RAAZ - THE MYSTERY CONTINUES- Movie Review (INDIA FM)

The team behind RAAZ - THE MYSTERY CONTINUES have often clarified that it's not a sequel to RAAZ, one of the most interesting cinematic experiences, besides being the biggest Hit of that year. Yet, you cannot but draw parallels with the first film of the franchise.

Horror as a genre hasn't been tapped to the optimum in India. We've witnessed spooky fares in the past and some of them have succeeded in making you break into a cold sweat [BHOOT stands tall in this list]. Last year's PHOONK and 1920 were scary movies as well. 

There's tremendous curiosity to watch RAAZ - THE MYSTERY CONTINUES, but does it scare the living daylights out of you? Fortunately, yes!

The story [Mohit Suri] is absorbing and Mohit treats the subject like a veteran, as if he knows the genre very well. There're moments that make your heart beat faster, you watch the events with eyes and jaws wide open. Sure, there're blemishes as well, but they don't overpower the plusses or make you change your opinion about the film. While the beginning and the middle of the film is engrossing, it's the end that could've been better thought of. 

 Wanna get scared? Wanna get goose pimples? Buy the ticket for RAAZ - THE MYSTERY CONTINUES pronto. It lives up to the hype and expectations completely.

A brooding artist Prithvi [Emraan Hashmi] experiences mysterious and distressing visions about Nandita [Kangna Ranaut], a woman he has never met, while he paints on canvas. Intrigued by these visions, Prithvi tracks her down and warns her that these are not merely paintings of her, but accidents that are waiting to happen.

At first, Nandita refuses to believe him and dismisses him as an eccentric stalker. However, the striking resemblance between Prithvi's paintings and the near-death incidents in her life is hard to ignore.

Now, one of Prithvi's paintings has revealed her as dead. The only way she can change her fate is to unravel this mystery with his help, at the risk of alienating herself from her boyfriend, Yash [Adhyayan Suman]. But he refuses to believe in Prithvi's premonitions. Will Nandita risk her love and her life to unravel this mystery?

Most of us have heard, witnessed or perhaps had a first-hand experience of supernatural. The present-day generation may, perhaps, term it as wild imagination or hallucination, while the believers may have their point of view. Mohit and screenplay writer Shagufta Rafique's characters in RAAZ - THE MYSTERY CONTINUES are believers and non-believers, both.

Mohit smartly builds up the atmosphere. Sample these: Emraan and Kangna's first encounter at a mall and minutes later, inside an elevator; the New Year bash when Kangna is 'attacked' by spirits; Kangna's experience in her bathtub and also when she looks at the mirror; Kangna almost jumping off a cliff; the highpoint sequence, when angry bulls attack Emraan and Kangna. Incredible sequences all! Mohit has handled the most difficult portions with panache.

However, the entire flashback part, towards the pre-climax, is not as convincing. The ending too could've been better in terms of writing, although Mohit has filmed it exceptionally well.

Mohit's choice of the subject as also the actors is right. This is, without doubt, his finest effort to date. Shagufta's screenplay is watertight at most times. Like always, the Bhatts come up with a lilting musical score and at least two songs -- 'Soniyo' [Raju Singh] and 'Maahi' [Sharib-Toshi] -- are first-rate compositions. Ravi Walia's cinematography is up to the mark. The effects are impressive.

On the acting front, both Emraan and Kangna vie for top honours. Emraan is excellent. He conveys a lot through facial expressions and that's the sign of a proficient actor. He's just getting better and better with every film. Kangna is top notch. After FASHION, this one's another power-packed performance from the actress. Adhyayan Suman is super-confident and registers a strong impact, especially towards the climax. He shows promise. Jackie Shroff is quite okay in a brief role.

On the whole, RAAZ - THE MYSTERY CONTINUES is rich in the horror quotient and that is one of its major USPs, besides the highly competent performances by its principal cast and a lilting musical score. At the box-office, this one will continue the winning streak of Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt's Vishesh Films. The 4-day weekend [Monday, January 26 in a holiday] will only cement its status further. Go for it!

 

Hot Aishwarya Rai In A Towel

What happens when your bag is exchanged in a hotel with a person whom you don't know? In this scene from the movie '…Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya' watch sizzling Aishwarya Rai in a towel and find out why Bobby Deol is wearing a gown. Humorous watch!

