|
|
|
|
Shiney's wife says he's being framed
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 17 Jun 2009 | 4:06 pm Kareena and I have great chemistry: Akshay
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 17 Jun 2009 | 3:51 pm Kaminey team studied to get it right!
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 17 Jun 2009 | 3:45 pm Neil is the latest on Salman's hate-list
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 17 Jun 2009 | 3:28 pm David, Govinda reunite for another laugh riot
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 17 Jun 2009 | 3:04 pm Victoria goes under the knife again
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 17 Jun 2009 | 2:07 pm Charged with rape, end of the road for Shiney's career? - IBNLive.com
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 1:31 pm Let the law judge Shiney's guilt, say his colleaguesJustice should take its course but Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja, in police custody on charges of raping his teenaged housemaid, shouldn't be condemned until proven guilty, say directors and actors who have worked with him.Source: Entertainment News | 17 Jun 2009 | 1:31 pm Medical report confirms Shiney`s maid raped!Medical reports have confirmed that Shiney Ahuja`s maid was sexually assaulted.Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 1:14 pm Shiney Ahuja confesses to raping maid: Report!After maintaining that he had consensual sex, Shiney Ahuja has finally confessed to committing the horrendous act of raping his domestic help, reports claimed on Wednesday.Source: Zee News : Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 1:14 pm New CEO for Sun Network! - Oneindia
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 1:01 pm Shivaraj Kumar says no to movie BhagawanHat-trick hero Shivaraj Kumar is different from other Kannada actors at least in one respect. He does not act in remake movies. That does not mean that he has not starred in remakes. Earlier, he has acted in movies like PreethseSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:59 pm Alec Baldwin has considered suicideWashington, (ANI): American actor Alec Baldwin has revealed that after a private voicemail of his to his daughter calling her a “rude little pig” was released to the public, he became suicidal. Baldwin, 51, revealed in the July issue of PlayboySource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:55 pm Jordan having wicked time in IbizaLondon, (ANI): When former English model Katie Price aka. Jordan revealed that she was determined to have some fun in Ibiza, she wasn't kidding.Jordan, 31, who has been going through a harrowing time after her split from hubby Peter Andre, pushedSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:53 pm Goa crew back in Chennai for a breakThe crew of Ocher Studio's presents Soundarya Rajinikanth's maiden venture Goa is in Chennai now after completing their major schedule in Goa city.They have returned for a short break and soon they will go to Goa again to complete the rest.Source: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:46 pm Selvaragavan's Ithu Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam shelved?Selvaragavan's yet to be launched home project Ithu Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam has now been scrapped, as sources say.Featuring Selva's actor brother Dhanush and Andrea in the lead, Ithu Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam is said to be a psychopath love story. The directorSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:44 pm New CEO for Sun Network!Sun TV Network, with a bunch of popular Channels has roped in former Star India content and media president Ajay Vidyasagar as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO) with immediate effect.Promoted and managed by Kalanidhi Maran, the Sun Network is oneSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:42 pm "All detainees were stripped naked & their body shaved to humiliate them" - Kabir Khan
Kabir Khan quotes, "The world has changed since 9/11." So instead of stories that reflect how 9/11 changed us, we have stories that help us flatter ourselves into believing that it did. Fahrenheit 9/11, World Trade Center and United 93 cherry-picked the few triumphant stories of 9/11. Bollywood's very own Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota too managed its own. They let us see it as a day when Americans tapped their strength, transformed and sacrificed - whether you and I, munching our cashew nuts in the audience, did or not. For the people of America and the entire world, a memorial can never replace what those of you mourning a loved one have lost. Freedom was no more free. So when truth met fiction, the world looked even more dangerous through the eyes of Kabir Khan, the director of Yash Raj Films New York which has 9/11 as its backdrop and three friends whose beautiful lives are turned upside down by larger than life events beyond their control in a city that was termed as adolescent, a cacophonous and multicoloured place, where work and play entwine; a hyperactive, aphrodisiac and a real-life marriage of heaven and hell. UK's Harrow Observer columnist and Bollywood Hungama's London correspondent met Kabir Khan and figured out that New York wasn't just a place the world had seen in the movies, it acted out a film of its own.
