Pinki to attend Oscar ceremony

LUCKNOW: Eight-year-old Pinki, the protagonist of the Oscar nominated documentary "Smile Pinki", moved a step forward in realising her dream of attending the glittering awards function with the authorities issuing her a passport.

Dr Subodh Kumar Singh of the G S Memorial Plastic Surgery hospital, Varanasi, who performed an operation on Pinki's cleft lip to set it right on March 19, 2007, said that the passport formalities were completed yesterday and now they will travel to Delhi on Monday to get the visa.

Smile Train, a charity organisation which had brought Pinki to Varanasi where the corrective surgery was performed on the eight-year-old so that she could be saved from ridicule in her remote Purva Khokia village in Mirzapur district is helping her out in the process.

Though there was an offer to take Pinki's entire family, including her mother and other siblings, to the Oscar ceremony, only the father of the girl, Rajendra Sonekar, would be accompanying her, tentatively on February 16, Singh said.

After the completion of the formalities for the visit, Singh would be training Pinki and her father, who converse only in Hindi, to handle media exposure and other basic things.

Pinki's story has been documented in a 39 minute film which has been nominated for Oscar honours along with 'The final match" and 'The witness from Balcony" in the documentary category.

Soruce: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Pinki_to_attend_Oscar_ceremony/articleshow/4057186.cms

Comedian Raju Srivastav receives threatening calls from Pakistan

MUMBAI: Comedian Raju Srivastav received threatening calls from Pakistan warning him not to crack jokes on underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Pakistan during his shows, police said.

"The person warned Raju over phone that he would loose his life if he continues to crack jokes against Dawood Ibrahim and Pakistan," Rajesh Sharma, business manager of Srivastav said.

"Initially we thought they were just prank calls, but since last 25 days about 10 threatening calls have been received. Crime Branch officials seem to have tapped the calls and they themselves approached us and provided security to Srivastav," Sharma said.

However, no complaint has been registered so far, but an additional security has been provided to the comedian who resides at Oshiwara in suburban Andheri.

Meanwhile, the Crime Branch officials were unavailable for comment.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Raju_Srivastav_gets_threat_from_Pak/articleshow/4051315.cms

Singer Adnan Sami booked for abusing wife

MUMBAI: A non-cognisable offence has been registered against singer Adnan Sami for allegedly harassing and abusing his wife Sabah Galadari at their residence in Lokhandwala in Mumbai, police said on Friday.

Sabah, the daughter of a Dubai hotelier, is learnt to have registered a case at the Versova Police Station on Thursday night saying that Adnan hurt her with a cigarette butt.

Sources said Adnan Sami filed a counter-complaint.

"Sami's wife approached the police on Thursday night and complained that her husband had harassed and abused her. A non-cognisable offence was registered against him and she was advised to approach the court," senior police inspector Kiran Sonone said.

According to sources, a friend of Sabah is the cause of the dispute. The friend lives in the flat adjacent to the couple’s. Adnan has said that Sabah’s friend had been trying to interfere in their personal life.

Adnan has been called for questioning. Also, the singer has been warned not to engage in such kind of activities, Sonone said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Adnan_Sami_booked_for_abusing_wife/articleshow/4051199.cms

Raaz - The Mystery Begins

A certain kind of art wouldn't be possible without the muse. The great music composer Madan Mohan wouldn't have been able to compose all those sparkling melodies were it not for Lata Mangeshkar.

A new kind of cinematic heroine was born with Kangna Ranaut in the underrated Gangster. Since then she has played the dark traumatized woman baring her soul to camera so many times you fear her forte would burst open at the seams.

Kangna has no fear of fearlessness. Make no mistake Raaz TMC belongs to her. As a woman possessed she carries on this past year's terror tradition propagated by Vikram Bhatt's 1920 and Ram Gopal Varma's Phoonk.

Admittedly horror-fest in Raaz TMC is created with more finesse than the other fear flicks that have invaded the large-screen experience in recent years. But you wonder if this kind blind faith is not blinding filmmakers to the larger picture regarding the raison d'etre of cinema. To enlighten and educate while entertaining.

Sorry to say Raaz TMC is neither entertaining nor enlightening. And educational? Well to say that spirit exists and not just in champagne glasses, in this day and age, is going a bit too far.

Raaz TMC parades a posse of perverse horrors. Often it goes brazenly overboard with faces made-up like over-boiled potatoes and ghouls attacking the horrified heroine in a thick jungle where she, and the director, have no business being.

If in Gangster, WohLamhe and Fashion Kangna was possessed by demons from within, here the demons appear to have invaded her body from the outside, jumping at her from bathtubs and mirror images (both scarily directed pieces of chamber horror).

On the whole the narrative relies too heavily on false scares....hands reaching out and grabbing poor Kangna that turn out to be known comforting ones, door knobs being wrenched from the outside with banshee-like music to create a frenzy of suspense, satanic rites and ghoulish occultist acts being performed in the dead of the night.

When it comes to expressing the wages of sin Kangna remains unsurpassable. She pulls out all stops to deliver yet another fearless performance that's a treatise on trauma. Unlike her last performing act in Fashion in Raaz TMC she suffers from an ambiguously-written character although she's almost the 'wail' to 'wail' carpet in the narration occupying more space than her two leading men. Till the last we don't know what her actual involvement with the macabre goings-on is.

We suspect, neither does the screenwriter.

Emraan Hashmi as the sullen painter, who paints harrowing scenes from Kangna's life before they happen, brings a kind of austere urgency to his part. Looking anguished comes naturally to him. Adhyayan Suman as the reality-television anchor who carries his penchant for staged realism too far communicates a certain earnestness in his performance. But he has a long way to go.

Alas Raaz TMC isn't the vehicle to take its actors too far. It's all about making the audience jump out of its seat in terror rather than aesthetic delight. Its cumbersome heebie-jeebies punctuated by special effects that can at best be described as slightly scary ,do nothing for the horror genre or for the actors who struggle in ill-written parts that careen into queasy little corners.

Director Mohit Suri has done better for himself in Kalyug and WohLamhe where he addressed himself to the trauma of a woman forced into a life of reluctant disrepute. Perhaps a woman coerced is more Suri's domain than a woman possessed.

This sequel to Raaz is finally worth watching for Kangna's portrait of traumatized womanhood.

An act she has mastered.

But it's time now to move on.

Source: http://bollywood.com/subhash-k-jha-speaks-about-raaz-mystery-continues

Exclusive look at Neil Nitin Mukesh and Bipasha Basu in Aa Dekhe Zara

The upcoming film Aa Dekhe Zara starring Bipasha Basu and Neil Nitin Mukesh has been making news for sometime now. However, the last we heard was that Neil has convinced Bips to croon for the title track of the film. Aa Dekhe Zara is apparently a romantic sci-fi thriller movie with Neil playing a photo journalist and Bipasha playing a Disco Jockey.

The film was earlier said to be titled as Freeze, so we at Bollywood Hungama sourced a particular 'freeze' frame from the film that has the dusky bombshell Bipasha and Neil grooving on the dance floor.

One thing is for sure that Neil who plays the photographer will have a wonderful time shooting (if his subject is Bips that is). Besides, considering the theme of this sci-fi film, it will surely make an interesting watch.

Source: http://bollywood.com/exclusive-look-neil-nitin-mukesh-and-bipasha-basu-aa-dekhe-zara

Emraan's 'Raaz' outshines 'Slumdog...' at box-office

New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS) Despite the hype and global applause that Danny Boyle's multiple award-winning “Slumdog Millionaire” has garnered, the film has failed to surpass the box office collections of Bollywood thriller “Raaz - The Mystery Continues”, which released on the same day.

While Oscar nominated “Slumdog Millionaire”, which is about a rags-to-riches story of a slum dweller, grossed Rs.135 million, “Raaz - The Mystery Continues”, starring Emraan Hashmi and Kangana Ranaut raked in Rs.210 million within the first four days of their release.

"Raaz..." is produced by Vishesh Films and Mohit Suri directed it.

“No one and nothing can stop a great product from doing its magic on the audience. All the audience cares about is whether the film appeals to their sensibilities and is entertaining at the same time. Our film did just that and the figures speak for themselves," said Mukesh Bhatt of Vishesh Films.

According to co-producer Mahesh Bhatt, the weekend collection of “Raaz - The Mystery Continues” is equivalent to the first week collections of their last year's offering “Jannat”.

Even though the figures speak otherwise for the success of “Slumdog Millionaire” in India, Fox STAR Studios, the film's co-producers are still positive about the response to the film.

“For us, this is a great beginning - 'Slumdog Millionaire' has become the fourth biggest Hollywood film ever,” said Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios India.

“As we had expected, for a non star driven film 'Slumdog…' has seen a phenomenal pick up. The word of mouth on the streets is exceptionally positive,” he added.

