“Rann” is that rare cinema about the collective conscience which we often like to think has gone out of style. Like Mehboob Khan’s “Mother India” and Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s “Satyakam”, “Rann” shows how tough it is to hold your head high up in dignified righteousness in a world where ethics crumble faster than cookies in wide-open jar left out too long in the sun.
Ironically, there isn’t much sunshine in “Rann”. The film has been shot in an anaemic light, symbolizing a world that’s largely losing light.
Cleverly, Ram Gopal Varma situates his morality tale in the cut-throat world of the electronic media where the TRP is god and deadlines the devil. And may the voice of the conscience rest in peace.
Without wasting time Varma introduces us to the plethora of characters who colonise the bowel of a declining channel run by the idealistic Vijay Harshvardhan Malik (Amitabh Bachchan). Malik believes there’s room still for the straight and narrow path in a business where grabbing attention is the murder of all invention.
The glistening sweat on ratings, challenged eyebrows are captured through tight close-ups of worried faces that the camera – Amit Roy’s sharply cruising lenses moving from face-to-face with obstinate restlessness – that give nothing and yet everything away.
As in Varma’s “Sarkar”, the moral battle lines in the media-run tale of “Rann” are drawn between the idealistic patriarch and his US-returned hyper-ventilating son Jai (Kannada star Sudeep) who is so anxious and ambitious, you know he will eventually cause trouble for his ideologue dad’s news-worthiness.
Trouble arrives in the flabby form of a seedy politician Pandey – played by Paresh Rawal and he re-embraces villainy with lip-smacking relish – who plunges into the TRP war on television with no sense of propriety, legalese or the law.
Pandey pompously tells Jai before they both conspire with the help of a rival television tycoon (Mohnish Behl) to trash the idealistic Harshvardhan’s reputation.
The plot accommodates more characters that a miniature touristic island in the holiday season. Not one of the characters need any explanation or occupy a superfluous place in the plot.
Varma’s concern for the characters is genuine but non-judgemental. Each characters even the relatively-shadowy women, emerges as casualty of an over-competitive society where morality goes out of the nearest window.
The narrative is taut, restless and biting in its depiction of corruption in supposedly responsible places.
While much of film’s inner fire burns outwards from the pithy and peppery writing (Rohit Banawlikar), the essential core of idealism is preserved in the understated relationship between the idealistic young rookie Purab Shastri and his mentor Harshvardhan. Wish this bonding was built on.
As restless as his camera, Varma gives no space to the complicated labyrinth of relationships to grow. We are left to gauge the depths and dimensions that underline the furious flow of empathy and antipathy between various characters by reading between the lines.
The first two-thirds of the narrative creates a gripping patchwork of television, drama and politics and how the three worlds often come together to destroy the basic fibre of human morality.
It’s the last quarter of the narrative where Harshvardhan, after realising he has been taken for a ride by his own son’s over-ambitiousness, that packs in the maximum punch.
Cleverly borrowing the premise for its climax from Mehboob Khan’s “Mother India”, “Rann” moves aggressively but confidently into its passionate finale where the patriarchal television tycoon must expose some harsh home-truths to cleanse his own conscience.
“Rann” takes us into a world where right and wrong are more financial than moral issues, where the people who make news conveniently forget that the source is often the nadir of the conscience.
“Rann” is a razor-sharp bitter and biting look at the real world of rapidly-moving moral issues.
Varma extracts superlative performances from the entire cast. From Ritesh’s heartbreaking idealism to Neetu Chandra’s part as Jai Malik’s secret love interest.
As expected Bachchan as the conscience of the plot, presides over the speeedened proceedings with a thoughtful and gentle performance. His climactic speech makes all of us sit up and think about the quality of work we do in order to keep up with the competition.
Luckily, Bachchan’s consistently excellent output is never dependant on the ‘competition’ around him. Ironically, his character is forced to stoop in order to conquer the TRPs.
Varma, who has been lately guilty of making fairly compromised films, rises above the morass of mediocrity with a meteoric force, letting other filmmakers know what he is capable of achieving if he sets his heart to it.
“Rann” defines the role of the electronic media in today’s context with remarkable virility and dramatic force. This is Varma’s best work since “Company”.
Source:http://www.bollywoodworld.com/category/movie-reviews
“Shah Rukh specifically wanted to inaugurate his home theatre with a Bachchan starrer. Luckily, ‘Rann’ was on release this week. So he asked Karan Johar to quickly dial Mr. Bachchan who put him on to the producers of ‘Rann’. The producers gladly arranged for a print of ‘Rann’ to be delivered to SRK’s place on Thursday evening,” said a source close to the actor.
Produced by Madhu Matenna and Sheetal Talwar, the film on media has Amitabh in the lead role. Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, it hit the screens Friday.
After watching the film till very late on Thursday night, Shah Rukh sent an appreciative SMS to the film’s producer which read: “Very kind of you to send the film across. Very intense very topical good performances all round. The viewpoint is very current.”