9/11 - A new world
"I'd answer your question in two parts. The largest film industry in the world has only managed to produce two films based on 9/11. Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota and New York. But more importantly, we can all say that 9/11 happened in America. But I disagree. I think 9/11 has changed the whole world and if we Indians think that it did not affect us, we are being a bit naïve and insular. We are still facing its consequences. History will always repeat itself if you forget it. The partition of India happened 61 years ago but we can't help and not talk about it. It has changed the psyche of Indians and Pakistanis forever. Today, everything to do with Pakistan is relevant because of the partition. When we play a cricket match with them, it's our partition which also comes into play. New York has 9/11 as its backdrop but the backdrop is not pushed as an issue in the film. The film begins in 2001 and goes on till 2008."
The largest film industry in the world has only managed to produce two films based on 9/11
Balanced perspective
"Not at all. The film does have a political backdrop and when you're shooting a film like this, you have to share the script with the authorities out there, which we did. New York is opening on a debate and prejudices don't only flow in one direction. Unfortunately after 9/11, all of us have prejudices against the other person. It's not that the Americans are not prejudiced in their view about Muslims in the world. Now it's the other way round too. The film has managed to handle that and therefore got a balanced perspective. The American crew felt very strongly about our film."
Bush administration v/s Obama administration
"9/11 is a self acknowledged dark chapter in America's contemporary history. They recognize that the Bush administration was their darkest phase and the first thing which Obama did was to try, stop and control some of the negative legacies of the Bush administration. The film thus becomes topical in nature too. The film tries and tells us that let's not forget 9/11 but let's move on now. Let's look at the future too. How long are we suppose to live in the shadows of 9/11? What's ironical is that our last day of the shoot coincides with the last day of George Bush presidency. We finished our shoot and the next day Obama was elected the president of the Untied States of America. Our wrap up party changed into the celebration of Obama's presidency. We along with the New Yorkers were out on the streets celebrating."
What's ironical is that our last day of the shoot coincides with the last day of George Bush presidency
Music of New York
"In keeping with the more dramatic and an emotional level of story telling that I've used in New York, I realized that the songs were a must in the film. The media often writes that because I'm a documentary filmmaker, I am against the use of any songs in the film. I love song and dance. I am a trained dancer and was a choreographer in my college days. I feel very strongly about songs being a part of the narrative versus songs being placed for the fun of it. I've seen brilliant films getting destroyed by a misplaced song. Bearing in mind the realistic narrative, I cannot have any of my characters singing unless the role of the actor is that of a singer or a performer. So I've used all of New York's songs in the backdrop. The only misgiving I have about my short time for publicity is that I'm not being able to project the songs enough."
A good bit of research
"Because of my background as a documentary filmmaker, I will never touch a subject unless I've exhausted all research on it. It took me eleven months to put together the script of New York only because of the research. I've had a word with people of all nationalities. New York is a global story. Even if you remove the three Indian protagonists of the film and replace them by three Jordanians, it'll work. I've spoken to the people from the FBI, done a lot of reading in terms of books and articles published back then, etc. When it comes to our audience and if the film was set in a la-la land, they'll be very forgiving. They will let all loop holes pass by. But the moment you make a real film based on real events, the same audience becomes very discerning, which I think is very good because they bring in different kind of sensibilities. For my discerning audiences, I've tried to be bang on with my facts and figures."
New York is a global story. Even if you remove the three Indian protagonists of the film and replace them by three Jordanians, it'll work
More to New York than just the title
"We went through many other titles. New York was the first title. In fact, the working title of the script was New York. One of the reasons the title was born because we were shooting in New York but more than that, New York doesn't lend itself to any language because New York is New York, whether its in Hindi, Swahili, Arabic, etc. As I've said before; you can enjoy the film at face value as a story of three friends and not go into the layers below. But there are many layers to New York than just a city that never sleeps. It is a symbol of what's happening in the world today. New York is where it all started from. When you mention Kargil, you don't think of it as a hilly terrain. You think of other things. That's the way I've used New York."
Visa problems
"Tell me about it! I did not get a visa for two months because of my name. We're talking of prejudices about the Bush administration; here we have life imitating art. I've shot in the United States of America six times before I started shooting for New York. The FBI had listed twenty nine South Asian names and somewhere there was a mention of Kabir Khan. My name then went through the FBI check. My chief assistant director whose name happens to be Ali was stopped for three months too. In fact, there is another Yash Raj team flying to New York soon for their next film and not a single Muslim was stopped. Already we are seeing the transition from the Bush administration to the Obama administration, I guess."
