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Hollywood script guru on a hunt
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 8 Aug 2009 | 9:37 am Pitt turns to his first love
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 8 Aug 2009 | 9:07 am Kutcher comfortable shooting nude
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 8 Aug 2009 | 9:01 am Sienna Miller lost role to green hairBritish actress Sienna Miller, who lost a role in The Constant Gardener, fears her green hair may have cost her the part opposite Ralph Fiennes.Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 8 Aug 2009 | 7:38 am Smilie Suri gets ready to smile four years after KalyugMahesh Bhatt is her uncle and director Mohit Suri her brother, but actress Smilie Suri will tell you she's still had her share of "waiting and struggle". And now four years after her debut in the hit Kalyug, she once again waits for the curtain to rise.Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 8 Aug 2009 | 7:25 am Miller, Nichols spent Valentines in bed
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 8 Aug 2009 | 6:13 am T-Series acquires music rights of Kites and Action Replay
Click above for Kites movie stills
There is no doubt that one of the biggest players in the music industry is T-Series. Music of most of the recent hit films' has been released on T-Series label and even in the future T-Series has a promising line up with Blue, 3 Idiots in its kitty.
Now T-Series has gone ahead and bagged the music rights of two more biggies - namely Rakesh Roshan's Kites and Vipul Shah's Action Replay. While Action Replay stars Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai in lead roles, Kites (directed by Anurag Basu) stars Hrithik Roshan, Barbara Mori and Kangna in principal roles.
By bagging the music rights of these two eagerly awaited films, T-Series has yet again stamped its dominance in the music industry.Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 8 Aug 2009 | 6:10 am Police raids Cyrus' stalker's home
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 8 Aug 2009 | 5:53 am Hrithik Roshan goes underground
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 8 Aug 2009 | 5:52 am Barton heading for another breakdown
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 8 Aug 2009 | 5:36 am Liv Tyler gets beauty tips
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 8 Aug 2009 | 5:22 am Kajol to endorse Knorr soups
Knorr, Hindustan Unilever's largest soup brand in the country, is all set to launch a new and exciting ad campaign this season and for the very same purpose they have roped in Kajol as the brand ambassador.
Kajol would be seen playing a mommy in the ad campaign which is scheduled to go on air from the 10th of August. The 2009 Knorr soup campaign redefines the 7pm snacking trend by offering Knorr soups as the perfect snack, represented through the campaign idea, "Tummy bhi khush, Mummy bhi khush"
Speaking on her association with the brand, Bollywood's supermom Kajol had this to say, "Knorr soup has long been a family favourite and it feels great to be associated with one of my favourite brands. As a working mom, often I've found myself struggling with snack ideas that are not only easy on time but tasty and nutritious as well...a solution I found in soup! I strongly believe that a family that eats together lives together; and with Knorr soup's assurance of real vegetables and complete absence of preservatives, I have one less thing to worry about."Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 8 Aug 2009 | 4:55 am Ashley Judd goes to Harvard
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 8 Aug 2009 | 4:53 am Veteran lyricist Gulshan Bawra passes awayVeteran lyricist Gulshan Bawra, best known for his songs such as 'Mere Desh Ki Dharti' (Upkaar), 'Yaari Hai Imaan' (Zanjeer) etc, passed away at his residence on Friday (Aug 7) morning. He was 72 years old and died because of a heart attack. Originally known as Gulshan Mehta till he was rechristened Gulshan Bawra by a prominent distributor, this veteran lyricist came to India from Pakistan the during partition days. Bawra has penned many hit songs such as 'Agar Tum Na Hote', 'Dukki Pe Dukki Ho Ya Satte Pe Satta' etc. in his career spanning 42 years. His last hit was the song 'Le Pappiyaan Jhappiyaan Pale Hum' from the Ajay Devgan- Tabu starrer Haqeeqat which released in 1995. Apart from writing the lyrics of Bollywood songs, Gulshan Bawra also acted in a few films such as Upkaar, Zanjeer and Indrajeet. Bollywood Hungama offers its condolences to his family members and prays that his soul rests in peace.Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 8 Aug 2009 | 4:44 am Smiley to smile four years after 'Kalyug'
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 8 Aug 2009 | 4:42 am Mugdha Godse to star opposite Bobby Deol in horror flick
After receiving rave reviews for her acting skills in Fashion, Mugdha Godse is definitely set to explore her talent by venturing into drama, dark serious cinema and comedy with Jail and Rohit Shetty's All the Best respectively.