Apparently Shah Rukh wanted to invite Bachchan to view “Rann” in his home theatre. But he was in Delhi to attend the premiere of “Rann”.
“I’m in Delhi meeting various members of the press trying to understand why ‘Rann’ is being perceived as being against them. Or why I’m being seen to have issues with the press. Not at all! I’ve always respected the press,” said Bachchan Thursday afternoon.
Tell him the perception of Bachchan being anti-press goes back to those years in the 1980s when he had banned the press, and he replies: “I banned them because they had banned me. But now that’s in the past. Writing my blog has made me understand the duties and exigencies of the media much better than before.”
Soruce:http://www.bollywoodworld.com/
“I’ll wait for a week and then I go on a ‘bhookh hartaal’ in front of the censor office,” Rakhi told IANS.
The always-in-the-news actress said: “Fearlessly I’ve sent a legal notice to the censor board. This is the first time something like this has happened. Others do chamchagiri of the censor board. Not me. I’m Rakhi Sawant. Main ishwar ki beti hoon (I’m god’s daughter).
“The censor board has done me injustice by deleting the word ‘kameeni’ from my song. I won’t take it lying down. Dharmendra has been saying the word ‘kameeney’ for years. Vishal Bharadwaj’s ‘Kaminey’ came, were the censors asleep?
“There’re heroines doing love-making scenes with their bare backs showing. Bharadwaj’s films invariably have characters mouthing ‘maa-bahen galis’. If Rakhi Sawant sings ‘Kameeni tera bhoot chad gaya re’, the censor board gets stung. The song has been produced by my company Faith Inc and I’m being damaged.”
The argument that the word ‘kameeni’ is inappropriate on television holds no water for Rakhi.
“Kyon (why)? In the trailers of ‘Ishqiya’, they show Vidya Balan punch-drunk on television, and that too in a sari. Is that allowed in our culture? What was ‘Choli ke peeche kya hai?’ If that can be aired for years, why can’t my song be telecast?”
Rakhi then takes off on television serials.
“Look at serials like ‘Uttaran’, ‘Bairi Piya’ and ‘Bandini’. Young girls are being shown getting raped and forced to marry underage men. Women get married repeatedly, sometimes five times. Isn’t this against the Indian laws? Isn’t this against Indian culture? What is the censor board doing about such practices?
“Rakhi Sawant uses the word ‘kameeni’ and it becomes a dirty word. In serials, we have men dragging their wives by their hair muttering ‘Kameeni main tujhe chodunga nahin’. No one pays any attention. Why point a finger at me?
“Stop all the malpractice on television and I too will shut up. We live in a corrupt and hypocritical democracy where the institutions appointed to monitor morality are bribed. Producers go with bulging suitcases and get their films passed. Aisa nahin chalega (It won’t work).”
http://www.bollywoodworld.com/
“It was here on the very same floor 11 years ago that we gave our first ever shot together. The movie was ‘Dhai Akshar Prem Ke’. Great memories,” Abhishek posted on his Twitter page.
“Then, I would have never dreamt that the next time we shoot here would be as husband and wife. How time flies, how lives change,” he added.
Produced by actor Dino Morea, the ad film was shot Tuesday by filmmaker Tarun Mansukhani who directed Abhishek in the hit film “Dostana”.
“Shooting an ad with the Mrs (Aishwarya). My friend Tarun directing. Great to step in front of his camera again. He’s great. And we’re all set! The wife is looking her usual stunning self, and me……. Well, I’m looking like Shrek’s cousin,” he joked.
Source:http://www.bollywoodworld.com/
“I heard of stories about Madison Square Garden, but actually being in this place… it was just amazing… I’m still shaking with excitement,” said Ranbir on his recent visit to New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The Bollywood heart-throb received a warm welcome from Bryant, who gifted his sneakers to the actor after a game against the New York Knicks Jan 22, said a press release.
Even Nate Robinson, the 2009 Sprite Slam Dunk contest winner, gifted Ranbir his autographed jersey.
Ranbir’s experience of his visit will be aired on Ten Sports Feb 1 and on Zee Sports Feb 2.
Source:http://www.bollywoodworld.com/
“Spent 10 minutes stuck in the toilet at the airport…Finally had to climb the wall and jump over… People were calling out my name,” Preity posted on her Twitter page Tuesday.
The 34-year-old says she felt she would die in there, but managed to escape.
“Thought I was going to die as I am claustrophobic. Pulled a muscle in my arm…,” she added.
She says her tomboy attitude helped her come out of the toilet.
“Being a tomboy when I was younger definitely helped. Trying to climb a wall is never easy. Phew! Happy to go home now,” she said.
Source:http://www.bollywoodworld.com/
Movie: “Veer”
Directed by: Anil Sharma
Starring: Mithun Chakraborty, Salman Khan, Neena Gupta, Sohail Khan, Zarine Khan
“Veer” is one of those intended epics that goes wrong. Horribly wrong.
