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I learn from my mistakes: Ashish
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 23 Sep 2009 | 8:31 am Julia Roberts' next stop is Cherrapunji
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 23 Sep 2009 | 8:18 am 'But where did Salman ever go?' - Industry reacts on Wanted success
Wanted is a huge success already and made people stand up and acknowledge Salman Khan's superstardom all over again. One of the rare action films in recent times to enjoy huge critical as well as commercial acclaim, Wanted has now completed a trilogy of sorts for 'masala' films. After Shah Rukh Khan's Om Shanti Om and Aamir Khan's Ghajini, now Salman Khan has scored in a big way with Wanted which has got raw action-n-drama back in vogue.
So is Salman Khan back after a rather poor run with Yuvvraaj and God Tussi Great Ho? Industry doesn't quite believe so. Don't be shocked because as per practically each and every film personality that this writer reached out to, the verdict is common - 'Salman Khan was never gone in the first place. He was, is and always would be a superstar.'
[All listed in alphabetical order]
Abbas (of Abbas Mustan fame)- "He has always been a superstar. Also he can sense a good product from quite some distance. He had faith in Wanted and you have to see the way he went all out during last 45 days. He made sure that his fans and followers know what Wanted was all about and he is going to give them the kind of entertainment they were looking for. I am really happy for him."
Abhishek Kapoor - "Where did he go anyway? Salman is Salman, nothing like him!"
Arbaaz Khan - "Back from where? He didn't go anywhere!"
Celina Jaitly - "Salman has always been WANTED. He is the only actor who is the most beloved no matter what. And that's what you call true stardom!"
David Dhawan - "On Monday, you should have tried passing through the road where Salman lives. Taking your car down the road was a challenge in itself, courtesy thousands of people who had assembled near his house to wish him Eid and congratulate him for the success of Wanted. Need I say more?"
Eesha Koppikhar - "You are talking about Salman? Did he go anywhere? He is the quintessential superstar. Wanted is just yet another feather in his cap. Wishing him an 'eid mubarak' and congratulations. Looking forward to his next movie."
Himesh Reshammiya - "Salman Khan was a superstar, is a superstar and will always remain a superstar."
Imtiaz Ali - "Salman never went away. He was always there, and will be. For a long, long time. People will always love him."
Jackie Shroff - "Where did he ever go?"
Jacqueline Fernandes - "Salman never left. He's always been Wanted!"
Ken Ghosh - "Salman had never gone anywhere to be back! He has always had a loyal fan base!"
Madhavan - "Where did Salman go in the first place to be back? He has just climbed much higher."
Milan Luthria - "The charisma of the three Khans - Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir - has been such over last two decades that you can never ever under-estimate them. It shows with Wanted where Salman Khan announced loud and clear that this was a film audiences had to watch."
Minissha Lamba - "Salman was never gone. Wanted only proves that if there is a film that requires a raw action hero, it's only Salman who can make it work."
Neha Dhupia - "I have not seen the film but he looks very very promising in all the three films (Wanted, Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna, London Dreams). I have become a fan once again!"
Neil Nitin Mukesh - "A person needs to go to be back! He has just become even bigger, better and stronger!"
Pritam - "When did he go out to be back? He was, is and will be in mind and heart of everybody!"
Ramesh Taurani - "To use the word 'back' for Salman is totally wrong. In spite of hits and flops, Salman was, is and will always be a huge star. I am really happy for him that Wanted is a huge success. Wishing him many more super hits in the future!"
Riteish Deshmukh - "Salman is a huge star. He is beyond hits and flops."
Sajid Khan - "Back?? Where did he go? He was always here!"
Sanjay Gadhvi - "Where had he gone that he is considered to be back? Salman is the original 'RockStar'. With Wanted, he's just reaffirmed his status as a star who is one of the most popular with the masses."
Sanjay Gupta - "Where did he go? He was always rocking; if not the big screen then he rocked the small screen and continued to rule hearts. And in any case, Salman is the kind of star who's beyond hits and flops."
Sanjay Kapoor - "After Partner, he didn't work in too many films. One can sense when he is excited about a project. He had faith in Wanted and that showed in the way he went all out in promoting the film. Weekend collections as well as Monday have been huge. I am quite confident that Wanted would be the biggest success of Salman's career in recent times and would even cross Partner."
Sonu Sood - "I feel he was always there. May be right films didn't happen. With Wanted he has proved that he is loved by the masses. I am sure he will always rock!"
Suparn Verma - "Where did the superstar go in the first place? The last ten years plus we have had the three Khan superstars rocking our world. Salman was, is and always will be a superstar!"
Tusshar Kapoor - "He had never really gone really!"