“Slumdog Millionaire” has crossed a box office collection of Rs.3.6 billion worldwide.

Soruce: http://bollywood.com/emraans-raaz-outshines-slumdog-box-office

Check out Aamir Khan's look in Luck By Chance

After 'Rocking' the whole of Bollywood, Farhan 'Rock On' Akhtar is now all set to test the (same) waters yet again with Luck By Chance. The promos of the film do look impressive.

For starters, Luck By Chance is all about a struggler's search to stardom in Bollywood. News also has it that it stars many of the who's who of Bollywood. And guess what! Bollywood Hungama just happened to come across a snap that actually got us fall off our chairs! This is Aamir Khan's look in the Luck By Chance in which he does a cameo. From the looks of it, we guess he is doing the Devdas act in the film. However, his real character will only be revealed when you watch the film.

It'll be interesting to see how the Perfectionist Khan will do the cameo role, something that he rarely does.

Source: http://bollywood.com/check-out-aamir-khans-look-luck-chance

I had wished for a Shyam Benegal film" - Sammir Dattani

A gift from the super-gifted Benegal. Sammir Dattani who turned 27 on Tuesday couldn't have hoped for a better birthday gift.

A call from the prolific and super-gifted Shyam Benegal's office offering him a role, the veteran director who made his youngest film ever Welcome To Sajjanpur last year, has cast Sammir as the romantic lead in his latest Abba Ka Kuan.

"Working with Shyam Babu was a dream," says Sammir. "I saw Sajjanpur last year and I must confess it was my first exposure to Shyam Babu's cinema. I then went back to all his best-known films like Ankur, Nishant, Bhumika, Manthan and Zubeidaa. I was bowled over. You won't believe this. But I had wished for a Shyam Benegal film for my birthday. And I got it."

Meeting the director was a dream-come true. "He told me about my role and assured me he'd flesh out my character. This is the man who has discovered and worked with the best of talent Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri... Even if Shyam Babu has offered me a walk-on part, I'd have done it. But my role is pivotal."

Sammir gets to team up once again with Minissha Lamba in Abba Ka Kuan. "The last time we worked together was Madhur Bhandarkar's Corporate where I had a guest appearance. We used to constantly pull each other's legs. I met her again for Shyam Babu's film. Minissha has changed so much! She has become quite a femme fatale. But I'll continue to rib her and have fun off camera. That won't change."

Another attraction for Sammir in Abba Ka Kuan is to work with Boman Irani. "He's an actor I've fiercely admired for a long time. Boman becomes whatever character he plays. Yeah, I think I've lot to learn in Abba Ka Kuan."

Sammir who brought in his birthday quietly with a group of friends has a marital drama Love Ka Tadka coming up for release. "It's funny. I'm far from getting married in real life. But I've already starred in two marital dramas. One was the very successful Kannada film Amrith Dhare which will soon be remade into Hindi, and now Love Ka Tadka. Maybe God is trying to tell me something."

Soruce: http://bollywood.com/i-had-wished-shyam-benegal-film-sammir-dattani

When Rishi Kapoor romanced son Ranbir's first crush

How would you feel if you see your father romance your first crush? Well, Ranbir Kapoor reveals he had a similar experience as a teenager.

On the upcoming episode of Farhan Akhtar's TV show "Oye! It's Friday!" Ranbir pours his heart out and admits that he felt cheated when he saw his dad, Rishi Kapoor, romancing his childhood crush Madhuri Dixit, a source from the channel said.

"Ranbir confesses that as a teenager, he had a huge crush on Madhuri and that he even had posters of her in his cupboard. He talks about the time when he finally got to meet her on the sets of 'PremGranth' only to find his father romancing Madhuri in the film," the source said.

The episode will be aired on NDTV Imagine Friday at 10 p.m.

SourceA: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1233227996&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Nobody offers me solo-hero films: Zayed Khan

New Delhi, In his five-year-old Bollywood career, actor Zayed Khan has mostly starred in ensemble cast films. He now wants to take up more "challenging" roles and also rues that no good director has approached him with solo-hero movie scripts so far.

"People expect a lot of things, they ask me why don't you do single hero movies. Honestly, I don't know what to say? No director of the calibre of making a good single hero is coming to me with that kind of offer," Zayed told IANS.

He has mostly starred in ensemble cast films like "Main Hoon Na", "Cash", "Speed", "Mission Istanbul" and most recently "Yuvvraaj". Zayed said he is yet to make an impression on filmmakers' minds that he can carry a solo-hero film on his own.

"I am going to have to make that sort of an impression in their (director's) minds. I'll have to give them a reason to come to me with solo-hero script. I have to inspire them by working with good directors, I'd rather do that. That's my game plan," said Zayed.

The actor, who is currently working on two more multi-starrers - a comic caper "Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge" and action flick "Blue", says he gained a lot by sharing screen space with Suniel Shetty, Sanjay Dutt and Shah Rukh Khan.

"When you work with people who are bigger than you and have more understanding than you, you know that one day you are going to play in their playing field. My whole idea is to give my best and slowly and steadily find myself in the first five," he said confidently.

Currently, Zayed wishes to get "challenging" roles.

"I want to do roles that are challenging and want to work with people who can give me the challenge and present the film the way it should be presented. There is no point in doing a film that will never see the light of the day," Zayed said.

Though his much-hyped "Yuvvraaj" failed to click with the audience and critics alike, the actor hopes to create some ripples with his daredevil underwater stunts in "Blue", which also stars Akshay Kumar, Suneil, Katrina Kaif and Lara Dutta.

Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1233226416&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Ajay Devgan to play Haji Mastan, but says won't copy him

Mumbai, Ajay Devgan is determined not to copy Haji Mastan when he plays the smuggler-turned-film producer in Milan Luthria's "Once Upon A Time In Mumbai".

"The character will be inspired by Haji Mastan, but I won't be copying him. We'll take many cinematic liberties. When I played Mahesh Bhatt saab in 'Zakhm', I wasn't trying to walk and talk like him," Ajay told IANS.

Haji Mastan forayed into Bollywood with "Mere Garib Nawaz" (1973) and was also a successful distributor. Known for his friendship with the legendary actor Dilip Kumar, Mastan took to politics later. He died in 1994.

Amitabh Bachchan's character in the 1975 super hit film "Deewaar" was modelled on Haji Mastan and now it's Ajay's turn to bring him alive on screen once again.

For his role, Ajay will be consulting all the material on the notorious smuggler and also plans to meet up with the Big B to learn how the senior actor approached the complex part.

From playing Bhagat Singh to now Haji Mastan is a long journey for Ajay. "But playing Haji Mastan is very different from playing Bhagat Singh," he quipped.

"Once Upon A Time In Mumbai" will also focus on an aspect of Mastan's life that "Deewaar" didn't touch on - the smuggler's liaison with starlet Sona, who apparently bore a close resemblance to the legendary Madhubala.

In fact, Sona was given a pivotal role in Raj Khosla's "Kachche Dhaage" (1973) apparently on Haji Mastan's insistence.

But the problem is who will play Sona in the Ajay-starrer?

But the actor is nonchalant. "I've never bothered with whom I'm paired with. I only focus on my character," said Ajay.

He is very happy with the year gone by.

"I directed a film I'm proud of. People keep asking me when I'll direct another film. In 2008, I also had 'Golmaal Returns', which was among the biggest hits of the year.

"I want to do sensible cinema in 2009, but I also want my 'Golmaal'. Sensible cinema is limited in its appeal. The biggest hits the world over are entertaining escapist films and comedies. It could be a super-hero film or just a no-brainer."

Ajay has a very busy year ahead. "I've lots to do. I'm producing a couple of films, directing one. Then I'm starring in Prakash Jha's 'Rajniti' and of course 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbai'."

Ajay feels it's time for a few changes in the world of cinema in the wake of the global economic crisis.

"Not just star prices, there has to be correction in the economy and not entertainment. Everyone got carried away in all spheres of life... real-estate business, even banking and loans."

Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1233226165&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Hrithik Roshan injured shooting for 'Kites'

New Delhi, Shooting for home production "Kites" has been jinxed for Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan. After hurting his knees while doing a dangerous car stunt in Las Vegas in October last, the actor hurt his arm at the Filmistan Studio in Mumbai Tuesday.

"Hrithik hurt his arm while doing a stunt shot for 'Kites' at the Filmistan studio. He was breaking a glass with a rod and one piece of glass flew and hurt him. It's a minor injury - there's nothing major," a source close to Hrithik told IANS.

Hrithik suffered many injuries after he performed some daring stunts in "Krrish" and "Dhoom 2".

He had torn the ligament in his right knee and continued working despite the pain. Towards the latter half of 2008, Hrithik underwent surgery in the US and spent nearly two months recovering but his tryst with injuries continues.

