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Cinema row, Mammotty strikes conciliatory note
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 27 Feb 2010 | 6:55 am Road, Movie is experimental: Abhay Deol
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 27 Feb 2010 | 6:38 am MNIK first truly global Bollywood film, say distributors
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 27 Feb 2010 | 6:36 am Holi- A subdued affair this year in Bollywood
Frankly, no one is really in a mood to celebrate Holi in a big way. The lack of enthusiasm this year has plenty to do with the way things are going for the entertainment industry.
An actor on condition of anonymity puts the situation in a nutshell. "Earlier we had grand Holi celebrations in at least 5-6 major filmy families. Now it's dwindled to just 1 or 2 Holi bashes."
In the past, film folks had a blast .The film industry chose to celebrate Holi either at Raj Kapoor's Holi bash(by far the most well-attended), followed by the Bachchans' warm open-house Holi festivities. Then there were Subhash Ghai, Yash Chopra and the Azmis, Javed and Shabana who hosted and continue to host the annual Holi bash.
But the colourful spirit of Holi went out with Raj Kapoor. The true champion of filmy Holi bashes at R.K Studios in Chembur used to be a riot of colours and festivity every Holi. The entire film industry and all their kith and kin would arrive in spotless white to be dunked into the famous RK colour tank.
Now the equations have changed drastically. Since the passing away of Raj Kapoor there's no Holi at RK Studios any more. The family's superstar-scion Ranbir Kapoor is busy shooting in the US . The rest of the family is no mood for Holi. Holi at the Bachchans is also expected to be a subdued close family affair with little or no shor-sharaaba.
Even Akshay Kumar who generally loves the Holi revelry is heading out of Mumbai this weekend. "Just me, my wife and son driving out of the city," says Akshay implying there's little joy in being home for Holi this year.
Akshay has a point. Holi ceased to be a source of fun long ago. As Shabana Azmi puts it, "The state must ensure safety and protection for women and men must make sure that the day of celebration doesn't turn into an occasion for mourning."
Urmila Matondkar, however, is not daunted by the safety factor. "Holi isn't unsafe for women provided you're cautious and play Holi with people who are known to you. In any case I'm not much into Holi , bhang and masti."
For Shabana the Holi spirit never dies. "It's always an open house for friends and family on the occasion of Holi at my parents' home in Janki Kutir. There's a generous flow of non-toxic colours, gaana-bajaana, and khaana...a long-standing tradition in our house as part of India's ganga-jumna tehzeeb."
However even the never-say-die Shabana is out of town this Holi.Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 27 Feb 2010 | 6:02 am Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge completes 750 weeks Just like old wine, SRK and Kajol's blockbuster film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) keeps getting better and better with each passing year. This month- February 2010, DDLJ has set yet another record by completing 750 weeks of continuous play. In a feat perhaps unmatched anywhere in the world, the magic of the evergreen romance keeps pulling audiences back to the Maratha Mandir theatre in Mumbai.
Directed by Aditya Chopra, DDLJ opened to full houses and rave reviews all over the world way back on 20th October 1995.
