Katrina: Me? Hot and sexy? You should see me at home

By Subhash K Jha

Katrina Kaif has had three big hits in 2009. A track record that none of her peers can begin to equal in these times of creative and boxoffice recession. That isn’t all. She has just been voted the most popular actress in a Filmfare poll and the sexiest Asian actress by a leading Asian website from London.

But the girl remains grounded, so much so that she refuses to budge from her abode in a bustling part of Mumbai.

“I know I’ve been reading about relocating my home. I admit I’ve looked at a few properties. But nothing seriously. Though it’s a little noisy on my street I’m too attached to the place I stay in. I’m also too lazy to make a move.

Yes I’ll need a bigger place when my sister Isabelle joins me. But right now she’s studying acting in the US. There’s still time, ” yawns Bollywood’s hottest and sexiest.

So is she planning to move home? “Not at all I’ve always wanted a home by the sea. But I love my current home too much. So no plans of moving”

No plans of signing any new films yet either. “It’s very sweet of directors to mention my name in forthcoming projects. I feel privileged. But I haven’t said yes to anything new. At the moment I’ve cut my workload by half because of my ill health.”

As for being designated one of Asia’s sexiest women by Eastern Eye Katrina laughs, “Me? Hot and sexy? Nah. People should see me at home. I’m painfully unglamorous. Just another working girl making a living.”

Hirani to rename 3 Idiots?

What's Aamir trying to prove by his disappearing act? Just when Juicy Mausi was trying to soothe her nerves sipping chilled pineapple iced tea, a little birdie chirped in her ear and left her even more confused.

Apparently Rajkumar Hirani, director of 3 Idiots wants to to delete '3' from the title and call it Idiots, as he had originally planned. Hirani tried to get the title from another filmmaker Deepak Shivdasani but Deepak quoted a whooping Rs 25 lakh to let go of it. Now when the film is about to release, Deepak wants Hirani to reconsider his decision.

So will he or won't he? That adds to yet another mystery. Sigh!

3 Idiots : Movie Review by Taran Adarsh

Life is all about listening to your heart and chasing your dreams. That's the essence of 3 IDIOTS, directed by the supremely talented Rajkumar Hirani. Let me come to the point right away. There are films and there are more films. And then there's 3 IDIOTS.

Come to think of it, 3 IDIOTS carries a huge 'burden' on its shoulders: The 'burden' of humungous expectations. And it's not without reasons...

3 IDIOTS is Aamir's next release after the record-breaker GHAJINI.

3 IDIOTS is Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra's third film together, after MUNNABHAI MBBS and LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI, landmark films.

Three actors from the path-breaking RANG DE BASANTI team - Aamir, Madhavan and Sharman - team up yet again. Plus, Aamir's teaming up with Hirani. It couldn't get bigger!

3 IDIOTS is over-hyped and that could be dangerous for any film since it's the expectations which kill a film if the content doesn't match up to the hype. In this case, all izz well!

Now let's demystify the myths...
3 IDIOTS is not about idiots or nincompoops. It's about three engineering students who believe in 'I'll Do It On my Terms' and that's what the three characters achieve in life and that's what Hirani, Chopra, Aamir eventually achieve at the end of the movie. Making a movie on their terms!

One more thing! You cannot draw parallels with any other film, past or present, successful or unsuccessful. And though people may draw parallels with GHAJINI or the MUNNABHAI series, it would be sacrilege to do so. 3 IDIOTS [based on a novel 'Five Point Someone' by Chetan Bhagat] doesn't tilt, it stands tall.


Here's yet another illusion: 3 IDIOTS belongs to Aamir Khan. Yes, it does, but also to R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani, Kareena Kapoor and Omi, the entrant in Hindi movies, who delivers an equally sterling performance. The film would be incomplete without any of these characters.


To cut a long story short, all you'd like to say about the film is, All izz very, very, very, very, very well. Watch this film to know what it means!


Two friends [R. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi] embark on a quest for a lost buddy. As they make their way through the perilous landscape [Shimla, Manali, Ladakh], another journey begins: their inner journey through memory lane and the story of their friend - the irrepressible free-thinker Rancho [Aamir Khan], who, in his unique way, touched and changed their lives.


It's a story of their hostel days that swings between Rancho's romance with the spirited Pia [Kareena Kapoor] and his clash with and oppressive mentor, Viru Sahastrabudhhe [Boman Irani]. And then one day, suddenly, Rancho vanishes...


