabs and Atul Productions.
Speaking on the film, producer Atul Pandey says, âThe film explores the possibility of micro credit as a possible non-violent solution to the problems of the farmers. Our research shows the existence of micro credit in the regions of Vidarbha - though used within small intimate groups. Mohammad Yunus of Grameen Bank has displayed the success of micro credit scheme. He lent $27 to forty-two people in 1976 and today more than 60 countries practice the system. Thus, we weaved micro credit and social credit as possible solution to the problems in the films thematic and geographical landscape.â
The character of Sachin Khedekar is based on Mohammad Yunus while Sikander, Gul, Yuvika, Arjan and Alekh play the 5 friends who somehow get embroiled in the issues faced by the villagers in a village where these 5 medical students go for a rural media training camp.
Each of the five friends reacts differently to the situations around them. Some come to terms with reality, some undergo a change of heart, and some become even bitterâ¦some fall in love. Thus, these few days of rural medical training become cataclysmic in nature as each of them go through a trial by fire and come out scorched and seasoned.
Summer 2007 releases on June 13, 2008. Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 4 Jun 2008 | 1:19 pm
Rajiv Khandelwal, who became a craze among the Indian television audience for his portrayal of Sujal in Ekta Kapoor's 'Kahiin To Hoga', said he would never like to be a part of Balaji's project again in its present form. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 4 Jun 2008 | 11:20 am
Bollywood star Salman Khan, who is gearing up for his television debut with reality game show 'Dus Ka Dum', starting June 6, says he is not the type to rehearse for his roles. Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 4 Jun 2008 | 11:20 am