John's nude scene and the real life trauma of the illegal detainees
"John's nude scene was totally based on facts and from the actual personal account of people who went through that. George Bush had once said that the water boarding instrument cannot be termed as torture. But in the entire process of interrogation, the torture and trying to break them down was done with a very scientifically planned programme. People have also told me that there are certain scenes similar to that shown in Khuda Ke Liye. Yes, there was a chapter in that film which dealt with illegal detention but even the director of Khuda Ke Liye must've done his research well. All the illegal detainees were stripped naked and their entire body shaved only to humiliate them. So, John's scene was as real as it can get."
I did not get a visa for two months because of my name
Big names down West
"Yes. Let's hope the film works for more reasons than just one. Irrfan Khan is a huge name in the U.S and after the success of Slumdog Millionaire; he has become Bollywood's hottest property in Hollywood. Then you've got John who has Canada going ga-ga over him, thanks to Water. He has the largest fan following in Canada and the U.K. With a strong story, good cast and an honest approach, let's hope New York transforms itself into a good film at the box office."Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:40 pm Nelly Furtado, Timbaland face copyright lawsuitWashington, (ANI): Canadian/Portuguese singer Nelly Furtado and producer Timbaland are facing a copyright infringement lawsuit from record label executives in Finland. The two have been accused of borrowing segments of someone else's song to create the track ''Do It'', which hadSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:39 pm Fergie wears sexy outfits to spice up bedroom lifeWashington, (ANI): Singer Fergie spices up her bedroom life by dressing up in sexy outfits. The Black Eyed Peas star admits that she loves to thrill her husband, actor Josh Duhamel by dressing up in the revealing costumes she takes onSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:37 pm 50 Cent has writing bingesWashington (ANI): Rapper 50 Cent has revealed that he goes through phases of rapid creativity followed by disinterest in the song writing process. The 'Candy Shop' star - who is all set to release new album 'Before I Self Destruct' saysSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:35 pm Miley Cyrus trapped in another photo scandalNew York (ANI): Miley Cyrus seems to have landed in another photo scandal after new pictures allegedly showing the teenage singer involved in sexual activity found their way on to the Internet.The 16-year-old had previously sparked outraged after posing semi-topless forSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:33 pm CG Overdrive: "Story is the king" - Pixar's Alex Woo
What is a story, a tale well told or the elements in it? To tackle this conundrum, CG Overdrive 2009, Singapore, held a session on the craft of storyboarding by Pixar Animation Studio's story artist, Alexander Woo.
In an hour-long session, Woo, whose company has produced endearing animation flicks like Cars, Ratatouille and Wall-E, discussed the idea of the story as the king in a film. A quick overview from the master storyteller himself:
What is a story?
"We all have a story to tell. And because of that it is really difficult term to define. One might say a story is a sequence of events in a chronological timeline. More precisely, a story is a sequence of events structured in a way that gives you some sort of meaning and coherence."
Figuring the elements of the story
"The first element of a story should be the setting, then the characters, followed by the conflict, the foils and the change... all of which are equally important.
The characters are protagonists, antagonists or sometimes the mentor characters. A situation too can be the antagonist. But what makes a story unique is the perspective.
Foils are characters which make unconventional decisions and how these decisions affect their lives is rest of the story. But without a conflict, the story would get really boring, just a bunch of facts put together. Therefore, there has to be some kind of internal or external conflict.
Next is the change. Either the character/s or the setting of the story undergoes a change. For example, in the film, Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks is a simple guy and he remains the same throughout the film. But as the film progresses, the world around him changes because of his simplicity."
Structuring a story
"A basic story has a three-part structure. The first act is the set up of the story. The second is the progression, where all the conflicts are brought out and decisions are made. Finally, the third act is the resolution.
A story can be narrated in a few minutes or hours, but in real life it may span over a couple hours or days. So, the best way to structure a story would be to strategically place the events together in the way they happened."
Story is the king
"The story is like a king in the game of chess and like in chess, decisions need to be centered around the king because saving the king is your priority. But this necessarily doesn't guarantee the success of a film. What makes a good story is highly debatable."
Elements of a movie
"Acting, performance, sound, music score, editing, special effects, etc, are the key elements of a film. A story needs to be at the center of these elements and needs to be the one informing all the other elements.