Who was he? Where did he come from? Why did he leave? The friend who influenced and inspired them to think creatively and independently, even as the conformist world called them three idiots. Where is the original idiot now?


Hirani is a genius and that has been proved twice in the past. He proves it for the third time with 3 IDIOTS. Screenplay writers Hirani and Abhijat Joshi and screenplay associate Vidhu Vinod Chopra narrate a story that's straight out of life. A story that each one of us can relate to or identify with.


Very often, we've read news-reports of students committing suicides because they've to live up to the family's pressure/expectations. This film depicts it at the very start, when a student commits suicide. But the issue doesn't end there, for 3 IDIOTS raises a pertinent question: Was it suicide or murder?


Hirani balances the rough and smooth incidents in their lives beautifully. The sequences in the campus, right from the ragging sequence at the start, to Omi's speech when the word 'chamatkaar' is changed to 'balatkaar' [superb; will bring the house down], to the trio getting caught in an embarrassing situation at the reception of Kareena's sister [Mona Singh], to the dinner sequence at Sharman's house, to Kareena and Aamir driving Sharman's seriously ill father on their bike to the hospital... the funny moments would make your jaws ache.


The interval point is a shocker. The point at which the first half ends will leave you stunned. Now what was that? Kahani mein twist!


The mystery is solved soon after the intermission ends and a new journey begins. That's one of the USPs of the film. Just when you think that the story would be solved, a new story begins. Of course, the pace dips slightly in its second hour, especially during the delivery sequence of Mona [which may appear filmy to a few], but the immediate sequence, when the baby boy is born and also the subsequent sequence between Boman and Aamir bring the film back on track. The culmination to the film is novel and yes, it's a master stroke from the writing point of view!


Every person behind the camera gives his/her best to the film. Hirani and Joshi's screenplay is the mainstay of the film. If you fondly recall 'Gandhigiri' from their previous film LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI, you'd have a new phrase to chew on this time: 'All Izz Well'. Muraleedharan C.K.'s cinematography is awesome. Note the aerial view at the very start, when Madhavan and Sharman begin the journey to Shimla or the picture perfect look of Ladakh... the DoP does a magnificent job.


Shantanu Moitra's music may sound plain ordinary to ears, but when viewed on screen, the score is just perfect. 'Give Me Some Sunshine', 'All Is Well', 'Zoobie Doobie' are three tracks that would grow on you after you've watched the film. The choreography of 'All Izz Well' [Avit Dias] and 'Zoobie Doobie' [Bosco-Caesar] are eye-catching. The background score [Sanjay Wandrekar, Atul Raninga, Shantanu Moitra] is right.


3 IDIOTS belongs to everyone. But, yes, there's no denying that Aamir makes you forget all his past achievements as you watch the amazing actor play Rancho. To state that this ranks amongst his finest works would be an understatement. Madhavan is incredible, especially in the sequence when he explains his point of view to his father [Pareekshit Sahani]. Sharman is outstanding from start to end. This was a difficult role to portray and only an actor of calibre could've pulled it off. Boman is superb as the vicious head of the institute. The scenes between Aamir and Boman are extra-ordinary and it's a treat to watch these two powerful actors clash on the big screen, without getting overdramatic. Boman's appearance, mannerisms and dialogue delivery are exemplary.


The length of Kareena's role may not be as much as Aamir, Madhavan and Sharman, but she registers a strong impact nonetheless. Omi is excellent and the viewers are sure to love his acidic tongue and gestures in the movie. Mona Singh doesn't get much scope. Jaaved Jaffery is competent. Pareekshit Sahani is decent.


On the whole, 3 IDIOTS easily ranks amongst Aamir, Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra's finest films. Do yourself and your family a favour: Watch 3 IDIOTS. It's emotional, it's entertaining, it's enlightening. The film has tremendous youth appeal and feel-good factor to work in a big way.

"I'm neither sexy nor hot... just an ordinary hard-working girl" - Katrina Kaif

By Subhash K. Jha, December 21, 2009 - 14:15 IST

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Katrina Kaif has had three big hits in 2009. A track record that none of her peers can begin to equal in these times of creative and box office recession. That isn't all. She has just been declared as the sexiest Asian actress by a leading Asian website from London.

