Movie Review : ISHQIYA is definitely worth a watch

Get ready for tangy, pungent, sizzling and spicy stuff. Be forewarned, ISHQIYA isn't the fluffy, candyfloss, saccharine sweet story of lovers breaking into songs in mustard fields. In ISHQIYA, you just don't know what turn the story may take next. Not just the story, even the characters here are so impulsive and unpredictable.

You need to have a strong stomach to absorb ISHQIYA. It's high on drama, it's wild, it's real. But it's not dark, it's not sleazy, it's not crass. Frankly, you don't expect debutante director Abhishek Chaubey to make a stereotypical fare thanks to the tutelage by his guru Vishal Bhardwaj, who loves to swim against the tide and undertake risks in film after film. 


You could call ISHQIYA a distant cousin of OMKARA. Set in Gorakhpur in North India, the film has a rustic feel, depicts characters that may make you uncomfortable and is laced with saucy lingo. Yet, it's different than OMKARA.

Final word? You can't help but fall in ishq with ISHQIYA. Tired of sherbat? Try this spicy jaljeera for a change!

Two thieves, Khalujaan [Naseeruddin Shah] and Babban [Arshad Warsi], are on the run from their boss, Mushtaq. They seek refuge at a friend's house, but instead meet his widow, Krishna [Vidya Balan]. The time spent together draws the duo to her, Khalu with his tinted vision of old-fashioned love and Babban with his lustful eye. But the past catches up with all three!

There's no denying that the promos had prepared me of the journey ahead, yet it took me a good 15-odd minutes to get into the world of Khalujaan, Babban and Krishna. But once you get sucked into their world, the blurred images start getting clearer and clearer and you become an active participant in their journey.

The first hour passes in a jiffy, but the story actually gets dramatic and volatile in its second hour. It's at this stage that things start getting more and more unpredictable. The story does a somersault every 10 minutes and by the time it reaches its finale, you're curious to know how the debutante director would conclude this saga. The end, of course, will have its share of advocates and adversaries, but the fact remains that it's offbeat.

Abhishek Chaubey is a welcome addition to the ranks of avid storytellers. His choice of the subject and also handling of the material is what makes this film so eminently watchable. Not once do you feel that ISHQIYA has been helmed by a first-timer. Note the change of events in the song 'Dil To Bachcha Hain Ji' or the kidnap drama and the heated argument that follows thereafter. Even the passionate lovemaking sequence between Arshad and Vidya has been dexterously canned.

However, Chaubey and his team of writers could've kept the writing simplistic towards the finale. It's complex and also lacks clarity. Yet, all said and done, screenplay writers Vishal Bhardwaj, Sabrina Dhawan and Abhishek Chaubey deserve kudos for coming up with a film that keeps you hooked for most parts.

Vishal Bhardwaj's musical score has his unmistakable stamp all over. The film is embellished with two lilting gems - 'Ibne Batuta' and 'Dil To Bachcha Hain Ji' - which are a rage with listeners already and have been juxtaposed beautifully in the plot. Mohana Krishna's cinematography is first-rate. Dialogues [Vishal Bhardwaj] are acidic and a few lines are indeed startling.

Every actor in ISHQIYA delivers a sparkling performance! Naseeruddin Shah is superb as a romantic. He is matchless in the sequence when he learns the truth about Vidya and Arshad. Arshad packs in a bravura performance yet again. Post MUNNABHAI films, Arshad should be liked in this one the maximum. Vidya continues to surprise. It's a dynamic performance undoubtedly. PAA and ISHQIYA are two landmarks in her career.

The actors enacting the role of Jijaji, the kidnapped victim and Vidya's husband are all perfect. The child, who interacts with Arshad, is natural. In fact, every performance in ISHQIYA is worthy of mention.

On the whole, ISHQIYA is definitely worth a watch. The film has a riveting plot, great performances, soulful music, an absorbing story and skilful direction to make the viewer fall in ishq with it. It should appeal to the hardcore masses as also the multiplex junta.

