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Meet Dr Shah Rukh Khan nowShah Rukh Khan becomes Dr Shah Rukh Khan today.Source: Entertainment News | 10 Jul 2009 | 3:21 pm "Anupamji & Sharmilaji agreed for Morning Walk instantaneously" - Arup Dutta
At a time when love stories and comedies are the flavour of the season, director Arup Dutta decided to make a meaningful yet entertaining family drama about relationships. The film in question is Morning Walk and stars some big names like Anupam Kher, Sharmila Tagore, Rajit Kapur and Divya Dutta. The film releases this week right in the middle of some biggies but Arup is confident that his film too will find its audience. Bollywood Hungama caught up with the Bengali filmmaker for a rendezvous.
What is Morning Walk about?
Morning Walk is an intense family drama. It's a completely original story written by me. The film revolves around Joymohan (Anupam Kher) who plays a retired professor from Kolkata. His only son (Rajit Kapur) is married to a high profile Punjabi lady (Divya Dutta) and they even have an 11 year old daughter (Avika Gor). Being a professor, Joymohan has some political and social ideologies which differ from those of his daughter-in-law because of which there are some clashes with his daughter-in-law. As a result, Joymohan ends up staying alone in Kolkata while his son and daughter-in-law stay in Mumbai. One fine day, Joymohan has a heart attack after which he is forced to come and stay with his son and daughter-in-law in Mumbai. After that incident, the family's total equation changes and Joymohan even promises to sell his whole property in Kolkata and give the money to his son and daughter-in-law.
Why the title Morning Walk?
Anupam Kher's character Joymohan has a habit of going for a Morning Walk in the film and it is during one such morning walk that he meets his old student Neelima (Sharmila Tagore). After meeting with her every other day during the Morning Walk, Joymohan realizes that even Neelima is not having such a rosy life and is struggling to finance her daughter's dream of going abroad. How their lives completely change after that meeting at the Morning Walk and how some old memories and relationships once again come to the forefront is what the film is about?
When I approached Anupamji and Sharmilaji with the screenplay of this film, they agreed instantaneously.
How did you manage to cast veterans like Anupam Kher and Sharmila Tagore in your film?
Being a Bengali filmmaker, I always believe that the 'Story' is the most important aspect of any film. When I became a filmmaker I was only 24 years old and since that young age I have tried to specialize in writing a strong screenplay. The result is that when I approached Anupamji and Sharmilaji with the screenplay of this film, they agreed instantaneously. I didn't have any difficulties in having to convince them for doing this film.
Apart from veterans like Anupam Kher and Sharmila Tagore, you also have some young actors in the film.
Yes...as I told you we have Rajit Kapur and Divya Dutta who play Anupam Kher's son and daughter-in-law respectively. Then there is Nargis who plays Sharmila Tagore's young daughter who wants to go abroad for higher studies. There is also Shayan Munshi who plays a struggling singer in Mumbai and Nargis' boyfriend. Finally, there is the young bundle of talent Avika Gor (of Balika Vadhu fame) who plays Anupam Kher's loving grand-daughter.
Some of the best scenes in the film are between Avika Gor and Anupam Kher.
How was it working with child star Avika Gor who has become a household name after Balika Vadhu?
It was great. Much before Avika started shooting or even got selected for Balika Vadhu, one of my model co-ordinators arranged a meeting with Avika. I was looking for a small girl to play the role of Anupamji's grand-daughter and Avika came to meet me at my house along with her daddy. Instantly I chose her because I saw a lot of potential in her. I must say she has done a fabulous job and some of the best scenes in the film are between her and Anupam Kher.
Morning Walk is my first Hindi feature film. But I have directed several feature films in Bengali as I am originally from Kolkata.
Could you share a little bit on your background? Is Morning Walk your first film?
Morning Walk is my first Hindi feature film. But I have directed several feature films in Bengali as I am originally from Kolkata. From 1994, I have been in Mumbai and have directed over 100 corporate films for various advertising agencies. I have also been involved as a creative director for almost 1200 episodes across various production houses. I have directed episodes for shows like 'Saturday Night Suspense' and 'Star Best Thriller'. This is my small background.