Vashu Bhagnani - "As soon as I saw the film, I immediately called up Salman and told him that he had just beaten the competition around him. His lion like walk towards the film's pre-climax still gives me goose bumps. He has shown the world through some extensive marketing and promotion that how he can give a huge charge if he is really-really interested in a film of his."
Vikram Bhatt - "Salman Khan went nowhere!"
Vipul Shah - "The Top-5 actors that we have in the industry today - Shah Rukh, Aamir, Salman, Akshay and Hrithik - are a force. They may get an occasional flop or two but if their upcoming film shows promise, audiences are bound to throng theaters in dozens. It doesn't matter for them if their much moved star has a flop behind him because curiosity of them seeing him in a good film supersedes everything else."
Vivek Agnihotri - "Back? From where? USA ? UK? Did he go anywhere? Is media immigration officer? I think he was always here and shall be there. Rocking. He is the true rockstar."
Zoya Akhtar - "I haven't seen Wanted so can't comment on the film. But as far as I am concerned, he never went anywhere to come back. He is a super star despite his films not because of them!"Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 23 Sep 2009 | 7:57 am Anifest '09: Behind the scenes of India's Vfx studios
VFX, or visual effects, has become the latest buzzword in the post-production industry with studios, big and small, vying for lucrative jobs in Bollywood and Hollywood. In an industry that's almost a decade old, it is a lesser known fact that a significant chunk of the visual effects for recent international films like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I Am Legend and Surf's Up had been executed by Indian studios.
This and more was discussed at the recently held Anifest India, India's largest animation festival. Addressing an eager audience of animation and vfx professionals, Krishnakant Mishra, Creative Director, Sony Imageworks India, shared the latest technical know how, including a state-of-the-art 2D to 3D stereoscopy converter and the technology used to imitate live-action into animation, real time.
Mishra's studio has worked on, among others, on the animation film Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs and the 3D stereoscopic G-Force. Explaining the process of converting a 2D live action film into a 3D stereoscopic, Mishra said, "In case of G-Force, we shot the whole film with one camera and the stereoscopy was digitally created. What we do is we shoot the left eye image and then create the right eye with an offset of 2.5mm, which is the distance between the human eyes. By doing so, we not only make the movie a very interesting watch but also save on money."
Talking about Rotomation, which enables a 3D model to be animated exactly the way the actor moves, Mishra said, "We used this technology extensively in I Am Legend, for making the animated zombies seem like real humans." He also shared Imageworks' propriety 3D solutions like Imagemotion and Katana.
Concluding his technical presentation, Mishra opined, "The major challenge for the vfx industry today is dealing with the ever-growing complexity (of filmmaking)."
Image Credit: TASI - Santosh Sawant and Isteyaq QadriSource: BollywoodHungama.com News | 23 Sep 2009 | 6:50 am Indian Animation toasts its success stories at Anifest India
The search of a viable business model is one of Indian animation industry's biggest conundrums. A select few studios, both big and small, have got it right. But professionals and entrepreneurs who have just started out in the industry are starved for some insightful advice that will help crack content deals in a market which has been hit by recession since early last year. The recently concluded Anifest India 2009 proved to be just the right platform for industry rookies and veterans to come together and share their doubts and insights.
Recounting his decade long experience in the animation industry, Ashish Kulkarni, CEO of BIG Animation, and the creator of 3D animation TV series Little Krishna said, "Animation is a process of self teaching. In the last 12 years of my career, recession has hit us every three years. I want you - the first generation animation professionals - to be prepared for that. It's only because of the passion of few individuals that the industry has survived."
Besides Little Krishna, Kulkarni's Pune based studio also has a 2D Flash based film Hey Krishna and another 3D property Mr. D in the pipeline.
Kulkarni further addressed another of Indian animation's never ending debates, that of two dimensional v/s three dimensional animation. "We are in the business of storytelling and filmmaking, where the key ingredient is creativity. Whether the medium is 2D or 3D doesn't matter. We are entertainers and have to learn it on the by, set up self-sustaining units and then scale it up from there."
In a final word of advice for budding animation professionals, Kulkarni opined, "Animation is one medium where you can re-edit, reconsider and redraw your concept at the storyboard and animatics stage. If you have the patience to see the project through the production cycle of two to three years, you are definitely creating something that will last a lifetime and have an impact." Sounds like good news for animation in India!Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 23 Sep 2009 | 6:47 am Bollywood should come to Brazil, says directorBollywood movies should come to Brazil "in a big way", says veteran Brazilian filmmaker Suzana Amaral, describing herself as a fan of Hindi movies from the 1970s.Source: Entertainment News | 23 Sep 2009 | 6:45 am Akshay-Twinkle feature on cover of L'Officiel this month
'Match made in heaven' is the expression that best suits this couple. One look at the cover page of the September 2009 L'Officiel magazine and any little doubt will be cleared.
