Mumbai masala in Toronto

Sixty per cent of Bollywood's upcoming blockbusters are being shot on foreign locales. The pre liberalization Hindi film industry made occasional films with a foreign peg. Movies like An Evening in Paris and Purab aur Pashchim stood out in good measure because audiences could look forward to ‘seeing' exotic places. Today no one blinks an eyelid when Kajol keeps the karva chauth in London (Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham) or Sunny Deol does the balle balle in Toronto (Yamla Pagla Deewana).

It is a phenomenon explained in part by the winds of globalization that are sending increasing numbers of Indians to live abroad. On the face of it this would justify the telling of immigrant stories. However film scholar Madulika Sengupta delves deeper and says, “The 20 million strong Indian diaspora, with an estimated combined wealth of over US $300 billion has made the overseas territory a factor in all considerations. Bollywood financiers are more interested in Indians buying (relatively expensive) tickets in dollars and pounds than in creatively exploring their lives.”

This assertion is borne out by several examples of Hindi film characters without any mooring to their geographical context. For instance, the bubble like world of New York Punjabis in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna could easily have been transported to London or Melbourne with no impact on the narrative. In this film and many like it there is virtually no meaningful reference to living in the U.S. or interaction with American born characters.

At another level shooting overseas also fits in snugly with Bollywood's traditional role as a peddler of dreams. India with its pockets of beauty cannot match the eye candy aspect of vast western expanses. Sengupta adds, “Smaller budget (less formulaic) films are shot in India but the blockbuster producers usually make a beeline for the West. A generation that seeks the antiseptic world of a shopping mall for leisure doesn't usually like to see the clutter of the average Indian street on screen.”
Modern facilities

That would seem like an overly pessimistic critique to Sabbas Joseph of Wizcraft International. As director of a leading event management company he has successfully assisted linkages between Indian film producers and foreign city administrations. Wizcraft is also helping mount the upcoming International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards in Toronto as part of a drive to project the city as a destination for Hindi film projects. Joseph says, “Shooting Bollywood films abroad is a mutually beneficial relationship. Apart from providing multiple scenic landscapes, they offer all the facilities of a modern global city.” Jim Nickel, the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada in India who was present at the recently held IIFA press conference spoke persuasively on the theme. “Canada welcomes the Indian film industry with open arms. We promise to provide a cinema-friendly environment with all manner of technical assistance,” he said. Actor Anil Kapoor who was also present on the occasion seconded this emotion by saying, “I have been very impressed by the warmth of the Canadian people. There is a high level of production values and scale of project the country provides.”

There are other benefits to both — overseas exhibition and shooting. The income earned abroad is tax-free, since export earnings of cinema and television programmes are tax-exempt. (Incidentally, 30 per cent of the overseas revenue of Indian films comes from North America.) In terms of shooting, producers are relieved to have single window clearance and not grapple with the endless bureaucracy that is a staple scourge in India. The incentive of luxurious recreation (and a reprieve from the Indian summer) can ensure that elusive stars agree to bulk shooting dates. Travel and production costs are sometimes cheaper given the tight schedules at international locations.
Benefits for hosts

The trend has a pay off for the host nation as well. Apart from the revenue, they appreciate the fact that the locations used tend to become popular tourist destinations for Indian travellers. Switzerland was one of the first countries to experience an increased flow of Indian tourist traffic due to exposure in Hindi movies — the Swiss Alps being a popular film location. Following Switzerland's experience, other countries such as the U.K., Australia, Singapore, Thailand, the UAE (Dubai), Austria, South Africa and Egypt joined the bandwagon. Today Canada looks set to lead the pack. Apart from various other incentives, it recently named a street after the iconic Indian showman, Raj Kapoor. It has also enrolled actor Akshay Kumar as its tourist brand ambassador.

Creative collaboration or relationship of convenience, call it what you will. With both sides wooing each other, this story seems to have all the makings of a Bollywood style “happy ending”.

the hindu

Sharman replaces 'Fido Dido' as 7UP brand ambassador

New Delhi, March 21 (IANS) Bollywood actor Sharman Joshi has replaced the cartoon character of Fido Dido as the face of PepsiCo's aerated drink 7UP.

Sharman has been signed up for two years, and sources said he has been paid Rs.5 crore for the endorsement deal.

The campaign for the drink, 'Gussa Hatao, Chill Machao', involves two television commercials and will focus on simple issues of anger management.

Sharman said he was excited about the commercials, which will be aired by the end of March.

'I have always enjoyed drinking 7UP, hence I believe this endorsement was meant to be. I am glad to be a part of this interesting and exciting campaign, which delivers a message I personally believe in, as anger leads to nothing but regret,' Sharman said in a press statement.

The actor, who has featured in films like 'Rang De Basanti', 'Golmaal', 'Life...In A Metro', 'Sorry Bhai', '3 Idiots' and 'Toh Baat Pakki', also admits he was quite upbeat about the campaign as he was getting to shoot with his '3 Idiots' director Rajkumar Hirani.

A PepsiCo spokesperson says Sharman has been roped in for his calm attitude.