Director Anil Sharma had combined history and kitsch with compelling consequences in “Gadar Ek Prem Katha”. But In “Veer”, the khichdi of fact and fiction runs amok, creating a blend of babble and bloodshed that is more hysterical than historic.
“Veer” wallows in primitive valour. Father Mithun Chakraborty (the only tolerable performance in the litany of the unbearable) and son Salman Khan often mock-fight, as the burly members of their tribe urge them on like animals in a zestful zoo. Even Neena Gupta who plays Mithun’s wife (and has apparently forgotten she was once a good actress) joins in the macho revelry.
There are no smoking guns. Only shining swords slicing across the epic canvas with fashionable bravura.
Costume dramas are very tricky cinematic efforts. How do the makers know if the clothes and props suggesting periodicity are going to work? In this case, they just don’t!
The ‘research’ that seems to have gone into the colossal fiasco is at best scratch level. At worst the detailing suggested by the art director (Sanjay Dhabade) and costumes (Anna Singh) smack of amateurish stage plays where the actors create characters purely through props.
And here the props include the Buckingham Palace where our valorous hero Veer (Salman Khan) and his brother-sidekick (Sohail Khan, behaving as though he was in the sequel to “Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya”) teach those ‘Gora Log’ a few lessons on how to treat us Indians with respect and dignity.
Where would independent India be without such strident architects of freedom? It is doubtful that a man like Veer actually existed in the history of our freedom movement. But does anyone really care?
“Veer” is not really a freedom fighter. He’s Salman Khan with long hair and costume jewellery (the diamond ear-tops could be the envy of all his leading ladies) scowling with the same intensity into the panoramic camera as he did earlier in “Wanted”.
Clothes definitely maketh this man, although Veer in one of the unintentionally funny sequences of the film reprimands the gora professor in London (teaching the most motley crew of colonists seen in any film) saying, “Clothes do not make the man, the man makes the clothes” – a quote on he says he borrowed from George Bernard Shaw.
Where did he learn about Shaw? In school? Do such questions really matter when the intention is to create an optical illusion merging myth and history in a claustrophobic clasp that leaves no breathing space for introspective punctuations?
“Veer” is one sweeping rush of blood, sweat, gore, adrenaline and saliva. It is meant to sweep audiences off its collective feet. But its takeoff point, namely the ideological slant, is so faulty, you wonder what these blood-thirsty warriors are fighting for.
Most of the time the characters’ motivations are superimposed by a passionate but pedestrian melodrama.
Director Anil Sharma’s inherent sense of drama comes with the blood-soaked territory. While in the father-son sequences he manages to create a scale and range that merge rugged machismo with a junk food version of patriotism, the love story featuring the nomadic warrior and the bereft princess from the enemy tribe is driven into a zero-chemistry zone by the pair.
Forget mutual passion, there’s very little drama or romance in the dialogues and the visual props for them to share.
“Veer” gets details of the period and locations in place. But the inner conviction and a genuine passion that made Anil Sharma’s “Gadar: Ek Prem Katha” so special are completely absent in this film.
Source:http://www.bollywoodworld.com/category/movie-reviews
Mumbai, Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal, who has been declared the best supporting actor at the 56th National Film Awards for his performance in Director Abhishek Kapoor’s “Rock On!”, says that it was a very emotional moment for his family.
“It’s a real honour and a wonderful feeling. It’s a big one. It’s a very emotional moment for everybody in my family. It was same for my friends and whole team of ‘Rock On!’ as well,” Rampal told IANS.
Asked about his wife Mehr Jesia’s reaction, he said, ” I won’t tell you whether she cried or not, but definitely she became very, very emotional.”
The story of “Rock On!” is about five band stars as once-aspiring musicians who chucked up their dream of taking their band professional. But a chance reunion ten years later inspires them to consider returning for one last gig.
Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli and Luke Kenny played the lead roles in the film.
Rampal celebrated the occasion with the team of “Rock on!” at his house.
“We are going to party tonight at my house. We are going to start now, as a part of celebration,” said Rampal.
The actor, who has recently opened up a restro-bar named LAP Lounge And Party in Delhi as joint venture with Restaurateur AD Singh, is going to celebrate there too, very soon.
“I am looking forward to celebrate in LAP soon,” said Rampal.
Source:http://www.bollywoodworld.com/
Mumbai,Pakistani singer Adnan Sami, who has his base here, admits that he is tying the knot for the third time — this time with Roya Faryabi, qualified engineer in Munich, in Europe Jan 31.
“All my family members and all of Roya’s family are going to be at the wedding. I’d like all my friends from Mumbai to accompany me to Europe for the wedding. Unfortunately, there’s no time for them to make travel arrangements. So I’ll have a large wedding reception in Mumbai as soon as Roya and I return after the wedding,” Adnan told IANS.