Twinkle and Akshay Kumar, one of the most beautiful Bollywood couples, come together for Dior's Fall-Winter '09 collection photo shoot held in London. It's been almost after a decade that the couple shot together. Talking about the experience Akshay said, "It is probably one of the most enjoyable shoots I have done. It was so nice to have my wife with me."
Well, the couple's pictures do convey the fun and excitement they must've had working together. Talking about the pictures, Twinkle disclosed her little secret. "Our main motive is to have these pictures for our grandkids. One fine day, we will show them these and say, see we were young and glamorous once," she states.
All we can say is that Akshay and Twinkle will definitely remain one of most glamorous couples of time in Bollywood.Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 23 Sep 2009 | 6:44 am Asin Thottumkal hospitalised
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 23 Sep 2009 | 6:17 am John Travolta to testify in extortion case
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 23 Sep 2009 | 5:52 am Sherlock Holmes sequel in pipeline?Hollywood movie bosses are reportedly planning a second Sherlock Holmes film even before the first instalment has hit the big screen. The film's trailer has received mixed reviews by critics.Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 23 Sep 2009 | 5:48 am Matt Damon will move for Ben Affleck
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 23 Sep 2009 | 5:44 am Asin Thottumkal hospitalisedActress Asin Thottumkal, who's lately been working round-the-clock, has been admitted to the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital here following an acute sinus condition.Source: Entertainment News | 23 Sep 2009 | 5:38 am 'Kites' background score of global standard: Sulaiman MerchantKnown for their edgy and racy background scores in "Dhoom 2", "Chak De! India" and "Krrish", music composers Salim and Sulaiman Merchant are now looking forward to their next creation "Kites", which they promise matches international standards.Source: Entertainment News | 23 Sep 2009 | 5:28 am Julia Roberts to shoot in CherrapunjiThe hot Indian weather seems to have taken a toll on Hollywood actress Julia Roberts who is now planning to hit Cherrapunji to shoot the remaining part of her upcoming film.Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 23 Sep 2009 | 5:28 am Amitabh Bachchan to be relaunched?He might have completed more than four decades in the film industry, but if director Balki has his way, the mega-star would be debuting again in Bollywood...Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 23 Sep 2009 | 4:54 am Madhur Bhandarkar deletes one more scene from Jail
After pixelating Neil Nitin Mukesh's nude scene in Jail, Madhur Bhandarkar has now deleted the masturbation scene that was part of the film before. The director does not want to take any risk with the censor board and end up getting an A or U/A certificate for his movie.
A source from the unit reveals, "Madhur, known as a director of realistic cinema tends to reveal every aspect related to the subject he is working on. With Jail, the director has shot and exposed the insides of a prisoner's life behind the bars. As per the script, the main protagonist, Neil, was required to do some bold scenes."
The source continues, "Madhur made Neil shoot for the scene but has now decided to delete the same while sitting on the edit table. Although the scenes expose the reality, Madhur doesn't want to take any risk with the censor board and fall into any kind of controversy. This time around he wants to play safe with his movie unlike the last time where Fashion got a U/A certificate."
Madhur confirms, "Yes, I have deleted Neil's masturbation scene."Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 23 Sep 2009 | 4:33 am SRK, Kajol back in Vogue
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 23 Sep 2009 | 4:30 am Zellweger refuses to put on weight for Bridget Jones 3Hollywood actress Renee Zellweger won't be piling on the pounds to reprise her role as overweight Bridget Jones in the movies' sequel. The actress is, in fact, planning to....Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 23 Sep 2009 | 4:28 am Anifest '09: Technical sneak peek into Nikhil Advani's Delhi Safari
With an array of animated features ready to hit the silver screen, Anifest India 2009 hosted a technical sneak peek of Nikhil Advani's maiden animation film Delhi Safari, courtesy Anand Bhanushali, the Technical Director of the film.
The film - produced by People Tree and animated at Krayon Picutres - traces the journey of a group of wild animals from Mumbai to Delhi and revolves around a leopard family of three - Sultan (Suniel Shetty), Sultan's wife Begum (Urmila Matondkar) and the cub Yuvraj (Ayesha Takia).
Explaining the pre-production process of the film, Anand said, "Our friends actually traveled from Mumbai to Delhi for locations, images and discovered incidents which could be placed in the movie. A team of 130 artists at Krayon Pictures has been working on Delhi Safari from the past two years."
In addition to the key characters and almost 300 props, the movie features a whopping 17 animation characters including a parrot, a monkey and a pigeon. Anand then explained in detail the processes that went behind the making of Delhi Safari.
The production of the animation included critical asset building, where the team at Krayon Pictures heavily focused on the eminence of Modeling, Rigging, CFX, Foliage and also on Research and Technology. During the shot production of the movie, the team focused on the Layouts, Shot Finalizing, Lighting, Matte and Compositing.