Where all have you shot the film?
I have shot the film in Mumbai, Kolkata, Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani. We didn't waste a single day and within a budget of Rs. 2.60 crores, I have managed to complete the entire film.
For the first time in any Hindi film, you will get to hear a fusion of Indian classical thumri (sung by Rashid Khan) and Spanish music
Could you tell us a little bit about the music of the film?
Music is an essential part of my film. The music has been composed by Jeet (of erstwhile Jeet-Pritam duo). After he and Pritam parted ways, Pritam has become the top music director in Bollywood while Jeet has become the no.1 music director in Bengal. I had worked with Jeet in some Bengali serials earlier and approached him to do the music. For the first time in any Hindi film, you will get to hear a fusion of Indian classical thumri (sung by Rashid Khan) and Spanish music. During the late 70's and early 80's (the Naxalite period) there was a huge influence of Spanish music in Kolkata and hence for the demand of the story I have incorporated that.
Lastly, what are your future plans?
I am ready with 2 scripts - one is a romantic musical called Album Of Life and another is a project tentatively called Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 10 Jul 2009 | 2:52 pm "I am a lovable bast**d in Short Kut - The Con Is On" - Arshad Warsi
Arshad Warsi has no qualms in admitting that he is the villain of the piece in his latest film Short Kut - The Con Is On. Though in the strictest of terms, he is not playing a baddie, by the virtue of the nature of his character in the film, he literally makes life miserable for people around him.
"If you really ask me, then Akshaye (Khanna) and Amrita (Rao) are the hero and the heroine of the film respectively. For a change, I am happy playing a villain", laughs Arshad while talking about his part in this Neeraj Vora directed film which appears to be a laugh riot in the offering.
"But then the film is not just about laughs and only laughs", corrects Arshad, "There is also some sort of seriousness in the film, mainly due to Akshaye's portions which are a little dramatic."
How does he describe his own so-called 'villainy' character in the film? "Well, first and foremost it is not a stereotypical role where an actor goes on to play a villain who is doing comedy in the film. No, I am not doing anything like that. Rather than being someone who is out rightly negative-negative, I play one of the lovable bast**ds in the film. You will get what I am trying to say once you see the film. You will like the way Anees (Bazmee) has written the character, Neeraj has treated it and I have brought it alive on screen," he goes on to explain.
Arshad admits that though it was fun to be a part of Short Kut - The Con Is On, it pushed him as an actor since he had to come up with three different versions of acting.
"Since I play a bad actor in the film, I had to come up with three different shades. One is that of Raju, a street smart young man who applies 'shortcut' in his life to grow in his career. The other shade comes to the fore when Raju becomes a superstar. His antics then have to be seen to be believed. And the third shade is that where I play a 'bad actor'. Frankly, it was quite difficult because a) I sincerely believe that I am not that bad as an actor and b) I dance pretty well, but in the film I am shown to be struggling with my dance steps", laughs Arshad.
Did he just say a 'bad actor'? In that case was there any particular 'role model' that he must've had in mind on whom the character is based? Arshad replies in a diplomatic tone, "Well, there are quite a few out there but I haven't picked up any one person in particular. I have left it open for interpretation by audiences. Kahin se kisi ki baatein utha li, kahin se kisi ki body language aur kahin se kisi ka attitude! When you watch the film, you would be able to identify with the actors. You will immediately exclaim that 'Hey, this reminds me of so and so actor.'"
On a parting note, Arshad promises that audiences will have a blast during Short Kut - The Con Is On.
"Frankly speaking, today when I remember some of the dialogues from the film I end up laughing myself", says Arshad, "The entire placement of action followed by reaction is so brilliantly done by Neeraj. People are bound to love my character as he is genuinely a 'humorously funny bad guy'. Be ready for some hearty laughs."Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 10 Jul 2009 | 2:15 pm "It takes 6 months to put a robot together" - Transformers-2 vfx supervisor Scott Farrar
If you thought all the visual effects magic in Transformers came easy, think twice. "It takes roughly about six months to put a robot together. It's like going into your workshop and making those parts, except it is a computer graphics workshop," shares the visual effects supervisor for the Transformers movies, Scott Farrar, in an interview with Bollywood Hungama.