Mugdha seems to be exploring new avenues with every film. The latest entrant in the list happens to be the genre of horror. The lady is all set to scare the audiences in a horror flick produced by Sanjay Ahluwalia and Rajeev Virani of Rupali Om Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
The film is to be directed by Rajeev Virani, a first time director and Mugdha is cast opposite the suave and dashing Bobby Deol. On asking Mugdha, the pretty actress exclaims, "I just couldn't say no when I heard the script. It's a fantastic script and I'm so excited that I can't wait to start rolling. The whole art of scaring my audiences is so new for me and I'm looking forward for the same!"Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 8 Aug 2009 | 4:29 am Pritam scrapped and re-did the entire Love Aaj Kal score
We've heard bits and pieces and even entire songs from films being scrapped. But Love Aaj Kal (LAK) takes the cake. While the recession and the multiplex strike proved a curse for the rest of the industry, it proved a blessing for Pritam. He was able to scrap and re-do the entire score.
Says Pritam, "I saw the film with Imtiaz and my lyricist Irshad Kamal in January. I was horrified. I very bluntly told Imtiaz the music in LAK was not working. You have to understand, Imtiaz is the most chilled-out guy. He didn't flinch when I told him this. He immediately told me to do what had to be done."
The first thing that needed to be changed in the soundtrack was the absence of a love ballad. Says Pritam, "LAK was a love story and there was no love song! Imtiaz wanted to know where it could fit in. I suggested we put it in the flashback in the Kolkata portion. Imtiaz was in Kolkata and was supposed to fly to Delhi to shoot 'Chor Bazaari' in a couple of days. I flew to Kolkata and gave him a love song. He didn't like it. Then I came up with 'Aaj Din Chadhiya'...over the phone! In fact most of tunes were played by me and approved by Imtiaz on the phone. That includes 'Chor Bazaari'," reveals Pritam.
The ballad 'Main Kya Hoon' was also altered. "It was earlier designed as a fast-paced go-for-the-kill ballad. But then I changed the pace and profile of the number."
Barring 'Twist', the entire score was scrapped and redone just a few months ago. The secret was out when the film's ebullient music composer in the course of our conversation revealed how after the film was ready, he suggested to Imtiaz Ali that there should be an item song at the end of the film, just like in Jab We Met.
Says Pritam, "Imtiaz said, 'Get me a song like 'Mauja Hi Mauja' that ended Jab We Met. And you're on'. That's how 'Aahun Aahun' which comes at the end of LAK was born. It's a traditional Punjabi folk song." Then began the hunt to get the copyrights.
"While getting the rights for the been music from Nagin was easy, getting the rights for this folk song proved impossible since it has originally been sung by 18 singers many of them from Pakistan. So we just credited it as 'traditional'. Let's hope no one comes forward to claim a slice of the song," Pritam has his fingers crossed.
Only two lines from the traditional track were used, the rest was all by Pritam. "Luckily Imtiaz loved the number and that's how the end-song in LAK happened."Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 8 Aug 2009 | 4:15 am Hollywood script guru is script-hunting in IndiaAfter the success of "Slumdog Millionaire", Indian films have gained worldwide appeal, says Hollywood script guru Chadwick Clough, who is set to popularise Indian themes in international movies by partnering with a scriptwriting workshop.Source: Entertainment News | 8 Aug 2009 | 4:11 am My slate is clean – Imtiaz - IndiaGlitz
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 8 Aug 2009 | 4:03 am Subhash K. Jha speaks about Agyaat
Jungle fever has never been more contagious. Every corner of the Sri Lankan jungle as shot with mesmeric skill by the cinematographer Surjodeep Ghosh is filled with danger.
There lurks a diabolic unknown (Agyaat) monster in the treacherous greenery.Ram Gopal Varma has always been a master of manipulative terror. His camara range is constantly petrifying amd persistently resonant. The sequences in Agyaat are ceaselessly shot in a way that suggests the presence of lethal characters and entities whom we and the people on screen cannot see. Only feel.