From : http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/13854/index.html

Amitabh Bachchan's RANN Movie Review

Ramgopal Varma is itching to tell a new story in his movies. You may garland him for his efforts or loathe him if you feel letdown, but you need to hand it to him for picking up stories that defy stereotype.

This time, in RANN, the maverick film-maker does an expose on the games the heavyweights in the media play to further their interests. RGV goes into the newsrooms and also behind it and throws light on the politician-industrialist-media nexus. Also, it's an insider's account of how news channels that are greedy for ratings sensationalize stories to grab eyeballs.

On surface, you don't want to know what goes behind the scenes and how, at times, news are 'created' by vested interests. But RANN scratches the surface and opens a can of worms. RANN also mirrors the fact that just like there are good and bad people in every field, there're some rotten ones in the media too who succumb to temptations and create news to climb the ladder of success.

RANN is a serious film and RGV knows what he's talking this time. It wouldn't be erroneous to state that you recall RGV's SARKAR while watching RANN, even though the two films are as diverse as chalk and cheese. You recall SARKAR because RANN is an equally powerful film that shows a world we've only seen from the exterior.

RANN is for those who enjoy serious cinema. It's more for the intelligentsia, for the thinking viewer. Definitely not for those who seek refuge in frivolous masala capers.

Vijay Harshvardhan Malik [Amitabh Bachchan] is the founder of a private news channel, India 24/7. A hardcore upholder of journalistic ethics, his channel is battling for survival. Jay [Sudeep], his son, looks at his father's news channel purely as a business enterprise that must make profits to justify its existence. He hates that his competition [Mohnish Bahl] is doing better than him.

The story takes a turn when a corrupt politician, Mohan Pandey [Paresh Rawal], decides to use the channel to his advantage by using Vijay's son-in-law Navin [Rajat Kapoor]. Pandey aspires to be the Prime Minister and indulges in a vicious campaign against his political opponent.

Navin is the most insecure man on earth and won't rest till he becomes the number one industrialist in the country. He, in turn, involves his brother-in-law Jay in Pandey's game plan.

A film like RANN would fall into the pit if [i] its writing wouldn't be razor-sharp and [ii] the choice of actors would be incompetent. RGV's movies, generally, are embellished with competent actors who deliver super performances. In this film, every member of the cast shines in his/her role, the length of the role notwithstanding.

The writing is watertight and convincing. Besides, the subject matter has been presented in the most simplistic manner, which makes it easy to decipher. However, the episode showing Riteish's investigation tends to get confusing at one point, but the climax compensates for the minor hiccups here and there.

Amit Roy's cinematography is eye-catching. Dialogues are power-packed. In fact, one can identify with the well-penned dialogues. The background score plays a crucial role. It heightens the impact of various scenes.

Amitabh Bachchan is spectacular yet again, especially towards the finale. His speech and the way he delivers it are remarkable. Sudeep is terrific. To stand up to giants like Bachchan and Paresh Rawal is no mean achievement. Riteish is only getting better and better with every film. In fact, he surprises you constantly.

Paresh Rawal, seen in an RGV film after a long, long time, is at his vicious best. Rajat Kapoor is incredible. Mohnish Bahl gets the role of a lifetime and he sinks his teeth into it. This film should open new vistas for him. Gul Panag is natural and so easy on the eyes. Neetu Chandra does her part well. Suchitra Krishnamoorthy is too good. Rajpal Yadav contributes to some funny moments. Neena Kulkarni and Simone Singh are perfect for their parts.

On the whole, RANN is truly a well-made film. No two opinions on that. The film should be patronised by viewers of serious, sensible cinema. Recommended!

From : http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/14012/index.html

Padma Lakshmi beats Ash and Freida

Supermodels Padma Lakshmi and Lakshmi Menon have beaten Indian actresses Aishwarya Rai and Freida Pinto in a most desirable women poll conducted by a portal.

According to the top 99 women poll by askmen.com, Padma Lakshmi has grabbed the 15th spot while Menon sits at the 45th position leaving behind Slumdog Millionaire star Pinto and former Miss World Aishwarya in 50th and 63rd positions respectively.

"I am delighted that the readers of this portal have chosen to include me on their list. I am extremely flattered," the website quoted Padma as saying.