This evergreen Yash Raj Film remains the longest running film in the history of Indian cinema, as it passes one milestone after another, and is presently running in its 15th year of running.Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 27 Feb 2010 | 5:46 am No romance in Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?: KonkanaThe film revolves around the story of Ajay and Konkona and how their life takes a turn when a distant relative Chachaji turns up unannounced at their doorstep from a far-off village.Source: | 27 Feb 2010 | 5:44 am Freida's forthcoming fims up for Sept releasePinto is said to have completed her shooting for Freida Pinto starrer Woody Allen’s You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, which also stars Naomi Watts, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Brolin, Antonio Banderas and Anupam Kher.Source: | 27 Feb 2010 | 5:34 am Bradley Cooper drops out of spy comedyCooper has dropped out of spy comedy This Means War to concentrate on the sequel of his hit film Hangover. The film was to start filming sometime this spring, but Cooper's departure has pushed it back until July.Source: | 27 Feb 2010 | 5:27 am Shilpa Shetty joins twitter
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 27 Feb 2010 | 5:25 am How about some teen patti with Big B?Amitabh is trying to connect with his fans by gambling with them the age-old game of teen patti online. The response is remarkable - reason could be the love for the game or an opportunity to know Big B's fun side.Source: | 27 Feb 2010 | 5:19 am Movie Review: Vinnaithaandi VaruvaayaaScripts are shoddily produced, situations are lifted and used with modifications. Gautham Vasudev Menon's Tamil work, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, is guilty of these. Read on for full review.Source: | 27 Feb 2010 | 4:32 am Parker wears a Posh number for the Obamas
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 27 Feb 2010 | 3:25 am Pattinson and Stewart caught cosying up
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 27 Feb 2010 | 3:20 am Bradley Cooper drops out of spy comedy
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 27 Feb 2010 | 3:19 am Paris Hilton sparks row with beer ad
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 27 Feb 2010 | 3:18 am Brad Pitt splurges USD 10,000 on daughter
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 27 Feb 2010 | 3:17 am Atithi Tum... has no romantic angle: Konkona
Source: NDTV Entertainment News | 27 Feb 2010 | 3:16 am Pa giving actors run for their money: AbhishekAbhishek Bachchan, who was eagerly looking forward to see his father Amitabh's performance in Teen Patti, says the veteran actor just keeps getting better with every film even at the age of 68.Source: | 27 Feb 2010 | 3:13 am Deepika Padukone causes mid-air excitement
It was a flight from Jaipur to Mumbai that the passengers won't forget in a hurry. On Monday, Deepika Padukone and her Karthik Calling Karthik team were to fly back on a private jet. But the pilot informed the team that they couldn't head for Mumbai due to a cyclone threat.
Says Deepika, "We had to return on Monday night because many of us had to leave for Dubai for the premiere on Tuesday morning. So from Jaipur to Mumbai we all booked ourselves into the economy class of a commercial airline."
What could've turned out to be a nightmare turned out to be a joyride for Deepika and her team and perhaps not such a pleasurable experience for the other late-fliers on-board.
Says Deepika gleefully, "We had blocked a whole row and instead of sleeping after a super-hectic day we started playing Mendicot. We forgot we were in a commercial flight. So we were yelling and screaming in excitement while the rest of the passengers were trying to sleep."
And now for the first time in her life Deepika is seriously addicted. "I can't stop playing Mendicot. Ritesh and Farhan introduced me and director Vijay Lalwani to the game. When we took off on Sunday from Mumbai on our private jet the first thing Farhan and Ritesh did was to teach us this game. I've become addicted."
This could qualify as the biggest irony of the entertainment industry in recent times. While going on a whirlwind tour of cities across the country to promote her new film Kartik Calling Kartik, Deepika Padukone has gotten addicted to playing cards, which is what this week's rival film Teen Patti is about.
Deepika flew out of Mumbai in a private jet on Sunday with her co-star Farhan Akhtar, director Vijay Lalwani and producer Ritesh Sidhwani.
Says Deepka, "I loved the whirlwind promotional tour. For two days I had more fun than I've had in my entire life. Throughout the trip we played Mendicot -not teen patti, please! We didn't sleep at all for two days because some of the flight-duration was less than two hours. So all we did was play Mendicot on flight."
Now Deepika is hopelessly addicted to the game.
On Tuesday Deepika headed for Dubai."It has been a hectic time. We covered six cities in two days...three cities a day. It was possible only because the producer hired a private jet."Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 27 Feb 2010 | 3:11 am Deepika thinks her tattoo is specialAfter the overwhelming response to Karthik Calling Karthik at the Dubai premiere, Deepika Padukone is all existed. Read on as she gets up, close and personal on work, life after lights off and Holi this year.Source: | 27 Feb 2010 | 2:33 am 55th Filmfare Award Set To Rock The Nation Today - india-server.com
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 27 Feb 2010 | 2:28 am Celebrate Holi in Bollywood Style
March is here and this is one month everybody looks forward to for the very simple reason that we have another holiday to look forward to, which coupled with bhang and colours makes it completely worth it. Of course we are talking about Holi. But if you're someone who wants to look back at the pictures of 2010 Holi celebration and not cringe, thanks to the awful green paint and horrendous hair, Chandni Dev at Bollywood Hungama suggests you play it Bollywood style. Here are some quick tips:
Please avoid getting up straight from the bed and go yelling out for the Holi party. It's dangerous for mankind. Invest a good hour and half to actually look presentable. Shampoo your hair, style them away from your head, or tie a nice ponytail. And practice that celebrity smile in the mirror for fifteen minutes.