But the girl remains grounded, so much so that she refuses to budge from her abode in a bustling part of Mumbai. "I know I've been reading about relocating my home. I admit I've looked at a few properties. But nothing seriously. Though it's a little noisy on my street I'm too attached to the place I stay in. I'm also too lazy to make a move. Yes I'll need a bigger place when my sister Isabelle joins me. But right now she's studying acting in the US. There's still time," yawns Bollywood's hottest and sexiest girl.

So is she planning to move home? "Not at all. I've always wanted a home by the sea. But I love my current home too much. So no plans of moving"

No plans of signing any new films yet either. "It's very sweet of directors to mention my name in forthcoming projects. I feel privileged. But I haven't said yes to anything new. At the moment I've cut my workload by half because of my ill health."

As for being designated one of Asia's sexiest women by Eastern Eye Katrina laughs, "Me? Hot and sexy? Nah. People should see me at home. I'm painfully unglamorous. Just another working girl making a living."

From : http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/features/2009/12/21/5781/index.html

I was stunned at Rohit's evil planning: Aditi Govitrikar

Model-turned-actress Aditi Govitrikar had maintained a low profile before her entry into the popular "Bigg Boss" reality show, but after her elimination is eager to feature in more such programmes.

"I am quite keen on doing more reality shows now that 'Bigg Boss' is over for me. I'd like to participate in some dance shows or be a judge or advisor on some show on fashion or fashion trends. That should be fun, so I am looking forward to all this, " Aditi told.

The 33-year-old was evicted from the third season of "Bigg Boss" Friday, leaving Vindu Dara Singh, Poonam Dhillon, Pravesh Rana and Bakhtiyaar Irani to compete for the final title.

Asked about her stint on the show, Aditi said: "It's been quite a learning experience for me. We have always been told not to take people on face value because they can deceive. On this show, I have seen it come true and it came as quite a shock. I think I will be more careful in dealing with people now."

Aditi, who divorced her husband of 10 years earlier this year, says she was extremely shocked to discover how designer Rohit Verma backstabbed her on the show.

"Rohit used to come to me every single day and tell me things like 'Aditi, you're such a nice person at heart' and 'I feel comfortable talking to you'. But when his video was shown to the housemates, I was stunned at his planning, " she said.

For Aditi, the worst part about being in "Bigg Boss" was staying away from her two children.

"I have never been away from my children for so long. I really missed them a lot and that's also why I didn't cry on the show. I knew my children would be watching the programme and my tears would hurt them. So the show was the biggest challenge for me as a mother, " she said.

Though Aditi has no complaints about her eviction, she regrets that she had to leave the show when she was so close to the finals.

"It had been 77 days in the house. And to be at this stage and be evicted is painful. But it's okay. When my eviction was announced, it was fine. But I wasn't expecting it, " she said.

Now, Aditi is hoping that her good friend Bakhtiyaar Irani takes away the laurels on the show because she feels he is a "good contender".

"Bakhtiyaar is a good contender for the finals. Pravesh can give him tough competition but his victory would be unfair because he entered much later than all of us.

"Nevertheless, both of them play a fair game, put across their points up front and don't speak behind the back. But Bakhtiyaar would always be my first choice for the winner, " she added.

"Bigg Boss", which began Oct 4, airs on entertainment channel Colors and has various celebrities locked inside a house without any connection with the outside world.

News from : http://www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp?pid=33324

Failure scares Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra, one of the most sought after actresses in the Hindi film industry, says she is sacred of failure and that she reels under a 'flop' for a long time.

"Failure is something that scares me a lot. And failure of a film not only disappoints me, it breaks my heart because I put in lot of efforts in all my films, " Priyanka told reporters at the success party of Arindam Chaudhuri's book "Discover The Diamond In You" at the JW Marriot Hotel here over the weekend.

"Every time a film doesn't do well, I mourn for at least three weeks. It takes me really a long time to get out of it."

Priyanka is impressed by Chaudhuri's book.

"I think success is very important. In this concise book of only 59 pages, professor Chaudhuri has given a fantastic explanation on how in nine different ways one can make himself a successful human being, " said Priyanka.

"Discover The Diamond In You" is Chaudhuri's third book after "Count Your Chickens Before They Are Hatched" and "The Great Indian Dreams".

He says that he wanted to to reach out to more people with the book.

"I'm a teacher. The need to reach out to more people than those in my classroom made me write this book, " Arindam told.