In this endeavour to evoke ghoulish visions of omnipresent danger Varma is vastly aided by the sound design.
Sound designers Dwarak Warrier and Leslie Fernandes go easy on the eerie sounds and beguiling banshees. Instead there are chilling eruptions of noises that you probably hear in the wilderness but don't pay attention to as being anything remarkable. The sound includes snatches from Hemant Kumar Mukherjee's immortal 'Kahin Deep Jale Kahin Dil' from that old shiver giver 'Bees Saal Baad'.
That was bees saal baad. This is well into the new millennium. The perils of modern life such as cut-throat competitiveness often lead to the throat being literally cut. Who knows who's doing the film unit in Agyaat (a far cry-and scream-from Vidhu Vinod Chopra's imperiled film unit in Khamosh)? Maybe it's their own fears and ambitions that are killing them. The crew's calm cinematographer (Kali Prasad Mukherjee) finally commits suicide. The spoilt bratty superstar's spotboy (Ishteyak) is pulled into a gruesome death even as he chants mantras to protect himself.
While in Varma's previous comparatively-tacky horror outing Phoonk, God felled the Devil, in Agyaat nothing works. You are doomed in the jungle. No force can protect you. As one member after another of the film-within-film gets eliminated, Varma seems to be spoofing spooking and spiking Agatha Christie's 10 Little Indians (made into Gumnam in Hindi).
There are dollops of tantalizing irony in the way the typical and tight hierarchy in a film unit evaporates as imminent peril puts the people into perilous positions. The repressed spotboy's outburst against the spoilt superstar (Gautam Rode, every inch the despicable brat) is a masterly manoeuvre designed to show how fear melts all class differences. Portions of the brief supernatural whodunit is unintentionally funny. But all said and bodies dumped, Agyaat gives us enough spine-chilling moments to make us wonder at the end, who the hell is killing all these people???
The grisly plot weaves in humane moments. Hindi debutant Nitin Reddy(confident, honest and with a skilful body language extended into the jungle ruggedness) and his assistant Sameera (Rasika Duggal, cute) have this very believable bum-chum bonding that perhaps Shah Rukh Khan and Karisma Kapoor from Dil To Pagal Hai would recognize.
But then they wouldn't be vaught dead (oops!) in this chilling and ominous jungle.Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 8 Aug 2009 | 3:35 am Why Akshay Kumar makes women on his show swoonBrazilian beauty Bruna Abdullah, actresses Rupali Ganguly, Nauheed Cyrusi and VJ Anushka Manchanda are all ga-ga over Akshay Kumar. No, they don't have a crush on him, but say the Bollywood star was a 'motivating and inspiring' host for the second edition of adventure reality show 'Khatron Ke Khiladi - Level 2'.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 8 Aug 2009 | 3:30 am Victoria excited to join American Idol judging panelWashington, (ANI): Victoria Beckham is excited to join the judging panel of American Idol and not guilty of replacing Paula Abdul."I am beyond excited! When I got the phone call, I just couldn't believe it. I feel like I got theSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 8 Aug 2009 | 3:10 am Women have an animalistic urge: ShakiraWashington, (ANI): Shakira believes that women have an 'animalistic urge' that goes beyond sex."Women have this primary, basic, animalistic urge. It goes beyond sex,” Contactmusic quoted her as telling the Sun.She went on to name British women as the most animateSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 8 Aug 2009 | 3:08 am Dizzee Rascal threatened to punch Prince HarryLondon, (ANI): Brit rapper Dizzee Rascal, real name Dylan Kwabena Mills, has revealed that he threatened to punch Prince Harry in the face after his performance at Hyde Park's Wireless Festival.Rascal, 23, said that the incident took place after the PrinceSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 8 Aug 2009 | 3:07 am Katrina, Lara turn down Govinda's offerBollywood leading ladies Katrina Kaif and Lara Dutta have turned down veteran actor Govinda's request to star opposite him in the upcoming film Life Partner.Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 8 Aug 2009 | 3:02 am Ashton Kutcher-Demi Moore happy to be aliveWashington, (ANI): Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore were left terrified after their private plane was forced to make an emergency landing due to overheated engine.While writing on his Twitter page, the 31-year-old actor said that he's 'happy to be alive'. “MySource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 8 Aug 2009 | 2:57 am Archana Nair wins Miss Kerala titleArchana Nair won the Miss Kerala title at the beauty contest organized by Impresario Event Management Company, under the supervision of a High Court panel in Kochi on Wednesday. The first and second-runner up positions went to Geethu Christie and BonnieSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 8 Aug 2009 | 2:50 am Brad Pitt turns to architecture for peace of mind - Hindu