Scott Farrar joined vfx house Industrial Light & Magic in 1981 as a camera operator on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and went on to Oscar nominations for The Chronicles of Narnia in 2006, Backdraft in 1991 and A.I.: Artificial Intelligence in 2001. The original Transformers was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 2008.
Excerpts...
What exactly are you doing on the pyramids for Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen?
The foundation of visual effects today really starts with match moving. What does that mean? It means that if we want anything that we create in computer graphics to look like it is on the ground or climbing or moving on surfaces, we do have to measure very carefully all the surrounding terrain because that has to be recreated in the computer. If it doesn't match, the feet will float or what has been created won't touch. So it is ultra specific. It is pretty high end.
Your colleagues are working on the Pyramids, taking exact measurements. What is that for?
Well there are a couple of different things that are happening. For instance we have a little character that walks up the doorstep - that is pretty simple. You can see how high the steps are, all that has to be measured. It is nice and flat, so that is easy. This (on the Pyramid) is more difficult. The stones are uneven and of different sizes because they are worn with weather and time. So we have to photograph from different angles and we have calculations where we can take the photographs and use those to create measurements. For instance...that stone is higher, this stone is lower, that sort of thing. So it is pretty cool because it is very sophisticated at this point. Therefore the shots (created by computer) do not look fake. It really looks like the guys are there.
So at this point there is supposed to be something big climbing the Pyramid?
There is and we do all these measurements - some of them super accurate, based on what the camera sees. The other thing is that we might recreate some of this situation later; we do a lot of photography where we recreate the model of the Pyramid in the computer. So we might cheat a little bit, we might change the shape of some of the blocks. We have to be ready for anything because we have a rough shot design. We know we have down views, helicopter views, views from below; but we don't know what the cut is. And we don't want to start shots with Michael Bay if we don't know what the cut is. Why? If you start a shot that is not going to be in the movie it is very expensive - and we don't want to do that.
What would you use as the stand-in for a Transformer like Optimus Prime?
It is very sophisticated! It is a window washer pole! I believe in low tech for high effect. How it works is like this...if you have robot and I want the actor to look at the robot then you could have a big head (to represent the robot) but those are really heavy. So we just have the pole and the actor uses that to get an eye line. Shia has become very good at this. The actor has to sell the shot, otherwise you don't believe it. So we work very carefully with it. We just use that to help them react. That's what it is all about. We also use them to represent height of the robot so the camera operator can aim at it and judge composition.
Do you ever have faces for the robots?
We do have faces. They are cut-outs that we have blown up from the art work until they are actual size. Some of them are so large that when Michael says he wants so and so, like Megatron, and the wind pulls the face it's terrible; so he'll say, forget the face. So the pole works just fine.
How much interactive stuff like smoke is computer created?
Tons, I did Roger Rabbit and then we were scared to death of physical effects because we liked to shoot them as separate elements and layer them in after the act. But that looks pretty fake so we are fortunate today that we have these very sophisticated compositing tools - compositing just means putting all these pieces together layer by layer like a sandwich, building from the background to the foreground. When we shoot these movies with Michael they are very dirty - all the smoke, flames and explosions.
That was kind of new for me on the first Transformers, but it is fantastic. You cannot believe how complicated a piece of smoke is that you photograph. If you look at a dust cloud there are all these colours, that are self-shadowing and there is tonal change as it moves and the way it reacts to the light. There are all these things that you would never guess. So it is fantastic for us to do that.
The first Transformers had amazing effects. So how can you top them?
It is hard. We were trying very hard to be photo-real in the first one. The problem with a lot of the shots that we did was that we were still learning. Now we have refined a lot of the tools so that we can have 10 people working on the same character and the character will look he same all the time, rather than constantly adjusting. So we have tried to make it easier on ourselves. But how do we top the first one? There is a higher production value this time; the scale of this movie is huge. When I was a kid Ben-Hur was a big film with scope and scale that was unbelievable. Well this is like Apocalypse Now and Ben-Hur rolled up into one. Plus it has got comedy and a great story. For us it has very, very challenging effects because of the size and the numbers of the characters and the complexity of the characters. Optimus Prime had 10,000 parts and we have characters in this that are five times more complicated. And all those parts have to look correct and they all have to move correctly. Plus, 2 sequences are photographed in IMAX, so the resolution is.