Image Credit: TASI - Santosh Sawant and Isteyaq QadriSource: BollywoodHungama.com News | 23 Sep 2009 | 4:05 am Sush hasn't got her due in the industry: DhawanDavid Dhawan, who has made innumerable comedies and worked with former beauty queen Sushmita Sen four times, says that the beauty queen has really grown as an actor in these years.Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 23 Sep 2009 | 3:59 am Ameer to teach the actors a lesson through YogiJoining the long-queue of filmmakers becoming actors, director Ameer is all set to make his show with Yogi. The film is conceptualized and directed by Subramaniam Siva, who earlier shot to fame with commercially successful film Thiruda Thirudi.Speaking about the film,Source: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 23 Sep 2009 | 3:56 am Madhur Bhandarkar chops vulgar scene from JailAfter pixelating Neil Nitin Mukesh's nude scene in Jail, Madhur Bhandarkar has now deleted the masturbation scene that was part of the film before. The director does not want to take any risk with the censor board and end up gettingSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 23 Sep 2009 | 3:51 am Maanja Velu with the Titans Prabhu-Karthik!Arun Vijay’s Malai Malai has successfully completed 50 days and on this occasion, the actor has launched his next movie titled as Maanja Velu. According to the closer sources, the film’s shooting took off today morning at Palani with a Pooja.Source: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 23 Sep 2009 | 3:50 am Ramlath demands immediate arrest of Nayantara! - Oneindia
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 23 Sep 2009 | 3:45 am Kites background score of global standard
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 23 Sep 2009 | 3:41 am Eat, Pray, Love - Shoo! - Sify
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 23 Sep 2009 | 3:37 am Ramlath demands immediate arrest of Nayantara!Prabhu Deva's wife Ramlath has demanded the police and judicial setup to take immediate action against actress Nayantara for her illegal affair with Prabhu Deva. Deva married Ramlath 15 years back and they have 3 children. Few months ago they lostSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 23 Sep 2009 | 3:28 am Campaign against Ram Gopal Varma to release ShabriRam Gopal Varma is yet again embroiled in a controversy that has one of his proteges at the hilt of it all. The man who is known to have launched many a careers in Bollywood is now being accused of destroyingSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 23 Sep 2009 | 3:25 am Aishwarya amongst world's most beautiful womenIslamabad, (ANI): Aishwarya Bachchan is one of the 100 most beautiful women according to a list published by Harpers and Queen Magazine.The Bollywood beauty is ranked ninth, while Hollywood hottie Angelina Jolie has topped the chart, The News reports. Supermodel ChristySource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 23 Sep 2009 | 3:19 am Prabhu Deva-Nayantara watched Wanted togetherSouth India actress Nayantara has been denying having any affair with choreographer turned actor turned director Prabhu Deva, who is married to Ramlath, but something seems to be brewing between them if the latest news is to be believed. It isSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 23 Sep 2009 | 3:14 am Big B gets too pricey day by dayThe most expensive actor of the industry, Amitabh Bachchan is getting pricy with an astronomical rise in the amount that he will be getting for Big Boss 3. He is the highest paid actor on small screen now, beating the KhansSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 23 Sep 2009 | 3:09 am MJ documentary to have worldwide premiere
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 23 Sep 2009 | 3:09 am Vrajesh Hirjee to leave you chuckling awayVrajesh Hirjee aka Aditya of Shree Adi Manav, the guy who is essaying the role of a deaf guy in the show resembles his onscreen character in real life too. Don’t be afraid, he is not deaf, but is definitely humorousSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 23 Sep 2009 | 3:06 am Paradip Port to float tender to pump oil out of sunken shipThe Paradip Port in Orissa has decided to float a global tender to pump the stored oil out of a Mongolian ship that sank off its coast Sep 9.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 23 Sep 2009 | 3:00 am Sush dazzles with her bridal finery - Times of India
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 23 Sep 2009 | 2:52 am Ramya teaming up with Ganesh VenkatramanKannada actress Ramya, who recently hit the headlines after she insulted choreographer Harsha on the sets of Just Maath Maathalli, is now teaming up with actor Ganesh Venkatraman. Earlier, it was reported that National Film Award winning actor Prakash Raj (PrakashSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 23 Sep 2009 | 2:51 am Woman connected to MJ's doc to testify
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 23 Sep 2009 | 2:45 am Bipasha doesn't like sitting on my bike: John AbrahamJohn Abraham's love for bikes is well-known but his lady love, actress Bipasha Basu, doesn't like riding pillion with him for that very reason.Source: Entertainment News | 23 Sep 2009 | 2:27 am Mumbai set for dazzling Durga Puja despite swine flu, 26/11The million-strong Bengali community here, including many Bollywood celebrities, is all geared up to worship goddess Durga for five days. Beckoning them are marquees decorated with varied themes - one of them a full-fledged village in Bengal!Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 23 Sep 2009 | 2:01 am Godesses on the ramp - Times of India