Rakhee sawanth and kinaZ Lesbian smooch pic

Chandni Chowk To China Movie Review

In the initial years of his career, Ramesh Sippy made two gems that we remember [and cherish] to this date -- SEETA AUR GEETA and SHOLAY. SEETA AUR GEETA was about twin-sisters -- the docile and the aggressive. SHOLAY, of course, needs no introduction. Yet, to update the unacquainted, Ramgarh is gripped by a terror called Gabbar. Resultantly, Thakur recruits two men to put an end to Gabbar's tyranny.

Nikhil Advani pays homage to Ramesh Sippy's movies by merging SHOLAY and SEETA AUR GEETA. But this concoction called CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA is as bland as khichdi.  
 

Come to think of it, Nikhil Advani had everything going for him. It's a dream project, what with heavyweights such as Warner Bros., Ramesh Sippy, Akhay Kumar and Gordon Liu agreeing to be a part of this mammoth project. But Nikhil slips and trips, falling flat on his face.

A masala film is always welcome. In fact, two desi films [RAB NE BANA DI JODI and GHAJINI] have been lapped up by the junta in a big way, but CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA is an unbearable masala fare that insults the intelligence of the moviegoer. 
 The problem with CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA is that it lacks a watertight screenplay to keep you glued for those 2.45 hours. Agreed, you don't look for logic and reason in hardcore potboilers, but the least the director and his team of writers could do is provide loads of entertainment. Sadly, writers Shridhar Raghavan and Rajat Aroraa make mincemeat of a plot that had the potential to woo viewers from Chandni Chowk to China to Chicago to Cape Town.

So, what's the verdict then? Enjoy Chinese food instead. This one's a big, big, big letdown!

Sidhu [Akshay Kumar] cuts vegetables at a roadside food stall in Chandni Chowk in Delhi. He longs to escape his dreary existence and looks for shortcuts -- with astrologers, tarot readers and fake fakirs -- believing anything except himself, despite his father figure Dada's [Mithun Chakraborty] best efforts.

The story takes a turn when two strangers from China claim he's a reincarnation of a war hero and take him to China. Thanks to the devious translator, a conman by the name Chopstick [Ranvir Shorey], little does he know that he is being taken to the Chinese village of vicious smuggler Hojo [Gordon Liu].

Therefore, Sidhu blissfully sets forth to China with Chopstick, who instigates dreams of a delicious future and forgets to reveal the perils, which await him. Along the way, he meets Sakhi [Deepika Padukone], who has embarked on a journey to pay homage to the land of her birth and her dead father and twin.

Hojo catches up with Sidhu and eliminates Dada right in front of everyone. Sidhu seeks revenge and finds the one man who will make him a Kungfu expert and set the village free from Hojo's tyranny.

On face-value, what do you expect from CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA? Laughter unlimited, great martial arts, a glimpse of China. But what's served on the platter is so insipid, so lame, so senseless that you wonder if there was a script in the first place. The comic scenes [that make you laugh] are few and far between. The scenes depicting martial arts are hardly exciting. Also, barring the Great Wall of China, don't expect China darshan here!

There are big holes in the script. Sample these… * How and why do the two oppressed Chinese men suddenly land up in Chandni Chowk in Delhi? Also, how do they zero on Ranvir Shorey? No explanations offered. * Deepika's track of visiting China is trite. Wasn't the twin-sister, an infant, thrown off the Great Wall of China? How did Gordon Liu suddenly decide to bring her up? * Similarly, Deepika's father was also pushed from the Great Wall, but he survives. Akshay too is beaten black and blue and thrown off [coincidentally, from the same place -- Great Wall], but is rescued mid-air by Deepika's father. Miracles never cease to occur, must add.

Post interval, Akshay undergoes a gruelling training session, but not once does the preparation give an impression that Akshay is seething with anger and vengeance. That's because the director has injected humour in these scenes and that takes away the seriousness from the plot. The climax is equally contrived and hence, makes no impact whatsoever.

Although the year 2009 has just begun, this film is sure to be a strong contender in Razzies in two departments mainly -- direction and writing. Nikhil Advani goes horribly wrong this time. As for the writers, well, they ought to take a crash course in film writing pronto. The songs are okay, with the title track and 'Naam Hai Sidhu' being the pick of the lot. The stunts [Dee Dee Ku] are plain mediocre. Even the dated martial arts' movies produced in the East offered better stuff. Himman Dhamija's cinematography lacks the picture perfect look.

Akshay Kumar is the sole saving grace, but the director hasn't tapped his potential to the fullest. Deepika Padukone is passable. Gordon Liu is decent. Ranvir Shorey is functional. Mithun Chakraborty is bland. Roger Yuan, Deepika's father in the film, is fair.