Can you give an idea of the time and money it takes to bring just one of the robots to life for 10 seconds?
That is a great question because no matter how many times they appear in the movie it takes a certain amount of work. It takes roughly about six months to put a robot together. This may be surprising, but you have to build all the pieces. It is like going into your workshop and making those parts, except it is a computer graphics workshop. The men and women who make these characters, make the shapes and those shapes have compound curves, which is complicated. Then some shapes have 4 to 16 layers of information in the computer, so that it looks like plastic or glass or shiny chrome or brushed steel, plus all the pigments of colour. That is a lot of stuff, for every piece. The building of it is one thing, that takes 12 to 16 weeks, and then you go into paint and textures. Then there are the people who connect all the pieces and that can take even longer. You have to work it all out so that basically the skeleton hangs together in the computer. Then you are about ready to start putting it in shots, but even then it is not finished. You keep working on it. The money? It is millions of dollars for this kind of thing. It is all based on how many weeks it takes to do each thing.
Do you have an office full of computers with a team working round the clock?
No people have to go home and sleep! We have mandatory breaks and everyone is involved in athletics to keep in good shape because you have to be able to sustain the time that you are sitting down. We have 250 people working on this movie. Towards the end there will be about 300 people working on it. They are divided into character animation, lighting and rendering, paint people, people who work on the plates and the final compositors
Is creating Devastator an exciting challenge?
Right now Devastator is made of many large, earth-moving vehicles. I just saw a rough of that and it is looking very cool. But it is in the early stages. We go for photo-real parts so we copied the real road graders that are used in the movie. My guys photograph those things; we use all those parts. In the first movie we had about 6,000 still photographs of engine parts or car parts, like disc brakes and clutches. We drew from that so that the things would look real. It is the same thing with Devastator; we have got to make it look like heavy earth-moving equipment.
How hard is it shooting such a huge robot like Devastator with humans?
Scale is a difficult thing. If you have a robot all by itself against the sky then you don't know how big it is. With Devastator his hand is larger than all of us [a group of people]. So when John Turturro is running about below Devastator you will only see little bits and pieces. Then it looks pretty cool.Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 10 Jul 2009 | 1:56 pm I am the trump card of Luck: Ravi Kissen
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 10 Jul 2009 | 1:46 pm Sajid Nadiadwala's fond gesture for TabuThose who've seen "Kambhakkt Ishq" were surprised to see Vindu Dara Singh resurfacing after such a long time in a fairly substantial role.Source: Entertainment News | 10 Jul 2009 | 1:26 pm Clooney to shoot film in quake hit city
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 10 Jul 2009 | 1:08 pm Shahid's shirtless saga
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 10 Jul 2009 | 12:59 pm Foul play possible in Jackson's death: father
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 10 Jul 2009 | 12:57 pm SRK to be conferred with Honorary Doctorate
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 10 Jul 2009 | 12:52 pm Harry Potter star loves Chak De India
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 10 Jul 2009 | 12:25 pm Producer Saif was not there, only actor Saif was present: AliImtiaz Ali, who has directed Saif Ali Khan's maiden production venture "Love Aaj Kal", says the actor neither behaved like a typical producer nor interfered on the sets of the forthcoming film.Source: Entertainment News | 10 Jul 2009 | 11:50 am Review: Sankat City - Sify
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 10 Jul 2009 | 10:52 am Jackson foul play 'not ruled out' - BBC News
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 10 Jul 2009 | 10:43 am Aishwarya teaches Sonam a lessonThe Aishwarya Bachchan – Sonam Kapoor controversy refuses to die down. Both Ash and Sonam seem to be in no mood of calling it quits from the war of words. Just a few weeks back Sonam had taken a dig atSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 10 Jul 2009 | 10:42 am Jackson family saw Michael Jackson in open casketNew York, (ANI): The night before late Michael Jackson’s public memorial, close family members had seen the King of Pop’s body in an open casket at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills, according to a relative."He looked like himself. He lookedSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 10 Jul 2009 | 10:42 am Jennifer replaces Shweta on Dekh India DekhShweta Gulati was to be hosting the reality show Dekh India Dekh on Sony. But recently; the actress met with a small accident, due to which she is unable to continue her stint with the show for at least two weeks.Source: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 10 Jul 2009 | 10:39 am Akki's impressive language skills