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 8 Aug 2009 | 2:42 am Negar Khan brings luck to Red teamThe Red team led by Aman was going through a bad phase. They had lost the first two tasks against yellow team and had to watch their fellow camp mates eating good food, while they were eating their rice and soya.ButSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 8 Aug 2009 | 2:40 am Shah Rukh aiming Oscars for 'My Name is Khan'! - SamayLive
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 8 Aug 2009 | 2:36 am Sathyaraj with Bhumika in SinamVery few actors make a successful endeavor in film industry. Well, Sathyaraj is an exception, gaining good appreciations over these years. Now, the actor has decided to get along with interestingly exceptional roles. It's more illustrious with some of his previousSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 8 Aug 2009 | 2:32 am Every girl can identify with my character - Sheena - Oneindia
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 8 Aug 2009 | 2:04 am Gulshan Bawra: The lyricist with joy de viv passes away - GlamSham
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 8 Aug 2009 | 2:04 am 'Azhagar Malai' right mix of comedy, action, romanceFilm: 'Azhagar Malai'; Director: S.P. Raajakumar; Cast: RK, Napoleon, Bhanu, Lal, Vadivelu; Music: Ilayaraja; Ratings: ** 1/2Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 8 Aug 2009 | 2:00 am Every girl can identify with my character - SheenaSheena Shahabadi, the latest entrant to the tinsel world, is making a rather unconventional beginning in Bollywood. In her debut flick Teree Sang, she plays a 15 year old girl who gets pregnant by her 17 year old boyfriend (played bySource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 8 Aug 2009 | 1:46 am In Pics: 'Agyaat' ('Adavi') Premiere in H'bad - MSN India
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 8 Aug 2009 | 1:34 am 'Chal Chalein' - preachy but honest take on kids under pressureFilm: 'Chal Chalein'; Director: Ujjwal Singh; Cast: Mithun Chakravorty, Kanwaljeet, Rati Agnihotri, Tanvi Hegde, Shilpa Shukla, Anoop Soni; Rating: **Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 8 Aug 2009 | 1:30 am Rani Mukherjee gets hot in a bikiniHave you ever dreamt that your once favourite actress Rani Mukherjee would wear a two-piece swimsuit? You have to pinch yourself to believe this piece of news.Rani seems to have finally felt the heat with so many young and bold girlsSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 8 Aug 2009 | 1:20 am Shahid trying to keep distance from Priyanka?Shahid Kapoor is said to be soon shifting to a bigger and better house in Juhu. The actor is currently staying at Raj Classic in Versova.According to sources Shahid had been looking for new houses for quite some time and wantedSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 8 Aug 2009 | 1:16 am 'Agyaat' a grisly, spooky whodunitFilm: 'Agyaat'; Director: Ram Gopal Varma; Cast: Nitin Reddy, Priyanka Kothari, Gautam Rode, Rasika Duggal; Rating: ** 1/2Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 8 Aug 2009 | 12:30 am Thousands bid adieu to Murali - Express Buzz
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 8 Aug 2009 | 12:30 am Priyanka has 21770 followers on Twitter - Hindu
