|
|
|
|
Judi 'M' Dench wants to quit Bond movies
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 15 Nov 2008 | 3:38 pm Lamhaa to be shot in Manali now
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 15 Nov 2008 | 3:13 pm Tanushree in love with the city of AurangabadAfter Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Mahima Chaudhary, Shilpa Shetty and Diya Mirza, Bollywood star Tanushree Dutta has now fallen in love with the city of Aurangabad.Source: Entertainment News | 15 Nov 2008 | 3:10 pm Aavakai biryani: A romantic saga
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 15 Nov 2008 | 2:19 pm Kuselan fiasco haunts Tamil filmdom
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 15 Nov 2008 | 2:11 pm Amitabh Bachchan returns to work
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 15 Nov 2008 | 1:54 pm Dostana rakes in 80 per cent collection on Day 1
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 15 Nov 2008 | 1:43 pm Aniston dresses up as French maid
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 15 Nov 2008 | 1:36 pm Charlize Theron to become UN Peace envoy
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 15 Nov 2008 | 1:27 pm No swimsuit act for Craig again
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 15 Nov 2008 | 1:19 pm Get set to say Sorry Bhai
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 15 Nov 2008 | 1:09 pm We're in a mess, says filmmakers hit by global meltdownThe current financial crisis that has hit the world is considered as the worst since the Great Depression of 1929 and the Indian film industry too is feeling the heat.Source: Entertainment News | 15 Nov 2008 | 12:50 pm Roland Kicklinger in Kollywood! - Sify
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 15 Nov 2008 | 11:33 am I want to clear misconceptions with autobiography: Monica BediBollywood starlet and gangster Abu Salem's former girlfriend Monica Bedi reveals she is writing her autobiography through which she wants to clear many misconceptions about her past.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Nov 2008 | 11:31 am Refreshed, Amitabh Bachchan resumes workAfter a much-needed break in Udaipur, during which he caught up on reading, writing and watching films he always wanted to, Amitabh Bachchan is back to work Saturday after recuperating from his illness.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Nov 2008 | 11:31 am Gracy Singh hopes to get roles like Rekha, Hema MaliniBollywood actress Gracy Singh of "Lagaan" fame says she wants to play a role like veteran actors Rekha and Hema Malini played in hit films "Khoobsurat" and "Seeta Aur Geeta" respectively.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Nov 2008 | 11:30 am Sharmila helps daughter Soha with Bengali dialoguesHaving done two Bengali films, Bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan still gets her mother veteran actress Sharmila Tagore to speak the dialogues for her to get the Bengali accent right.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Nov 2008 | 11:30 am Aamir to groove to western beats in 'Ghajini'Fans of Bollywood star Aamir Khan will be delighted to see the talented actor doing a completely western dance, a la "Koi Kahe kehta rahe" from the hit "Dil Chahta Hai", in his forthcoming film "Ghajini".Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Nov 2008 | 11:30 am Good & bad cops - Sakaal Times
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 15 Nov 2008 | 11:23 am Dostana - taking male bonding to a new high - Hindustan Times
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 15 Nov 2008 | 10:52 am Surya shines as father and son in 'Vaaranam Aayiram'Film: 'Vaaranam Aayiram'; Director: Gowtham Menon; Cast: Surya, Simran, Divya Spandana, Sameera Reddy; Music: Harris Jayaraj; Rating: ***Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Nov 2008 | 10:30 am Craig's lost finger to remain forever on 007 stage - Oneindia
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 15 Nov 2008 | 10:09 am The Raj Kapoor factor in RAB NE BANA DI JODI - GlamSham
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 15 Nov 2008 | 10:08 am Bad narrative makes 'Maharshi' unbearableFilm: 'Maharshi'; Director: Krishna Brahma; Cast: Prashanth, Pooja Gandhi Muni and Harish Rai; Music: Sree Murali; Rating: *Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Nov 2008 | 10:01 am BIG Home Video releases DVD of latest Indiana Jones movieThe Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group-promoted BIG Home Video has released the DVD of the latest Indiana Jones series movie, 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull', in India.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Nov 2008 | 10:00 am Winehouse goes on bizarre night walkTroubled British singer Amy Winehouse reportedly went on a bizarre walk late in the night, wearing rather skimpy clothes.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Nov 2008 | 10:00 am ‘I am a geeky hero’ - Sify