At the moment, Jermaine Jackson and his wife are on the guest list.
Talking about his second wife Sabah Galadari, he said: “According to Islamic marriage laws, she was technically never my wife at all. Even if she was, my religion permits me to have three wives.”
“I was going through the worst phase of my life when I met Roya. I lost my grandfather, then my father. She held my hand during my darkest hours while I was fighting the ugliest court battle with my former wife.”
“Roya is very family-oriented. More than the fact that she loves me, I love her for understanding the importance of family ties. Roya respects my mother. This is something I didn’t have in my earlier marriage.”
Most important of all, Adnan’s son Azaan gets along like a house of fire with his new stepmom-to-be.
“The most important criteria for me in any woman is that she has to get along with my son. While Sabah couldn’t get along with Azaan, Roya loves my boy. In fact, they are best friends and I’m often the brunt of their jokes.”
Happiness has come to Adnan at a time when he had hit rock bottom on a personal level.
“I wouldn’t say Roya came into my life suddenly. We got to know each other gradually. After having gone through what I have, I was in no mood to jump into a new relationship. But it didn’t take me long to realise she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.”
Roya will move to Mumbai with Adnan right after the wedding.
“She is a qualified engineer in Munich and works in the communication services. The organization has branches all over the world. They’re looking at opening a branch in Mumbai now that Roya is shifting to the city,” said Adnan who wants his wife to continue working after marriage.
“Isn’t it enough sacrifice that she’s leaving her family behind to join me in Mumbai? I don’t want her to give up her career,” he said.
(BollywoodWorld.com)
Bollywood producer Pahlaj Nihalani, credited with launching actors like Govinda, Chunky Pandey and Suniel Shetty, says the profit-driven attitude of multiplexes is leading to the downfall of quality cinema.
“Multiplexes are gradually eating away good cinema and new talent. They are charging exorbitant ticket prices and show only those movies that have strong cast. Other movies with fresh and experimental subjects wither away after just one or two shows,” Nihalani told IANS here.
He added: “The public is getting less and multiplexes are earning more. In fact, this is a big jolt to the entertainment industry and a major reason why most of the movies are not doing well these days. Once a movie reaches the multiplexes, a distributor or producer, who treats a movie like his own baby, has no say.”
Nihalani also demands a ceiling on the ticket prices of multiplexes. “A middle class person is totally out of reach of a multiplex screen. State governments should come forward and introduce some ceiling price, like, say, multiplexes could not charge more than Rs.100 for a movie ticket,” he said.
“Corruption has also entered at various levels of cinema. Now a good script or subject does not decide the fate of a movie, but it is in the hands of a critic or multiplex owner. One cannot rely on these critics, who give three-or four star-ratings. The sad part is that after reading their analysis, people decide whether to go for a movie or to buy a pirated CD,” stated Nihalani.
Nihalani was here to promote the filmmaking and acting institute, Dream Whistlerz. He is on the board of the institute.
About young talent, Nihalani said: “Every individual on this earth has a dream, but unfortunately people do not find the right medium or direction to fulfil it. Some lose their way in between and some switch to other careers.
“The entertainment industry has grown very big. Earlier, people moved to Mumbai, but now they do not need to leave their place. Times have changed and so many avenues are available in TV, radio and in different departments of filmmaking at every place.”
Nihalani cautioned the youngsters about unscrupulous people. “Many people from our film industry have also opened such acting or filmmaking schools, but they don’t even teach basics. They are selling false dreams and ruining the future of our children,” he said.
About acting talent in this part of the country, he said: “The talent that we have in Punjab you will find nowhere else. Superstar Dharmendra’s family in Bollywood is one example. Moreover, Punjabi language, music and songs always have a universal appeal and attract others.”
Nihalani, who had made the blockbuster “Aankhen” with Govinda and Chunkey Pandey, is now planning “Aankhen-II” with director Anees Bazmee.
The ace producer also expressed his anguish over the big corporate houses and international names venturing into filmmaking.
“I have a strong feeling that genuine single producers will soon make a comeback. One cannot be a master of so many things at the same time, he has to concentrate on only one aspect if he wants to succeed,” said Nihalani.
Source:http://beta.thehindu.com/
Speaking about his film journey, Bachchan said that at this age he is portraying only the character roles.
"Now I'm 68-year-old and at this age I'll get only this kind of roles. When I was young and you (the media persons) were growing up, the roles I used to get I used to do them. I don't know if you were inspired by them now due to the age. I do not get a leading man's role and I get character roles. I become Bhoot (Ghost) in some movies and Paa in some. The life will go on like this now," said Bachchan.
Director Ramgopal Varma said, "So it's (the film) my comment on what I feel as a viewer about the media. It's not to tell the media how to do it or not it's just a comment in a specific situation."
Rann also stars Ritesh Deshmukh, Paresh Rawal, Gul Panag and Manisha Koirala.