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 7 Aug 2009 | 10:21 pm Hollywood script guru is script-hunting in IndiaAfter the success of 'Slumdog Millionaire', Indian films have gained worldwide appeal, says Hollywood script guru Chadwick Clough, who is set to popularise Indian themes in international movies by partnering with a scriptwriting workshop.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 7 Aug 2009 | 9:30 pm Priyanka has 21,770 followers on TwitterPriyanka Chopra has got as many as 21,770 followers on social networking site Twitter within a month, overtaking Mallika Sherawat and Gul Panag. And the credit goes to her regular updates.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 7 Aug 2009 | 9:00 pm Smilie Suri gets ready to smile four years after 'Kalyug'Mahesh Bhatt is her uncle and director Mohit Suri her brother, but actress Smilie Suri will tell you she's still had her share of 'waiting and struggle'. And now four years after her debut in the hit 'Kalyug', she once again waits for the curtain to rise.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 7 Aug 2009 | 8:30 pm Sincere, but fails to make the grade - Daily News & Analysis
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 7 Aug 2009 | 2:41 pm Miller's assets burnt while shootingBritish actress Sienna Miller has revealed that she burnt her breasts during the shoot of her upcoming film 'GI Joe: the Rise of Cobra'. The actress made the startling admission on US talkshow 'Tonight With Conan O'Brien'...Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 7 Aug 2009 | 2:18 pm Kat can't say no to Akki!It seems Katrina Kaif can go to any lengths to please Akshay Kumar. That's probably why the actress who's fed up of posing as arm candy agreed to do De Dana Dan just because...Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 7 Aug 2009 | 11:22 am Salma Hayek wears beard, moustache for new movieMexican actress Salma Hayek will be seen sporting a big, hairy beard and moustache for her new movie Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant.Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 7 Aug 2009 | 11:14 am Malayalam film veteran Murali passes awayNational best actor award winner and veteran Malayalam actor Murali died at a private hospital here Thursday night. He was 55.Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 7 Aug 2009 | 11:02 am Ridley Scott to team up with DiCaprio againHollywood filmmaker Ridley Scott is teaming up with actor Lenoardo DiCaprio to transform cult novel Brave New World for the big screen.Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 7 Aug 2009 | 11:01 am Chitrangada Singh endorses Frito-Lay's new snackAfter Kareena Kapoor and Juhi Chawla, Frito-Lay India has roped in critically acclaimed Bollywood actress Chitrangada Singh as the brand ambassador of its new snack - Aliva.Source: Entertainment News | 7 Aug 2009 | 9:51 am Look who's playing the chota Big BMeet the 53-year-old guy who would play five-year-old Amitabh Bachchan in Balki's Pa. Kiran Shah would probably the first adult to play a child's character...Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 7 Aug 2009 | 9:23 am Rani to don a bikini for the first time?Rani Mukherji is shedding all her inhibitions to wear a bikini for the first time in Yash Raj's Dil Bole Hadippa. Is Rani eager to flaunt her new figure or is she trying to compete with Rakhi and Sherlyn? Check out...Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 7 Aug 2009 | 9:08 am Live Chat: Abbas-Mustan on August 8 at 1430 hrs IST
They are the 'Men in White' of Bollywood; The 'Sultans of the Suspense' genre who have given us some of the best thrillers such as Khiladi, Baazigar, Daraar, Humraaz, Ajnabee and Race. Yes, we are indeed talking about Bollywood's most famous director duo Abbas-Mustan.
Abbas- Mustan are now all set to add a new feather to their cap as they don the producer's hat for their forthcoming film Life Partner. Produced under their home banner Burmawala Bros., Life Partner is a romantic comedy which stars Govinda, Fardeen Khan, Tusshar Kapoor, Genelia and Prachi Desai in lead roles. As the film opens across cinema halls next Friday (Aug 14th), we at Bollywood Hungama give you a chance to have an interesting tete-a-tete with Abbas - Mustan only on Celeb Chat on Saturday, August 8, at 1430 hrs IST.Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 7 Aug 2009 | 8:55 am Kareena says No to Gurinder Chadha again
All the talk of an international career is just talk for Kareena. As far as she is concerned, she has no intentions of going international. Not even for Gurinder Chadha.
Apparently, Aishwarya Rai who did Gurinder's Bride & Prejudice and her husband Paul Berges's The Mistress Of Spices, won't work with her...not after Chadha apparently went around blaming Ash for the failure of her husband's film.
Gurinder has also shown keen interest in working with Rani Mukherjee. And of course Kareena who is not impressed. For the second time she has said no to the Bend It Like Beckham director.