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 15 Nov 2008 | 9:38 am Madhavan in Britain to lose weight for 'Three Idiots'Tamil superstar R Madhavan first shed six kilograms to look compatible on screen with Shruti Haasan, and now he is required to undergo a physical meltdown to fit the bill in Raj Kumar Hirani's 'Three Idiots'.Source: Entertainment News | 15 Nov 2008 | 8:59 am 'Dostana' rakes in 80 percent collection on day oneKaran Johar's latest production 'Dostana', which has Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham pretending to be gay, got a great opening, raking in 80 percent collection at the box office in Mumbai on the opening day.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 15 Nov 2008 | 8:00 am I won't hide anything about my past in my autobiography: Monica Bedi - SantaBanta.com
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 15 Nov 2008 | 7:44 am Pragmatic Priyanka defends ‘Fashion’, ‘Dostana’ at one go - Zee News
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 15 Nov 2008 | 7:34 am Asianet going in for joint venture with STAR - Express Buzz
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 15 Nov 2008 | 4:59 am Mangalore: Children's Day celebrated - Images - Mangalorean.com
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 15 Nov 2008 | 1:14 am Tanushree Dutta Celebrates Childrens Day [Gallery]Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 15 Nov 2008 | 12:00 am Salman “Yuvvraaj” Uncle On Children’s Day [Gallery]It was Children’s Day out on 14th Nov 2008 at Globus, Bandra as their icon arrived to meet and greet them at the promotional event of his forthcoming film “Yuvvraaj”.It was a packed venue where all the fans of Salman including majority of children waited anxiously for their hero. As the hero arrived the crowd chanted his name and the child fans were obliged with cake and autograph by their superhero.Salman had a tiff with the security persons who seemed to push the crowd and bestowed his love to every kid out there. Now that’s the real super hero.Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 15 Nov 2008 | 12:00 am "The film is about six Indians who want to shake hands with Bush" - Anuvab PalWith each passing day, Bollywood is seeing more and more of new and young talent buzzing with interesting ideas. One such young bundle of talent is writer Anuvab Pal who has written the story of films such as Loins Of Punjab Presents and the soon to be released The President Is Coming. Having spent many years in the US of A, Anuvab is among the new breed of young and gifted writers who promise to bring us some hatke yet entertaining cinema. In an exclusive chat with Bollywood Hungama, Anuvab speaks about his forthcoming film, The President is Coming, which is based on a play he had written a couple of years back. Read on... After writing Loins Of Punjab Presents, you are back with yet another comedy, The President Is Coming. What is the film all about? The film is about six young Indians who compete with each other to shake hands with George W Bush during his visit to India. The film is based on a play with the same name which I had written couple of years ago. The film is about six young Indians who compete with each other to shake hands with George W Bush during his visit to India How did this idea come about? When George W. Bush visited India in 2006, among the many things he wanted to do was to meet the faces that represent the Gen-Next of India. He actually went to Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, and met a few young Indians. We just used that as a take-off point for our film. To bring in the humor element, we thought what would have happened if there was a reality contest to select one Indian worthy enough to shake hands with George W. Bush. That's how the idea for the play and thus the film came about. To bring in the humor element, we thought what would have happened if there was a reality contest to select one Indian worthy enough to shake hands with George W. Bush So when did the play release? I wrote the play in 2006 and it premiered in Mumbai in Jan 2007. The response was pretty good and we did quite a few shows around the country. Now it will be interesting to see what the play audiences think of the movie and am also sure that the movie will get an audience of those who have not watched the play. Who all feature in the cast and a little bit on their roles? The film stars Konkona Sen Sharma and Shernaz Patel besides a host of other talented actors. Konkona plays a Bengali novelist short listed for the Booker prize who wants to shake hands