Beating all of them, however, is Canadian actress Emmanuelle Chriqui, who tops the list. It also features singer Beyonce Knowles at sixth position, Spanish actress Penelope Cruz and Tranformers star Megan Fox at seventh and 11th spots respectively.

After a six-week long voting period, six million votes decided the ranking of these beautiful women.

Bollywood Hottie Ayesha Takia says no to burqa

Ayesha Takia is married into a Muslim family, but by her own admission the actress has said that her in-laws family is a liberal one and they have no reservations about her acting in films. The actress further clarified that wearing the burqua in her family is not a compulsion.

So friends here we have one actress who is beating all conventions and is beating all set traditions, Ayesha is happy to have got married into the Abu Azmi family.

Ayesha incidentally is a much in demand actress after the success of Wanted. She is going ahead with signing of many films after this success.

Padma Lakshmi is more desirable woman that Ash!

Supermodels Padma Lakshmi and Lakshmi Menon have beaten Indian actresses Aishwarya Rai and Freida Pinto in a most desirable women poll conducted by a portal.

According to the top 99 women poll by askmen.com, Padma Lakshmi has grabbed the 15th spot while Menon sits at the 45th position leaving behind "Slumdog Millionaire" star Pinto and former Miss World Aishwarya in 50th and 63rd positions respectively.

"I am delighted that the readers of this portal have chosen to include me on their list. I am extremely flattered, " the website quoted Padma as saying.

Beating all of them, however, is Canadian actress Emmanuelle Chriqui, who tops the list. It also features singer Beyonce Knowles at sixth position, Spanish actress Penelope Cruz and "Tranformers" star Megan Fox at seventh and 11th spots respectively.

After a six-week long voting period, six million votes decided the ranking of these beautiful women.

Salmans VEER movie Review By Taran Adarash Bollywood Hungama

VEER drives home a few hard facts...

• No amount of gloss can substitute for an engaging story.
• Not all directors are capable of pulling off a period film.
• No star - howsoever strong his rankings are - can infuse life in a comatose script.

Everyone's awaiting VEER with bated breath. The film industry will get another breather if VEER goes the 3 IDIOTS way at the box-office. The junta will have one more fascinating genre to look forward to, if VEER appeals to them. But your hopes go crashing as reel after reel of VEER unfurl. 


Salman Khan [who has been credited as the story writer of VEER] takes TARAS BULBA, adds GLADIATOR, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, TROY, TITANIC and even KRANTI [the end is a straight lift of Manoj Kumar's Dilip Kumar starrer] and comes up with this khichdi which gets unpalatable after a point.

VEER is about a warrior and at the same time, it's a love story too. Sadly, neither does it evoke any patriotism, nor does the love story make your heart go dhak-dhak.

The writing [screenplay: Shaktimaan Talwar, Shailesh Verma] is so fragile that one is mentally exhausted by the time this marathon movie finally reaches its finale. Of course, Salman's star power tries hard to salvage the situation, but window dressing doesn't help if the store has nothing to offer.

Final word? You have to be a veer to sit through VEER. Colossal disappointment!

As the British enslave India with their devious Divide and Rule policy, kings and nawabs fall to their guile and cunning schemes and entrust their precious kingdom to the foreigners. Except for the brave Pindaris, who prefer death to dishonour and will fight to their last breath to save their land.

The bravest, the toughest, the strongest of the Pindaris is Veer [Salman Khan]. As Veer takes on the might of the British Empire, he also has to fight the conniving King of Madavgarh [Jackie Shroff] as well his own jealous tribesmen. At stake is his love for princess Yashodhara [Zarine Khan], daughter of his sworn enemy. At stake is his thirst to avenge his father's dishonour.

VEER has it all - great stars, opulent and majestic sets, adrenaline pumping action scenes, but no soul [read script]. The movie begins with a bang, but the moment the story shifts to London, it crashes!

Frankly, it's a screenplay of convenience. Salman meets the woman of his dreams within minutes of reaching London and that looks so unreal. You try to digest it and move on to the next scene and lo! The damsel studies in the same college that our hero has enrolled in. Now that looks fake!