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 10 Jul 2009 | 10:34 am A dark canvas: Death and violence on master framesHistory, violence, death and suffering have met in a theatre of colours and mediums in one of the darkest exhibitions of art the capital has ever witnessed.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 10 Jul 2009 | 10:33 am 'Sikandar' shows Kashmir problem through children's eyes: DirectorFilmmaker Piyush Jha insists that his 'Sikandar' is not just another film set in Kashmir. He says the movie tries to present the situation in the trouble-torn Valley through the eyes of children living there.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 10 Jul 2009 | 10:31 am Katrina's wardrobe malfunction creates problemKatrina Kaif, the long-legged Bollywood beauty, created a problem of a different kind on the sets of De Dana Dan. It was all because of her wardrobe malfunction. And poor Priyadarshan had hard time trying to keep his eyes away fromSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 10 Jul 2009 | 10:29 am Emma Watson moving to US for further studiesWashington (ANI): Harry Potter star Emma Watson has confirmed that she will be moving to U.S. this autumn to continue her education in an American university."I'm coming to the States actually. I'm doing a liberal arts degree and I'll hopefully focusSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 10 Jul 2009 | 10:25 am Jonas Brothers to star in Camp Rock 2London (ANI): The Jonas Brothers have reportedly signed on to star in the sequel of their hit movie 'Camp Rock'. The makers of the Disney musical starring the band last year are reportedly scheduling Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam toSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 10 Jul 2009 | 10:12 am Raaj - The Showman creates panicThe release of Puneet Rajkumar-Nisha Kothari starrer movie Raaj - The Showman has reportedly created a lot of panic in the Kannada film industry. According to film industry sources, many filmmakers have come forward to release their movies before the releaseSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 10 Jul 2009 | 10:08 am It's very easy to impress Rakhi SawantRakhi Ka Swayamwar is gaining immense attention with the item girl picking up her groom from the 16 contestants. All these participants are trying hard to impress Rakhi. And now everyone can take a shot at wooing Rakhi, provided they haveSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 10 Jul 2009 | 9:59 am Asin says no to PETAAsin Thottumkal missed a chance to join the league that includes big names like Aishwarya Bachchan, Manisha Koirala and Madhavan due to her love for non-vegetarian dishes. The big brands are running behind the pretty actress to cash-in on her successSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 10 Jul 2009 | 9:54 am "I don't believe in the institution of marriage" - Akshaye Khanna
There are two things that the reclusive Akshaye Khanna is sure of. One is he wouldn't want to share screen space with his father. The other is he doesn't want to get married.
Says Akshaye, "I don't believe in the institution of marriage. Yes, the other day a pandit predicted I'd definitely get married in 2009. He said he can write it in his blood, 'Iss saal teri shaadi pukki', I was horrified. Now I keep asking everyone around me to assure me it won't come true. The fact is marriage is just a legal piece of paper. I don't see why the government needs to get involved in what two people do with their lives. It's none of their business."
As for working with his charismatic dad, that's also a no-no. "Even today I'd think ten times before facing the camera with him. In terms of physicality alone he's so powerful. No point in sharing space with him until I feel confident of matching him by at least ten percent. As a star-son it's a constant struggle to move away from being known as Vinod Khanna's son and create my own space."
Otherwise nothing has changed about Akshaye over the years. He remains as reclusive as ever. "I like it that way. I see no point in talking about myself unnecessarily. I'm not high-profile person. I like being as low-profile as humanly possible. So I've no interest on reaping the benefits of a film by talking about its success. In the long run, it's the film that matters. Talking about yourself is of no consequence. It doesn't come naturally to me. Yes, Race was a hit. If people want to remember me in Race, they will without my selling myself."