"Kites", directed by Anurag Basu, is being touted as featuring Hrithik's most sensuous role till date. He stars opposite US-based Spanish model Barbara Mori.

The film is about an Indian boy's romantic affair with a Latina girl and their predicament as they do not understand each other's language. It also stars actress Kangana Ranaut

Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1233226099&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

I'm jealous of Harman Baweja: Amrita Rao

New Delhi, Bollywood actress Amrita Rao says she is jealous of her “Victory” co-star Harman Baweja because he has several scenes with national and international cricketers while she didn't have even one in the movie.

“Don't sprinkle salt on the wound,” whined Amrita when she was asked if she got to share screen space with any of the cricketers in "Victory". “I didn't get a single chance to shoot with any cricketer. It has all been Harman's privilege and I am very jealous of him,” Amrita told IANS.

Releasing Firday, “Victory” is directed by debutant Ajitpal Mangat and is the story of a father's dream that his son, who is from a small village in Rajasthan, will become a national cricketer. How the young man becomes an acclaimed cricketer forms the remaining plot.

The film has cameos by cricketers including Michael Hussey, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Allan Border, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, R.P. Singh, Ishant Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Sanath Jayasurya and Dilhara Fernando.

About her role, Amrita said: “I play Nandini, a medical student from Jaisalmer. The character is very strong and inspiring. Nandini's character is basically very vocal about her mind.”

Amrita was here Tuesday to promote a new range of watches by the Gitanjali Group at the Rajouri Garden market.

The actress, last seen in Shyam Benegal's “Welcome To Sajjanpur”, says she had "a nice time working with Harman”.

“Not even once it come across that he was acting like a cricketer. He used to give such subtle expressions while shooting with the professional cricketers and facing bowls from legendary players,” said Amrita.

Amrita is confident that the film will do well even though it is pitched against the much-hyped Farhan Akhtar-starrer “Luck By Chance”, releasing on the same day.

“It wasn't easy to convince so many legendary cricketers to star in a Bollywood film,” she said.

After “Victory”, Amrita is looking forward to her next film ““Shortcut - The Con Is On!” that stars Akshay Khanna and Arshad Warsi. It is produced by Anil Kapoor.


Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1233226731&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Shah Rukh gives Priyanka more screen space in 'Billu Barber'

Mumbai, If Priyanka Chopra declares from the rooftops that she is Shah Rukh Khan's biggest fan then it is with reason. The superstar, who has been taking more than a passing interest in the music of the films he produces, decided to give away a large portion of his duet in "Billu Barber" to her.

"Shah Rukh took very close interest in each one of the songs. He isn't a musician, but he has an instinctive ear for music. It takes him just a few seconds to approve or cut down a track," composer Pritam Chakraborty told IANS.

With the songs meant for Kareena Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, Pritam faced no problems.

"Shah Rukh loved his songs with Kareena ('Marjani') and Deepika ('Love mera hit hit'). They were straightforward dance songs with shared grooves between Shah Rukh and Kareena and Deepika," said Pritam.

The song with Priyanka needed special treatment and Shah Rukh made Pritam re-work and re-record the song.

"Shah Rukh's song with Priyanka 'Khuda-ae-kher' is not an item song. It's a love ballad that the pair playing Bollywood superstars emote to in front of the camera. Being a love song Shah Rukh felt there wasn't enough of the female presence in the vocals. He made me re-record the song with more for the female vocalist (Dominique) to do since he wanted Priyanka to have an equal number of lines," the composer said.

"It was entirely Shah Rukh's idea to give Priyanka more lines in the song. He's a very generous entertainer. If you see him on screen he never tries to steal the limelight from his heroines. Even 'Khai ke paan banaras wala' in 'Don' had a lot of Priyanka in it although it was entirely Shah Rukh's song," Pritam added.

Asked about Shah Rukh's generosity, Priyanka sighed and said: "What do I say? Now do you know why he's my favourite?"

Irrfan Khan and Lara Dutta, who play a rustic couple in "Billu Barber", will later be seen enacting the same Shah Rukh-Priyanka ballad.

Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1233226854&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Will Aishwarya Rai contest on Samajwadi Party ticket from Bihar?

Patna, After 'Munnabhai' Sanjay Dutt, it could be the turn of Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as a Samajwadi Party candidate.

Samajwadi Party workers and leaders in Bihar have decided to offer Aishwarya the party ticket for the Madhepura seat against Janata Dal-United (JD-U) national president Sharad Yadav, a party official said.

In view of the overwhelming demand of the party workers, the Samajwadi Party Bihar parliamentary board has recommended Aishwarya's name to party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Senior party leader Tulsi Singh told IANS that a large number of party workers and people had requested him to convince Mulayam Singh to give the party ticket to Aishwarya from Madhepura. Singh is chairman of the party's state parliamentary board.

The Madhepura seat is held by the Rashtriya Janata Dal's Pappu Yadav, who is serving life imprisonment in Tihar Jail in Delhi for his involvement in the murder of Left leader Ajit Sarkar. His wife Ranjita Ranjan is a Lok Janshakti Party MP from Saharsa.

JD-U leader Sharad Yadav is likely to contest from Madhepura, his old seat.

In the last Lok Sabha polls in 2004, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, the RJD chief, won from Madhepura by defeating Sharad Yadav. Lalu Prasad later resigned the Madhepura seat and opted to retain the Chapra seat.

Madhepura, a rural seat, is dominated by the backward Yadav caste. Last year, Madhepura was hit by devastating floods when the Kosi river changed its course after a breach upstream in Nepal.

Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1233228364&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Slumdog Millionaire

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Dev Patel, Freida Pinto
Director: Danny Boyle
Rating: **

Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" makes Mumbai look like a sewer. The film takes nasty below-the-belt potshots at the underbelly of the city, portraying Mumbai as the armpit among the metropolises.

Mira Nair once paid a warm endearing homage to the street children of Mumbai in "Salaam Bombay". Long before, Satyajit Ray in "Pather Panchali" portrayed rural India as poor, but never as a gutter of misery.

It's now Boyle's turn to do a 'Slam' Mumbai. The coming-of-age tale about three orphaned slum kids bears just a passing resemblance to Boyle's rightly-celebrated "Trainspotting" where he trailed a bunch of misfits through the streets of Edinburgh.

"Slumdog Millionaire" is "Trainspotting" on steroids. It's a beefed-up look at the scummy side of Mumbai, bewildering in its obsession with discovering life in the slums of Dharavi as being a facsimile of that drain-inspector's report that Mahatma Gandhi had discovered in American journalist Katherine Mayo's account of India in "Mother India".

"Slumdog Millionaire" is worse. It looks at Mumbai as a swarming slum of sleaze, sex and crime with characters who seem to have jumped out of Rakesh Roshan and Manmohan Desai's cinema bruising their deep-focussed emblematic quality while making this huge global leap from Bollywood to Hollywood.

After seeing Boyle's much talked-about film, it's crystal clear why this murky and squalid portrait of Mumbai has the Americans preening in delight. At one point after being thrashed mercilessly, our hero Jamal tells American tourists, "You wanted to see real India? Here it is."

"Now we'll show you the real America," the American lady replies handing Jamal a $100 bill. This, without any apparent sense of irony.

There is a very thin line dividing slick from scum. "Slumdog Millionaire" doesn't stop to make those subtle distinctions. It moves at a frenetic pace creating a kind of sweaty energy that one sees in marathon runners in the last lap of their journey.

Boyle is constantly busy whipping up a hysterical banshee of sights and sounds in Mumbai denoting the embittered angry generation of the underprivileged class that grows up in the slums dreaming of the good Life.

Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle shoots Mumbai with a gun rather than a camera. Every frame conveys the killer instinct. Every shot ricochets across eternity solidifying sounds and feelings that are otherwise intangible.

Yup, this is a film on a mission. It wants to exploit the Mumbai slums as a hotbed of tantalising images conveying the splendour of squalidity. And to think every prominent member of the cast and crew went around proclaiming "Slumdog Millionaire" would do wonders for Mumbai's tourism industry!

Yeah, right. It does as much for the cause of Mumbai as Roland Joffe's "The City Of Joy" did for Kolkata. That much-vilified film at least secreted a core of humanism under its pretentious surface. "Slumdog..." doesn't even pretend to care for the city that it so unabashedly cruises in search of imperialistic tantalisation.

From frame one Boyle goes for the jugular. Every scent and stench of the city is converted into a liquid asset. Groups of defecating young boys running out in otherworldly ecstasy when they spot Amitabh Bachchan's helicopter hovering above head becomes a celebration of lowly life.

Our protagonist Jamal dunks himself into excreta from head to toe and wades through the disgusted crowd to get Mr. Bachchan's autograph. The star signs calmly, as though exceptionally smelly young boys covered in human waste are the odour of the day.