The sequence at the interval is interesting, although it remains a mystery how Puru Raaj Kumar gets to know of Salman's identity. At this point, Salman becomes a killing machine, slaughters more than a dozen people in the hostel campus [including a few gora soldiers] and conveniently escapes from London with a badly injured brother [played by Sohail]. Now that is taking it too far.

The second hour goes on and on and on, emphasising on unfulfilled promises, seething anger and revenge, love and freedom and frankly, you are least bothered by now. In fact, you lose interest in the proceedings. Period. The climax is so long drawn and more of an anti-climax, while the ending is bizarre and unintentionally funny.

Director Anil Sharma fails to deliver. That's the bitter truth. The project had everything going in its favour, but alas, Sharma and his writers make a complete mess of the story. Sajid-Wajid's music is melodious, but why repeat one song ['Surili Ankhiyon Wali'] again and again? The background score [Monty] is top notch. Gopal Shah's cinematography is splendid. Tinu Verma's action scenes are dynamic and in fact, the saving grace of VEER. The production design [art: Sanjay Dhabade] give an authentic feel of the bygone era.

VEER rides on Salman's star power, but even his hardcore fans will be disappointed by this movie. Zarine Khan resembles Katrina Kaif, but wears one expression all through. Mithun is okay, while Jackie does his bit well. Sohail Khan irritates. Puru Raaj Kumar and Aryan Vaid get no scope. Neena Gupta is as usual. The English actors are stereotype.

On the whole, VEER proves the age-old adage true: All that glitters is not gold. The film may open very well at single screens thanks to Salman's popularity and the hype surrounding the film and may also enjoy a healthy extended weekend [Tuesday, 26th January is a holiday], but given its exorbitant costs and poor merits, VEER will face an uphill task to recover its costs. This one's a monumental disappointment!

Jobless in Bollywood Asin looking for her dream guy

After her film London Dreams failed to click at the box office, there is no work for Asin Thottumkal in the Hindi film industry. "I have nothing (no films) as of now. All that I can reveal is that future projects are under production and I can't talk about them until the producers give me a go- ahead, " Asin told reporters here Wednesday. The actress was in the capital to announce the 55th edition of the Filmfare Awards. She, however, assured that she will be seen more in movies this year. Asin, who won the best debutant (female) award at Filmfare last year for her performance in "Ghajini", kept the media waiting for two hours as her flight was delayed due to the fog in the capital. But she was extremely apologetic for the delay. The multi-lingual actress was quite at ease when asked about the qualities that she would seek in her man. "I don't have a check list for my dream guy. But definitely think integrity of character is a very important quality. I am not a person who values physical appearances more than how the person is at heart, " she said.

Will Ranbir-Imran Khan reunite for the Black Lady?

The 55th Filmfare Awards ceremony will be held at the Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai Feb 27, but the organisers have yet to decide who will host the prestigious event.

Last year Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan entertained the audiences with their rib-tickling one-liners, but Filmfare editor Jitesh Pillai is still uncertain about the hosts this year.

"Just hold your breath, wait and watch what's in store, " said Pillai.

Organisers say this year they are not introducing any new award category.

"When we started, we had five categories of awards and now we have 37 categories of awards in total. The growth has been remarkable. This year 111 movies are competing for the awards, " Tarun Rai, CEO of Worldwide Media Pvt Ltd (a joint venture between Times of India group and BBC Worldwide), said at a press conference here Wednesday.

Considered as one of the most prestigious awards in Indian cinema, the awards function will be organised in association with pan-India mobile operator Idea Cellular.

The nominees for the awards will be chosen through audience poll. An equal weightage will be given to polling results as well as a specially appointed panel of judges.

This year too the ceremony will offer power-packed performances and a dose of suspense and excitement.