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 23 Sep 2009 | 1:55 am Mumbai set for dazzling Durga Puja despite swine flu, 26/11 - Sify
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 23 Sep 2009 | 12:28 am Asin hospitalised for acute sinus - Oneindia
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 23 Sep 2009 | 12:07 am Salman Khan fans love Wanted - Oneindia
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 23 Sep 2009 | 12:07 am Asin Thottumkal hospitalisedActress Asin Thottumkal, who's lately been working round-the-clock, has been admitted to the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital here following an acute sinus condition.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 23 Sep 2009 | 12:00 am India captures people's hearts: American folk singerAs she does her first ever tour of India at the age of 51, American folk singer and songwriter Carrie Newcomer says she can't imagine leaving without her music being influenced by the country.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 22 Sep 2009 | 11:31 pm I'm no womanizer: Prakash Raj - Times of India
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 22 Sep 2009 | 11:04 pm Rahul, Rakhi, enough of swayamvar! - Times of India
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 22 Sep 2009 | 10:30 pm Bipasha doesn't like sitting on my bike: John AbrahamJohn Abraham's love for bikes is well-known but his lady love, actress Bipasha Basu, doesn't like riding pillion with him for that very reason.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 22 Sep 2009 | 9:00 pm 'Kites' background score of global standard: Sulaiman MerchantKnown for their edgy and racy background scores in 'Dhoom 2', 'Chak De! India' and 'Krrish', music composers Salim and Sulaiman Merchant are now looking forward to their next creation 'Kites', which they promise matches international standards.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 22 Sep 2009 | 8:00 pm Mischa getting life back on track
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 22 Sep 2009 | 4:59 pm 11th Mumbai film fest to introduce three new featuresThe 11th biennial Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) for Documentary, Short and Animation films 2010 will have three new features - students films/videos, mobile films and puppet animation films.Source: Entertainment News | 22 Sep 2009 | 4:10 pm Rahul Mahajan to find his bride on TV"Mehendi laga ke rakhna" - the peppy number from superhit movie "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" played as the perfect background song when Rahul Mahajan stepped in here today to launch NDTV Imagine's "Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jaayega" (RDLJ).Source: Entertainment News | 22 Sep 2009 | 1:07 pm Agnee breaks Sony contract, releases singlesWe are never going to charge people for our music,” says Mohan Kannan, rock band Agnee’s lead vocalist.Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 22 Sep 2009 | 12:54 pm Now, Khali raps for BollywoodDalip Singh Rana, better known as The Great Khali, is all set to make people jam to his tunes. The 7 foot 3 inch hulk, who recently appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, has lent his voice to a song in the upcoming film, Rama — The Saviour.Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 22 Sep 2009 | 12:50 pm Phalke's journey inspired Harishchandrachi FactoryHarishchandrachi Factory, the Marathi movie which beat off competition from Bollywood hits like New York and Delhi 6 to become India's official entry to the Oscars, showcases the story behind the making of country's first feature film.Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 22 Sep 2009 | 12:13 pm Indian directors who continue to inspire: An ode to immortalityThey were present when the Indian cinema was born. Here's reminiscing the directors of yore like Dadasaheb Phalke, V Shantaram, Bimal Roy, Satyajit Ray and Guru Dutt who shaped the future of our cinema.Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 22 Sep 2009 | 11:52 am 11th Mumbai film fest to introduce three new featuresThe 11th biennial Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) for Documentary, Short and Animation films 2010 will have three new features - students films/videos, mobile films and puppet animation films.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 22 Sep 2009 | 10:30 am Honorary degrees for Mohanlal, Resul Pookutty and SastrikalThe Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit Tuesday decided to confer D.Litt to superstar Mohanlal, Oscar award winner Resul Pookutty and veteran Sanskrit scholar M.H. Sastrikal.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 22 Sep 2009 | 9:31 am Madhavan signed as brand ambassador for Wagon R
Every brand has its own ambassador, and making no exception is the popular car brand Maruti-Suzuki who has recently signed on actor R. Madhavan as the brand ambassador for their Wagon R series. A notable fact is that till date Wagon R never had a brand ambassador.
Stated Maruti Suzuki Chief General Manager Marketing - Shashank Srivastava that Madhavan is well known across the country and is not divided as a face of the North or the South and this was an important fact, which led them to choose him. Additionally, he being a superstar in the South will only add to the brand's popularity in the South Indian markets.
The ad campaign featuring the actor with the tag line 'Smart ideas lead the world' will be launched soon. This will include TVC, radio, print, OOH and digital media.