Katrina Kaif falls ill again, advised complete bed rest‎

Katrina Kaif’s busy schedule is taking a toll on her. Once again, she has fallen ill because of low hemoglobin count. And her family, friends, well-wishers are starting to get worried now.

Even though she is getting the best treatments done, her health continues to deteriorate. This is because the actress is pushing herself too hard.

On Friday and Saturday, she was attending the sangeet and wedding of Salman Khan’s close friend Krishan Narayan’s daughter. Katrina enjoyed herself at the wedding and simply had a good time.

However, when she woke up on Sunday morning, she couldn’t get out of bed and had to get a series of tests done, which revealed that her hemoglobin count was running low.

Attending the wedding was important for Katrina as she the bride’s father is closely associated with Praful Patel, the politician and is a close friend of Salman.

However, even the numerous tests done on her haven’t been able to determine what exactly is causing her blood to have such an abnormality. She has been advised complete bed rest by the doctors.

Sensual Vidya Balan finds her sexual aggression

After playing an ideal mother in "Paa", Vidya Balan says she is ready to surprise audiences with a completely different avatar in forthcoming movie "Ishqiya". She will be seen as a conniving, scheming woman in Vishal Bharadwaj's dark drama.

"For the first time I'll be playing a woman who is conniving, scheming and in whom there is a sexual aggression, " Vidya told in an interview.

"She is an aggressive person. She is someone who is unapologetic about her own choices. Bold is the word I'll use for the lack of a better word. In the Indian context, she would be Rambha, Durga or Kali. She is someone who is dressed from top to toe but oozes sensuality, " the actress said.

Set in eastern Uttar Pradesh, "Ishqiya" is a tale of romance between individuals caught in a web of crime, suspense, passion and deceit. Made by first time director Abhishek Chaubey and produced by Bharadwaj, the film also stars Arshad Warsi and Naseeruddin Shah in pivotal roles.

In the film, Vidya sports a deglamourised look and mouths expletives.

Asked if Bharadwaj was the reason she signed "Ishqiya", she said: "It's always very reassuring when the producer is an established guy because when you take a film, you want to know that no compromises will be made while making the film and even after it gets released.

"Of course Vishal comes with a certain brand and credibility...but more importantly I loved the role offered to me. I wouldn't have given it up. Along with that I loved Abhishek's passion and sensibility. So it was a combination of all these things when I made my decision."

The 31-year-old is also looking forward to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Chenaab Gandhi" in which she plays Amitabh Bachchan's daughter.

After receiving flak for doing glamorous roles, Vidya has moved to author-backed characters in "Paa", "Chenaab Gandhi" and "Ishqiya". But she says her choice of roles is not a conscious effort to change her image.

"It's not a conscious decision to try and stay away from a particular kind of roles. There is no effort for an image change. It's just that I'm just being offered a lot of exciting work and I've tried to pick and choose different things to keep it very exciting for me, " she said.

"Of course, candyfloss is still welcome if it comes with substance, but the very fact that it's candyfloss takes away the substance. So I don't do that much candyfloss because it compromises on substance, " added the actress.

Vidya has earlier been seen in films like "Parineeta", "Heyy Babyy", "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" and "Kismat Konnection".

Ref : Santabanta

Rocket Singh - Salesman Of The Year : Movie Review by Taran Adarsh

Some films absorb you instantly, from the very outset. But it takes time to get into the world of a salesman who thinks from his heart.

Come to think of it, ROCKET SINGH - SALESMAN OF THE YEAR is about a simpleton, but the story of his struggle and accomplishment isn't the kind that would charge you or make you charter a similar path in life. Also, the story of an underdog who comes up the hard way should make you feel euphoric in the end, right? But ROCKET SINGH - SALESMAN OF THE YEAR doesn't. 

Frankly, ROCKET SINGH - SALESMAN OF THE YEAR is more of a documentary on the life of a salesman. It's a decent film, no two opinions on that, but the question is, [a] Is the story powerful enough to excite you and [b] Does it grab your attention in entirety? Sadly, the answer to both the questions is in the negative.

There's another problem and this is strictly from the point of those seeking entertainment. A Yash Raj film with Ranbir Kapoor [after AJAB PREM KI GHAZAB KAHANI] essaying the title role, coupled with fun-filled promos ['Pocket Mein Rocket Hain'] might make you assume that it would offer loads of entertainment, but this has barely a song or two, as good as no romance and hardly any comic moments - the recipe for most Hindi movies.