Ref : http://www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp?pid=33940

Sonakshi Sinha is Shahid's latest girl

Before even completing her debut film, Sonakshi Sinha, actor Shatrughan Sinha's daughter, is already much sought after. While she is debuting with Salman Khan in Dabangg, Boney Kapoor has signed her on for his next film. Not only that, she will also play the female lead in Pankaj Kapur's Mausam, starring Shahid Kapoor. Mausam's producer, Sheetal Talwar, met Sonakshi and her mother Punam at the Sinha's residence to sign her onto the film. Sheetal thinks Sonakshi is very stunning and charming. She reminds her of the young Rekha. Punam confirmed the meeting with Sheetal Talwar. She adds that both she and her husband respect Pankaj Kapur as an actor and are glad that their daughter has the opportunity to work with him and his son, Shahid.

Aamir is new Munnabhai?

Trustworthy sources inform us that Rajkumar Hirani has decided to embrace the biggest challenge of his career. Reportedly, the director of MUNNABHAI MBBS, LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI and 3 IDIOTS has decided to cast Aamir Khan as Munna and Sharman Joshi as Circuit, in place of Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi, respectively, for his new film MUNNABHAI CHALE AMREEKA.

The news was received with shock and astonishment by the loyal fans of the Munnabhai franchise.

Aamir Khan, who never reacts to gossip, did clarify on this issue to this writer, before leaving for the U.S. "I am shocked. I wish to clarify that there's not an iota of truth to it. Yes, I would love to work with Rajkumar Hirani again and again, since I enjoyed working with him in 3 IDIOTS, but the truth is we haven't discussed any new project yet," Aamir tells me.

But didn't he express his willingness to portray Munnabhai when he heard the one-line story of MUNNABHAI CHALE AMREEKA? "That's completely untrue! I have no clue what it's all about, nor has Raju [Hirani] narrated me its one-liner. I distinctly recall, I hugged Sanju after I watched MUNNABHAI MBBS. He was incredible in that film. When I think of Munna, I can't think of anyone except Sanju. For me, Sanju is Munna," Aamir states.

Meanwhile, Aamir has clarified that he hasn't signed any new film yet. What about Anurag Kashyap's next film? "I haven't signed any film. Not Anurag's film either. Right now, I would like to focus on my three home-productions before I start shooting any film. PEEPLI LIVE will arrive first, followed by DELHI BELLY and then Kiran's DHOBI GHAAT, which stars Prateek Babbar and me. This film would release towards the end of the year. But I plan to listen to new scripts after three months," Aamir sets the record straight.

Will DHOBI GHAAT have a Christmas release like TAARE ZAMEEN PAR, GHAJINI and 3 IDIOTS? Aamir smiles, "I haven't decided on that yet. But DHOBI GHAAT wouldn't have a wide release like GHAJINI or 3 IDIOTS, that's for sure."

Ref : http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/2010/01/20/13676/index.html

Idiot Maddy doesn't like Sharman in real, insults Omi

Here’s the news for all of you who thought Madhavan and Sharman Joshi are as chummy with each other in real life as they were in 3 Idiots. They aren’t.

Recently, they refused to host an award ceremony together for reasons only they know. So, Madhavan was made to host the show with his 3 Idiots co-star Omi Vaidya (who played Chatur Ramalingam).

Maddy has however, denied hosting the show even with Omi. And he didn’t just stop there. He kept insulting the newcomer and made fun of each and everything that Omi did.

Omi was the one who acted mature in the situation, by staying calm and unnerved by Maddy’s antics. Just shows who the real idiot is!

Kareena Kapoor declares war on Katrina Kaif

Katrina Kaif is as diplomatic and politically correct as an actress could get is common knowledge. However, her disdain towards Kareena Kapoor became known to people at the recently held Star Screen Awards.

The organizers of the show asked Kareena to present an award to Katrina. The Kapoor girl however refused to do so citing the reason that Katrina had also refused to give her an award. So there was a major ego clash at the award show.

Bebo is known to not have grudges against stars unless she has been enticed to do so. So is Katrina the one at fault for having shown

Ash-Abhishek don't want to be a 'couple' anymore

Abhishek Bachchan's film, ‘Crooked' was supposed to star his wife, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. But she was out of the film before Abhishek started shooting for it on January 14 due to date issues. However, he isn't upset at all.

According to sources, Abhishek and Ash wanted to work together again but not as a pair. They weren't playing a couple in ‘Crooked'; on the contrary, Ash was to play his enemy. His romantic interest in the film is former Miss India and VJ Sarah Jane Dias.