Such moments define Boyle's attitude to Mumbai. He sees it as city where humour emerges from human waste.

But who's laughing? Even communal riots are not spared of this tantalising trivialisation of abject misery. Rioters descend on a Muslim locality like bandits attacking a village in the Chambal valley. A mean Mumbai Mafioso (Ankur Vakil) gouges out orphans' eyes and makes them beg on the streets singing what appears to be his favourite bhajan - "Darshan do ghamshyam".

Even Madhur Bhandarkar got it better in "Traffic Signal". There's absolutely no sense of historic sensitivity in the narrative.

"If it was not for Ram and Allah, my mother would be alive," says our regretful hero Jamal after the riots.

Such corny dialogues, so much a part of Vikas Swarup's novel, is minimised in the film. But not enough. Some of the outrageously filmy plot manoeuvrings from the novel like the game show host (played in the film by Anil Kapoor) turning out to be Jamal's illegitimate father, are done away with.

But the film nevertheless remains as wedded to kitsch and as ridden with coincidences and implausibility as any formula Hindi film.

In fact, the two runaway brothers from the slum being called Salim and Jamal seems like a backhanded homage to Salim-Javed, the pair that wrote the hit films of the era that "Slumdog Millionaire" adopts.

Each time game show host Anil Kapoor has to provide our callow hero Jamal a clue, a flashback highlighting the theme of the quiz-question is conveniently arranged in the plot.

Squalour never appeared designed than it does in "Slumdog Millionaire". Bollywood has never been more audaciously honoured. This over-hyped and disappointing film that insults Mumbai, culminates with a Bollywood-styled item song on a railway platform.

Soruce: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/reviews/reviews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232968546&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&

Raaz - The Mystery Begins

Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Emran Hashmi, Adhyayan Suman
Director: Mohit Suri
Rating: **

A new kind of cinematic heroine was born with Kangana Ranaut in the underrated "Gangster". Since then, she has played the dark traumatized woman baring her soul for the camera so many times that you fear her forte would burst open at the seams.

Make no mistake..."Raaz" belongs to her. As a woman possessed, she carries on this past year's horror tradition propagated by Vikram Bhatt's "1920" and Ram Gopal Varma's "Phoonk".

Admittedly, the horror-fest in "Raaz" is created with more finesse than the other fear flicks that have invaded the large-screen in recent years. But you wonder if this kind of blind faith is not blinding filmmakers to the larger picture regarding the raison d'etre of cinema - to enlighten and educate while entertaining.

Sorry to say but "Raaz" is neither entertaining nor enlightening. And educational? Well to say that spirits exist, and not just in champagne glasses, in this day and age is going a bit too far.

"Raaz" parades a posse of perverse horrors. Often it goes brazenly overboard with faces made-up like over-boiled potatoes and ghouls attacking the horrified heroine in a thick jungle where she, and the director, have no business being.

If in "Gangster", "Woh Lamhe" and "Fashion", Kangana was possessed by demons from within, here the demons appear to have invaded her body from the outside, jumping at her from bathtubs and mirrors.

On the whole, the narrative relies too heavily on false scares...hands reaching out and grabbing Kangana that turn out to be known comforting ones, door knobs being wrenched from the outside with banshee-like music to create a frenzy of suspense, satanic rites and occultist acts being performed in the dead of the night.

When it comes to expressing the wages of sin, Kangana remains unsurpassable. She pulls out all stops to deliver yet another fearless performance that's a treatise on trauma. Unlike her last act in "Fashion", in "Raaz" she suffers from an ambiguously-written character although she occupies more space than her two leading men. Till the end, we don't know what her actual involvement with the macabre goings-on is.

We suspect, neither does the screenwriter.

Emran Hashmi, as the sullen painter who paints harrowing scenes from Kangana's life before they happen, brings a kind of austere urgency to his part. Looking anguished comes naturally to him. Adhyayan Suman as the reality-television anchor, who carries his penchant for staged realism too far, communicates a certain earnestness in his performance. But he has a long way to go.

Alas, "Raaz" isn't the vehicle to take its actors too far. It's all about making the audience jump out of its seat in horror rather than with aesthetic delight. Its cumbersome heebie-jeebies punctuated by special effects, which can at best be described as slightly scary, do nothing for the horror genre or for the actors who struggle in ill-written parts.

Director Mohit Suri has done better for himself in "Kalyug" and "Woh Lamhe", where he addressed himself to the trauma of a woman forced into a life of reluctant disrepute. Perhaps a woman coerced is more Suri's domain than a woman possessed.

This sequel to "Raaz" is finally worth watching for Kangana's portrait of traumatized womanhood. An act she has mastered. But it's time now to move on.

Soruce: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/reviews/reviews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232893674&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&

Mumbai's misery in 'Slumdog' is the reality: Irrfan Khan

Mumbai, Oscar-nominated film "Slumdog Millionaire" has been criticised for selling Mumbai's misery to the West, but actor Irrfan Khan says the filth and poverty shown in the movie by British filmmaker Danny Boyle are nothing but the reality.

"It's the reality. Why should it be swept under the carpet? Why should Danny Boyle have been concerned about what image of Mumbai goes out when we've done nothing to keep our own city morally and physically clean? Danny saw a good dramatic story on Mumbai. He came and shot that story," Irrfan told IANS.

"As far as the filth goes we're a dead and dying society, and the sooner we face up to it the better our chances of redeeming ourselves. Look at the Satyam scandal. Can you imagine how many working-class families have been ruined because of the avarice of top brass at the company? And I'm sure there're many other companies just waiting to do a similar con job on us," he added.

"Now if tomorrow another foreign filmmaker comes to do an expose on Satyam are we going to call him exploitative?" the actor remarked.

Set in Mumbai, "Slumdog Millionaire" is about a slum boy who wins a TV quiz show and also stars debutante Dev Patel, Frieda Pinto and Anil Kapoor. The film, which has bagged four Golden Globe awards and 10 Oscar nominations, sees Irrfan play a cop who interrogates the young hero to find out how he knew all the answers on the game show.

Irrfan, who has worked in international projects like "The Namesake" and "A Mighty Heart", is also candid about his role in Danny Boyle's film being chopped off for the sake of a clenched tightly wound narrative, but has no complaints.

"I saw how much my role was edited when I was dubbing for the Hindi version. My role, specially in the second half, has been drastically reduced. But I'm not complaining. Just look at the impact the film has made. I'm so proud to be part of it," the actor said.

Shedding light on his role's radical reduction, Irrfan said: "In the second half, my character goes through this complete redemptive graph which has been removed. After brutally interrogating the boy, my character of the police officer personally takes him back to the game show when he gets to know that the boy did it for love. That entire track has been removed. But that's okay. Roles are often reduced for the betterment of the film."

"This isn't the first time this has happened to me. Actors must stop being possessive about what they shoot," Irrfan added.

The versatile actor wasn't present at the Golden Globe Awards ceremony as he was in Jaipur visiting his mother.

"Of course I was invited. But I had made plans to spend time with my mother from months before. If I missed this chance I'd not have been able to visit her again for a very long time. I'd rather fly kites in my mother's home than blow kisses in LA (Los Angeles). I'm not new to international events. I've been through them with films like 'The Namesake', 'The Warrior' and 'A Mighty Heart'."

Irrfan is now looking forward to the release of the Hindi dubbed version of "Slumdog Millionaire".

"I'm sure the Hindi version will be liked. It's the English version I'm apprehensive about. The intelligentsia will ask questions about the hero from the Mumbai slums speaking fluent English. The Hindi viewers will just have a good time. Earlier when my 'Warrior' was released abroad critics wondered why the narrative didn't have a historical perspective."

Soruce: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232893394&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

My wife has always dreamt of me getting an Oscar: Rahman

Mumbai, "Slumdog Millionaire" music director A.R. Rahman says getting three Oscar nominations is more of a "dream come true" for his wife as she has always wanted him to win the coveted international honour.

"What can I say? It's a dream come true not so much for me as my wife. She'd wake up in the middle of the night and say, 'I want you to win an Oscar'. And I'd just smile. Today my wife's dream seems a possibility," Rahman told IANS on phone from Chennai.

"But I don't want to get too hopeful," he quickly added. "Let's just rejoice for the nomination at the moment. I'm happy not just for myself but Gulzar saab who has been nominated for the lyrics of 'Jai ho'. I wish Javed saab had got nominated too. If he had written a song in 'Slumdog Millionaire' I'm sure he too would've been nominated," the music director said.

Rahman has received the three Oscar nominations for the music he composed for British filmmaker Danny Boyle's rags-to-riches film "Slumdog Millionaire". While one nomination is for best original score, two are for the best original songs - "Jai ho" and "O saya".
The composer said he is glad he was in Chennai with his family when the nominations were announced.