Says a source, "Three years ago Gurinder wanted Kareena for Bride & Prejudice. Kareena naturally presumed it was the lead. She was shocked to know the director actually wanted her for Aishwarya's youngest sister's part which finally went to Piya Rai Chowdhary. Kareena was shocked. She had turned down the author-backed central role in Deepa Mehta's Water. And here she was being offered the fourth lead. She vowed never to work with her again."
Now when the new Gurinder Chadha film was offered to Kareena, she quickly said no without hesitation.
Kareena admits this is the second time she has turned down Gurinder Chadha. "Who offers a role is not important. What is being offered is important. I'm really not that enthused by the idea of going international unless it's something really big. I don't even know if Gurinder's offer was with Johnny Depp. I was just not interested."
Interestingly, all the 3 topnotch NRI filmmakers have had problems getting an Indian cast. Deepa Mehta's Water went through several casting changes. Mira Nair originally wanted Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee for The Namesake. But Rani didn't want to play Abhishek's mother. And Gurinder is looking for an Indian heroine.
Kareena, for all practical purposes, is not interested in an international career. Neither are Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan. They've all said no to lucrative international offers.Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 7 Aug 2009 | 7:20 am Chitrangada Singh endorses Frito-Lay's new snackAfter Kareena Kapoor and Juhi Chawla, Frito-Lay India has roped in critically acclaimed Bollywood actress Chitrangada Singh as the brand ambassador of its new snack - Aliva.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 7 Aug 2009 | 5:03 am Subhash K. Jha speaks about Teree Sang
This is Raj Kapoor's Bobby with furtive sex and a baby thrown in for good measure. Otherwise the boy-meets-girl formula never seemed more homage-bound. Soft to the touch, but underpinned by a strong message on sex and the single parent, Teree Sang is a sweet and likable spin on premature parenthood.
The prim and proper Rajat Kapoor and Neena Gupta playing the debutante Sheena Shahabadi's stiff-upper-lipped parents could well be the painfully-young Rishi Kapoor's parents Pran and Sonia Sahni in Bobby with their socials airs and graces borrowed from a tacky soap on Page 3 mores.
Sahni had dropped her pallu to show her disdain for motherhood. Neena Gupta doesn't seem sure of what to drop.
Gupta's daughter Mahi's upper-class upbringing doesn't stop her from befriending the simple boy from Old Delhi. They meet, chat, flirt and ...well go all the way. And we don't mean that in any geopolitical sense, though Kaushik's film does travel that extra distance both emotionally and geographically.
Ruslaan Mumtaz last (and first) seen in Mera Pehla Pehla Pyar is endearing and sincere as the boy next-door who kind of forgets that making love quite frequently means making a baby.
The whole episode where the callow don't-know-any-better couple discovers that they are thrust with unwanted parenthood is awkward and self-conscious, kind of in-sync with the young protagonist's personalities. They don't know any better. Providentially, the film does.
Once they take off into the scenic hills to play Mummy-Dadddy far away from prying eyes, the film assumes the quaint colours of a Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak with the couple's disarming innocence adding a lemony luster of harmony to the otherwise-predictable Romeo-meets-Juliet-in-the-maternity-ward tale of juvenile slipups and slip-ins.
Satish Kaushik's direction is straight-and-sincere most of the way. The couple is given a non-judgmental treatment till the end when 'judge' Anupam Kher shows up with his verdict on teen pregnancy. Though the narration makes a bold statement on premature hormonal exuberance it doesn't quite acquire the poignant heartwarming intimacy and humour of Jason Reitman's Juno. Nor does young Sheena Sahabadi have Juno's contagious premature wisdom. The girl looks clueless about the birds and the bees and the wanna-bes.
The best interludes in the film feature Ruslaan's plebian parents played with spirited earthiness by Satish Kaushik and Sushmita Mukherjee . Their life in the crusty dusty Old Delhi lanes is authentically recreated. In contrast the female protagonist's world is awkward and cheaply stylized.
Juliet never had is so crude.
What ironically saves the day is the lack of chemistry between the lead pair. Painfully young and awkward Ruslaan Mumtaz and Sheena epitomize the premature householders grappling with house bills and pregnancy tests at a time when they should be at best worried about which party to attend next.
Kaushik gives the pair a fair chance to have their say. He isn't endorsing teenage pregnancy. But if it happens you don't need to run into the nearest abortion clinic.