It is believed that the release date of Rann has been deferred to avoid clash with Anil Sharma's upcoming film Veer starring Bollywood heartthrob Salman Khan in its lead role.
Soruce:http://www.dnaindia.com
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.
Soruce:http://www.bollywoodworld.com/
Ayesha is more amused than exasperated by attempts to put her into the retired actress’ bracket after marriage.
“I’m amazed at the games people play. The other day someone asked me if I’ve started wearing a burqa after marriage,” laughs Ayesha. “Far from feeling clamped, I now have the freedom to do more things than before. My parents-in-law are cool about my business ventures with my husband and my film career.”
“Farhan (her husband) and I went around together for five years before marriage. So there goes the conservative card. Suddenly after we made it official, I hear all kinds of rumours, including one that I’m out of Revathy Varmha’s film and that I’ve been replaced by some other actress.”
Says Ayesha: “I always felt ‘Wanted’ would be the first big hit of my career. Ironical that it should come now after my marriage. And I’ve got more to do in it than the leading lady in a Salman vehicle would be expected to. And why should I give up a dream role like the one in Revathy’s film? She’s new to the Mumbai industry and quite nervous about these controversies.”
In fact, Revathy and Ayesha’s mother are very close friends. “Revathy comes home regularly. We all laugh at the way the casting is being questioned by people who probably have nothing better to do.”
Ayesha also intends to focus on a new business venture. “I started working in films when I was only 15. And I just realised I’ve been at it since then. I need to venture out. It’s time to try out new things in life. Today a young woman has so many opportunities. I’m fortunate to have a name and a face that’s recognisable. I want to use that to my advantage and start a clothes line by the middle of next year.”
Ayesha, her mom and sister Natasha will be partners in the garment business. Says Ayesha: “All three of us are very excited about doing the clothes line. We love fashion. It’s basically for the girls in the family.”
Ayesha’s husband Farhan Azmi, who is a restaurateur and the son of Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi, will be there to help his wife with the clothes line.
Soruce:http://www.bollywoodworld.com/
“Dollar Industries is tipped to spend up to Rs.25 crore for the campaign in the next one year. The new commercials featuring Akshay Kumar are likely to hit the air in the first week of February,” said Krishan Gupta, director of Dollar Industries Ltd, in a press statement.
Akshay says this will be his first endorsement in the knitted innerwear segment.
“This is going to be my first endorsement in the knitted innerwear segment. I am happy to be associated with Dollar Innerwear because there is a perfect fit between Dollar and me, since the brand stands for style of the future generation and I have been always a style statement for younger generation,” he said.
Actor Nana Patekar says he will direct his second Hindi film soon and that he has finalised Deepika Padukone for the lead role.
"Yes, I am directing a film," Nana told reporters at a press meet of his first Kannada film, Yaksha, on Wednesday.
"I have already written the script of the film and have selected Deepika Padukone to play the lead role. I haven't yet finalised other artists and technicians for the film."
"I am going to my native village in Maharashtra in a few days to make preparations for the film. I have not finalised the launch date of the film. But it will be worked out very soon," he added.
Nana wielded the megaphone for the first time for Prahaar that had Madhuri Dixit in the lead role.
The actor, who will be seen in Prakash Jha's political thriller Rajneeti, also said: "I have not signed any new film after Rajneeti."
Nana has completed a 13-days shooting schedule of Yaksha, which is his second South-Indian film after Bommalattam. He played a possessive film director in the thriller that didn't score well at the box-office.
"This Kannada film features me in a special role," said Nana.
Yaksha is being produced by Siddaraju and is directed by debutant director Ramesh Rao.
Actor Yogeesh is playing the lead, while Ruby will be seen as his love interest. Chandrashekhar is the cameraman of the film while Manju Mandavya has written the dialogues.
Soruce;http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=14928269
Bangalore: The development of a 250-acre property near Mumbai is back on track after Essel Infraprojects Pvt. Ltd, which runs two amusement parks in the city, proposed to build a theme park there on Thursday at a rate 143% higher than its base price.
Property consultants said the response to the auction of the Kharghar project showed money was flowing back into the sector after a year of slowdown, and big projects were making a return.
The team of Future City Projects Pvt. Ltd, which includes Essel Infra and Bhushan Power and Steel Ltd, submitted a bid of Rs1,530 crore—the amount that has to be paid upfront for the Rs8,000 crore project.
They beat competition from two other short listed bidders. Indiabulls Real Estate Ltd bid Rs1,059 crore, and a team led by Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd (HCC) and GVK Industries Ltd made a bid of Rs808 crore.
“We are overwhelmed by the response,” said D.L.N. Murthy, general manager of special projects and information technology at City and Industrial Development Corp. (Cidco), which had initiated the bidding in mid-2008.
Cidco and Future City will form a special purpose vehicle, in which the former will be a 26% equity partner. “We should be able to hand over the project contract to the winning bidder by February,” added Murthy.