In a nutshell, ROCKET SINGH - SALESMAN OF THE YEAR is a dull and dry experience.

Harpreet Singh Bedi [Ranbir Kapoor] has just graduated and his marks are, well, let's say a little embarrassing. But marks never stopped him from dreaming of an exciting and adventurous career, and they never will.

He takes a deep, positive breath and dives into the world of sales, rumoured to be an ultra cool career. It's everything he dreamt of, with its smooth dressing, smoother talking men and women who can sell ice to an Eskimo, dreams to an insomniac and a lifetime mobile connection to a dying man. But soon, his idea of success begins clashing with the strange ways of these 'professionals' and 'bosses' he looked up to.

ROCKET SINGH - SALESMAN OF THE YEAR may be based on a simpleton's life, but the viewer gets a hang of things only towards the second hour. The entire first hour is devoted to establishing the characters and also getting used to the way sales persons go about their business.

There's not much excitement in the first hour, barring a few attention-grabbing scenes that pop up intermittently. The story just flows, with the viewer not reacting much to the proceedings. But things change for better towards the post-interval portions when the protagonist and his colleagues' lives get complicated.

At least two sequences deserve a mention here. The first, when Ranbir and his boss have a lengthy telephonic conversation. The second, when the boss realises his folly and apologises to Ranbir. But, unfortunately, the culmination to the story doesn't give the feeling of euphoria or victory. Ideally speaking, it should have. That's one of the reasons why the impact is missing.

Shimit Amin is an efficient storyteller and he has been most faithful to the plot, but if the plot itself has its limitations, there's not much he can do to boost the proceedings. Jaideep Sahni has had the courage to narrate a new story, but the story is one-dimensional. Also, there screenplay is devoid of songs, romance and entertainment, which will go against the film completely.

Salim-Sulaiman's background score is effectual. Vikash Nowlakha's cinematography is alright.

Ranbir Kapoor is an exceptional actor and ROCKET SINGH - SALESMAN OF THE YEAR mirrors this fact. The actor underplays his part beautifully, which only goes to prove that he's equally at ease essaying straight-out-of-life roles. Prem Chopra is exceptional. A number of new faces enact pivotal roles here, but the ones who stand out are Ranbir's boss Puri and colleague Nitin. Both are fantastic.

D. Santosh is first-rate. Gauhar Khan leaves a strong impression. Shazahn Padamsee doesn't get any scope.

On the whole, ROCKET SINGH - SALESMAN OF THE YEAR is more of a documentary on the life of a salesman. Lack of music, romance and entertainment, coupled with zilch hype, will go against the film. A colossal disappointment!

 

Priyanka Chopra caught in Amrita Rao's dress!

Priyanka Chopra was recently spotted in Amrita Rao’s dress! No, that’s not quite it. She was caught wearing an outfit similar to one that Amrita wore some days ago. And what’s more –both dresses come from the same designer –Swapnil Shinde.

Priyanka wore the outfit for a party on Friday. Meanwhile, Amrita had worn the same outfit on TV ten days ago. Priyanka is probably unaware of the goof-up.

Swapnil confirmed that the outfit that Priyanka was wearing was by him and that she had liked it a lot, as her stylist called him up to tell him that she was complimented for that dress a lot. He also added that Priyanka called him up asking him for an outfit and he had about three or four gold outfits ready.

He confirmed that even Amrita’s outfit was by him. But he denies the outfits being the same. He simply states that the outfits have a similar design. Now, we’re not so sure this is going to go down very well with Priyanka, even though she hasn’t commented on the issue.

Amrita remarked that Priyanka probably was unaware that they both had the same outfit or even if she knew, it didn’t matter to her as she looks like a diva, no matter what’s she’s wearing.

Deepika Padukone says yes to Bikinis

Another actress to join the bikini babes club is Deepika Padukone who is ready with her dare-to-bare act in Sajid Khan’s ‘Housefull’.

Earlier, it was Lara Dutta and Jiah Khan who were supposed to wear bikini in the film, but Sajid Khan had a sudden change of mind and decided to have all the three actresses of his film don bikini.

While, Lara Dutta and Jiah Khan have donned bikini before, but seems like ‘Housefull’ will be the first for Deepika.

Well seems like this one won’t be tough to pull, as Deepika has a fabulous bod to carry the bikini with ample grace.