If it is not so and if you put art direction in the center, you might get a beautiful, but a very boring film. Similarly if you put special effects at the center, you will get a Matrix 2. But if you give the story its due importance, supported by special effects, you will get The Matrix. Ergo, all these elements have to reinforce the story and not vice versa."Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:21 pm Obama in list of most desirable dads
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 17 Jun 2009 | 11:56 am Orlando Bloom to move in with girlfriend
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 17 Jun 2009 | 11:28 am It's raining offers for Neetu - IndiaGlitz
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 11:13 am John Abraham studied The Holy Quran very closely for New York
Click above for more movie stills
For Saif Ali Khan getting conversant with the holy Quran to play the jehadi in Rensil D'Silva's film was relatively easier. But John Abraham belonging to an entirely different religion and culture, learning the tenets of the Quran from the scratch to play the NRI Muslim in Kabir Khan's New York was not easy.
Not knowing a syllable of the Quran, John had to study the holy book in translation. Says a close friend, "John researched rigorously on Islam and its various aspects. His character in New York is detained wrongly for terrorism. John based his character on three such real life Muslims taken into custody in the US for wrongs they hadn't committed. John and his director Kabir Khan amalgamated the case of three such unfortunate people to create John's character. He actually lived breathed slept and wept like someone who had been wrongly ostracized."
So traumatized was he by the experience that John went into a complete shell in Philadelphia where New York was shot.
Says the friend, "He wouldn't talk to people. He was completely in his own shell. It was life-changing experience. Today, John knows what it feels to be a Muslim and a target of ceaseless suspicion and hostility in the US. He also empathizes closely with the issue of Indian students being racially abused in Australia after playing an Indian abused in New York. He understands the isolation of the minority."
John studied the Quran closely. Says John's friend, "He went very deep in the film's theme of Islamic isolation. His familiarity with Islamic terrorism started when he shot Kabul Express with Kabir Khan in Afghanistan. John spoke to people in Taliban and began to understand the concept of jehad. He understood how dangerous it is to fight for a cause without knowing the history of that cause. He went on the net, found legitimate and proper translations of the Quran. He learnt the proper pronunciations of words in the Quran."
When asked about the process of acclimatizing himself with the Quran, John says, "It's part of my larger determination to prepare myself completely for a part. Whether it was New York or now Abbas Tyrewala's film, I'm taking time off to prepare for the film and character. The audience today understands an honest film. That's what I want to give. I only want to do roles that take me out of my comfort zone. Through my characters and performances, I want to make people comfortable with what makes me uncomfortable as a human being and an Indian."Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 17 Jun 2009 | 11:07 am Sharmila Tagore doesn't approve of newbie's outfits in Morning Walk
Click above for more movie stills
For newbie Nargis, it was a quick learning on the job while shooting for her third film Morning Walk. While in her first film Garam Masala (where she was paired opposite Akshay Kumar), she had primarily followed Priyadarshan's vision, her second film Pranali featured her as a central character where she could afford to experiment with her costumes on her own.
However, while shooting for her latest film Morning Walk, she had none other than veteran Sharmila Tagore as a mentor. Not only did the veteran actor insist on grooming her when it came to performing in front of the camera, she was also much more than just a helping hand w.r.t newbie's outfits.
Informs a source from the film's production house, "We had heard stories around Sharmilaji being a perfectionist. However, we also got to experience it first hand when she involved herself in every aspect of the film's production. There were some outfits that were designed for Nargis and we all were quite happy with what was delivered. However, Sharmilaji had some better ideas and she insisted on Nargis being dressed differently. No wonder, the results were better than before."
Even Nargis didn't feel that Sharmila Tagore was being intrusive and was more than happy to go as per her vision. Adds the source, "Nargis realises that Sharmliaji has been a part of the industry for more than four decades and would give suggestions only if they help the project. Nargis didn't have any qualms around the changes being made. In fact Sharmilaji's demand for excellence and attention to detail kept the production team on its toes. Why just Nargis, she insisted on designing her own wardrobe as well."
To go with her character in Morning Walk, Sharmila Tagore went out of her way to source the most beautiful Baluchari & Daccai sarees from West Bengal.
Jokes a senior professional from the film's production team, "We were fine with her sourcing of sarees. After all, she was managing it all herself and was more than enthusiastic to get nothing but the best. However, the tricky part was for us to procure the right choice of food for her. We had to ensure that seafood was on the menu every single day of the shoot. She is a true Bengali at heart and loves seafood. For someone as senior and respected as her, the least we could do was to have her relish her meals. I guess we did a good job in doing that eventually."