with George W. Bush. Besides her character, you have various other characters that represent the new-age India. So you have a stockbroker, you have a call centre employee played by Anand Tiwari, you have an accent trainer played by Vivek. There is a posh South Mumbai woman played by Ira Dubey who is making her debut with this film. Namit Das plays a software engineer while Sachin Puranik plays an NGO son-of- the -soil sort of a character who wants to shake hands with Bush because he too is a farmer like Bush. And oh yes...I must add that a very important role is played by George Bush's right hand as that's the hand everyone in the film wants to shake. So...who is playing the role of George Bush? (Laughs) That's a bit of a secret. Various body parts of George Bush show up in the film like his shoulder, his right hand and his belt buckle. We've got a couple of interesting Bush impersonators in the film too. As for whether George Bush actually is seen in the film, for that you will have to wait and watch the film. Is the film in English or Hindi? It's in English. Could you tell us a little bit about your background...how did you get into the world of showbiz? I used to live in US for a while. I started writing for T.V. shows such as Law and Order, Frasier etc. I was then asked by my good friend Manish Acharya if I had an idea to share for his first film. We sat down together and worked on an idea which is how Loins Of Punjab Presents came into being. The film released in 2007 and did fairly well. I'd been writing plays for a while and was asked by Rahul D'Cunha to write The President Is Coming for his theatre festival. Rohan Sippy saw the play and found it funny. He asked me and Kunal Roy Kapoor (the director of the play and the film) if we would be interested in adapting it into a film and we said why not? The rest as they say is history. Rohan Sippy saw the play and found it funny. He asked me and Kunal Roy Kapoor if we would be interested in adapting it into a film and we said why not? Is it some coincidence that both your films Loins Of Punjab Presents and The President Is Coming have a reality show backdrop to it? (Laughs) I was asked this very question by some people when we showcased the film at a film festival in New York. They were like, "What's with you and contest based movies" Maybe I should think about a love story of a midget as the subject for my next film. That would take it very far away from any such connection (laughs) Rohan Sippy is producing this film. How has it been working with him? Wonderful...I did not know Rohan before the film but have got to know him really well during the making of the film. The reason Rohan, Kunaal and myself get along so well is because we share a similar sense of humor. Rohan's knowledge about the United States far exceeds mine. He is the complete opposite of your typical Bollywood producer. His effort was never to make this story less intelligent but to make it more intelligent. It's been a big learning experience for me working with Rohan and yes it feels nice to have one of the most prestigious Bollywood production houses' (RSE) name associated with your project. It proves that Bollywood is open to these kinds of new stories and that there is an audience who wishes to see different, intelligent and entertaining cinema The film is directed by Kunaal Roy Kapoor who also directed the play. How has it been working with him? This is our first motion picture. Kunal and I fight all the time over small things; it happened when we were doing the play and even while making the film. We've become great friends over the years. Kunaal's greatest asset is that he is probably is one of the best comic actors. He has a great understanding of comedy. In fact he was seen in a small role in Loins Of Punjab Presents and is also doing Aamir Khan Productions' Delhi Belly. I am sure he will go on to be a very successful comic actor. In the film, he has managed to bring in comedy just the way he would do it which I think is fabulous Kunaal's greatest asset is that he is probably is one of the best comic actors. He has a great understanding of comedy. The Presidential elections just got over in US. Wouldn't it have been an apt time to release the film around the elections? Yeah, we were just discussing that. If John McCain had won, I think the whole world would have been too depressed to watch a film about George W. Bush. But now with Obama, there is a lot more hope. Also, so much of US politics is in the news out here and in all the craze of Obama, our meager effort is to show that you shouldn't forget Bush's right hand that has shaken hands with so many top dignitaries and is now looking forward to shake hands with a young Indian (smiles). The film has been making the rounds of the festival circuits. Where all