Hmm… Looks like it is going to be a bikini fest with Lara, Jiah and Deepika scintillating audience

Salman and Deepika all set to Kick up a storm!

Producer Sajid Nadiadwala who is making ‘Kick’, the remake of a Telugu film starring Ravi Teja and directed by Surender Reddy, has got ‘Ghajini’ director A. R. Murugadoss to direct it.

The film stars Salman Khan and the lead heroine will be Deepika Padukone. She was asked to do the role when she was working on ‘Housefull’ with Sajid Nadiadwala.

Nadiadwala was a little uncertain about approaching her as he felt she might have some issues working with Salman, as she is more inclined towards the Shah Rukh Khan-Farah Khan-Karan Johar’s group. However, she told him that she has no qualms about working with Salman.

Nadiadwala got Murugadoss to do the film, as he doesn’t think South Indian directors should be doing Hindi remakes. They are now thinking of ways to make the action scenes in ‘Kick’ look different from the ones in ‘Wanted 2’. The scenes will be shot in Tokyo.

The scenes will be similar to the kind in ‘Ghajini’ and will have Salman doing kickboxing and martial arts. Scriptwriter Abhijat Joshi (who scripted ‘Munnabhai’) is being brought in from the US to script the Hindi version of Kick. He will be in India soon for the release of ‘3 Idiots’, which is co-written by him.

Ref : http://www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp?pid=33099

Aamir Khan in 'Sarfarosh 2'?

‘Sarfarosh’ is about to get a sequel soon. At least, director John Mathan has started to work on it.

John is currently working on the script and plans to meet the lead of ‘Sarfarosh’, Aamir Khan. Even though the details will be put in place after the script is ready, the buzz is that Rakesh Bapat may play one of the important roles. The female lead has not yet been decided upon.

Even though John hasn’t really discussed the story, it is touted to be about national security. In ‘Sarfarosh’, the villain, played by Naseeruddin Shah, was not an Indian, but the sequel will have an Indian villain.

Meanwhile, John is also completing the remaining bits of ‘A New Love Ishtory’.

Ref : http://www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp?pid=33098

Oops! Mallika does it again

Does Mallika Sherawat never learn? Two years back, the sultry actress performed at a New Year’s eve bash wearing a skimpy outfit that caused a huge controversy, with even an obscenity case slapped against her.

On Sunday, she seemed to have gone a step further while performing at a function in Mumbai to felicitate cricket stars. Scantily clad in a white and silver outfit reminiscent of Helen’s yesteryear cabaret dances, Mallika grooved suggestively and left little to imagination.

Despite the earlier case still pending in the court, an undeterred Sherawat boasted about her performance even before she stepped on stage. “Two factors that affect the Indian psyche — cricket n... hottie Mallika,” she wrote on Twitter. Soon after the function, the actress posted a link to the backstage picture on the same site.

Jana Gana with Vande Mataram in Rann

Ram Gopal Varma has replaced controversial song "Jana Gana Mana Rann" with the "Vande Mataram" in the final cut of his forthcoming movie "Rann" and says that the track will play in the background.

So is another controversy on the way as the filmmaker has moved from the country's national anthem to the national song?

"Not at all. What we have used of 'Vande Mataram' are just these two words. I don't see anything controversial in this since it stands for 'Bow to thee, Mother'. Tell me, what's wrong in using that?" Varma told.

"Rann" is about the media industry and Amitabh Bachchan plays media bigwig Harshvardhan Malik in the film that also stars Riteish Deshmukh, Paresh Rawal, Mohnish Behl, Suchitra Krishnamurthy and Gul Panag.

Earlier this year, Varma's "Rann" came under fire when the film's first look was revealed with the song "Jana Gana Mann Rann". Since the lyrics of the national anthem were altered to give it a new socio-political dimension, the matter reached the censor board and the court.

While the censor board instructed Varma to refrain from telecasting the promo, producers Madhu Mantena and Sheetal Vinod Talwar had registered a civil case in the Mumbai High Court against the board's ruling.

In fact, the makers of the films had even sent copies of the music video to MPs to show that they were in no way hurting national sentiments.

"But then there was no point defending the song on and on. Enough noise was being made and it was best to replace it with something else and move on. I can now say that the entire controversy is pretty much left behind, " Varma said.

Since the song is no more a part of "Rann", will it impact the film in totality?