Akshaye refuses to admit he does too little work. "It's not conscious. In fact next year I've three films. If I had my way I'd work 365 days a year. As for being picky, who isn't? Aren't Abhishek, John and Hrithik picky? Hrithik's last release was Jodhaa Akbar more than a year ago. I'm starting a new comedy in South Africa with Anees Bazmi No Problem. It's got me, Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor, and Kangna Ranaut."
Akshaye Khanna who has done comedies in the past with the prolific Priyadarshan will start shooting for a serious film on a caste -based marriage in Bihar with the prolific director. "Yes, I'm doing a non-comedy film based on a caste issue with Priyadarshan. It's got Ajay Devgan and me. Priyan has been making a whole lot of comedies. After that I'm starting another film with a new director. I don't recall doing a film with a new director except Lateef Binny with whom I did Dehak many years ago."
He blames someone from within the unit of his latest film Short Kut for planting stories of his differences with his co-star Arshad Warsi. "I haven't done it for sure. Whoever spread these stories did it for no reason than to create a stupid silly hype about the film. People enjoy reading about such battles between two actors. Even I do. Arshad and I get along quite well. I really enjoy spending time with my co-stars especially if they're good actors. Arshad and I are at loggerheads as characters in Short Kut. But to create that antagonism on screen, you've to be compatible with your co-star. A screen partnership is almost like a marriage, a short-term but strong commitment. If you don't get along with your unit the film suffers. I don't work towards it. But I just get along with my co-stars. I'm a very blunt person. If I don't like someone, it's sure to know."
Akshaye is full of praise for Arshad. "Short Kut is Arshad's best performance to date. He's better here than he was in the Munnabhai movies. I play a writer and assistant director who hopes to make his own film. I'm the only normal character surrounded by these zany people. And by the way Short Kut has the distinction of being written by two of our finest writer-director of comedies Neeraj Vora and Anees Bazmee."
It was even said that Akshaye refused to promote his new film at a recent international event. "Nothing could be sillier. Because all of us from the film had gone with the express purpose of promoting the film. It was an insane charge."
His last film Mere Baap Pehle Aap, he says, did decently enough to make money for everyone. "It's just that the film wasn't hyped up as a hit. No matter how nominal, the film did make profits. I can name so many films that have been declared super hits but haven't made money. I don't want to name them because they involve friends."
Akshaye is satisfied with the roles he's doing. "I don't see too many other actors doing the variety of roles I am doing."
Akshaye has no plans of turning director. "I don't think about it. It's something that may happen. But not right now."Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 10 Jul 2009 | 9:48 am Jessie Cave had a great time kissing Rupert GrintWashington, (ANI): Rupert Grint’s co-star Jessie Cave in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has revealed that he is a great kisser.“I did have to kiss Rupert - a lot! Luckily, he's a great kisser, excellent even. It was hard notSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 10 Jul 2009 | 9:46 am Saif: Actor & Producer - IndiaGlitz
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 10 Jul 2009 | 9:37 am Indian-American to study Bollywood music's effect on Mumbai youthTina Wadhwa, an Indian-American graduate of Columbia University, has bagged the prestigious Fulbright-mtvU scholarship to create a documentary exploring the impact and influence of Bollywood music on underprivileged youth in Mumbai.Source: Entertainment News | 10 Jul 2009 | 9:36 am Sajid Nadiadwala's fond gesture for TabuThose who've seen 'Kambhakkt Ishq' were surprised to see Vindu Dara Singh resurfacing after such a long time in a fairly substantial role. Producer Sajid Nadiadwala apparently cast him for old friend Tabu's sake.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 10 Jul 2009 | 9:01 am Sheena's unusual debut - film on sex educationSheena Shahabadi, daughter of yesteryear actress Sadhna, is making a rather unconventional beginning in Bollywood. In her debut flick 'Tere Sang', she plays a teenaged girl whose boyfriend makes her pregnant.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 10 Jul 2009 | 8:32 am Akshaye panics as pundit predicts shaadi - Times of India
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 10 Jul 2009 | 8:03 am Shruti on her relationship with Imran Khan - Oneindia