When you're getting dressed, avoid looking for tattered worn out clothes or that Tee you were planning to give away to the CRY foundation. We suggest you buy an outfit a week in advance. Something white of course, starched would be good and make sure you have the right accessories to go with it.
Avoid too much makeup, a bit of kajal and mascara is fine, but you don't want people to know you've come for a photo opportunity, even though you have. But that's just a secret. You don't want to be branded as a wannabe post the event. So just a bit of eye makeup, ok! A bit of gloss as well...fine maybe a bit of blush won't do any harm.
At any given point in time do not, and we repeat, do not take off your sunglasses. It's a day event and out in the open, how can you even think about being seen with dirty, coloured eyelashes. Also, those better be branded glares.
Choose the colours that are applied on you, and avoid mixing colours, they turn dark and ugly. So see the one that goes well with your skin tone. Red is the safest. It always looks good on camera. Be sure you know where you want the colour to show on you, for example, cheeks, forehead and a bit on the arm is acceptable by Bollywood standards.
It's all about networking in such events. Pose with everyone and flash a big smile. Make sure you look like the most popular, happy, friendly person around. Pose with most people even if you personally loathe them and never ever want to see them again, just smile and say cheese.
If after all this preparation you still manage to have fun, all the better. Happy Holi!Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 27 Feb 2010 | 2:20 am Subhash K Jha speaks about Karthik Calling Karthik Desolation is a distant cousin to suburban seclusion. And from the isolation of the Modern Indian Man is born the Great Cosmopolitan Fable of the man who knows no succour from seclusion.
Karthik Calling Karthik is an interesting if flawed fable of the damned. The protagonist is Karthik(Farhan Akhtar)- a man so timid he could merge into the woodwork of his office if only the decor was not so much glass and papier-mache.
Karthik is bullied by his boss (Ram Kapoor, unusual and interesting bit of casting, that) sniggered at by his smarter (read: less sensitive) colleagues and absentmindedly ignored by the beauty in the beastly workplace whom Karthik gazes at sideways and writes scores of unsent e-mail to. She's the unattainable beauty. He's King Kong without the imposing grandeur to protest against his malfunctional existence.
This is the world of Rocket Singh without the turban and the placidity. While Shimit Amin's Rocket Singh Salesman Of The Year was about an office-goer who craved for acceptance, Karthik just wants to be less unhappy in his space. It's not too much to ask for. But who's listening? Except a voice on the phone that sounds suspiciously like Karthik to his own ear.
The buildup of Karthik's dreary disembodied world captures the claustrophobia of suburban existence without forgetting to add humour to the proceedings. The moments between Karthik and the gregarious Shonali (Deepika) have that touch of lively realism taken from lives we've known lived and somewhere tried to reject. However the dialogues between the couple try too hard to be 'cool'.
The relationship that Karthik develops with Shonali is far outdistanced in intensity by the one that he develops with the Chinese phone set. And after a while the 'extended monologues' (in a newly defined man-calling-self avatar) begins to lose its credibility.
But hold on. Debutant director Vijay Lalwani , self-assured and apparently fully conscious of where he's taking his story ,gives us a second-half that is gut-wrenching in its portrayal of the individual as an island.
To escape the dictatorial and tyrannical voice on the phone, Karthik buys a ticket to an unknown city which to our visual delight, turns out to be Kochi. Karthik rents a modest, near-dingy room and begins life anew as a battered man seeking supreme anonymity with no telephone lines to break his self-imposed deathly stillness of existence.
 The second movement of the quietly simmering plot comes to a poignant if faltering halt in a city whose tranquility the cinematographer Sanu Verghese embraces by a rejection of the urban chaos. However the revelation on Karthik's psychological condition surprises no one except Karthik himself, and least of his sexy shrink Shefali Shah.
Karthik Calling Karthik is a gripping jigsaw piecing together a mind that plays games with itself. The winner is destiny. The pace is consciously sluggish suggesting the deep-rooted association of a vigour-less existence with the quality of life that the cities offer you in exchange for a comfortable flat in a techno-suffused surrounding.