Future City has proposed to develop the property in Kharghar, some 40km from South Mumbai, around a “Bollywood” theme. It will include an eco park, a large amusement park, 5-star hotels, restaurants, film studios and multiplexes.
The first phase of the project, which involves about 100 acres, is to be completed by 2013. Property consultants said the project’s Navi Mumbai location would also attract visitors from Pune.
Emails and phone calls to Essel Infra by Mint on Thursday went unanswered.
Cidco officials said they were confident that Future City—which pioneered the concept of amusement and water parks in India by building Essel World and Water Kingdom more than a decade ago—would pull it off.
Senior Cidco officials said HCC-GVK had proposed an amusement and leisure-theme, and Indiabulls a knowledge city.
Sanjay Dutt, chief executive of property advisers Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj, said big projects are on their way back, but not at a pace on a par with 2006-07, when the property market was at its peak.
Wales' Lisa Lazarus will make her big screen Bollywood debut on Friday with the cinema release of Indian epic Veer, which means hero.
The 22-year-old from Llanelli got the part after being crowned Miss Universe in 2008 and plays the part of an English princess in the period drama.
"Bollywood is huge in the UK and it was such a challenge to go there and do this," Lazurus told BBC Asian Network.
"I thought if I can conquer this then I can conquer anything."
Her acting abilities helped get her the part but she had to learn to sing and dance for the role.
"The filmmakers were looking for a British girl so they tracked me down and lucky for them I could act so I got the part," she explained.
The lingo wasn't too bad as I had a really good tutor who sat down with me in the nights and went through everything. Having to learn a new language was fun.
"The dance routine was okay as well as it was mainly ballroom dancing but my dress weighed 15 kilos and dancing in that in the 45 degree heat of the desert wasn't much fun."
Lazarus stars opposite Salman Khan - often known as the Brad Pitt of Bollywood - in Veer.
Salman wrote the historic Indian drama which is set in 1875 when the British ruled India and he plays a soldier fighting for independence in colonial times, with some scenes having been shot in the historical city of Bath.
Bond girl
Lazarus, who won Miss Llanelli at the age of 13, said Salman took her "under his wing and taught her everything".
The model appears to have gone down a storm in India as she has already shot her second Bollywood film called Madras, but she has bigger ambitions.
"I'm trying to conquer the United States now," said Lazarus. "I've just returned from Los Angeles where I met some agents and it's really positive. My ultimate dream is to be a Bond girl."
Before she flies back to the US in the summer Lazarus still has her university exams in radiography to complete.
"The course has already taken four years instead of three to do," she said.
"When I'm not glammed up in front of the cameras I'm in hospital clothes doing X-rays on patients so it's a completely different lifestyle."
http://news.bbc.co.uk
Marathi film 'Harishchandrachi Factory', India's official entry for the Oscars, has been voted out in the Foreign Language Film category.
'Harishchandrachi Factory' is Mumbai-based theatre actor-director Paresh Mokashi's debut film that is on the making of 'Raja Harishchandra', India's first full length feature film made in 1913 by the pioneer of Indian cinema Dadasaheb Phalke.
Nine films have been selected for the next round of voting for the 82nd Academy Awards, said a press statement. 65 films had originally qualified in the category. The final list will be announced Feb 2, while the award ceremony will take place March 7.
The films competing for the next round are: 'El Secreto de Sus Ojos', 'Samson & Delilah', 'The World Is Big and Salvation Lurks around the Corner', 'Un Prophte', 'The White Ribbon', 'Ajami', 'Kelin', 'Winter in Wartime', 'The Milk of Sorrow'.
Source: IANS
“It was quite uncool for me to learn biking at 30-plus. This is something that people do much earlier,” Farhan told IANS.
“Initially I didn’t bike because my mother had taken a promise from me, since she was always worried that something will happen. I was quite accident-prone. But it was a requirement in the script to ride a bike; so I learnt it,” he added.
“Karthik Calling Karthik” also features Deepika Padukone and Shefali Shah. Produced by Farhan and Ritesh Sidhwani, the film is directed by Vijay Lalwani.
About the film, the 36-year-old said: “The premise of the film is the life of a character. It’s very incomplete and he is very sad and frustrated. Then he starts getting calls and his life begins to change and through the course of the film you realise what these calls are all about and what’s the price he has to pay for these calls.”
The actor was in the capital and interacted with Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM listeners to promote the film that is slated to hit theatres Feb 26.
Farhan, who earlier acted in films like “Rock On!!” and “Luck By Chance”, will share screen space with Deepika for the first time. He said she is a very hardworking actress.
“It’s been a lot of fun working with Deepika. We got along very well while shooting. She is quite on the ball as far as her work is concerned and quite in tune with her character, constantly wanting to improve herself. For this she works very hard.
“She listens a lot to what the director wants and kind of adapts herself that way. It is nice to see someone relatively young trying to keep improving,” said the actor.