have you been and when is it releasing in India? The film is releasing on Nov 28. The promos should go on air anytime now. We've showcased the film at film festivals in San Francisco, New York etc. We've done a couple of more screenings in India and it was interesting to find that audiences in US laughed at exactly the same places as audiences in Mumbai (India). This whole notion that audiences abroad are cleverer and more intelligent than the Indian audience is not true. I think we constantly underestimate our audiences. I am of the belief that our audiences are ten times more intelligent than we think they are. This whole notion that audiences abroad are cleverer and more intelligent than the Indian audience is not true. I think we constantly underestimate our audiences. Indian cinema is going through a phase where a lot of new, young talented filmmakers are coming up with innovative stories to tell. How clued in are you to Bollywood? Any recent films that have managed to catch your fancy? Bollywood is all over the place so one always keeps hearing of what's happening in the world of Bollywood. Among recent films, I really enjoyed Rock On. I would have loved to have taken a crack at that script (laughs). I like the work that Excel Entertainment does. I loved working with RSE too on The President is Coming. Manish Acharya and I are old friends so I am sure we'll do something again. I am most excited about this whole new generation of producers because I know they won't throw me out of their office even if I go to them with some unconventional story ideas. Finally what's in store after The President Is Coming? My next story is set within the world of Bollywood scriptwriting and talks about how stories go on to become films and so on. It's about a guy who makes a living in Bollywood by copying English films. I am still working on the script and hope to direct it myself.Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 14 Nov 2008 | 4:34 pm Pictures of Sanjay Dutt and wifey Manyata holidaying in BangkokOoops...they did it again...we are referring to people who have their eyes set celebrities all the time. That it makes an interesting read is another thing altogether. Sanjay Dutt and his dearest wifey Manyata Dutt is the latest celebrity couple whose pictures are being circulated on the internet. The adjoining snaps show Sanju baba and Manyata beating away their 'blues'. The snaps were taken when Manyata had gone to visit Sanjay on in Bangkok, where he was shooting for his upcoming flick Blue. Rumors have it that Sanjay Dutt had hired a boat for a whopping amount and needless to say, the couple really had a whale of a time! When Manyata was asked about these snaps, she did not deny that the snaps were taken in Bangkok. She also added that she is aware that these snaps are being circulated on the internet under the title of 'Honeymoon Snaps'. Sometimes we wonder about the price the celebrities have to pay for being famous! Maybe, that's why some philosopher had rightly described the term 'celebrity' as someone who slogs his life initially to become famous, and when he does, he wears goggles in order to avoid being recognized! What say, Sanju baba!Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 14 Nov 2008 | 4:27 pm Doctor advise Shilpa Shetty a three-month restBollywood star Shilpa Shetty has injured her wrist and has been advised a three-month rest by her doctor.Source: Entertainment News | 14 Nov 2008 | 3:54 pm Gracy Singh to perform Rabindranath Tagore's 'Shyama'Immediately after her debut film Lagaan, Gracy Singh was touted as the next big thing to be happening to Bollywood. The sad part was that after a few forgettable films (Armaan and Munnabhai MBBS being the exceptions), she was nowhere in the race. Gracy next release is Deshdrohi but the film has been banned in the Maharashtra. Leaving all this behind, Gracy is now all set to enthrall the audiences with Rabindranath Tagore's famous dance ballet 'Shyama' in Kolkata, on November 16. An excited Gracy said that 'Shyama' is challenging but at the same time, it is extremely exciting as there is so much depth in it. 'Shyama', basically is a ballet that is a soulful narration of a court dancer (Shyama) falling in love with a foreign merchant (Bajrasen). Since the entire ballet will be presented in the dance form of Bharatnatyam, it only works immensely in favour of the good-looking actress, as she is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer herself. With the controversial film Deshdrohi and a few others in her kitty, Gracy seems to be back in the race!Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 14 Nov 2008 | 2:10 pm Global recession hits Bollywood - The industry bigwigs reactBollywood bigwigs talk about the effect of Global Recession on the Hindi Film industry Vashu Bhagnani (producer): "Ironically, it's the culture of corporatization that has both organized and spoilt the film industry. While it made everyone more professional and we no longer shook hands over deals and actually put everything on paper, the corporate culture also brought arbitrary money from the outside. These corporate houses were willing to pay stars anything just to get them on board. The crazy star-buying spree has had a snowballing effect. Prices have hit the roof. Stars will definitely have to bring down their prices, though they would still be indispensable. Audiences do come to watch stars. Madhur Bhandarkar (producer-director): "There's a serious melting-down going on everywhere. And stars have already been forced to reduce their prices. Even the ones who command no fan- following had begun to charge Rs. 2 crores. The bubble was bound to burst, better it happened sooner rather than later. Would I make more budget-friendly films? My budgets are entirely dictated by the theme. I've made Traffic Signal for Rs. 4 crores. I made Fashion for 40 crores. Vikram Bhatt (producer-director): "The cash crunch has created a panic in the market. Lots of banks have frozen their credit lines; which means the big corporate production houses will have less banking support. To make matters worse, the film industry has lost close to Rs 60 crores in the month of October alone. It's a two-pronged attack with the corporate houses ceasing to acquire films. It remains to be seen whether Golmaal Returns will recover its cost of Rs 45 crores. We're in a mess. Stars never reduce their prices. One will have too look at films' budgets to economize. More importantly, the entertainment tax will have to come down. In some states it's as high as 50 percent. That's killing the film business. Suneel Darshan (producer-director): "Bollywood is not isolated from the crisis. But it isn't as severe for us as it is for the rest of the world. Our industry is sadaa suhagan. A few corporate houses were rash enough to up the prices for stars and film budgets. They're now panic-stricken. I took a sabbatical in 2008 to re-assess the situation. But now I look forward to a busy 2009. Mahesh Bhatt (filmmaker, industry spokesperson): "We Bhatts have never been a victim of our own hype. Our core values have insulated us from the bogus "Bollywood Shining" myth. We continue doing what we've done for years. Low cost -high quality is the mantra we need to embrace. This mantra made China a super-power Hansal Mehta (filmmaker): "In times of recession it is usually high -risk markets like films that feel the crunch almost immediately. Bollywood in particular is going to feel the impact of this crisis as the current scenario though called 'corporatization' is actually an example of poor corporate governance and total fiscal indiscipline. Recession or no recession, Bollywood was and is bound to go through a massive correction. I have and will always maintain that we are an industry that is purely content driven. The emphasis has to be purely on content and stars/actors need to be an essential component of this content. Their current prices are working against the delivery of quality content. We cannot earmark a major portion of our budgets to pay stars, the money needs to be utilized for delivering quality content. Rewards should be performance oriented and connected to success. Our corporate minds need to evolve a fair compensation system that is commensurate with performance and is totally transparent. I believe that UTV is the only company in the current scenario that has got a definite creative vision. The industry needs creative management of resources and talent, not just money! I have always focused on making films at sensible budgets and which are not driven by the presence of stars. I will continue doing that. My focus will be on delivering quality content at sensible budgets." Bunty Walia (producer): "There's a definite financial crisis, and it's not just about star prices, but everything associated with the film business must be restructured and we need to face the stark reality. We need to control the budget and sales of films. They're way above the top. We need to rethink and reassess the situation. Otherwise it's curtains for film industry." Harry Baweja (producer): "It's more of a wait-and-watch situation now. But yes, market correction will happen. Budgets will be restructured affecting star prices. Selling films will be difficult now. Only production houses which produce and distribute their own films will be far better placed. On the plus side, the Diwali releases have a bumper collection. So the belief that the entertainment industry will rock in any given situation stays true."Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 14 Nov 2008 | 1:50 pm
|