Own up and be a man. That's the message. Take it or leave it.
Ruslaan has a ball playing the boy-man looking seriously for bespectacled maturity. Jainendra Jain's sermonistic Prem Rog past surfaces in bits and spurts when the homilies get prominent. Earlier Jain addressed remarriage. Here he addresses condoms without mentioning them. On the whole Teree Sang is not quite the film to watch and discard. It does make you think about sex and the city. And how the thrill goes out of the window when parenthood calls.
Baby, you ain't seen nothin' yet.Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 7 Aug 2009 | 4:48 am "Such huge response for Love Aaj Kal was unexpected" - Imtiaz Ali
Imtiaz Ali has done it. And this time he has done it in a big way. In fact in its initial 3 day run at theaters in India, Love Aaj Kal netted Rs. 28 crores. Now this is a terrific figure by all means since Imtiaz's last film Jab We Met had made this kind of money in it's entire lifetime run. Surprised? But well, that's true. While comparisons with Jab We Met (which is now being called as a cult film) are being made ever since the release of Love Aaj Kal, the fact is that the film has
firmly established Imtiaz in the top league of directors that has members like Anees Bazmee, Priyadarshan, David Dhawan, Mani Ratnam, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ram Gopal Varma who are star film makers in their own right.
As the film manages to hold on well in theaters even on the dreaded Monday, Imtiaz Ali on his way to Chandan cinema (Mumbai) catches up with Joginder Tuteja to get a sneak peek at how the film is being received in single screen theaters.
Imtiaz, there are reports that the film is not as strong at single screens as multiplexes. True?
If you look at collections then yes, they are primarily coming from multiplexes. But that was always the intent and due to this reason we have screened Love Aaj Kal at 20+ shows in multiplexes while at single screens, the release has been only at select theaters. In that aspect, you would see comparatively lesser money coming from
single screens. That doesn't mean though that Love Aaj Kal is not being accepted by audiences at single screens. Since Friday I have been making rounds of Chandan cinema and other single screen facilities in Mumbai. The film is drawing houseful crowds there ever since it's release.
Really?
True. In fact I was talking to the guys who sell tickets in black outside these theaters. They have bought tickets for the night shows of the entire week since they are positive that there would be crowds thronging in. That's the confidence they have in the film and I am happy about it since I firmly believe that their future is connected to mine.
It was risky though to unleash such huge number of prints in the market.
Yes, it was always risky. In fact we had endless conversations between Eros and Dinu (co-producer Dinesh Vijan) to ask multiplexes to reduce the number of shows. But then exhibitors had a point of view that when audiences were standing there even at odd hours to watch the film, why should they be sent back? They ultimately convinced us that it was fine to go with a larger number of shows. So in a way, it was a calculated risk that we took.
Exhibitors had a point of view that when audiences were standing there even at odd hours to watch the film, why should
they be sent back?
Tell me honestly, have you been able to breathe easy ever since the Friday release of the film?
More than breathing easy, I am baffled with the way public has become today towards movies. They can smell a good or a bad film from a distance. When you bring your film in the market, it is being treated like a product and everything becomes like a public property. A film today is becoming like a personality of it's own. In this regard, Love Aaj Kal too is a personality which is now living it's own destiny. The good part is that it has become such a strong personality by itself that it is scary!
With the kind of huge release that Love Aaj Kal has received, you would have been expecting it to open so well, isn't it?
Honestly, I did expect a huge opening but such huge response is unexpected. The numbers are mind boggling to say the least and I am now getting more and more positive that the trend would remain the same over the entire week. Yes, I know that some people instinctively liked the film and felt a deep connection. Also there were some who
didn't like it. And then there is the third kind that saw Love Aaj Kal for the second time and then started liking it.
Maybe it took them a second viewing to get out of Jab We Met hangover.
(Laughs) Whatever we may think or claim, comparison with Jab We Met is obvious. There have been people who came to me and said that because of Jab We Met behind me, they were a little disappointed with Love Aaj Kal. They were perhaps expecting another Jab We Met but then the point was not to make
another Jab We Met. I am really glad that Love Aaj Kal touches unusual areas. There is a connection building up for audiences in case of Love Aaj Kal as well; I can feel that. Acceptance of the film has reaffirmed my faith in the fact that audiences have moved on and have accepted something new. That's heart-warming.