Farhan Akhtar, the life and breath of the proceedings, epitomizes urban anonymity in his body language speech and hesitant attempts to reach out to a world that has no patience with the over-sensitive.
Farhan's is indeed a super-confident performance as a man lacking self-confidence. The film itself doesn't lag behind in self-assurance. But the absence of what one may call an energetic exterior could well be mistaken by some viewers as an ingrained inertia, a malaise that the film's protagonist suffers from.
Do not mistake the man for the plot.Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 27 Feb 2010 | 2:14 am "I became like a kid on sets after seeing Big B and Ben Kingsley" - Madhavan
Madhavan or Maddy, as he is fondly known as, finished 2009 on a high with the biggest blockbuster 3 Idiots. He starts 2010 with another big film Teen Patti. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Maddy talks about his experience working with two of cinema's stalwarts, Mr. Bachchan and Sir Ben Kingsley. While doing so he also shares with us some fun moments the 'kids' and the rest of the crew had while on the sets. Read on to know more.
You have Alibaug, Sunglass, Tanu Weds Manu and yet another film with Kangna and a few other Tamil films coming up, could you shed some light on these projects?
Tanu Weds Manu is with Kangna and me and is being directed by Anand Rai. We have so far finished one schedule. The film basically is a comical love story based in a small town like Lucknow, and not in a city. It's got that earthy smell of rural or rather central India instead of the urban metropolis so I think it's very exciting. While the other film with Kangna is still under discussion and nothing has been finalized as yet.
Big B is so talented that if you look at him just as an actor, it's unfair
Alibaug hasn't been signed as such while Sunglass is actually finished and I really have no reason as to why it's not releasing. So I guess you could say it's shelved.
What was it like working with two stalwarts of cinema Sir Ben Kingsley and Mr. Bachchan, you being a huge Bachchan fan?
I have always been a huge fan of Mr. Bachchan but after this film all I can say is that I have become a devotee, he is just such an amazing, amazing man. He's so talented that if you look at him just as an actor, it's unfair. He just manages to blow your mind, I mean I went golfing with him and he plays great golf, while he is absolutely hilarious when it come to rib tickers and by far the best part is that he shares the same passions I do. He loves cars; he loves engineering, so it was a blast.
Have you seen the film 21? There are a lot of people saying that Teen Patti is based on similar linesâ¦
Well in a sense it is about professors and students who are involved in card counting. In terms of the premise it might be, but then there are a lot of other aspects to the film that make it totally different from its erstwhile counterpart.
What's your character in the film Teen Patti?
In the film, I am playing a professor in a college who believes that he got a really raw deal. As professors we educate the students so we should really be getting good money. So I want to live life in the fast lanes and make good money and enjoy the luxuries of life but there is a price I have to pay for it.
Did you actually play mentor to the 4 newcomers on the sets?
No! I guess the kids were just as blown away by Mr. Bachchan as I was. When it comes to mentoring I was lost, I think Mr. Bachchan was the one who played the role of a mentor to them.
What was it like working with the two stalwarts of cinema, Mr. Bachchan and Sir Ben Kingsley?
I was like a kid in a candy shop. I didn't know who to look at; I didn't know what to do. It was surreal. I was telling my assistant to take my photos and quite literally I became like a kid on the sets with both Mr. Bachchan and Sir Ben Kingsley.
If you were to analyze which is that one film you wish you would be part of or rather a role that you would have loved to play what would it be?