The film, directed by Abhinay Deo, stars Sarah Jane alongside Shahana Goswami, Gul Panag and Pakistani actress Sonya Jehan, who has replaced Ash.

Ash's role, which was that of a cop trailing global criminals, has gone to Sonya. Sonya debuted with Akbar Khan's ‘Taj Mahal', where she played Mumtaz Mahal and then did Sudhir Mishra's ‘Khoya Khoya Chand' where she played the role of a 1950s actress, which was based on her grandmother Noor Jehan.

Sonya was chosen for her fair skin and light eyes. Producer Ritesh Sidhwani has confirmed her part in the film. However, he won't reveal her role. He also wants to change the title as ‘Crooked' is only their work title and he doesn't want it to stick.

From : http://www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp?pid=33899

Movie 3 Idiots Ready To Be Remake in South languages

The 3 Idiots movie has achieved a great success with its world wide popularity. Within 19 days of its release it grossed 314 crore worldwide. With this popularity growth, this movie is being predicted to be remade in Kannada language. Few Reports claims that the Gemini Film Circuit, a production company has procured south Indian remake rights for this blockbuster that is being compared to sholay.

It is often predicted that the Kannada super actor - Puneet Rajkumar and Kiccha Sudeep will be having the leading roles in this Kannada remake of 3 Idiots whereas Pawan Kalyan and Surya's will be the leading actors in Telugu & Tamil Remakes.

Earlier, Gemini Film Circuit procured south indian remake rights of Munna Bhai MBBS. Through it, the Kannada super actor cum director - Upendra remade it as Uppi Dada MBBS, Kamal Haasan remade it in Tamil as Vasool Raja MBBS and the super actor of Andhra Pradesh - Chiranjeevi remade it as Shankar Dada MBBs in Telgu, but the remade of this 3 idiots movie is not yet revealed. As a result, the movie didnot acheived much success in Kannada, was outstanding in Telugu and was a commercial success in Tamil.

Let us see, how well can this remake of the 3 Idiots will influence the audience and can make audience satisfied. Mostly everyone eye is on the Kannada Remake. Anyway All the best to the Gemini Film Circuit & South Indian Remake leading persons. Kudos.

Actor Madhavan Says '3' has been lucky for me..

Actor R Madhavan seems to have taken a fancy for the number "three" as most of his recent films with the same digit have been hits and his upcoming ventures also carry the number connection.

Three has been lucky for me. Whether it is 13B, 3 Idiots, Teen Patti or my next Tanu Weds Manu which again has three words without having the number in it," Madhavan said here.

Three (the number) has got something to do with me... I just don't know, but it's just got into me," he added.

While 3 Idiots has managed to become Hindi cinema's highest grosser till date with collections crossing Rs.315 crore worldwide so far, 13 B that released last year grossed close to Rs 22.5 crore in both Hindi and Tamil of its Rs 6 crore budget.

The 39-year-old was at Tasty Tangles at DLF Promenade in the capital Friday evening to promote his upcoming movie Teen Patti.

Also present with the actor were the cast and crew of the film like producer Ambika Hinduja, director Leena Yadav and newcomers Siddharth Kher, Dhruv Ganesh, Vaibhav Talwar and Shraddha Kapoor.

Releasing Feb 26, the movie about greed and deception with the background of high-stake gambling, stars Amitabh Bachchan in the lead alongside Sir Ben Kingsley, Raima Sen and Saira Mohan in pivotal roles.

The film also boasts of special appearances by Ajay Devgn, Jackie Shroff, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ranjeet, Shakti Kapoor and Tinnu Anand.

Aamir Khan Wishes SRK's My Name is Khan

Aamir Khan seems to follow Salman Khan steps when it comes generosity. Strange but true, Aamir Khan recently made a statement which took everyone by surprise. Aamir Khan conveyed his best wishes to Shahrukh for his forthcoming film My Name is Khan. But that was not enough.

If sources are to believed Aamir went ahead saying, “I am confident about My Name is Khan and hope- it crosses 3 Idiots at the box office. Aamir Khan has really liked the promos of the movie My Name Is Khan which are already out on television.”