Morning Walk, the maiden production venture of INOX Motion Pictures, is all set to hit the theatres on the 10th of July 2009. Directed by Arup Dutta, Morning Walk also stars another veteran actor Anupam Kher along with Rajit Kapoor, Divya Dutta and Shayan Munshi. The 'Balika Vadhu' girl Avika Gor also makes her on screen debut with the film.Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 17 Jun 2009 | 11:03 am Imran takes over Gadhvi's film - Times of India
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 10:51 am Winners of IIFA Awards 2009 - Times of India
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 10:51 am Akshaye-Arshad at loggerheads - Times of India
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 10:51 am Akki upsets Bollywood music directors - Times of India
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 10:51 am Soft Speak - Indian Express
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 10:45 am Indian filmmaker ready with first Hollywood releaseVizag-born Nagendra Karri went to the US to specialise in system security and finance, but filmmaking was what interested him most.Source: Entertainment News | 17 Jun 2009 | 10:32 am Neil is the latest on Salman's hate-list - NDTV.com
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 10:31 am Yaavarum Nalam grosses Rs 130 mn in 100 days
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 17 Jun 2009 | 10:07 am Shiney is completely shattered: Police
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 17 Jun 2009 | 10:01 am 'Jashnn' packs in peppy, soft numbersMusic has always been the high point of films churned out by Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt's Vishesh Films.Source: Entertainment News | 17 Jun 2009 | 9:32 am Bollywood film set in Australia to focus on attacksMUMBAI (Reuters) - Film-maker Mohit Suri plans to make a movie that will put the spotlight on a recent spate of attacks on Indian students in Australia that has caused diplomatic discomfort between the two countries.Source: Reuters: Bollywood News | 17 Jun 2009 | 8:44 am David, Govinda reunite for another comedy"Do Knot Disturb" by David Dhawan has a lot going for it as far as reunions go.Source: Entertainment News | 17 Jun 2009 | 8:30 am Akshay's flops don't affect me: SabbirTwo of Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar's big budget films may have bombed this year, but it doesn't worry director Sabbir Khan who has cast him in his ready-to-release mega-budget directorial debut movie "Kambakkht Ishq".Source: Entertainment News | 17 Jun 2009 | 8:11 am Let the law judge Shiney's guilt, say his colleaguesJustice should take its course but Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja, in police custody on charges of raping his teenaged housemaid, shouldn't be condemned until proven guilty, say directors and actors who have worked with him.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 17 Jun 2009 | 8:01 am 'Shiney has been crying for two days'Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja, who is in police custody on the charge of raping his teenaged housemaid, looks haggard since he has been crying for the past two days and hasn't slept much, a police official here said Wednesday.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 17 Jun 2009 | 8:00 am Harbhajan Singh Movado's new brand ambassadorIndian spinner Harbhajan Singh has been signed by Swiss luxury watch company Movado as its brand ambassador.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 17 Jun 2009 | 8:00 am Kareena resorting to cheap publicity? - Oneindia
Source: Google News India - Entertainment | 17 Jun 2009 | 6:53 am US-based Indian filmmaker ready with first Hollywood releaseVizag-born Nagendra Karri went to the US to specialise in system security and finance, but filmmaking was what interested him most. Six years later, his creativity has blossomed into 'Where Are You Sophia?', a psychological thriller, that was screened at Cannes.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 17 Jun 2009 | 4:30 am 'Jashnn' packs in peppy, soft numbersFilm: 'Jashnn'; Music Directors: Sharib Sabri-Toshi Sabri; Lyricists: Kumaar, Nouman Javaid and Nilesh Mishra; Singers: KK, Shreya Ghoshal, Nouman Javaid, Shaan, Toshi and Sharib; Rating: ***Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 17 Jun 2009 | 3:00 am Akshay's flops don't affect me: 'Kambakkht Ishq' directorTwo of Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar's big budget films may have bombed this year, but it doesn't worry director Sabbir Khan who has cast him in his ready-to-release mega-budget directorial debut movie 'Kambakkht Ishq'.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 17 Jun 2009 | 2:00 am David, Govinda reunite for another laugh riot'Do Knot Disturb' by David Dhawan has a lot going for it as far as reunions go. Not only does it carry forward his partnership with favourite actor Govinda, but it also marks the director's coming together with producer Vashu Bhagnani after four years.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 17 Jun 2009 | 2:00 am More of RahmaniaThe ‘Jai Ho’ famed A.R. Rahman has been attracting several international offers since the success of Slumdog Millionaire. Thanks to him, audience across the globe has recognized our Desi talent. His works has entered the music syllabus not only in the Indian educational journals but also abroad.Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:00 am Ash deserves the IIFA?Priyanka Chopra may be on cloud nine after repetitively bagging awards for her act in ‘Fashion’. However there was one person from the industry who felt that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is more deserving for the best actor category, female. Ashutosh Gowarikar felt that Aishwarya Rai’s role in ‘Jodha Akhbar’ deserved it.Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:00 am Shiney: I made a grave mistakeSeems that the ‘Gangster’ hero turned out to be a real baddie in his real life. In a twist of tale, actor Shiney Ahuja confirmed the rape charges against him. After the medical reports showed positive results, the actor didn’t see any chance to keep mum. The test revealed that he had forced the teen aged maid to have “consensual sex”.Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:00 am Neil Nitin Mukesh on 10 Ka DumSalman Khan met Neil Nitin Mukesh for the first time on the sets of 10 Ka Dum and took a liking to him immediately.Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:00 am Akshay plays sport!We all know the Khiladi Kumar is a perfect sport. He may be best known for his stunts, Akki has taken it upon himself to achieve perfection in a French sport, Parkour.Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:00 am Salman Khan in no mood for favorsSalman Khan is best known for his kindness. Even within the industry the actor has supported newcomer directors and actors by constantly promoting them and doing special appearances for them. However looks like Salman has finally decided to play it professionally in the industry.Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:00 am Bipasha’s jinxed affairs!We know how superstitious actors are when it comes to their work. While many have changed their names and added those extra alphabets to their names and film titles others have decided to work on titles that start with a particular alphabets and even claiming that certain actors are lucky. Here’s what made Bipasha Basu change a recording studio, that she thought was jinxed during the recording ofSource: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:00 am House does matter for RaniSuccess doesn’t come with hard work alone. It should carry luck along with it. Film stars strictly believe in their astrological stars. And this proved to be true in case of the ‘Black’ actress Rani Mukerji.Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:00 am Mohit Suri to make a film on RacismTrust Bollywood to make a film on any sensational issue. If Ram Gopal Verma had to take flak for his visit to Taj post the 26/11. We wonder how people would react to Mohit Suri’s plans of making a Bollywood flick on the recent racial attacks in Australia.Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:00 am It’s raining offers for NeetuLittle spice in life can add jest to it. Similarly, daring acts can either bring luck or misfortune. Looks like doing bold photo shoots have helped Neetu Chandra to receive remarkable offers. The dusky beauty made a sensation by getting into a controversy for doing a photo shoot for a popular magazine, The Man, which depicted a highly garam sensual act.Source: IndiaGlitz.com - News | 17 Jun 2009 | 12:00 am Free screening of 'Wolverine' in DelhiHe is one mutant you have loved, idolised and followed and grown up reading comics based on him.Source: Entertainment News | 16 Jun 2009 | 9:15 pm Celina upbraids co-star for sleazy rumoursBollywood actress Celina Jaitley is irate that newcomer Abhimanyu Singh has dared to romantically link himself with her in order to gain publicity.Source: Entertainment News | 16 Jun 2009 | 5:58 pm Anil, Chunky come together after 20 yearsMore than 20 years after working in "Tezaab" (1988), Anil Kapoor and Chunky Pandey have come together again for the movie "Shortkut - The Con Is On".Source: Entertainment News | 16 Jun 2009 | 4:44 pm 'Yaavarum Nalam' completes 100 days, grosses Rs.130 mn'Yaavarum Nalam', the Tamil version of Hindi film '13B', completed 100 days at the box office and has grossed Rs.130 million so far.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 16 Jun 2009 | 3:02 pm Ramu rubbishes rumours around revised plans for Agyaat release
Over the weekend gone by, some relaxed minds went on an overdrive and cooked up stories around Ram Gopal Varma revising plans for his first release (out of his huge line up ahead) this year - Agyaat.
Though the film has always been confirmed for a 24th July release for last so many months, there were murmurs going in the industry circles that this horror/supernatural thriller was pulled by a week and would instead see a 17th July release. Quite a few reasons were being stated for the early release of the film but all of them have been quashed, what with the man at the driving seat, Ram Gopal Varma, himself denying any such developments.
"Agyaat is coming on 24th July, the day when the film was originally slated for release. There was never a thought about any other date, definitely not 17th", Ramu sets the record straight here.
The sources though had a different tale to tell. "It was being contemplated whether Agyaat should come on 17th July. There were reasons for that, both professional as well as personal", she says.
And what were these 'professional' and 'personal' reasons? "First and foremost the release of much bigger film Luck on 24th July. If Agyaat comes on the same day, screens would be divided and there are chances of tussle for best show timings between the two films. Both Luck and Agyaat are prestigious projects in their own right and it was being considered if the clash could be avoided", she says.