I think the only thing that comes to mind right now is the role that Shah Rukh plays in My Name is Khan. That is one film I would have loved to work in and especially play the part that SRK is playing.Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 27 Feb 2010 | 2:07 am Pa giving young actors run for their money: AbhishekAbhishek Bachchan, who was eagerly looking forward to see his father Amitabh's performance in "Teen Patti", says the veteran actor just keeps getting better with every film even at the age of 68.Source: Entertainment News | 27 Feb 2010 | 2:02 am Vidya Balan to romance Pratik Babbar - GlamSham
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 27 Feb 2010 | 1:56 am Shaleen and Daljit to perform in RDLJ!NDTV Imagine’s ‘Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega’ is striving hard to find a perfect bride for Rahul Mahajan and the channel is making it more colorful by adding spice into it. For that, the channel is inviting celebrities to suggest, test andSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 27 Feb 2010 | 1:43 am 'Rahul can marry Dimpy, my life won't stop' - Times of India
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 27 Feb 2010 | 1:42 am 'Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?' has no romantic angle: KonkonaThere is no romantic angle to the movie "Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge," award-winning actress Konkona Sen Sharma says about her new film.Source: Entertainment News | 27 Feb 2010 | 1:36 am India to have 'Hip-Hop Summit' in NovemberThe 'Music for Peace Tour Initiative,' a coalition of organizations and non-profits who have banded together to help bring 'peace and harmony' to world are organising a 'Hip-Hop Summit' in India in November.Source: merinews: Entertainment News Articles | 27 Feb 2010 | 1:17 am Jim Carrey becomes grandfatherWashington (ANI): Jim Carrey has become a grandfather at 47. The actor’s daughter Jane has given birth to her first child, a baby boy, with husband Alex Santana. Her actual due date was Mar. 3, reports People magazine.The Jane Carrey BandSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 27 Feb 2010 | 12:46 am Vinnaithandi Varuvaya - ReviewFirst, we must thank Goutham Vasudev Menon for giving a refreshing and feel good cinema in the era of useless action masala. Vinnaithandi Varuvaya is really a pure magic and works a lot with the viewers who easily identify their ownSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 27 Feb 2010 | 12:41 am Farhan-Deepika's characters shape KCK's tunes - Oneindia
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 27 Feb 2010 | 12:33 am I became like a kid on sets before Big B, Kingsley: MadhavanR Madhavan or Maddy, as he is fondly known as, finished 2009 on a high with the biggest blockbuster 3 Idiots. He starts 2010 with another big film Teen Patti. In an exclusive interview, Maddy talks about his experience working withSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 27 Feb 2010 | 12:24 am Farhan-Deepika’s characters shape KCK’s tunesB-Town has become very experimental as far as music is concerned. The music of Karthik Calling Karthik is no less, no wonder it is creating waves all over. However, the innovation here is not in terms of instrumentation or any otherSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 27 Feb 2010 | 12:13 am Sunny Deol’s ‘Dayi Kilo Ka Haath’ still going strong!The dialogue ‘Dayi Kilo Ka Haath’, unofficially 'patented' by Sunny Deol, is still fresh in the memories of many of us. In fact, the dialogue even today gives goose bumps the moment one watches Rajkumar Santoshi’s well-liked and powerful ‘Damini’.We wonderSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 27 Feb 2010 | 12:11 am Ye Maaya Chesave - Review - Oneindia
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 27 Feb 2010 | 12:09 am Robert Pattinson to film orgy scene for ‘Bel Ami’London (ANI): Robert Pattinson will do an orgy scene in new French film Bel Ami. Moreover, a Victorian water pump house in Kent has been rented to film the mass romp. The building will be transformed into a 19th Century FrenchSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 27 Feb 2010 | 12:06 am Leona Lewis still scared of mentor Simon CowellMelbourne (ANI): Singer Leona Lewis has confessed despite sharing a bond with mentor Simon Cowell, she continues to be scared of his comments. The 24-year-old star, who won Cowell’s UK TV talent show 'The X Factor' in 2006, said she getsSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 27 Feb 2010 | 12:03 am Ye Maaya Chesave - ReviewGautham Menon is known for bringing out excellent love subjects on the silver screen. Almost every artiste likes to work with this award-winning director and Naga Chaitanya got one such opportunity in the early days of his career. Moreover, the filmSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 27 Feb 2010 | 12:03 am Gatorade dumps Tiger WoodsLondon (ANI): Drinks firm Gatorade has ended its reported 100-million-dollar five-year deal, signed in 2007, with sex cheat golf ace Tiger Woods. The decision comes a week after the sports star made a public apology for his infidelities, reports The Sun.GatoradeSource: Oneindia.in - Entertainment | 26 Feb 2010 | 11:58 pm Its Holi for celebs! - Times of India