"My wife and children jumped with joy when they heard the announcement. And my mother is also here with me. It's all her prayers and support and her upbringing that's bearing fruit now," he said.

Rahman was actually supposed to be in Mumbai for the premiere of the Hindi version of "Slumdog Millionaire" Thursday.

"Because of some work in Chennai I couldn't attend the premiere in Mumbai. It happened for the best. Because otherwise I wouldn't be here with my family to share this moment."

Rahman says he wasn't too sure of making it to the Oscar nominations after he got the Golden Globe. "I know the Golden Globes are the precursors to the Oscars. But honestly, it sometimes works in reverse. Bruce Springsteen, who got the Golden Globe, hasn't got into the Oscar. Thank God, it went the right way for me."

He now looks forward to the Oscar award ceremony. "The ceremony is on Feb 22. But I've business to attend to. So I'll be leaving for LA (Los Angeles) very shortly. And, yes, my wife will be attending the Oscar ceremonies with me. How can she not? She dreamt this dream for me."

All he asks for now is the prayers of his countrymen.

"It's a moment of pride not just for me. India has done it. Pray that I bring home the Oscar," he said.

Rahman got his first big break in Mani Ratnam's "Roja" and later composed music for many films in southern India. His first full-fledged Bollywood project was Ram Gopal Varma's hit "Rangeela".

The musical genius not only won hearts in India but also made a mark on the global music scene. He got his first international break when Andrew Lloyd Webber invited him to compose music for the Broadway musical "Bombay Dreams", which won him immense fame. He also composed for the stage adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord Of The Rings" that premiered in Canada in 2006 and in London in 2007.

Soruce: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232892750&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Aamir Khan hopes for positive change in politics

New Delhi, Bollywood star Aamir Khan is hoping that political parties will bring a positive change to the political milieu by fielding honest and intelligent candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“I think public sentiment is that we are looking for leaders to be positive and progressive and take us forward and we would like to believe that you would do that and you can do that,” Aamir said at the NDTV Indian of the Year 2008 award ceremony here Wednesday.

“The reason I am saying this is because the general elections are round the corner and I, as a common citizen of the country, expect and hope that the major political parties field the candidates who are clean, intelligent and really deserving of our votes. I am really looking forward to that in all humility,” he added.

Aamir, whose film “Ghajini” proved to be a success at the box office, was awarded the Entertainer of the Year award by NDTV for his directorial debut “Taare Zameen Par”.

Accepting the award, Aamir said: “I am really grateful for the faith everyone has shown in my films. It has been really encouraging. I have to say that whatever I have achieved today is the result of the kind of support and collective input of my entire team of every film that I have been a part of.”

Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232892981&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Preity Zinta wants to help budding cricketers

Preity Zinta, who owns Kings XI Punjab of the Indian Premier League (IPL), now wants to give a chance to budding cricketers at the grassroot level.

Her team will hold a cricket seminar and a T-20 tournament in Chandigarh and Mohali where teams from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir will participate.

"My aim is to promote cricket at the grassroot level and to nurture new talent. I also want everyone involved to have fun," Priety said.

The tournament is being conducted in conjunction with the state cricket associations and the Punjab Cricket Association in particular.

The matches would be played in a league format among five teams - two from Punjab and one each from the other three states. A total of 11 matches will be played in the tournament.

Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232966364&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Akshay is the fittest actor in Bollywood: Suniel Shetty

New Delhi, He himself has a well-toned body and exercises regularly, but actor-turned-producer Suniel Shetty says when it comes to the fittest body in tinsel town, Akshay Kumar wins hands down as he has maintained his physique throughout his 18-year career.

"Akshay has the fittest body in Bollywood, and all these years we have seen him getting better day by day," Suneil Shetty told IANS.

"He is very flexible, lean and fit and to maintain this level of fitness he has worked out with dedication and discipline over the years," said Suniel, who was in the capital to launch a gym.

Suniel, who is currently working with Akshay in "De Dana Dan", teamed up with the action hero for the first time in "Hum Hain Bemisaal" followed by hits like "Mohra", "Hera Pheri" and "Dhadkan".

Suniel added that Akshay does all his stunts himself and doesn't think twice before jumping from a cliff unlike other actors.

"I know so many actors who claim that they do their stunts themselves, but the scenario is completely opposite. To know the reality, you should check with stunt masters. That's why I believe fitness just doesn't come with appearance, it is something that is inside you," Suniel said.

Akshay entered Bollywood in 1991 with "Saugandh" and earned the action hero tag with movies like "Khiladi" and "Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi".

Suniel feels it is a good trend to see stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan displaying their six-pack-abs and eight-pack-abs for "Om Shanti Om" and "Ghajini" respectively, but adds that it would be even better if they are able to maintain that physique.

"Body-building is not a difficult task; what in fact is tough is to maintain that sculpted body. It is really a good sign that actors are giving due attention to their fitness levels, but the most important thing is to see how long they can sustain that look," the actor said.

"The other good thing that has come out of this whole eight-pack-abs promotion is that people now want to achieve a certain level of fitness," Suniel said.

But Suniel has a word of caution for people who want to acquire eight-pack-abs.

"Fitness necessarily does not mean achieving eight-pack-abs, it requires lot of dedication, focus and good eating habits - all this can help you in getting a perfect body. But one should not go in for shortcuts like steroids because it can be harmful in the long run," Suniel added.

The actor candidly admits that when he forayed into films, all he had was his well-built muscular body and that fetched him roles. Now after spending 16 years in the industry, he feels his achievement is the result of his sincerity and dedication towards his work.

Suniel turned producer in 2003 and his Popcorn Motion Pictures Ltd has produced films like "Khel", "Rakht" and "Bhagam Bhag".

The actor will next be seen in Inder Kumar's comic caper "Daddy Cool", Anthony D'Souza's "Blue" and Priyadarshan's comedy flick "De Dana Dan".

Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/

Helen, Aishwarya, Akshay named for Padma Shri

New Delhi, Yesteryears' dancing queen Helen, Bollywood diva Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, action star Akshay Kumar and music maestro Hridyanath Mangeshkar are among those named for this year's Padma Shri awards.

The inimitable Helen, 69, carved a niche for herself with her dancing skills in songs like "Mera naam chin chin choo", "O haseena zulfon wali", "Aaa jaane jaan", "Piya tu ab to aa ja", "Yeh mera dil pyaar ka deewana" and "Mehbooba mehbooba". According to critics, she sizzled but was never vulgar.

Aishwarya, 35, entered filmdom after winning the prestigious Miss World crown in 1994, and delivered hits like "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam", "Devdas", "Taal" and "Guru". She also earned critical acclaim for her performances in films like "Chokher Bali", "Raincoat" and "Jodhaa Akbar".

Aishwarya is a regular at the Cannes Film Festival since 2002, and was a member of the Jury at Cannes in 2003. She has been associated with several Hollywood projects, including “Pink Panther 2”.

Akshay Kumar, 41, who churned out the biggest hit of 2008 “Singh Is Kinng”, has established himself as an action hero. He has hits like “Khiladi”, “Mohra”, “Main Khiladi Tu Anari” to his credit. The versatile actor proved his mettle in romantic dramas like “Dhadkan”, “Dil To Paagal Hai” (guest appearance), “Aitraaz” as well as comedies that include box office winners like “Hera Pheri”, “Mujhse Shaadi Karogi”, “Garam Masala” and “Namastey London”.

Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar, 71, the younger brother of singing legend Lata Magheshkar, is known for composing soulful tunes in Marathi films - “Sansar”, “Jait Re Jait”, “Umbartha” and “Nivdung”.

He has also composed music for Hindi movies, “Lekin”, “Maya Memsaab”, “Mashaal” - to name a few.

Legendary singer-actress Shamshad Begum has been named for the Padma Bhushan. Besides her, others from the entertainment world named for the award include ghazal singer Penaz Masani, playback signer Udit Narayan and radio presenter-programmer Ameen Sayani.

Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232966304&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Bollywood beauties jump on to action bandwagon

Bollywood beauties jump on to action bandwagon

New Delhi, Jan 25: Flexing muscles, swinging a sword or jumping from one building to another is no longer the forte of heroes as Bollywood actresses are increasingly embracing action-oriented roles.
Be it Aishwarya Rai, Deepika Padukone, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif or Koena Mitra, heroines are no longer content with just dancing around trees or singing in the rain. Instead, they are in a bid to compete with action heroes."The trend of more heroines taking up action roles itself shows that with the evolution of the Hindi film industry, women are getting to do more in films than just dance around trees," Deepika told IANS.Said actor Ajay Devgan: "Heroines are as strong as heroes. If we can do it, why can't they? It is great to see them opting for action roles and I think they must continue to do action scenes in films."Seema Biswas wielded revolvers in "Bandit Queen", a film-based on dacoit Phoolan Devi, Sushmita Sen gave an action packed performance in "Samay" and Esha Deol's and Aishwarya's racy acts proved a crowd puller for "Dhoom" and "Dhoom 2" respectively.Also, Priyanka and Soha Ali Khan had action scenes in "Krrish" and "Khoya Khoya Chand" respectively, while Esha, Dia Mirza and Shamita Shetty did some stunts in "Cash".Commenting on the trend, Amrita Rao said: "I would love to do an action flick. In fact I find myself fortunate that I entered the film industry during a phase when actresses are doing so much and have longer terms. (IANS)

Bollywood exults as smoking ban in movies lifted

New Delhi, With the Delhi High Court removing the ban on smoking in films, you can now again catch your favourite actors puffing away without landing in trouble. Filmmakers just can't stop rejoicing over the ruling.

The high court Friday quashed the central government's order banning smoking in films on the grounds that it violated the fundamental rights of filmmakers: the freedom of expression and speech.

Proposed by the health ministry in May 2005, the ban came in effect Oct 2 of that year but had been challenged by filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt a month before that. The court, however, had declined to stay the ban, even as it heard the plea against the ministry's order.

Quite naturally, Bhatt was pleased as punch.

“I am very happy. The high court has reposed its faith in people like us. They have made us believe that they won't let anybody rob our freedom of self-expression,” Bhatt told IANS.

“I would like to assure the ministry of health that with the new ruling coming into action, we filmmakers are not just going to show unnecessary puffing and tobacco consumption on screen but only when and where it is required,” he added.

Bhatt also suggested that the on-screen smoking issues could be handled by the censor board by certifying movies appropriately to avoid people, especially children getting influenced by movies.

Supporting Bhatt was an array of directors like Deepak Tijori, Kunal Kohli and Rohan Sippy, who back the decision.

“It is absolutely fantastic and we are celebrating because everyone has got freedom of expression. They were curbing our freedom with the ban,” said Tijori.

“Let the censor board look into the matter. They could grant a certificate accordingly if it shows excessive smoking," he maintained.

Added Tijori: “People are intelligent enough to know what is right and wrong for them. We are responsible enough to portray smoking scenes in an appropriate manner.”

Kohli, who has given hits like “Hum Tum” and “Fanaa”, also welcomed the lifting of the ban.

“It was an unnecessary ban because, in my opinion, the public is way too educated and know what they have to imbibe from cinema. They know their minds.

“Basically, smoking in films has negative connotations as it is always associated with a villain. We, as filmmakers, have to change that perception,” Kohli explained.

Rohan Sippy of “Kuch Naa Kaho” and “Bluffmaster” fame, however, sounded a note of caution.

“It is a good thing to allow freedom of expression but it should be used responsibly because cinema is a mass medium and people look up to their favourite stars and imitate them.

"Hence, it is up to us to portray smoking in such a way that it gives a message that smoking is injurious to health,” Sippy contended.

Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232729608&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Priyanka Chopra's mom setting up hi-tech cosmetic surgery clinic

Mumbai, Cosmetic surgery is a rage and Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra's mother is all set to cash in on the trend. Madhu Chopra is busy setting up her hi-tech cosmetic-surgery clinic in Juhu suburb of Mumbai, which is going to open soon.

It's a dream project for the Chopras that Priyanka is pooling into with gusto. The clinic aims to be a one-stop cosmetic-surgery clinic with the most sophisticated surgery equipment.

"We've been getting the machines and equipment for the past one year. The process will continue for a while. But mom's clinic is ready to roll. We've named it Studio Aesthetic," Priyanka told IANS.

Priyanka's mother is so busy with the clinic that she didn't accompany her son Siddharth who has gone to Geneva to do a one-year culinary course.

"It was my dad who went with my brother. Mom can't leave right now. She's so heavily into her cosmetic clinic. It's on the verge of being opened.

"My brother has gone to study culinary arts at this institution on the outskirts of Geneva called La Roche College. During his year's stay he'll be learning everything to do with the restaurant business from hotel management to cooking. Dad has gone with my brother. But mom has been crying her eyes out. I miss him too," said Priyanka.

Rumours were rife that the actress herself had gone through cosmetic surgery.

"I know. I should've waited for my mom's clinic. I'd have got a discount," she joked.

"But seriously, if I had gone through cosmetic surgery, I'd happily admit it. There's nothing wrong with it. But the fact is, what has happened to me is not surgery. It's polishing.

"When I came in, I was raw and inexperienced about diet, workouts, makeup. Over a period of time I've understood my body face and mind. That shows in my appearance and performances," she said.

Priyanka is thrilled to receive the first of her best-actress awards for "Fashion".

"The last time I got the awards it was for my performance in 'Aitraaz'. But that was not for best actress. So yeah, I'm thrilled."

More thrilling is the fact that two of the popular awards this season shifted their dates forward to accommodate Priyanka's schedules.

"I don't think it was for me. But yes the dates were pushed forward. But who wouldn't like winning awards. I do! I've a busy and challenging year ahead. First release is 'Kaminey' with Shahid Kapur where audiences will see me in a completely different look and role. Then there's 'What's Your Raashee?' which is challenging the hell out of me. Next I go into 'Pyaar Impossible' with Uday Chopra. That I think would be easier than 'Raashee'."

In "What's Your Raashee?", Priyanka plays 12 roles each denoting one star-sign in the horoscope.

Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232713564&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Suniel Shetty barred from working out, worried about weight gain

Mumbai, He has never gone without gymming in the past ten years, except now. A serious chest injury on the sets of Priyadarshan's comedy "De Dana Dan" has had Suniel Shetty laid up for the past six weeks without exercise.

"But there's nothing I can do about it," said Suniel as he finally gets permission to move out of bed, but not to exercise.

"In 19 years in the industry, I never had to cancel a single shooting, until now. For six weeks I've been a lying around at home doing practically nothing except watching television, reading books and scripts and bonding with my kids. But for how long? They've a life of their own.

"The worst blow was the fact that I couldn't exercise, something unthinkable for me. But then you know how it is. Destiny has all kinds of plans for you when you are busy looking elsewhere," Suniel told IANS.

The actor has put on some weight due to the lack of exercise and he is worried.

"I haven't become fat or flabby. But I've put on weight. That really worries me because I've never put on an ounce before. I'm still not allowed to work out."

So what happened?

"All of us - Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Sameera Reddy and I - were shooting underwater for 'De Dana Dan'. In water, your body just floats. I don't know what hit me down there. But I felt something hit my chest. When I came out of the water I couldn't move my left arm. I couldn't breathe. For the next six weeks I was prescribed complete bed rest.

"Any movement would cause a spasm of pain in my chest. And since I'm in the habit of sleeping on my side, I'd often go to sleep on the hurt hand and get up numb and scared," said the actor.

It will take Suniel time to recover fully. But he gives the makers of "De Dana Dan" a clean chit.

"The water was changed every day and disinfected properly. All safety precautions were taken. And yes the entire cast was insured. Such things happen. Ironically, I've done all kinds of stunts for my films without a single injury so far. And I got injured when we weren't really doing any stunts."

One of Suniel's first outings after the mishap was to Delhi for the opening of Milind Soman and Rahul Dev's gym.

"Like me they believe in staying fit," he said.

Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232713456&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

I'm a rare combination of British and Rajput blood: Preity Zinta

New Delhi, Fed up with responding to queries about her family background, actress Preity Zinta has finally revealed her British connection.

"Some people think I'm south Indian, while some feel I'm a Muslim. There have also been fans who have asked me whether I hail from Himachal Pradesh," said Preity in a press statement.

"In the early 18th century, when marital alliances between the Rajput and British became quite common, the Zinta clan was born. I'm the rare combination of British and Rajput blood," she added.

The actress has reportedly signed a film with her "Dil Chahta Hai" co-star Aamir Khan to be made under the Yash Raj banner.

Source:http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232713088&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Rahman bags triple nomination at the Oscars

A R Rahman did India proud once again as he bagged a triple nomination at the 81 st Oscar Academy Awards for Slumdog Millionaire, the rags to riches saga of an Indian boy from a Mumbai slum. Rahman was nominated in the Best Original Score category and twice in the Best Original Song section.

While Rahman shares the Original Song nomination “Jai Ho” with Gulzar, for “O Saya” he shares the nomination with Maya Arulpragasam.

Slumdog Millionaire, bagged 10 nominations in all including Best Motion Picture category, Best Director — Danny Boyle and Best Adapted Screenplay — Simon Beaufoy. Other nominations include Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing and Best Film Editing.

The romantic fantasy "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" led Academy Awards contenders with 13 nominations, among them Best Motion Picture and acting honours for Brad Pitt and Taraji P. Henson, and a directing slot for David Fincher.