"Not really, because eventually 'Vande Mataram' is a part of the background score. Since it wasn't a different song that was shot, it doesn't make a fundamental difference to the narrative, " said Varma.

Unlike Varma's previous movies, "Rann" doesn't have an item number.

"No, there is no item number in 'Rann'. Each song is related to the theme of 'Rann' and they would last for 30 seconds or at most 60 seconds in the film. There is no lip sync song either. The beauty of the music of 'Rann' is that it brings in a completely creative feel and an emotional tone to the narrative, " he said.

Ref: http://www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp?pid=33037

Sherlyn Chopra is no match for super hot Rakhi

India’s mad-max music import from Canada, ishQ Bector, has a dangerous secret. Since the singer-composer loved Sherlyn Chopra’s boy-cut look in Bigg Boss last month, he decided to experiment the ‘same’ on her arch rival Rakhi Sawant, for the video of his new music album ‘Jhagde’. And a naïve Rakhi has innocently fallen for his game.

Now it wasn’t long ago that Rakhi and Sherlyn fought like wild cats, after the latter quipped, “How can people compare a Mercedes Benz with a Nano”. Rakhi didn’t take the Nano tag too kindly, and went on national television claiming that Sherlyn was “using” her name for “cheap publicity”.

When Rakhi did the ishQ Bector video of ‘Jhagde’, she least realised, the music man’s mischief would cost her a ‘copycat tag’.

ishQ tries to justify, “Though Sherlyn’s look was the seed, it’s blossomed into a lovely flower, with Rakhi surpassing expectations. The brand new Rakhi is looking hotter than ever before and Sherlyn’s no match for her.”

With Pen Audio releasing the album’s first video next week, ishQ’s dirty secret is going to be out of the bag. Tch tch!! When Rakhi comes to know of it, we can expect fireworks from the firebrands… or should we say, jordaar jhagde!

Sushmita Sen gets extra lovey-dovey with her director

Recently, the team of ‘Dulha Mil Gaya’ saw director Muddasar Aziz turn knight-in-shining-armor for Sushmita Sen when he lifted her on his shoulders so that she wouldn’t get wet while shooting a scene.

This was for a sequence which was being shot on Trinidad beach. The set was put up in the sea, just a little away from the shore.

Sushmita didn’t want to wade in the sea to reach the sets because she didn’t want her costume and her legs to get wet. That’s when boyfriend Muddasar Aziz, who is also the director of the film came to her rescue and carried Sushmita on his shoulders to keep her dry.

The scene took 12 takes and everytime Muddasar happily carried her from the sets to her vanity van. Sushmita was all smiles after this special treatment and her happiness was evident.

Neither producer Viveck Vaswani nor Muddasar Aziz have commented on the issue.

SUPER EXCLUSIVE*** Shahrukh, Aamir, Akshay, Aishwarya at PAA PREMIERE

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Celina now wants a beauty pageant for third gender

Celina Jaitley is well known for her contribution towards the emancipation of marginalized section of society and she has gone an extra mile recently. She gave her support to one of the best friends the Guru of Hijras Laxmi Narayan Tripathi for country’s first Eunuch beauty pageant called “Indian Super Queen’.

This news was disclosed at the World AIDS Day function, which was held at Thane, Mumbai where Celina was the guest of honor.

Laxmi Narayan, the CEO of 12 Noon entertainment, and the organizer of the pageant confirmed the news and say, “Yes, we (12 Noon entertainment) along with a corporate house called V-Care decided to dedicate a beauty pageant solely to eunuch community. And I feel extremely proud to have my friend Celina and Salman Khan, who could not make it today, to support us for this initiative.”

Celina too sounded very excited about the whole venture and says, “Such initiatives prove- beauty is not just confined to skin show. It’s the soul, which should be beautiful, and I am sure everyone who would be walking the ramp is a great soul. I wish my friend Laxmi luck and my support is always with her.”

The Grand Finale of Indian Super Queen pageant is to be organized in the month of January on the 30th at either New Delhi or Amsterdam. The semifinals for the same would be held at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai.

ref:http://www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp?pid=32984

MOVIE PAA REVIEW By Taran Adarsh Bollywood Hungama

Can you ever imagine watching an Amitabh Bachchan film and not watching Amitabh Bachchan in it? Seems impossible, isn't it? The towering persona and the rich baritone just cannot be overlooked. But R. Balki transforms the legendary actor into Auro, replaces the rich baritone with the voice of an adolescent [who's neither grown up, nor a kid] and taps the hitherto untapped talent of the icon.