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 10 Jul 2009 | 7:08 am Buddhist art comes out of the closetOnce considered sacred religious motifs to be kept in a sanctum meant for secret rites, ancient Buddhist art is gradually coming out of the closet to join the diverse genres of Indian heritage art.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 10 Jul 2009 | 7:02 am Malayalam superstar Mohanlal joins Territorial ArmyMalayalam actor Mohanlal Thursday donned a new cap - that of a lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army. The actor was piped by the Indian Army chief General Deepak Kapoor at a ceremony here.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 10 Jul 2009 | 7:01 am Emma Watson laughs off wardrobe malfunction - Oneindia
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 10 Jul 2009 | 6:59 am Shiney facing problem in jail - Bollywood Mantra
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 10 Jul 2009 | 6:51 am Indian-American to study Bollywood music's effect on Mumbai youthTina Wadhwa, an Indian-American graduate of Columbia University, has bagged the prestigious Fulbright-mtvU scholarship to create a documentary exploring the impact and influence of Bollywood music on underprivileged youth in Mumbai.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 10 Jul 2009 | 6:33 am "This is the real me!" says Rakhi - Times of India
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 10 Jul 2009 | 6:20 am Producer Saif was non-existent, only actor Saif was present: Imtiaz AliImtiaz Ali, who has directed Saif Ali Khan's maiden production venture 'Love Aaj Kal', says the actor neither behaved like a typical producer nor interfered on the sets of the forthcoming film.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 10 Jul 2009 | 6:03 am Unwell Big B more concerned about health of friendsBollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan is on bed rest following a stomach ache, but he is more concerned about the health of his politician friend Amar Singh, thespian Dilip Kumar and Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and keeping himself updated on them.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 10 Jul 2009 | 6:03 am Dish TV ties-up with Monster.com for head hunting - Televisionpoint.com
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 10 Jul 2009 | 5:03 am 'Kaminey' music experimental, power-packedAlbum: 'Kaminey'; Music Director: Vishal Bhardwaj; Lyricist: Gulzar; Singers: Sukhwinder Singh, Vishal Dadlani, Mohit Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala, Sunidhi Chauhan, Rekha Bhardwaj, Suresh Wadkar, Kailash Kher and Vishal Bhardwaj; Rating: ***Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 10 Jul 2009 | 5:00 am Why Akshay wanted to party with Shah Rukh? - Hindustan Times
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 10 Jul 2009 | 3:29 am No more nudity for Kate Winslet
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 9 Jul 2009 | 5:58 pm Prince Charles floors Shilpa with his charm
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 9 Jul 2009 | 5:36 pm Delhi HC gives green signal to Shortkut
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 9 Jul 2009 | 4:49 pm Prince Charles floors Shilpa with his charmIt was a meeting of Royals.Source: Entertainment News | 9 Jul 2009 | 4:35 pm Middlesex University honours India's brightest musical star AR Rahman
A visit from an Indian superstar brought Middlesex University and its students to a standstill yesterday. The man in question was the Indian composer, record producer, musician and singer and is probably best known as the winner of two Academy Awards for the music he wrote for the smash hit film Slumdog Millionaire, AR Rahman. His visit to Middlesex University in Hendon, London had two purposes. Along with Middlesex's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Michael Driscoll, he signed a Memorandum of Understanding between his KM Music Conservatory in Chennai, India and the University. AR, as he is known, was also awarded an Honorary Degree, making him a Doctor of Middlesex University, the highest honour the University can bestow.
In his speech to the University's academics and students, AR Rahman thanked the University and said, "It is an enormous honour to belong to this great seat of learning. My journey as a musician started at the age of nine and I see music as a way to connect to spirituality and embrace it. Music touches people and breaks down barriers, creating harmony in troubled times. This has always been my philosophy."
The Memorandum of Understanding between AR Rahman's KM Music Conservatories
and Middlesex University focuses on educational collaboration between India and the
UK. The two organizations have agreed to explore the possibilities for collaboration in music and education and to support one of AR Rahman's 'pet projects', that of the blending of Asian and Western musical styles.