Other best-picture nominees are "Frost/Nixon," "Milk," and "The Reader".

As expected, Heath Ledger had a supporting-actor nomination for "The Dark Knight" on the first anniversary of his death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. But the Batman blockbuster was shut out for other top categories such as best picture and director.

Real-life couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will both go to the Oscars as nominees. Jolie had a best actress nomination for the missing-child drama "Changeling."

The acting categories were loaded with surprises. Kate Winslet won two Golden Globes — best dramatic actress for "Revolutionary Road" and supporting actress for "The Reader"— but she was nominated for lead actress at the Oscars for "The Reader" and shut out for "Revolutionary Road."

Actors considered long shots also sneaked in, among lead-actor nominee Richard Jenkins for "The Visitor," best-actress contender Melissa Leo for "Frozen River" and supporting-actor pick Michael Shannon for "Revolutionary Road."

Winslet reunited with "Titanic" co-star Leonardo DiCaprio for "Revolutionary Road," but he also was shut out for a nomination on that film.

Other best-actress nominees were Anne Hathaway for "Rachel Getting Married" and Meryl Streep for "Doubt."

Joining Pitt and Jenkins in the best-actor category were Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"; Sean Penn, "Milk"; and Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler."

But perhaps the biggest surprise overall was the so-so results for "The Dark Knight," which had been picking up momentum as one Hollywood trade guild after another picked it as one of the year's best films.

The largest blockbuster in years, "The Dark Knight" had eight nominations, but other than Ledger's honour, it scored only in technical categories such as cinematography, visual effects and editing.

Soruce: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Slumdog_gets_Rahman_3_Oscar_nominations/articleshow/4017766.cms

Rahman hits the bull's eye with 'Delhi-6' (Music Review)

Film: "Delhi-6"
Music Director: A.R. Rahman
Lyricist: Prasoon Joshi
Singers: Rekha Bharadwaj, Kishori Gowariker, Shraddha Pandit, Sujata Majumdar, Kailash Kher, Javed Ali, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Shreya Ghoshal, Benny Dayal, Vivienne Pocha, Blaaze, Tanvi, Claire, Ash King, Chinmayee, Karthik, Naresh, Srinivas, Bony Chakravarthy, Mohit Chauhan, Amitabh Bachchan and Rahman.
Rating: ***

Where there is Rahman, there ought to be expectations. Riding high on his Golden Globe success, Rahman has left no stone unturned to give the music of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's "Delhi-6" a unique and extremely fresh touch. The 10-song album is a concoction of awe-inspiring melodies, feet tapping rhythms, wonderful lyrics and some impressive singing.

"Tumre Bhavan Mein" adds a touch of spirituality to the album. Short and soothing, the song that offers prayers, is very melodious. "Tumre Bhavan Mein" is backed by vocals from Rekha Bharadwaj, Kishori Gowariker, Shraddha Pandit and Sujata Majumdar.

Not many composers explore qawwali these days, but Rahman did that seamlessly with "Arziyan". Tabla, harmonium and the clapping sounds, supported by meaningful lyrics - all create a mesmerising listening experience. The Sufism-imbued notes of the song and its requisite poignancy are backed flawlessly by the two singers - Javed Ali and Kailash Kher.

Rahman has packed in a surprise in the form of "Bhor Bhaye" - it delves into Indian classical form and is a treat. With Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's rousing rendition and Shreya Ghoshal's honeyed voice, "Bhor bhaye" is an overwhelming experience, especially for those who crave for classics.

Next song, "Delhi-6", pays a tribute to the city. The funky song is contemporary from the word go and blends a dash of rock, rap and hip-hop. "Delhi-6", which is a ragged mélange of attitude and style, is sure to be hummed by every youngster. Benny Dayal, Vivienne Pocha, Blaze, Tanvi and Claire have crooned it.

With "Dil gira dafatan", Prasoon Joshi reaffirms what a good lyricist he is. To add to that, the melody and the simplistic arrangement of instruments are extremely soothing to the ear. Ash King is the lead singer while Chinmayee's backing creates some spell-binding moments.

"Genda phool", sung by Rekha Bharadwaj, Shraddha Pandit and Sujata Majumdar, is a teasing folk song. It starts as a purely rustic and rooted number, but soon western arrangements take over. Composer Rajat Dholakia and Rahman share the credit for the song, which is quite playful.

"Hey kaala bandar" is easily the poorest track in the album. The number in the hip-hop genre, with a few English lyrics, fails to create a mark. The song is sung by Karthik, Naresh, Srinivas and Bony Chakravarthy.

"Masakalli" is easily the best song on the soundtrack. A power packed and expressive number, it is crooned by Mohit Chauhan. A free flowing, addictive, fun number, "Masakalli" will be remembered for months to come owing to its mirthful, fluttering mood.

"Noor" is a small couplet recited by Amitabh Bachchan.

"Rehna tu" is meant to be a smoothly flowing, romantic number. But in spite of Rahman lending his voice to the song and Benny Dayal along with Tanvi doing well with backing vocals, the song doesn't really captivate.

Overall, the album is a robust mix of impressive tracks with some great and hummable lyrics, making it a sure hit among music lovers.

Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232619292&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Nokia 15th Annual STAR Screen Awards

The Nokia 15th (is it 15th) Annual Star Screen Awards is the first Awards ceremony in India in the year 2009. The biggest night for honoring excellence in cinema is here and the film fraternity is all set to celebrate it in grand style. The Nokia 15th Annual Star Screen Awards commemorates and rewards the people behind putting the biggest and the most remarkable pieces of cinematic entertainment in the year 2008. This will be aired exclusively on India’s leading Hindi General Entertainment Channel, Star Plus on January 25 at….pm. The hosts for the evening are Farah Khan, Sajid Khan & Shreyas Talpade.

The Red Carpet is decked up to witness the most spectacular Awards nite. This year, the Red Carpet is designed as a Box Office Hall of Fame. All the stars walked the RED Carpet before the inauguration of the final awards night. The red carpet had the entire film fraternity grace it including Akshay Kumar, Ranbir Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Prateek Babbar, Tushar Kapoor, Jitendra, Bipasha Basu, Mughda Godse, Kangna Ranaut, Sonali Kulkarna, Tanushree Dutta, Koena Mitra, Anupam & Kiron Kher, Genellia D’Souze, Asin, Katrina Kaif, Hard Kaur, Zayed Khan, Rakhi Sawant, Prachi Desai, Tabu, Aishwarya Rai, Gul Panag, Jimmy Shergil, Amir Bashir and Sahana Goswami, Chunky and Bhavna Pandey to name a few.

Star Screen rewarded the best films and talents in 29 categories like the Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor(male & female), Best Actor in Supporting role(male and female), Best Actor in a Negative role(male & female), Best Actor in a Comic role(male & female), Best Playback Singer(male & female, best lyrics, Best Editing, Best Screenplay, Best Dialogues, Best Story, Best Music, Best Background Score, Best Choreographer, Best Child Artist, Best English Film, Best Sound Effects, Special Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Animation film, Most Promising Debut(male & female) and the Most Promising Director.

Riteish very much part of 'Rann': Ram Gopal Varma

Mumbai, Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has clarified that actor Riteish Deshmukh is very much a part of his media-based film "Rann" despite the controversy that erupted following their visit to the Taj hotel after the Mumbai terror attacks.

The relationship with Reteish remains untarnished, Varma maintains.

"Why should it change? Riteish and I knew exactly what happened. When we visited the Taj we had no intention of exploiting the visit by making a film. What happened was not in our control," the director says.

The duo had accompanied Riteish's father Vilasrao Deshmukh, who was then the Maharashtra chief minister, when he went to inspect the hotel in the wake of the Nov 26-29 carnage.

The presence of the duo had been frowned upon as it was viewed as an opportunistic way of gathering background material for a film.

Ironically, Riteish who plays a TV journalist in "Rann", has been quoted as saying of Varma: "Hang him if he ever does a film on 26/11."

Varma's retort to this was: "Please praise me if I ever do."

Now, all that is in the past.

"We said sorry to each other. Neither of us is a politician. He's an actor and I'm a director. The best thing is to forget what happened and move on," Varma said.

Soruce: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232547306&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Riteish very much part of 'Rann': Ram Gopal Varma

Mumbai, Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has clarified that actor Riteish Deshmukh is very much a part of his media-based film "Rann" despite the controversy that erupted following their visit to the Taj hotel after the Mumbai terror attacks.

The relationship with Reteish remains untarnished, Varma maintains.

"Why should it change? Riteish and I knew exactly what happened. When we visited the Taj we had no intention of exploiting the visit by making a film. What happened was not in our control," the director says.

The duo had accompanied Riteish's father Vilasrao Deshmukh, who was then the Maharashtra chief minister, when he went to inspect the hotel in the wake of the Nov 26-29 carnage.