Detailing the other two reasons, she adds, "Moreover, Soham Shah (director of Luck) had assisted Ramu on Bhoot and it would have been a clash between a master and pupil. After Kaal, Luck is a crucial project for Soham and even he too would prefer to arrive solo with his film. Thirdly, Jashnn which arrives on 17th July would have been a much lesser competition for Agyaat."
Nevertheless, none of the reasons stated above have forced Ramu to change his release date of 24th July for Agyaat. In fact the promotion for Agyaat has already kick started on web, print and satellite media whereas Luck is yet to be out with even it's 'First Look'.
Even though Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd. has announced 24th July as the D-day for Luck which stars Sanjay Dutt, Imran Khan, Mithun Chakraborthy, Shruti Hassan, Danny Denzongpa, Ravi Kishan and Chitrakshi, one wonders that with less than 50 days to go for the film's arrival, whether Luck would instead be aiming at shifting it's own release plans!Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 16 Jun 2009 | 3:01 pm Free screening of 'Wolverine' in DelhiHe is one mutant you have loved, idolised and followed and grown up reading comics based on him. You've waited to catch a glimpse of the fictional hero in the 'X-Men' series and now you can watch a free screening of the adamantium-clawed mutant Wolverine's upcoming movie 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 16 Jun 2009 | 3:00 pm Kareena Kapoor fumes on 'nude' query
Download image as wallpaper
New Delhi media was in for a shock as Kareena Kapoor staged a walk out of a press conference in the city where she was present to promote her upcoming film Kambakkht Ishq. Visibly upset and fuming with anger, she marched towards her suite when a female reporter questioned her if she would be willing to go totally nude for camera if the script demanded so.
Informs an onlooker who was present at the venue, "The question shocked her. Just a few minutes back, she had patiently handled queries regarding her professional life. She had also commented around wearing a bikini in Tashan and now Kambakkht Ishq mainly because the 'script demanded it'. Though averse to doing so in future projects, she admitted that she would keep the subject and story in mind and would do 'anything' that is required by the script."
Though it was a diplomatic stand on affairs, things went a little too far when an over zealous reported popped the question - 'Would you mind going nude for a role?' "This was it", adds the source, "Kareena lost her cool at that very moment and rather than choosing to blast the reporter and create a scene, she simply aborted her stay at the press conference. The flabbergasted reporter didn't know what hit her. The event coordinator too felt disgusted about the entire incident and found himself in trouble as this situation was totally unforeseen."
The source continues, "There were problems for Kareena from the very beginning of the event. First and foremost the chosen venue itself wasn't conducive enough to handle a large media that had assembled. Around 100 odd reporters and journalists had gathered in a room that wasn't large enough to host a mega celebrity press conference like this. With the claustrophobic venue not helping the cause enough, queries like these were enough for Kareena to blow her fuse."
For media and the film, director Sabbir Khan came to rescue though. He handled the situation well by staying on at the venue and continued to interact with the reporters. "Yes, Kareena was justified in walking out but Sabbir too did all to ensure that promotion of Kambakkht Ishq didn't get impacted", says a fellow reporter, "He realises that the film is just a few days away and didn't want any bad blood to spoil the show. He had a thin rope to walk on and did pretty well in rescuing the event from turning into a complete disaster."Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 16 Jun 2009 | 2:43 pm CG Overdrive: Asian CG industry has experienced prosperity in recession
Sen Lai, Founder/Conference Chair, CG Overdrive 2009 presented the keynote to a packed auditorium of local and international
delegates. Lai made a few points about the CG industry in general and about the event's history in particular. Here's a quick
list:
On prosperity in recessionary times:
The burning question to me in recent times, is not how to cerate a more exciting and thriving industry locally, but rather,
how to stay competitive in our business in this industry globally. The recent recession has affected the economy negatively;
however, it almost seems as if the entertainment industry in Asia - more explicitly the CG industry - has experienced some
form of prosperity in these times.
On the CG industry in Singapore:
Major studios like Lucasfilm, Ubisoft, Koei and most notably recently Double Negative have found themselves happily settling
in Singapore.
On CG Overdrive's role:
CG Overdrive has become a world class event, attracting delegates from across 19 different countries and professionals from
every elite studio the world has ever known, imparting knowledge and inspiring the audience. The event has also been
indirectly responsible for many B2B collaborations.