Dr. Terry Butland, Deputy Vice-Chancellor International at Middlesex University, commented on the Memorandum of Understanding, "I can't think of a more suitable and well placed partner for the University than AR Rahman. We are delighted to sign this Memorandum of Understanding which paves the way for what will undoubtedly be some interesting and innovative projects delivered jointly between Middlesex University and the KM Music Conservatory." AR Rahman explained the background to the Memorandum of Understanding, "We looked at lots of universities but felt Middlesex had the right, friendly, vibe as well as its great history."
When asked about what he considers to be his biggest achievement, Rahman says it is in film music. "As a human being I have so many interests. The Academy Awards [for
Slumdog Millionaire] opened doors worldwide and legitimized Indian musicians."Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 9 Jul 2009 | 3:06 pm Red Alert - The War Within to have its World Premiere at Stuttgart Film Festival
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Director Anant Mahadevan is on cloud nine. His film Red Alert- The War Within is all set to have its World Premiere at the Stuttgart Film Festival in Germany. Bollywood Hungama spoke to Anant, who was very excited to share the details of this event. ''Red Alert - The War Within has been selected in the competition section for the Stuttgart Film Festival scheduled to take place from the 13th â 19th of July this year. It is also the closing film of the festival on the 19th of July. This is probably the first time that the same director's film has been selected for 2 consecutive years. Last year my film Staying Alive was selected for the same festival and now this year we have Red Alert - The
War Within taking part in the competition and even having its World Premiere at the Stuttgart Film Festival''
The film has a very sensitive yet topical theme. As Anant puts it, ''Red Alert - The War Within is a true story of an Andhra farm labourer who gets caught in a group of Naxalites and how he evolves out of the entire experience forms the crux of the story. Today our newspaper headlines are filled with stories of Maoists and the Reds and hence the story becomes very relevant and topical. Even though the film maybe about Naxals in India but it's presented in such a way that it can be identified by people across the world. It has a universal appeal. The film has no fabricated dialogues. Every line in the film has either been actually spoken by a Naxal or the law and is derived from a lot of research on interviews done with them. Every scene is true, every character is real and even the names of the character are taken from the actual Naxalitesâ
names.''
The film has an ensemble cast of some of the finest performers of our country. Speaking about the cast, Anant says, ''The film's main protagonist - Narsimha the farm labourer- is played by Sunil Shetty. He is the one who leads the audience through his journey. Every actor has a role of a life time written for him as destiny, and this I truly believe is that kind of role for Sunil Shetty. Sunil Shetty has completely broken his image of an action hero and given such a mature performance that it's hard to believe. Besides Sunil Shetty, the film has an ensemble cast of actors like Naseruddin Shah, Vinod Khanna, Aashish Vidyarthi, Seema Bsiwas, Ayesha Dharker, Bhagyashree, Makrand Deshpande and Gulshan Grover. Every single role has been given to a known actor and great pain has been taken to get the right casting.''
Considering the film has a real-life story and powerful actors, what are his expectations about the film's chances at the festival. ''The film has been made keeping in mind even the international audience. It has a certain style of filmmaking which the international audience and jury expect. We have taken care of the minutest details to ensure that the international audience does not mock us. I genuinely hope that this film reaches a level of not spectacular world cinema but simple world cinema. It will only encourage me to make more qualitative cinema.''
Anant Mahadevan along with Sunil Shetty and producers T.P. Aggarwal and Rahul Aggarwal would be present for the World Premiere of Red Alert- The War Within at the Stuttgart Film Festival on the 19th of July.The film is likely to hit theatres in the latter half (Aug- Sept) of this year.Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 9 Jul 2009 | 2:12 pm Shweta Tiwari, Aman Verma to be part of 'Iss Jungle Se..'After doing soaps and anchoring shows, popular television stars Shweta Tiwari and Aman Verma will now be seen struggling to survive in a jungle in Sony's new adventure reality show "Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao", starting from July 13.Source: Entertainment News | 9 Jul 2009 | 1:30 pm It's not enough for me to speak Hindi, English.: AkshayVoice modulation and languages were earlier considered Akshay Kumar's weak points as an actor.Source: Entertainment News | 9 Jul 2009 | 12:50 pm
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