For Madhavan, this is indeed a big endorsement deal. Meanwhile, on the films front, he is currently gearing up for two big releases Rajkumar Hirani's 3 Idiots which stars Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi and Kareena Kapoor and Leena Yadav's Teen Patti which features him along side legendary actors such as Amitabh Bachchan and Sir Ben Kingsley.Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 22 Sep 2009 | 9:27 am Director Lalit Marathe starts online campaign to make RGV release Shabri
Ram Gopal Varma is yet again embroiled in a controversy that has one of his protegee at the hilt of it all. The man who is known to have launched many a careers in Bollywood is now being accused of destroying one.
Lalit Marathe who struggled his way into finally completing his first directorial venture Shabri under Ram Gopal Varma banner is rather miffed. Reason being that his film has been stuck for the past three years. To vent his feeling, he took up his cause on Facebook, where, he claims, the campaign is quickly gathering steam as the users are starting to feel that Varma is playing with Marathe's career.
Marathe's ire seems to brew from the fact that even though the film is ready, it's still not getting a release from its producers, RGV and Adlabs. What further aggravated matters was when people from Rome Film Festival approached RGV for the film; they were never directed to Marathe.
While RGV claims that the film is in its post production stage, Marathe calls it an excuse and wonders why it's taken three years for a film's post production to be completed.
Apparently, many Facebook users feel for Marathe's cause and have pledged their support for same. An overwhelming experience for an emotional Marathe.Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 22 Sep 2009 | 9:19 am What's Your Raashee's master print stolen; Police nab culprits
One of the most awaited films of this year, Ashutosh Gowariker's What's Your Raashee which opens across cinema halls this Friday found itself in a spot of bother when a top official of Adlabs Processing was caught stealing the master print of the film.
The person in question, Durgadas Bhakta, Business Development Manager at Adlabs Processing at Film City, Goregaon was apparently giving out the master print of the eagerly awaited film for Rs.2 lakhs. However, he and his four cronies were arrested after producer-director Gowariker lodged a police complaint when he found the master print missing.
The police have even managed to recover the master print and pirated CD's and DVD's of the film from them. We're sure that Ashu would now be heaving a sigh of relief.Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 22 Sep 2009 | 9:15 am Phalke's journey inspired Harishchandrachi Factory - Hindustan Times
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 22 Sep 2009 | 9:07 am Ramesh Arvind now moves on to village-based filmsAfter acting in films set in cities, Kannada actor Ramesh Arvind was keen to work in rural-based scripts and says he accepted "Crazy Kutumba", a remake of a Marathi film, because it provided him the opportunity.Source: Entertainment News | 22 Sep 2009 | 9:04 am Johnny Depp out of Pirates?The actor may walk away from the fourth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean after Disney ousted the veteran studio chief who first backed his vision for the role of Captain Jack Sparrow.Source: Hindustan Times News Feeds 'Cinema' | 22 Sep 2009 | 8:23 am Live Chat: Priyanka Chopra on September 23 at 1500 hrs IST
She is an actress par excellence who has slowly but steadily managed to reached super heights of stardom. After a successful modeling stint in which she was even crowned Miss World, this gorgeous beauty stormed into the Bollywood scene with power packed performances in films like Andaaz, Mujhse Shaadi Karoge and Aitraaz. She has worked with the biggest of stars and is on every director's wish list.
Earlier this year, she bagged all the major awards for her stellar act in Fashion and recently even won our hearts as the feisty Maharashtrian mulgi in Kaminey. Now she is all set to manage a coup of sorts pulling off not one or two but twelve different roles in her latest film What's Your Raashee? Yes Ladies and Gentlemen...we are indeed talking about the one and only Priyanka Chopra who... hold your breath... will be live for the first time ever on Bollywood Hungama's celeb chat.
To chat with Priyanka and ask her all that you ever wanted to, log on to Bollywood Hungama's celeb chat on Wednesday, September 23 at 1500 hrs IST. This is one golden opportunity you simply wouldn't want to miss!Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 22 Sep 2009 | 8:01 am Now, Rahul Mahajan to find match on TV'Mehendi laga ke rakhna' - the peppy number from superhit movie 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' played as the perfect background song when Rahul Mahajan stepped in here Tuesday to launch NDTV Imagine's 'Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jaayega' (RDLJ).Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 22 Sep 2009 | 7:30 am Priya Dutt skips 'mata ki chowki' at Sanjay Dutt's residence
It was a night to remember. While Sanjay Dutt glowed when one of his sister Namrata (Anju) Dutt showed up with her husband, Sanjay Dutt's other sister Priya Dutt was conspicuous by her absence leading to speculation on why and how the rapprochement between the brother and sister would ever happen!
The Chowki at the Dutts' residence was attended by all of the couple's friends except Ajay Devgan and Bipasha Basu, who couldn't make it because they were shooting far away, near Madurai.