On the whole, CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA is a brilliant opportunity gone appallingly wrong. The film falls way below expectations and is a major disappointment in all respects. At the box-office, the hype might translate into a bountiful weekend, that's it. Thumbs down!

 


Taran Adarsh
IndiaFM

Priyanka justifies her first kiss

Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapur's first kiss (o-n-s-c-r-e-e-n!) for the film 'Kaminey' has been the talk of the town for sometime now. While she shed all her inhibitions for 'Fashion' and all (well, almost) her cloths in 'Dostana', this is the first time ever that Ms Chopra has performed a full-fledged kissing scene for any film. When we caught up with Priyanka recently, we wondered aloud how her 'Kaminey' director, Vishal Bharadwaj, could convince her for the lip-lock and some real steamy scenes.
"I can't really give you all the details, but yes I have done a little bit more than usual in this film. I do have a kiss scene and a few lovemaking scenes with Shahid. Well, this was the demand of the script. So I agreed to do it," admitted Priyanka matter-of-factly.

Surprising that Priyanka, who had asked director Madhur Bhandarkar not to go overboard with her lovemaking scenes with Arbaaz Khan in 'Fashion' and had refrained from any mushy, intimate scenes with real life beau Hurman Baweja in 'Love Story 2050', has actually bent her rules for Shahid.

We couldn't resist, but ask why such a (step) 'brotherly' treatment even to Hurman. The query got Priyanka completely cheesed off. She shot back, "Please, I never like to discuss any of my personal matters. You better ask me something else. I think you should respect each one's personal life."

So we veered back to Vishal and the film and the actress resumed the talk. "Although Vishal is known as a serious filmmaker, it was great working with him. I think the story justifies whatever has been shot. I am not in the least upset about it," signed off the gutsy actress. From bold to sober to being bold again in her films, looks like someone has taken the number game quite seriously.

Aamir Khan’s son, Junaid Khan

Shahid Kapoor Takes Vidya Balan On Romantic Date At Aurus

It seems Kismat Konnection is again taking rebirth with Shahid Kapoor and Vidya Balan’s romantic date. The couple was spotted dining together at Aurus, a Juhu lounge bar this Sunday. Shahid came driving his bike dressed in a brown jacket and dark blue jeans and black shoes while Vidya came in her car dressed in a yellow outfit.



A source revealed, “Shahid and Vidya have dinners in the past with common friend Shabina Khan and others. However, this was the first time they were spotted having dinner all by themselves. Apart from starters, they ordered for dinner and rounded it up with desserts. They did not look like they were in a rush and stayed on till late”.

Both chatted long over dinner and seemed very comfortable in each other’s company. Though Kismat Konnection did not work out for both, it looks like Shahid and Vidya’s kismat is not too far to get connected.

It would not be wrong to say that a new love story is on the making.

Juhi Chawla Posed for the September 1988 Issue of Debonair

Sherin Sam crowned Grazia Ford Supermodel of India

The lawns of the Turf Club on Friday evening bore witness to a dazzling display of stunning models — and it was all to discover India's representative at the International Ford supermodel of the world pageant.

The hunt was finally over with the announcement of the winner of Grazia Ford Supermodel India 2008 hosted as a prelude to the Gitanjali Luxury Style Fest 2009 rolling on January 20, 2009. Sherin Sam was adjudged the winner and will represent India at the international event at Montenegro. Aeshra Patel and Lekha Anantharaman were declared the first and second runner up respectively.

Editor of Grazia, Nandini Bhalla crowned Grazia Miss Photogenic. Siddharth Kannan and Pracchi Shah were the hosts for the evening. The girls walked to the choreography of Fashion Director Marc Robinson, Rampwalk Trainer Alecia Raut. Dr Niti Desai was the Nutrition and Diet Expert, Chandan Sparsh — Hair Styling and Shalini Singh, make-up expert.

'I didn’t know I was sexy': Priya Mani

She’s currently shooting for Mani Ratnam's bilingual film Ravan/Ashokavanam, but it’s her appearance in an item number in Nagarjuna’s king that has got people talking about Priya Mani’s sexy looks.



After all, she’s who audiences found most interesting in the song sequence that featured seven other beauties, including Trisha, Anushka, Genelia, Mamtha Mohandas, Charmee and Sneha Ullal.

Tell her that and she sounds surprised, “Is it? I didn’t know I was sexy. I do put in a lot of effort to look good on screen. But yes, that statement has made my day.”