The presence of the duo had been frowned upon as it was viewed as an opportunistic way of gathering background material for a film.

Ironically, Riteish who plays a TV journalist in "Rann", has been quoted as saying of Varma: "Hang him if he ever does a film on 26/11."

Varma's retort to this was: "Please praise me if I ever do."

Now, all that is in the past.

"We said sorry to each other. Neither of us is a politician. He's an actor and I'm a director. The best thing is to forget what happened and move on," Varma said.

Soruce: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232547306&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Dilip Kumar to be conferred honorary doctorate by Urdu University

Hyderabad, Thespian Dilip Kumar will be conferred with honorary doctorate by Maulana Azad National Urdu University here next month.

Kumar, one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema, will be conferred the honour at the annual convocation of the university to be held on Feb 21.

India's former ambassador to the United States Abid Hussain, eminent Urdu writer and scholar Gopi Chand Narang and well-known Urdu novelist Jeelani Bano will also receive the honorary degrees, said a statement issued by the university here Tuesday.

Sukhadeo Thorat, Chairman, University Grants Commission will be the chief guest and will deliver the convocation address while Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, the chancellor of Urdu University will preside over the convocation.

The Urdu University was established in 1998 by an act of parliament as a central university to promote and develop the Urdu language, provide higher, technical and vocational education in the Urdu medium and to provide focus on women's education.

Soruce: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232546918&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

India no slumdog to west, filmmakers reply to Bachchan

New Delhi, From Shekhar Kapur to Kunal Kohli, Sriram Raghavan to Bhavna Talwar - all leading Indian filmmakers disagree with Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan's off-the-cuff remarks slamming Danny Boyle's Golden Globe winning underdog drama "Slumdog Millionaire" for exposing India's "dirty underbelly".

"A film is made by a filmmaker's vision and sensibility, not nationality. Any film that tells a compelling human story and moves an audience will be appreciated by all. Human emotions are universal, be it an Indian or Western audience," Bhavna Talwar, who directed critically acclaimed "Dharm", told IANS.

Shekhar Kapur, internationally acclaimed Indian filmmaker, echoes the same feelings.

"Let's get it right - 'Slumdog...' is an Indian film. It is easily the most successful Indian film ever. So what if it [sic] the funds came from outside India. The funds for 'Bandit Queen' came from the same source and it is considered an Indian film. The funds for 'Chandni Chowk to China' came from Warner Brothers, but it is considered an Indian film," Kapur noted on his blog.

"Except for the director, screenwriter and one of the producers, everyone else of the 100-odd people that make a complete film unit were Indian. The film is also based on book by an Indian author," he added.

Bachchan, who has since backtracked, slammed the film on his blog. "'Slumdog Millionaire' projects India as Third World dirty under belly developing nation and causes pain and disgust among nationalists and patriots."

"Audiences do not judge a film on the basis of its maker, but how the film is made. Since 'Slumdog...' is such a good film, it would have got such a reaction even it were made by any director whether Indian or Westner," said Kunal Kohli.

Sriram Raghavan, of "Johnny Gaddar" fame, said: "A really good film made by and Indian will sure appeal world wide. And we do have films like 'Bandit Queen' and 'Monsoon Wedding', which have won raves reviews all over."

A crew-member from "Slumdog Millionaire" said on condition of anonymity: "The story of 'Slumdog...' is about hope and optimism and it is not highlighting the harsh reality of Indian poverty. That way we also have films like 'Chandni Bar', but they don't hit under the belt.

"'Slumdog...' has got nothing to do with a Western making the film. We also have a lot of talented here but they are scared to take the jump. We are half-hearted in our approach because we make films for money and so we are not honest in our projects. Danny Boyle being a Britisher believed in his project."

Based on Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup's bestseller "Q&A", "Slumdog Millionaire" have become the cynosure of all festivals around the world and won four Golden Globe awards apart from bagging 11 nominations at the forthcoming BAFTA awards. It is tipped to a big draw at Academy Awards too.

Swarup too argues the film does not portray the "underbelly" of Indian poverty.

"What it shows is that stories from India are finding increasing resonance in the world. There is a huge hunger about to know about India," Swarup, currently India's deputy high commissioner to South Africa, told IANS in an interview last week.

"The novel strikes a chord with ordinary people because it's about endless possibilities of life - anything is possible. The themes the novel explores like love, friendship and fate, are universal," he added.

Bachchan seemed to have overlooked and brushed under the carpet Indian filmmakers who did get global recognition.

Film maestro Satyajit Ray was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Oscar and Bhanu Athaiya bagged the coveted trophy for the best costumes for "Gandhi".

Moreover, Mehboob Khan's "Mother India", Vidhu Vinod Chopra's short film "An Encounter with Faces", Mira Nair's "Salaam Bombay", Ashutosh Gowariker's "Lagaan" and Ashwin Kumar's short-film "Little Terrorist" won Oscar nominations.

Soruce: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232445977&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

'Slumdog Millionaire' makes $43 mn to jump back in US Top 10

Washington, Following its sweep of the Golden Globe Awards, British director Danny Boyle's hit film "Slumdog Millionaire" has jumped back into the North American Top Ten with a 56 percent increase in its weekend sales.

With an estimated gross of $5,900,000 over the Jan 16-18 weekend, the Mumbai-shot and set film in its tenth week even surpassed the total grosses of Akshay Kumar's "Chandni Chowk to China", Aamir Khan's "Ghajini" and Shahrukh Khan's "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" combined in the US.

Running in 582 theatres across US, down 19 from last weekend, the film based on Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup's novel "Q&A" registered a per-theatre average of $10,137 to take its total gross to a staggering $42.74 million.

With more mainstream multiplexes interested in playing the film with Golden Globe winning music by Indian music maestro A.R. Rahman now, Fox Searchlight plans to expand its run this Friday to about 1,300 theatres.

After the Golden Globes, the heart warming story of an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who goes on to win a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" game show, is expected to score multiple Oscar nominations when Academy Award nominations are announced Jan 22.

Meanwhile, in a Sunday editorial Washington Times described it as "the kind of movie Hollywood used to make - a film that transmits eternal verities and has universal appeal."

Calling the film "a stinging indictment of a Hollywood culture that is bereft of decent values," the US daily said: "The movie instructs as much as it entertains. It will have enduring value for providing a vivid snapshot of a nation undergoing tumultuous modernization."

The film "stands in sharp contrast to the typical Hollywood fare that encourages promiscuity, greed, individualism and cynicism," it said comparing it with others nominated at the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture, Drama: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Reader," "Revolutionary Road," and "Frost/Nixon."

"Each has artistic merit, but the films are about dreary subjects and have protagonists who have dubious morals at best," the Times said. "'Slumdog Millionaire' demonstrates that if American filmmakers are unwilling to highlight our core values, others will rise to fill that void."

Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232446210&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Priyanka or Kareena - who will be Benegal's Carmen?

Mumbai, Now that Shyam Benegal has decided to revive his costliest project "Chamki", a desi version of French musician Georges Bizet's 1875 opera "Carmen", the question is who will play the title role of a free-spirited fiery-tempered gypsy in the movie?

According to sources, Priyanka Chopra more than Kareena Kapoor is the natural choice to play Chamki since the role requires a trained dancer.

When contacted, Priyanka told IANS that she was open to the offer. "But I read the script ages ago. The whole project now has to be evaluated afresh. And who wouldn't want to work with Shyam Benegal?"

"Chamki" has been pending for a while. Earlier, the project was with Sanjay Gupta. Now, Big Pictures is producing the film.

In the past too, both Priyanka and Kareena were approached for "Chamki", but they opted out for various reasons.

"Kareena was excited to begin with. She was supremely charged by the role and what Benegal had done with her sister Karisma in 'Zubeidaa'. But then she opted out - as she often does from offbeat challenges like Deepa Mehta's 'Water' and Rituparno Ghosh's 'Raincoat' - pleading it was too early for her to attempt something so unconventional," said a source close to the project.

"Then came Priyanka who was quite kicked about the part, but she and the film's then producer Sanjay Gupta had a fallout after Priyanka said no to his 'Musafir'. The 'Chamki' role then went to Urmila Matondkar, who had monetary issues with the producer."

With the film changing producers, it is understood that money is no longer an issue.

While Priyanka is still interested in the project, Kareena's views were not yet known.

"Kareena continues to have reservations about non-mainstream cinema. Barring Pritish Nandy Communications' 'Chameli', she has never returned to non-mainstream cinema," said the source.

'Chamki', set in Rajasthan, is being re-designed as a big broad epic musical with choreography and lavish songs by Javed Akhtar and A.R. Rahman.

"No expense will be spared to make 'Chamki' a big blockbuster," added the source.

Soruce: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1232446682&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&