Well, it would be interesting to witness whether My Name is Khan will really surpass Aamir's expectations and break its record. Wonder, what has SRK to say on that?

Ranbir is skipping Imran-Avantika's engagement why?

It is the biggest day of Imran Khan's life. The Jaane Tu... star is getting engaged to his long time sweetheart Avantika Malik in a grand ceremony to be held tonight.

Though it is going to be a lavish affair when the two exchange rings at Avantika's family farmhouse in Karjat, Imran has planned to keep it as a close family affair. The actor says that he doesn't want his engagement to be a “tamasha”!

Talking to a news daily about the special day, Imran said, “We have invited 300 guests, mostly family and close friends. We wanted to keep it personal.”

To make the entire day a special outing all the guests have been invited to a daylong outing that includes a brunch, followed by the ceremony and dinner in the evening.

As for the guest list, Imran revealed, “Aamir Khan will be there with wife Kiran, so will Mansoor (Imran's uncle) and family.” His father Ajit Pal is coming from the US. Though his parents are divorced, he is on amicable terms with his father. Imran's in-laws-to-be, Ranjev and Vandana Malik are also very ecstatic about their daughter's big day.

There are few big film personalities who are going to attend the ceremony and their name are Sonam Kapoor, Karan Johar, Deepika Padukone and Abbas Tyrewala. Though 'friend' Ranbir Kapoor is conspicuously missing from the list.

We hear that that Ranbir dated Imran's girl Avantika for five years before Khan came on the picture. He is also believed to have given the event a miss in order to avoid any awkward rendezvous with Deepika Padukone. He is currently shooting in the US for Anjaana Anjaani and will not be back in Mumbai after the schedule of the film ends mid-February.

Buzz is that Imran surprised Avantika by gifting her a swanky new red fancy car, which has always been her dream car. Talking to a leading daily Imran tells, “I knew that Avantika had always wanted this car, even six years back when we were studying in the US.

So, I just knew that I had to buy one for her and this occasion was just the perfect excuse. Since the car has just launched, I had to convince the top bosses to let me have one, way before it actually hits the roads in a few months time. That took quite an effort. But her smile made it all worth it.”

Well, we would just say - Congratulations Imran and Avantika. May God shower his choicest blessings on both you.

Vivek and Aishwarya at Shah Rukh's place after Hrithik's birthday bash

Hrithik has been infamous for partying out late on his birthdays. Last year, if you remember cops had to interfare to bring the party to a halt. It would have happened this year too had not Shah Rukh come to his rescue.

Shah Rukh invited many of his colleagues at his place after he met them at Hrithik's party.

He not only played a good host but also brought two arch enemies together under the same roof - Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's ex-boyfriend Vivek Oberoi.

We hear like a true gentleman, he made sure no guest was uncomfortable and no sparks flew between Abhishek and Vivek. Shah Rukh managed to create a lighter atmosphere, without explicitly making his intentions known.

Well, diplomatic as he is, this is what we had all expected, isn't it?

Shah Rukh News rules the digital domain with Twitter

By Bollywood Hungama News Network, January 15, 2010 - 16:20 IST
 

Shah Rukh Khan's humour is "classic" and now his fans can have more of him courtesy his feeds on micro-blogging site Twitter. In a latest, SRK tweeted Indian Premier League chief Latit Modi, "got loads of work for khan release. dont know if i will make it to auction...also dont have money to buy any players. ha ha."

The maverick megastar started the New Year by joining the website on invitation of his friend, producer-director Karan Johar. The actor started connecting to his fans right from the word go. His first tweet went like, "hi everyone. being extremely shy i never thought i would be here. but my friend @kjohar25 insisted that i should learn to share my life." It's no surprise then, that he his Twitter handle (id) @iamsrk has already amassed 74,992 in a short span of 13 days!

He's given fans a window into his world. Shah Rukh tweeted on Jan 12th,"now going. daughter awoke with a bad dream. she is too sweet. use to think when my cricket team wins the players r allowed a bubble bath." It's his family, films and his cricket team that find mention the most.