And if taking the glam route for a song wasn’t enough, Priya Mani has taken the sex quotient a step further by wearing a swimsuit in her next film, Drona. The film sees the National Award-winning actress pairing up with Nitin, who has had a spate of flops recently. Is the swimsuit a part of trying to give Nitin’s career a much-needed boost? “One swimsuit sequence cannot ensure a hit. The scene is in a dream song and I had to jump into a pool. Obviously, I can’t jump into water wearing a saree,” she says.
Ask her about working with Mani Ratnam and she’s all excited. “It’s been great. I just started shooting two days ago in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, in misty weather. I’m lucky to work with Mani sir at an early stage in my career. It’s every actor’s dream and I am living it,” she says.

And though she hasn’t met Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, she’s happy to have met Abhishek Bachchan and Vikram. “I’m sharing screen space with established actors and consider that a big achievement,” she says.
In Ashokavanam, she also co-stars with Prithviraj. The duo has already worked together in several movies and rumour mills have been on overdrive about the two being more than just co-stars. “There’s nothing brewing between us. He was my first Malayalam co-star. Our association dates back to well over 5-6 years. And my mother and his mother are batchmates,” Priya clarifies.

And given her busy schedule, it seems unlikely that she has time for romance. Her call sheets are so packed that Priya doesn’t even have time to do a Kannada movie, she asserts. “I have a couple of Tamil films and Telugu films slated for release in the coming months and was shooting for them. And I hope that 2009 will be as good for me as 2008 was. I may even do a Kannada movie. But not now; I just don’t have the time,” she signs off.

Star Childs: Future of The Bollywood - Cute Pictures

Seductive Best Bollywood Actress In Sari

A sari can be a six-yard wrap, which hides a woman’s physical flaws. Or it can be a piece of fabric that reveals as much as it hides” says Nandana Sen who dons this sexy attire for her to-be-released movie.

Celebrating the Indian traditional wear, here are top ten celebrities who epitomize sexy and sensuous in a single breath with a saree. Graceful, yet sexy, the nine yards has been labeled with contradictory words – from demure to transforming a plain Jane into a sex kitten, sari at its seductive best!

Aishwarya Rai Bacchan looks good in anything. But one look at our former Miss World here, looking resplendent in a red saree, and we know for sure that Ash has still got a whole lot of magic going for her.



The gorgeous Vidya Balan may have got a whole lot of flak for her sense of dressing. But she cannot go wrong in a saree. Drop dead gorgeous, she’s exudes sensuousness in the nine yards!

 

The gorgeous Vidya Balan may have got a whole lot of flak for her sense of dressing. But she cannot go wrong in a saree. Drop dead gorgeous, she’s exudes sensuousness in the nine yards!

Kajol is one actress who we loved for the grace with which she carried off her very Indian figure. She looks gorgeous in the Indian saree



Priyanka Chopra is our hottest desi girl. In a gold saree designed by Manish Malhotra, Priyanka’s all set to become our very own Marilyn Monroe.



Sridevi in a saree did justice to the whole nine yards like none have done. She transformed into a sex symbol in her sari. Remember the one which she donned for her movie, Mr. India?



The lithesome Shilpa Shetty just somehow knows what a sari can do for an Indian body.



Sushmita Sen was every man’s fantasy come true when she wowed the audience in Farha Khan’s Main Hoon Naa.. Ms. Sen seems to have become the modern day Sridevi (out of Mr India), meaning sexiest in a sari.



Kareena Kapoor does justice to her Indian avatar. Though the sari does not bode well to her size zero, but the gorgeous actress does believe in her Indian avatar and looks every bit of the diva that she is in the whole nine yards.



Katrina Kaif jumped out of a short skirt into a nine-yard saree with effortless ease for Singh is King. Looking gorgeous as ever, Kat looked her seductive best wooing Akshay in her latest block buster movie.

It’s over for Harman-Priyanka

Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja, Bollywood’s cute couple have finally decided to head towards splitsvilla, according to reports. A source says, “This time it’s confirmed.” Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja, Bollywood’s cute couple have finally decided to head towards splitsvilla, according to reports.





A source says, “This time it’s confirmed.” The couple bid adieu to their 3-year-old relationship due to many problems, the source adds, “There were problems between Priyanka and Harman earlier too but of late it had become very stressful to keep the relationship on an even keel. So much so that the two decided to call it off. However, both have decided to be friends and be cordial to each other at public events.”


Another source from the sets of their upcoming flick What’s your Rashee? reveals, “Priyanka and Harman remain holed up in their vans between shots. The two come face and face only when they are called for the shot.”

However during the shoot of Love Story 2050 Priyanka was always present for Harman and would lend him support even when she wasn’t required at the shoot.