In a way it has also helped the industry which desperately wanted a universal money spinner, isn't it?
Of course as a director I feel good but more than that, as a member of the film industry, I feel that this is one movie that more or less satisfied and thrilled the audience.
When you see such response from audiences, you feel ki chalo achcha hai, apna future set hai industry
mein!
Can you please elaborate?
See, I firmly believe that people don't have to watch films to survive. After all whether it is Love Aaj Kal or any other film for that matter, it can never become a necessity in their lives. If they watch a film and get disappointed week after week, there would be a time in their life when they would eventually move on to other methods of entertainment. In case of Love Aaj Kal, it is refreshing that the film has reinstated in the mind of audiences that 'ye piucture toh dekhni hi chahiye'! When you see such response from audiences, you feel ki chalo achcha hai, apna future set hai industry mein!
But with such money and expectations behind the film, weren't you ever apprehensive about going so different in Love Aaj Kal?
I could have gone by popular sentiments and made another Jab We Met. In fact the appeal would have been instant as well but then I would have questioned myself if I have moved ahead in my career? Have I contributed to the creative growth of the industry? Have I not regressed? I was willing to take that risk rather than choosing to
safeguard myself and hide myself behind my past glory.Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 7 Aug 2009 | 4:46 am Malayalam film veteran Murali passes awayNational best actor award winner and veteran Malayalam actor Murali died at a private hospital here on Thursday night.Source: Entertainment News | 7 Aug 2009 | 4:40 am Love making scene in Teree Sang was re-shot twice
Satish Kaushik's film on teen pregnancy Teree Sang featuring Ruslaan Mumtaz and debutante Sheena Shahabadi as teenagers, who become parents after having unprotected sex, was stalled for a number of reasons.
One among the many reasons is the crucial love-making scene where the girl gets pregnant. When the director saw the decisive sequence he felt it lacked the impact it should. Says Satish, "The girl Sheena was inexperienced in that sequence and it showed. We needed to scrap and re-shoot the scene."
However, a second stab at realism in the love-making yielded no productive results. Kaushik had to shoot the sequence a third time... "This time we finally got it right," says leading man Ruslaan. "In fact it's all due to the girl. She went all-out to make sure the love scene looks convincing. We added a kiss this time which wasn't there originally to make it look convincing. And the whole series of incidents leading up to girl's seduction and pregnancy looks very convincing now. In fact a little too convincing."
Ruslaan feels the censor board might have a problem with the scene. "I hope it doesn't get snipped because, Satishji, Sheena and me worked really hard on it. Sheena was very brave. When we couldn't get the love making scene right two times, she had this do-or-die attitude the third time. We made the scene as authentic as we could. Now when I look at it, I wonder how I and Sheena will sit with our parents and watch the Teree Sang at the premiere."
Teree Sang is Bollywood's first film about teenage pregnancy. Says Kaushik, "A lot of people who've seen Teree Sang feel it looks like we're endorsing teenage pregnancy. But we are not. We're actually saying teenagers should be more careful if they choose to have sex. It's stupid to turn coy about matters of sex and pretend our children don't know about the birds and bees when in fact today's kids are very much into physical relationships. We need to educate them about how to prevent pregnancy and we must legalize abortions."Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 7 Aug 2009 | 4:04 am Only mediocre people play safe: Anupam KherActor Anupam Kher could have opted for a conventional subject and a known star cast for the first film of his new production house.Source: Entertainment News | 7 Aug 2009 | 3:39 am Katrina, sisters live it up in Spain with one 'handsome guy'British-born actress Katrina Kaif had a whale of time in exotic Marbella city in Andalusia, Spain along with her sisters. The six Kaif sisters let their hair down with their only brother Michael being the lone man in tow.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 7 Aug 2009 | 3:33 am I'm an attention seeker: Ram Gopal VarmaHe is always in the middle of controversies, but instead of killing them, Ram Gopal Varma says he is at peace when people call him an "attention seeker".Source: Entertainment News | 7 Aug 2009 | 2:59 am
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