On Deepika looking taller than him in the film, Farhan said he didn’t do anything special to look tall.
“I wore heels and she wore flats,” he joked, quickly adding: “On a serious note, I really didn’t do anything. She definitely is a tall girl, but I didn’t do anything to look taller.”
Farhan, son of lyricist Javed Akhtar, was also quick to reject rumours linking him with the 24-year-old actress. “I don’t know why these things happen and are being said. All I can say is that it’s not true and that’s really about it. We are just great friends, that’s it,” he said.
“Yes, I am directing a film,” Nana told reporters at a press meet of his first Kannada film “Yaksha” here Wednesday.
“I have already written the script of the film and have selected Deepika Padukone to play the lead role. I haven’t yet finalised other artists and technicians for the film.”
“I am going to my native village in Maharashtra in a few days to make preparations for the film. I have not finalised the launch date of the film. But it will be worked out very soon,” he added.
Nana wielded megaphone for the first time for “Prahaar” that had Madhuri Dixit in the lead role.
The actor, who will be seen in Prakash Jha’s political thriller “Rajneeti”, also said: “I have not signed any new film after ‘Rajneeti’.”
Nana has completed 13 days’ shooting schedule of “Yaksha”, which is his second south Indian film after “Bommalattam”. He played a possessive film director in the thriller that didn’t score well at the box office.
“This Kannada film features me in a special role,” said Nana.
“Yaksha” is being produced by Siddaraju and is directed by debutant director Ramesh Rao.
Young actor Yogeesh is playing the lead, while Ruby will be seen as his love interest. Chandrashekhar is the cameraman of the film while Manju Mandavya has written the dialogues.
Soruce:http://www.bollywoodworld.com/
“Ramu (Ram Gopal Varma) wanted my character to be called Harshvardhan Malik. But I told him ‘naam se pehle Vijay laga do, shayad picture chal jaayegi (Prefix the name with Vijay, the movie might work)’,” Amitabh told reporters at a press conference.
The actor was named Vijay in Zanjeer and then subsequently in many of his popular films like “Deewaar”, “Agneepath”, “Don”, “Shahenshah” and “Shaan” among others. In fact, the product launched under Amitabh’s tie-up with Max New York Life Insurance was also called Max Vijay.
Looking charming in a formal black suit, crisp white shirt and a fluorescent green tie, Amitabh was here to promote “Rann”.
He said the media would be proud of the way his character has been etched out in the film, which is an attempt by Ram Gopal Varma to expose the electronic media.
“You (the media) would be proud of Vijay Harshvardhan Malik. He takes media’s side. The nation listens to him. He is a man of integrity and respect.
“Personally, I really respect media. Being in the media means great responsibility, it is a very impressive job and needs tough work. I got a chance to visit TV channels and they are all like pythons – need to be fed 24 hours to be alive,” he said.
The thespian clarified that “Rann” is not a media bashing film.
“The film shows that in the media there is often a conflict between business sensibilities and a person’s conscience. Now does a person compromise on his conscience for the survival of his business or vice-versa is what has been highlighted in the movie,” he said.
“Rann”, which releases Jan 29, also features Riteish Deshmukh, Gul Panag and Paresh Rawal.
Soruce:http://www.bollywoodworld.com/
“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.
Source:http://www.bollywoodworld.com/
New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS) Salman Khan has often been in the news for his relationships and break-ups but the superstar says he is very particular about his commitments - whether personal or professional.
'I'm a very committed person. If it (a personal or official relationship) breaks, it's always the other person who breaks it and not me. I don't interfere that much because it matters a lot to me,' Salman, who is currently dating actress Katrina Kaif, told reporters Tuesday at the FICCI Auditorium here.
'It goes on the same way from my side. When I commit (to someone or doing something), I stick to it,' said the 44-year-old, who is said to have dated Aishwarya Rai, Sangeeta Bijlani and Somy Ali in the past.
The star was in the capital to promote his upcoming film 'Veer', which releases Friday. The epic, which has been written by Salman himself, has been produced by Vijay Galani and Sunil A. Lulla.
It also marks the big screen debut of Zarine Khan in the female lead. Mithun Chakraborty, Sohail Khan and Jackie Shroff also play pivotal roles in the movie.
The macho star is also undeterred with the failures of period dramas in Bollywood, as both Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'Asoka' (2001) and Aamir Khan's 'Mangal Pandey: The Rising' (2005) have been box office duds.
'I've given my best and left it for the audiences to decide if it works or not... if it does, the credit will be everybody's and if it doesn't, then I will take the blame,' he said.
Mumbai, Jan 19 (IANS) It hasn't even been a month to the New Year, and Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor has already swept three awards for his performances in 2009.
While he was named the most popular male actor at the STAR Screen awards, Shahid also won the heartthrob of the nation award at the fifth Apsara Film and Television Producers Guild Awards.