The couple bid adieu to their 3-year-old relationship due to many problems, the source adds, “There were problems between Priyanka and Harman earlier too but of late it had become very stressful to keep the relationship on an even keel. So much so that the two decided to call it off. However, both have decided to be friends and be cordial to each other at public events.”

The source adds, “Harman has yet to establish himself in the film industry, while Priyanka’s career is going great guns. All this complicated matters and distanced them further. The two decided to split gracefully and continue to be friends so that there is no awkwardness between them. Also being professionals, they shoot for Ashutosh Gowariker’s What’s Your Rashee? leaving their differences at home. Priyanka told Harman that they should remain good friends while they complete What’s Your Rashee?”

However Priyanka’s father Ashok Chopra gave a new twist to the relationship by saying, , “They were not together anyway.”

Aishwarya and Sushmita: Miss India Event 1994 - Rare Pictures

The year 1994 was a landmark year for the pageant industry in India Sushmita Sen won the Miss Universe title after winning the Miss India crown. Sushmita Sen became the first Indian woman ever to win the Miss Universe crown. The same year the runner-up of Miss India, Aishwarya Rai, won the Miss World title. Both the Miss Universe and Miss World contests were won by Miss Indias Sushmita Sen (Miss India) and Aishwarya (Miss India 94 runner-up) respectively. Today Rai is a global star and a leading Bollywood actress.

Preity Zinta and Aamir Khan together again

Well after a long hiatus, the couple who created magic on-screen in Dil Chahta Hai - Aamir Khan and Preity Zinta will be seen together again in Yash Chopra’s next flick.




Preity Zinta has already given her nod to the project, and talks are going on with Aamir. A source says, “The script penned down by Yash Chopra is ready. And like all Chopra films, this one promises to be a romance as well. And as seen in earlier films directed by Yash Chopra, it is the heroine who plays a crucial role in it. The story demanded a heroine exuding absolute purity and innocence and Yash Chopra has roped in Preity for it. The story encapsulates the journey of two strangers who meet and share deep love in old age too.”

The source adds, “Preity has already marked out dates for this yet-untitled film. Yash Chopra plans to start shooting in July and finish shooting in one schedule. The film is expected to hit the theatres in December.”“There are talks on with Aamir currently. Yash Chopra was impressed with the magic that Aamir and Preity had created in Dil Chahta Hai. Therefore he is keen to have the two in this film.”

Celina Turns Stripper in Showman

She kicked off with a bold role of a pole dancer in her debut film, Janasheen and now once again this glam doll will be seen in quite a bold role. Celina plays a stripper in night club in Tigmanshu Dhulia's forthcoming film Showman.



Though it's not a surprise for her fans, Celina has always been playing glamorous roles. Speaking about her role she says, "I am playing half English and half Indian girl.

She is daughter of an English man who's married to an Indian woman. This girl unfortunately comes from a very poor family background in London.

She is grown up to be a stripper in night club and a con artist. She just forces people to make money out of them. Basically her main aim is to own a night club so she is pretending to be a stripper."

It can be recalled that Celina played a pole dancer in her debut film. "Yeah but there I was a cop who pretends to be a pole dancer. I was an undercover cop.

Everyone comes to know at the end of the movie that I am an undercover cop. And here I am again pretending to be a stripper but not one actually I am just trying to get all the girls to work for my club."

Apart from Celina it stars Govingda Celina and Rimi Sen in main leads. It's produced by Reel Life Productions. This film has been shot in UK.

Kangna Ranaut in the ace photographer Dabboo Ratnani's calendar of 2009

Buzz has it that the makers of the world-famous Dictionary and Pictionary are upset, as after their fanatic research, they ultimately settled for the synonyms of Heat as 'warmth' and 'high temperature', whereas the guys at Pictionary used the photograph of the sun to show what Heat was all about.

But when they saw the snap of Kangna Ranaut in the ace photographer Dabboo Ratnani's calendar of 2009, they, in unison, decided that nothing in the world can be as HOT as this chic!

One look at the snap and you will know as to what the whole world is talking about! After having scorched the silver screens with her stellar performance in Fashion, Kangna seems to be all over the place!

If Fashion wasn't enough for the zillions of this scorcher's fans, then, be ready to be attacked by the ocular pangs of Kangna in her forthcoming film Raaz 2-The Mystery Continues, in which she stars with her real-life sweetheart Adhyayan Suman.

But till the time the film releases we are all praise and thankful to Dabboo Ratnani for giving our parched eyes some relief in the form of Kangna Ranaut, who simply has redefined the term 'HOT' and that too in her own way and style! Atta girl, Kangna...Happy New Year to us!