But there's also occassional chit-chat between his filmi friends. Like the friendly reply to Abhishek Bachchan, "wot r u doing up so late young man...will call paa just now and report you. love u man. last day of shoot tomorrow??"

Looks like the 125 tweets-old SRK is certainly on his way to become the top followed Bollywood celebrity on Twitter. So, whether his next film or his latest haircut, Shah Rukh's served hot and personal on Twitter.

Shahid Kapoor's CHANCE PE DANCE Movie Review

Movie Review By Taran Adarsh - IndiaFM

The film industry attracts thousands of hopefuls every single day. Most don't make it. But the struggle continues... CHANCE PE DANCE tries to present the story of a hopeful - his dreams, his aspirations, his struggle and his eventual triumph.

Last year, Zoya Akhtar's LUCK BY CHANCE depicted the struggles of an aspirant most effectively. CHANCE PE DANCE tries hard to present the story of one such aspirant, but fails miserably. However, a few clarifications before we delve deeper. It's not derived from STEP UP [2006] or Ram Gopal Varma's NAACH [the similarity starts and ends with the male lead being a wannabe actor and the female lead being a choreographer], although a significant track of the movie bears an uncanny resemblance to Jack Black's SCHOOL OF ROCK [2003].  
 

What bogs the film down is that it's too predictable from start to end. However, predictability is not the sole hitch here. The story doesn't have the zing to keep you hooked to the screen for most parts and also, it unravels at such a lethargic pace that you break into a yawn at several points of the narrative.

The sole aspect that you carry home is Shahid Kapoor's earnest performance, who has consistently taken one step ahead with every film. This time, unfortunately, the shoddy script makes the actor's efforts null and void.

Final verdict? A chance lost! Come to think of it, most dance-based reality shows on television these days promise far more entertainment, excitement, drame-baazi and those euphoric moments than the one you see in CHANCE PE DANCE.

CHANCE PE DANCE tells the story of a talented and passionate guy named Sameer [Shahid Kapoor]. Positive and brimming with energy, Sameer juggles various jobs to keep him afloat while pursuing his one dream to get a break on the big screen.

In his quest, Sameer has a lot of ups and down, hopes and disappointments. Not the one to be disillusioned and armed with a 'Never-Say-Die' attitude and dynamic talent, Sameer fights every hurdle that comes his way because achieving your biggest dream is never easy.

In this journey, he is helped by a spirited choreographer Tina [Genelia D'Souza] and eventually, Sameer realizes that sometimes life gives you that one chance.

The problem with CHANCE PE DANCE is its writing, which is tacky and bland at the same time. In today's times, when every film-maker is striving so hard to narrate a new story, CHANCE PE DANCE harps on the same-old mundane, cliched, tried-and-tested stuff that you've watched again and again and again. The journey of the protagonist is so lifeless that you don't feel for him when he loses one battle after another. Conversely, during the climax, when he eventually emerges a winner, you don't feel euphoric either.

Had the story remained faithful to the main plot - the struggles of an aspirant - it may've cut ice with the viewer. But the track of a dance teacher doesn't work. Also, the sequences with his father - right from the time his father's shop is demolished, to his father prodding him to chase his dreams - appears phony. The Mohnish Bahl track is also contradictory. At first he signs Shahid, later dumps him, but much later screams on TV channels that he always knew Shahid was a star... weird, isn't it? The ending is equally tame.

Director Ken Ghosh has filmed a few individualistic scenes well, especially the one at the interval point when a heart-broken Shahid finds solace in his students, but one sparrow does not a summer make. Adnan Sami's music is strictly okay. The movie clearly lacks a hit number to take it to dizzy heights. However, the choreography is top notch [Ahmed Khan, Marty Kudelka].

Shahid makes a sincere effort and the honesty shows in a number of scenes. But let's not forget that the best of actors cannot rise beyond a pitiable script. His dances, expectedly, are exceptional. Genelia looks cute and provides some pleasant moments, but the role doesn't demand histrionics. Mohnish Bahl is alright. Parikshit Sahani is getting typecast as the father.

On the whole, this dance stands no chance!