On the story behind CG Overdrive:
The first time I organized a public CG event (in 2001), I was part of a small but very passionate group of people who wanted
to make a difference to the non-existent CG industry at that time.
The first competition event attracted 100 plus entries, and a small celebration finale attended by over 30 people was held in
a small theatre. I could remember we were working very late the previous night to set things up, as there was no funding, we
had to do almost everything there is to do. It was very tiring⦠but it was magical. This would be the initial pre cursor to
the CG Overdrive that would be eventually founded in the year 2006.
On startups:
A big percentage of these initially successful studios fail after a few years. Getting a good company to startup is one
thing; getting a great company going is a totally different ballgame and requires almost a complete different form of
management and style of business as compared to the early days of a startup.
On success and risk-taking:
For most successful creative companies, the challenge is not to prevent risk, risk is always avoided. When a company becomes
successful in its previous endeavors, they would stick to the conventional way of doing things, because it had been proven
successful before; for example the way to craft stories, the type of stories, the medium of stories. And thus instead of
innovating new ways to challenge the norm, the very ingredient that made these companies successful, eventually would lead to
their failure.
On Asia's future prospects in CG:
I hope that in the next few years, the industry would continue to flourish as it has so far and that Asia will truly be a hub
for computer graphics and animation.Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 16 Jun 2009 | 2:41 pm Shiney faces more trouble as rape is confirmedBollywood actor Shiney Ahuja, in police custody facing the charge of raping his teenaged housemaid, is in serious trouble as medical tests confirmed rape, while his lawyer Tuesday said any further action for his defence can come only after the charge sheet is filed.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 16 Jun 2009 | 2:01 pm Kaminey team studied Guy Ritchie and Tarantino's caper classics
Click above for more movie stills
For the team of Kaminey, it was a homework that was one of its kinds. Vishal Bhardwaj, director of the film, instructed his entire cast and crew of the film to watch caper classics like Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Pulp Fiction and True Romance to catch the finer nuances of a caper thriller.
Even though Kaminey is touted to be an out and out original thriller coming out of Bollywood, it is quite new and unique when it comes to the genre. There have hardly been many caper thrillers generated out of Bollywood and though recent Kunal Khemu and Boman Irani release 99 did come close, such attempts have been far and few. In fact Fool N Final (which incidentally starred Shahid Kapoor) had it's bearings with Snatch but it could hardly make an impact amongst the audiences.
"This is why Vishal wanted to be sure that everyone from cast as well as crew members gets familiar with the entire idea of story telling when it comes to a caper thriller", informs a prominent crew member who was assigned this 'homework' just like the rest, "There is a certain 'sur' in movies belonging to this genre and one miss here or there and the film risks falling flat on it's face."
Movies like Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels (1998) & Snatch (2000), Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994) and Tony Scott's True Romance (1993) have traditionally acted as text book material not just for India but even West when it comes to caper thrillers.. There have been quite a few movies belonging to this genre that have been inspired from the above mentioned flicks but not many have even managed to touch the surface.
Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj too agrees that it was quite a tedious task to make Kaminey. "I was under the impression that it would be easy and fun to write Kaminey. After all it was meant to be a caper so I could let my imagination go wild. However, as it turned out, it was not just difficult to write but further even more difficult to translate the written material on screen", says Vishal.
Since the narrative includes quite a few characters, the screenplay writing came with its own challenges. "There are as many as eight to ten characters in Kaminey and since each of them have equal intensity and space requirement, there was no time to establish them all", remembers Vishal, "I had to make them all memorable while catching them into the act."
This is not all as Bollywood sensibilities had to be taken into account as well, what with Kaminey being pitched as a full on commercial flick with eyes on popular audience.
"Yes, we needed to add all the Bollywood 'masala' elements with romance, songs, dances etc. being the much necessary ingredients. It was very tough and now when I look back, I am glad our team was able to crack it all well", signs off Vishal.
Aiming for a 14th August release, Kaminey stars Shahid Kapoor in the double role of Charlie and Guddu. While Priyanka Chopra plays the character of Sweety, Amol Gupte features as Bhope Bhau. With lyrics by Gulzar, music by Vishal Bhardwaj himself and cinematography by Tassaduq Hussain (of Omkara fame), Kaminey is a UTV Motion Pictures production.Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 16 Jun 2009 | 1:57 pm Medical report confirms rape by Shiney AhujaSpelling serious trouble for Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja, accused of raping his maid servant, a medical report of the victim has confirmed the crime, a top police official said today.Source: Entertainment News | 16 Jun 2009 | 1:36 pm
|