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 26 Feb 2010 | 11:52 pm Grammy winner Darling to record Hindu- themed albumDarling reportedly wants to record this solo CD with meditation drones and singing in raga scales, in collaboration with German producer Manfried Eicher.Source: merinews: Entertainment News Articles | 26 Feb 2010 | 11:23 pm Teen Patti Movie Review - GlamSham
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 26 Feb 2010 | 11:07 pm Celebrate Holi with colors on March 1 and wish with Holi SMS - infocera
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 26 Feb 2010 | 10:50 pm Gary Coleman has seizure, once child star hospitalisedGary Coleman, 42, had a seizure when he was on the set of the talk show, The Insider on Friday. Dr Drew Pinsky, who was also on the set, gave him immediate treatment before he was whisked off to a local hospital.Source: merinews: Entertainment News Articles | 26 Feb 2010 | 3:23 pm Fifteen pieces or nothingBig Band jazz flourished in American ballrooms of the 1930s when the sound had to carry unaided across large floors. But when a modern European jazz band decides to perform as a collective of 15, surely it’s for something else.Source: | 26 Feb 2010 | 1:42 pm Here’s to trance-spottin’The popular progressive trance deejay is back on Indian shores. As far as the clubbing scene is concerned, John OO Fleming has proved his worth at some of the topmost night spots in the world, reports Malvika Nanda.Source: | 26 Feb 2010 | 1:40 pm Putting magic into realityI get a sudden urge to conquer Poland every time I hear Mukesh’s voice, from any year. Ditto for Lata in any song after the ones in Lekin (1990), writes Amitava Sanyal.Source: | 26 Feb 2010 | 1:27 pm Dave Matthews Band summer tour tickets, tour scheduleThe Dave Matthews Band summer tour tickets have started selling from today 10:00 AM onwards. During the tour, the band will be at Hartford, Toronto, New York, Mansfield, Cincinnati, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida, among others.Source: merinews: Entertainment News Articles | 26 Feb 2010 | 12:43 pm Preity makes a dash, others a splash! - Times of India
Source: Entertainment - Google News | 26 Feb 2010 | 10:36 am Andrew Koenig dead body found in a park, autopsy video, picsFormer 'Growing Pains' actor Andrew Koenig's dead body has been sent for post-mortem. The Growing Pains star was found dead Thursday in a wooded area of a sprawling downtown park after he committed suicide.Source: merinews: Entertainment News Articles | 26 Feb 2010 | 10:11 am Hollywood North readies for Bollywood West roleMISSISSAUGA, Ont. (Reuters Life!) - Hollywood North is auditioning for the role of Bollywood West.Source: Reuters: Bollywood News | 26 Feb 2010 | 8:25 am Britain's culture-clash comedy "East is East" gets sequelNEW DELHI (Reuters Life!) - In 1999, the low-budget British film "East is East", about the clash of cultures in a Muslim Pakistani family living in Manchester, became a surprise worldwide hit, winning awards and grossing over $15 million.Source: Reuters: Bollywood News | 26 Feb 2010 | 6:32 am Mom and I have great emotional connect: Shahid KapoorContrary to reports, Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor spent his 29th birthday with his family.Source: Entertainment News | 26 Feb 2010 | 6:26 am Bengali films to be distributed across USA Florida based Indian-American media group has launched a new venture for the screening and distribution of quality Bengali films through more than 19,000 retail outlets in the US and Canada.Source: Entertainment News | 26 Feb 2010 | 4:58 am "Working in KCK wasn't akin to being on a home ground" - Deepika
Om Shanti Om, Bachna Ae Haseeno, Love Aaj Kal - Pick up any of the successful films that Deepika Padukone has been a part of and it is quite obvious that she has always had an important role to play in the film's narrative. In fact even in a box office disappointment like Chandni Chowk To Chowk, she did have ample screen time with a double role to her credit.
This is why when one sees her in a couple of song sequences and a light hearted scene or two in Karthik Calling Karthik, one wonders if this is all that she has to offer in the film? One wonders if there is space for any quintessential romance in Karthik Calling Karthik. Beyond a couple of love songs and a night club number, Deepika and Farhan can't really be expected to romance around the trees in the film. So how does the entire romantic angle merge with the narrative?
"Well, at the end of the day this film is a thriller", agrees Deepika who is stepping into this genre for the first time, "Having said that, it was quite a lot of fun and challenge for me to be a part of it. The film is very different from its subject, plot, look and treatment perspective. I am glad to be doing something of this kind since I truly believe in what was explained to me abut Karthik Calling Karthik and hence chose it."