Trust me, 10 minutes into the film and you forget you're watching Amitabh Bachchan. For, Auro takes over the moment he is introduced to the viewer. 


PAA is a simple film told in the most simplistic manner and that's one of the prime reasons why this film works big time. The emotions would've fallen flat had the writing been sub-standard or the execution of the material been humdrum or the actors been inferior. But, thankfully, PAA scores in all three departments, although it must be said that the entire slum redevelopment episode is a complete put-off. 

Yet, all said and done, PAA is an outstanding film. A film for every paa, every maa... for everyone with a heart. Take a bow, Auro!

Auro [Amitabh Bachchan] is an intelligent, witty 13-year-old boy with an extremely rare genetic defect that causes accelerated ageing. He suffers from progeria. Mentally, he is 13, very normal, but physically he looks five times older.

Inspite of his condition, Auro is a happy boy. He lives with his mother Vidya [Vidya Balan], a gynaecologist, but is completely clueless of his father's identity. Till he meets him, Amol [Abhishek Bachchan], who is a full of ideals politician.

Okay, let's not disrespect Balki by calling PAA a rip-off of THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON or JACK. It's not! PAA looks at the varied relationships so minutely. It may've been publicized as a father-son film, but the women - mother and granny - play equally pivotal parts.

The first hour of PAA grips you in patches. The introduction of Auro is brilliant, but the moment the story focuses on the politician and his arch rival's sub-plot, it goes off-track. Sure, there are some interesting sequences, but the impact isn't mesmeric.

But the post-interval portions take the film to dizzy heights and camouflages the defects. The father-son bonding and the penultimate 25 minutes raise the bar. The emotional quotient is tremendous. Get ready to overhear a lot of sniffs and see a lot of moist eyes once the lights are switched on.

Note the two sequences in the climax, when Auro reveals what his father's first mistake was and the pheras towards the end. Also recall the scene when the girl Auro detests for a certain reason shows up with a sketch of Auro. It moves you completely.

But let's not mistaken PAA to be a rona-dhona movie. It's a positive film with funny/light moments in plenty. The conversation between Auro and his best friend, on various occasions, are superb. Also, not once does PAA show Auro as 'different'. He's one among the kids and there's no discrimination whatsoever, which is remarkable.

Director R. Balki deserves a salute for thinking out of the box and also presenting Amitabh Bachchan like never before. The writing may be erratic, but his handling of the emotional moments is exemplary. Note this, he would be a force to reckon with after PAA. Ilaiyaraaja's music is soothing. P.C. Sreeram's cinematography is incredible.

It would be a blunder if one missed out the contribution of the makeup artists. Transforming the veteran actor into a kid must've been an arduous task and Christien Tinsley and Domini Till deserve to be complimented for making Auro look so real.

Now to the performances! No amount of praise, no amount of adjectives and personifications would do justice to Amitabh Bachchan's performance as Auro. Sure, the icon has enthralled us with superlative performances in his four-decade career, but PAA is something else. The icon keeps surprising you at regular intervals and PAA is one of those beautiful surprises, which will remain etched in your memory forever.

That doesn't mean that the remaining performances get dwarfed by Auro. Sure, PAA belongs to Auro, but not once does Abhishek Bachchan dither from his position or seems less inferior. This is the hallmark of a tremendous actor, which Abhishek is. Vidya is another surprise of PAA. She takes giant strides as an actor and proves yet again that given the right roles, she can match up to the best in the business.

Paresh Rawal is effective. Arundhati Naag is amazing. So is the kid, Pratik, enacting the role of Auro's best buddy. His telephonic conversation with Auro is superb. Jaya Bachchan's presence is lovely.

On the whole, PAA is an amazing experience. It makes you realize two things. One, the Hindi film industry is also capable of narrating fresh stories. Two, Amitabh Bachchan is truly the most accomplished actor this side of the Atlantic.

Talking from the business point of view, PAA has been made in a sensible and reasonable budget [approx. Rs. 17 crores, including P & A expenses], which should easily be recovered from multiplexes alone.

In the final tally, here's a film that should win awards [for Auro] and also box-office rewards, given its low costs. A film that should strike a chord with every paa, maa... just about everyone with a heart!