Among the invitees who trouped in and stayed right till the end of the occasion were Suniel Shetty and his wife, Zayed Khan and wife, Kunal Kohli, Bunty Walia and his current girlfriend.
The surprise guests were Akshay Kumar and wife Twinkle, who arrived on the dot at 7 pm and stayed till the very end at 9.30 pm.
While the bonding between Dutt and Akshay Kumar has been growing over the past few months, especially after they shot for the last two songs of Blue last week, the bonding between their wives was a surprise.
Says a guest at the jagran, "Twinkle and Manyata were inseparable all evening. They had earlier broken the ice in the Bahamas when they had joined their respective husbands during the shooting. This is the first time they spent so much time together. The bonding between the two ladies is further going to strengthen the Dutt-Akshay friendship."Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 22 Sep 2009 | 7:26 am Punjabi film takes hard look at female foeticideIn the backdrop of skewed sex ratio in Punjab, a filmmaker here is ready with a Punjabi movie 'Akhiyan Udeekdian' that takes a hard look at female foeticide prevailing in the state.Source: IndiaeNews.com: Bollywood News | 22 Sep 2009 | 7:03 am "Blue is first of its kind in Indian cinema" - Zayed Khan
He ends his media briefing by saying, "Sharafat Gayi Tel Lene", and that my lovely readers isn't what he meant. That's Zayed Khan's next release after Blue. The actor looked all red and pink jumping up and down, doing mad stunts on the trampoline while filming for the title track of Blue at Film City. He has been slated of not being the most talented of actors by some critics but there is something special about this 'Khan'. In his purple tee and a sleeveless yellow hooded jumper, the actor's Popeye type muscles are evidence that he is pushing himself for a role of a lifetime. After his only super successful film Main Hoon Na, Blue might just be his lucky colour this October. UK's Harrow Observer columnist and Bollywood Hungama's London correspondent Devansh Patel met the actor and discovered a man with oodles of charm and likeability that go some way to explaining the phenomenal success of this rather private and enigmatic cinematic curio.
The title track of Blue had to be your solo performance. Is that true?
Not at all. These are just rumours going around. This film is an entire team performance. I don't think without any one of us, this film would've been complete. Blue is a first of its kind in Indian cinema. It's historical in nature and it's a kind of film India always wanted to prove to the rest of the world, that our cinema is up there too. It's a big milestone.
Blue is historical in nature and it's a kind of film India always wanted to prove to the rest of the world
Blue title track is one of the most talked about themes.
Yes it is. I'm glad it is. Blue theme is the soul of the film. It's what we call the heart of the film. It gives you the pace and the rhythm the film has chosen to adapt to. It's always nice to have a theme song where everybody is coming together to create the excitement and the buzz for the film. I don't know if Blue needs any more buzz than it has already got. It's one of those fortunate films that have been very well received by the audiences so far and I hope the songs pep people up and get them more excited about the film than they already are.
Akshay swims like a fish but it's good I gave him a little bit of competition underwater
How difficult and easy was it to do stunts with Akshay Kumar?
Akshay has been tremendously supportive. You can't really argue with Akshay when it comes to action. He is one of the best in the business. He is mentally and physically fit. That all translates into how he does his stunts. Akshay wasn't fearful of doing anything for the first time. Akshay swims like a fish but it's good I gave him a little bit of competition underwater (laughs).
So who was the surprise package of the film?
It had to be Lara Dutta. She did not know how to swim. The way she took her lessons and the way she changed the entire cast and crew's perception towards her was unbelievable. She worked out mad and looked slimmer than ever. She is a treat to watch out for in Blue.
You are producers' first choice when it comes to big budget cinema.
Well, call it my fortune. I love action flicks. Blue is one such film that is expensive because of its action. As a kid, I always wanted to see action movies and then dream of being a part of them. I just couldn't have said 'No' to the film because the film is outstanding in its writing and vision. Anthony has done his homework so well that you just can't ignore to be a part of Blue.
Did you have any doubts of shooting some scenes because of the risk of getting killed by the sharks?
Not until the time we actually had our first shark dive. I've been a scuba diver since I was fifteen. It's always been the deep sea coral diving for me. Sharks? I was like, get real! We had a very good team of divers who understood the nature of these sharks. The way they spoke to us was like we had to stroll in a park. The first dive was scary but by the end of the thirty day diving experience, we turned a blind eye to the sharks. Swimming with the sharks was like a sense of achievement.
Blue, it has got a very sensitive story line. It will surprise one and all.
Who came across as the best and the worst from all the cast?
(Laughs) Now you need to ask Anthony about this. But I guess, the cast was taken bearing in mind that we all were fearless. We all were game for things, anything. But the rightful owner of this answer has to be my director.
When your film Cash released, content took a back seat and the film came down like nine pins in a row. Do you feel that the action, choreography and technicalities of such action adventure capers somehow neglect the content?