One also tends to believe that working in this film must have been akin to being comfortable in a home ground for Deepika. After all she comes from similar urban sensibilities and by the look of things; Karthik Calling Karthik too has its roots in being an urban contemporary tale.
"Well, not really", Deepika shakes her head in disagreement here, "The minute you become a part of a film, you transform from your real self to being a character. This is where you potential as a performer comes in. Shonali is very different person from what I am in real life. Hence, there was a definite effort involved in bringing her alive on screen. It wasn't like being on a home ground for sure."
From an actor of her stature who has been gradually rising up the ladder, Deepika can't be expected to have signed a film for the lure of big banner, big bucks and a rising star. There has to be a lot more than that and perhaps the promos are not showing it all while primarily focusing on Farhan's character of 'Karthik'. So is Deepika the 'band muththi' a.k.a. a surprise element in this debut directorial venture of Vijay Lalwani?
"Well, keep guessing", Deepika gives that mischievous smile here, "It is a thriller after all and I can't be expected to reveal anything beyond a point. Of course you are right in saying that my roles have always boasted of good substance in them and Karthik Calling Karthik is going to be no different. Beyond that, I would rather be mum and wait for you to watch the film and then react."Source: BollywoodHungama.com Features | 26 Feb 2010 | 3:39 am Madhavan skips Sundance, goes on US tour to discuss 3i with NRI audiences
Madhavan missed his appointment with his 3 Idiots co-star Aamir Khan at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this month. During his recent visit to Canada with his wife and son, Madhavan was invited by Aamir to the Sundance Film Festival. But then man proposes, God disposes. Aamir's father passed away.
Says Madhavan, "I was supposed to join Aamir at the Sundance Film Festival and in fact all set to leave from Canada to the US when news came that Aamir had to rush back. Of course I was disappointed. I was hoping to participate in the festival with Aamir and catch his film Peepli Live which I haven't seen. But more than disappointment about missing Sundance I was concerned for Aamir's loss. We all were."
With Sundance being cancelled Maddy decided to take a different route. He decided to do an American tour entitled 'Coffee With An Idiot'.
Explains Maddy, "It was a very selected gathering, intellectual and fun at the same time. The whole idea of 'Coffee With An Idiot' was inspired by 3 Idiots. I wanted the film's success to be take-off point for cozy sit-in dinners with a selected audience in four American cities namely Dallas, San Jose, New Jersey and Chicago. The interaction in each city lasted for nearly two hours."
Just back from his 'Coffee With An Idiot'tour, Maddy was struck by the level of intellectual and mass connectivity the NRIs in the US had with 3 Idiots. "It's opened up a whole new discussion on the education system and the role of Indian cinema in bridging the gap between Oriental and Western perceptions on the power of the youth."
Now Madhavan wants to take his 'Coffee With An Idiot' discussion to other parts of the world. "In many ways I owe the concept and its success to Aamir Khan. If 3 Idiots hadn't happened, such a creative forum discussing education and the youth wouldn't have opened up. On a more microscopic level it was Aamir's invitation to Sundance which actually made my 'Coffee With An Idiot' tour Possible."
Quite like the protagonist in 3 Idiots, Madhavan seems confused about his future. "I've a thriving career in Tamil and my career in Hindi cinema has just found its bearings. I can't pretend that a 3 Idiots will happen again. It's a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. So when I am asked during the promotional tours of Teen Patti if it will be as big a success as 3 Idiots, I feel like throwing my hands up in the air and running the other way."Source: BollywoodHungama.com News | 26 Feb 2010 | 2:52 am Vaquar Shaikh in 'Woh Rehnewali' on Sahara OneVaquar Shaikh is back on Sahara One 'Woh Rehnewali Mehlon Ki'. He plays a mature lover , Shekhar Agarwal, opposite Payal (Neha Desai).Source: merinews: Entertainment News Articles | 26 Feb 2010 | 2:38 am Shahid Kapoor on spiritual quest before next filmA sudden change in work schedule made Shahid Kapoor a nervous wreck last month.Source: Entertainment News | 26 Feb 2010 | 1:32 am
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