The 28-year-old also walked away with the Editor's choice best actor award at the Stardust awards for his portrayal of Guddu and Charlie - the ruffian with the endearing lisp and the simpleton who stammers respectively - in Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Kaminey'.
Last year saw Shahid's transformation from a chocolate hero to an intense actor.
Though his latest release 'Chance Pe Dance' hasn't been able to pull in a lot of audiences, Shahid is looking forward to good times this year. He will be seen in Parmeet Sethi's untitled movie for Yash Raj Films apart from his father, veteran actor Pankaj Kapoor's 'Masoom'.
Soruce:http://in.movies.yahoo.com/news.html
“The Merchants of Bollywood,” a musical about the Hindi film industry, is set for its first worldwide tour this year. First produced in Sydney in 2005, the musical has had two successful runs in Europe and was well received in Asia and Australia. But the success of “Slumdog Millionaire” has finally helped it unlock the doors to the North American market with a two-week run in Toronto set for October, followed by a two-week run at the New York City Center and a six-week tour in other parts of the United States.
“It’s taken us a long time to get there. Our American partners were always curious and interested in the show, but they weren’t convinced four years ago. ‘Slumdog’ certainly changed that a lot, and I think India also changed this. It keeps on growing and the interest in the country is also growing,” said the musical producer Mark Brady while in Singapore, where the show ran at the Esplanade Theatre until Jan. 17.
The glitzy musical with energetic dance routines and colorful costumes was written and directed by Toby Gough and is loosely based on the real-life story of the Merchant family dynasty, whose members have been prominent choreographers and filmmakers since the beginning of the Hindi film industry in the 1920s. The $3 million production will run at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts on Feb. 2-11, and then tour Australia starting on Feb. 17, before taking the stage of the Peacock Theatre in London for a three-week run starting mid-May.
Taking inspiration from the life of Vaibhavi Merchant, the musical’s choreographer, the plot uses the conflict between the young Ms. Merchant and her grandfather about her career choice as an opportunity to retrace the history of the Hindi film industry. (These are not names given to the characters. )
The actor Tony Bakshi, who has been on the production since the start, believes the musical really shows how the Bollywood system works, giving glimpses into the work conditions in the Indian film industry, which churns out more than 800 films a year.
“The Merchants of Bollywood” is pegged as the first “authentic” Bollywood musical: the production was entirely rehearsed in Bombay’s Film City studios (home of Bollywood cinema), and has a 40-member cast, all regularly working in the industry.
“I could have produced this in Sydney or London, but authenticity for us was very important from day one,” Mr. Brady said.
Mr. Brady said he got the idea of an Indian musical in 2002, while having dinner with Mr. Gough in Auckland, New Zealand. They were launching their Cuban production “Lady Salsa” at the time and, Mr. Brady recalled, “We were in an Indian restaurant called Bollywood. They were playing clips of glamorous actresses and it grabbed our attention.
“As producers we’re always interested in interesting cultural products and India for us had all the right ingredients to produce a unique show,” Mr. Brady added. “It’s an ancient culture with a diverse population, incredible music, great colors. Plus this giant film industry, which has been flying stealth for quite a long time. We also thought there was a huge undercurrent of interest in India that was going to break through. At the time, India was rising economically, not only with trade but also as a tourism destination.”
Songs and dances are of course essential to the musical, which incorporates all sorts of different styles of Indian dancing, from classical dance performed in a temple set setting to the folkloric dances of Rajasthan, an Indian state, and the contemporary dance forms of Bollywood, including disco.
“Bollywood dancing is energetic, it’s vibrant,” said Ms. Merchant, who earned the sobriquet the Princess of Romance for her choreography of romantic scenes in Bollywood movies.
“It’s about expressing yourself and letting go,” she added. “There is no form to it, but a lot of soul. It’s meant to titillate the audience; it’s a more commercial form of expression where you’re using your body. It’s very sensuous.”
By contrast, classical dancing is highly disciplined, Ms. Merchant said.
“We have seven forms of classical dancing in India and each one has its set patterns in terms of body movements. What binds them all together is that they deal with a lot of lines that take years of training to master,” she said.
Classical dancing is also very close to yoga, Ms. Merchant added, in that “it’s very meditating, trying to connect with that supreme power, using your body, putting your body through pain. There is a lot of rhythmic, definite footwork, very strong and grounded footwork.”
She continued: “In the show, we cover all sort of dancing that also goes with the narrative. That’s very important, because as a film choreographer, I’ve learned that in order for the story to work, the music and dance should also push the story forward.”
With the 2010 Commonwealth Games set to take place in Delhi during October and a huge Bollywood content programmed for the opening ceremony, Mr. Brady believes the world’s interest in India is set to rise further. Over the long term, is hopeful that his musical can find a permanent home in London, New York or even Las Vegas.
“Bollywood is constantly evolving and growing, as is India,” he said, “and the show is caught up in that momentum.”
Source:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/arts/19iht-JESSOP.html