I agree with you that sometimes people shy away from content in order to give a big and a larger picture of things. But you see, honestly, half the content of such films lie in its thrills. Giving people an adventure action caper the content resides in how many thrills you create, how many twists and turns you create, how many freaky stunts you do, etc. But at the same time, there should be a good story line to back it all up. There was a time in 2006 and 2007 when producers would announce films worth Rs.100 crores and corrupt their films. They used to say, 'Let's not write a dialogue, let's go and shoot in Australia, let's not do a good scene and waste more money in New York.' As for Blue, it has got a very sensitive story line. Blue will surprise one and all.Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 22 Sep 2009 | 6:35 am "Ranbir was the first choice for Wake Up Sid" - Karan Johar
In two weeks from now, Ranbir Kapoor would be going through a litmus test. After a couple of romantic films (Saawariya, Bachna Ae Haseeno), he would now be seen as a part of 'coming of age cinema' in the form of debutant Ayan Mukherjee's Wake Up Sid. Apparently, both director Ayan and producer Karan Johar, felt that Ranbir was the best choice for the film and they had no hesitation in having him on board the moment film's script was finalized.
"Yes, Ranbir was always the first choice of Ayan", says Karan Johar, who is changing the direction of Dharma Productions by green lighting multiple projects, all of which belong to different genres and have only one of them boasting of him sitting on the director's chair. "Once Ayan conveyed this to me, I too was quite happy and gave him a go ahead. Another reason for being ecstatic with Ranbir on board is the fact that I am really very fond of Chintu uncle and Neetu aunty. So I just called Ranbir up and he was on board; it was as simple as that."
How about Konkona Sen Sharma? Isn't she too unconventional a leading lady, especially in a Dharma Productions setup?
"As I said earlier, we are having a different vision for making films now", says Karan, "I thought that if we cast the film in a conventional manner, then it won't have that special 'X' factor which was so much required for Sid's world. Konkona is unusual and quite unconventional and this is what makes her love story with Ranbir real and honest."
Elaborating on Konkona's role in the film, Karan says, "The film was written in such a manner that the woman out there shouldn't have belonged to the conventional prototype leading lady characterization that one often sees. There had to be an altogether different dynamics that were much required. There are so many different layers and nuances that the character of Ayesha has. Frankly, I don't know of many actresses who would have brought on screen the kind of traits that Ayesha possesses."
Also starring Anupam Kher in an important role, Wake Up Sid has music by Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy along with Amit Trivedi. The film would be releasing all over on 2nd October.Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 22 Sep 2009 | 5:41 am Lisa Ray rides into Toronto Film Festival in a hand-driven rickshaw
Boring limousines at celebrity events are out. At least for now. Lisa Ray and the rest of the cast of Dilip Mehta's Cooking With Stella rode up in a hand-driven rickshaws for the Gala premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on Thursday night. Heads turned and jaws fall open at the august gathering. But Lisa couldn't care less. That was a bit of Indiana thrown into the Oriental cuisine.
Delighted euphoric but exhausted after the event Lisa said, "Yes, we rolled up in rickshaws and the crowd was hugely supportive. I wore my 'Myeloma' bracelet, which matched my gown. My gown was designed by Nada, a Toronto designer, and India-inspired."
Lisa rode up in the two-seater rickshaw with her co-star Don McKellar while the rest of the cast along with the director, his sister Deepa Mehta and producer David Hamilton were in other rickshaws. The entourage was arresting. The ambience created was very rustic and Indian. Interestingly, since a lot of the film is about cooking and food, a majority of the audience in the 2000-member auditorium came out of the film famished!
The press at the Toronto Film Festival was naturally full of questions about Lisa's health condition. She answered all of them patiently. This was Lisa's first major public appearance after she announced her illness.
And she had herself a grand time. "I had the most fun I've ever had at a red carpet event. Probably because it was the first time I was totally unselfconscious. It an interesting lesson. I could just let it all hang out and genuinely enjoy myself. Also, I am grateful for all the support and love from people around the world, especially from India. Truly, India's heart beats stronger and louder than ever before."
Fatigued but excited, Lisa says, "The gala went off spectacularly well. Dilip brought down the house with his opening on stage. Our film was received with incredible warmth and positivity."
Lisa is big fan of her Stella co-star Seema Biswas. "Seema continues to be my ultimate inspiration as an actress. All the performances in the film are spot- on, making Cooking With Stella a crowd -pleaser. Dilip Mehta is an amazing director. He's made something very special in Cooking With Stella and his vision will continue to thrill in the future. It's been a privilege to work with him and with the entire cast."
Besides Seema and Lisa, Shriya Saran who stars on Cooking With Stella also attracted a lot of media eyeballs at the Toronto premiere.Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 22 Sep 2009 | 5:22 am
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