'Sharman, with his calm, unruffled and extremely affable personality, is a perfect match to highlight the brand's positioning of a cool, refreshing drink,' said Alpana Titus, category marketing director (flavoured carbonated drinks), PepsiCo India Beverages.

Sharman's forthcoming projects include 'Ferrari Ki Sawaari' with Deepika Padukone, produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

Release dates don't matter for good films: Abhishek Bachchan

Although April is being considered a risky month to release films because of cricket tournaments like World Cup and IPL and school exams on top of that, Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan is unperturbed even though two of his films are being releasing next month.

April 1 will see murder mystery Game hitting the marquee and then April 22 is the turn of thriller Dum Maaro Dum.

'I really believe that it's something we've just made up for ourselves. If you make a quality product, no matter what period of the year it is. People will watch it and we have hundreds of examples to prove that.

'I think its completely to do with the fact that whether we can excite the audience enough. We are blessed that our audiences are so passionate about films. Its almost a part of their daily life where it is very hard to resist going and watching a film,' said Abhishek.

'We have more than a billion people in this country. Not everyone is going to watch cricket. Even if half of them watch cricket the other half will watch the movie,' he added.

The actor also admitted that he is very excited about both his films.

'Game is a film that i'm very excited about because it's my first film with two very dear friends of mine (Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidwani). We've been waiting very long for the right script to come, I've really enjoyed making this film. It's a genre that I really enjoy. It's a whodunit murder mystery and I always wanted to do such a film and we have shot at some really nice places,' he revealed.

'As well as Dum Maaro Dum, which is made by Rohan Sippy is also a great film. It's our third film together.

'Both films are exciting. As an actor my job is to act in the film. The release dates are not decided by me. As far as i'm concerned. Two films which are very close to me are releasing in a month, so i'm excited,' he added.

Abhishek, also ruled out the news that there are similarities between the two films.

'The only similarity between the two films is that I'm in them and April being the month of release. No other parallel at all,' he said.

Singing with Enrique was great: Sunidhi Chauhan

Bollywood singer Sunidhi Chauhan, known for her versatility, has gone global and recorded a track with Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias. She termed the experience 'great' but felt there is not much difference in song recording in India and abroad.

'The experience was great. I have already recorded the song. Unfortunately I can't talk much about it. But it's in the process and will be out very soon,' said Sunidhi.

She and Enrique sang I Can Feel You, which has both Hindi and English lyrics. Sunidhi has also shot for a video with the Spanish singer for the song that is slated to be out this month.

The 27-year-old Indian singer has belted out chartbuster songs like Ruki ruki (Mast), Dhoom machale (Dhoom), Deedar de (Dus), Beedi (Omkara), Sajnaji vari vari (Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.), Chor bazari (Love Aaj Kal) and most recently Sheila Ki Jawani (Tees Maar Khan).

Asked if she found any difference while recording a song internationally and when in India, Sunidhi, who wants to collaborate with singer Mariah Carey someday, said: 'There is not much difference.'

'The difference is in the song and the atmosphere. It's a nice experience. But when it comes to singing, it's all the same,' she added.

Sunidhi has been in Bollywood for more than a decade now, but the entry of new singers in the industry doesn't scare her. She believes that being good at work is the survival tactic.

'It's not tough to survive in the industry. You just have to sing better than everyone else and you survive. It's a simple equation. You give your 100 percent time and discipline, and work so hard that people see and appreciate,' she said.

'As long as you know that working hard is the mantra, you will not find it hard to survive in the industry,' she added.

The singer made her debut as a reality show judge in Indian Idol last year.

So any plans of taking up acting like Sonu Nigam and Himesh Reshammiya?

'I did TV, I've done a couple of videos and I'm quite happy with that. When it comes to acting, I believe that unless I'm sure of what I want to do, I don't get into it,' Sunidhi said.

'For acting, I still haven't got that inner voice. So I wouldn't like to go ahead with it now. But as soon as I feel I'm ready, I wont mind doing it,' she added.

'I believe in instincts, whatever my instinct says, I do that,' Sunidhi said.

And how does she feel when she looks back at her journey till now?

'To be really frank, I don't look back to analyse how the journey has been because I feel that the journey has begun now. It's not that I have done a lot in life. I need to do lot more. So I don't relate to that feeling of looking back.'

Pooja Bedi plays Egyptian princess in Telugu movie

Actress Pooja Bedi is upbeat about her comeback to Telugu cinema. Nearly two decades after featuring in Chittemma Mogudu alongside Mohan Babu, she will now be seen as an Egyptian princess in Junior NTR-starrer Shakti.

With a budget of Rs.45 crore, the film is being touted as the costliest movie in the Telugu film industry.

'I've just finished a Telugu film with Junior NTR. It's called Shakti. It is one of the biggest budget Telugu films, and I play an Egyptian princess with supernatural powers in it,' said Pooja.

Without divulging too many details, the 40-year-old said the movie will be 'high on sci-fi and special effects'.

Shakti has actress Ileana D'Cruz in the lead, and features other Bollywood actors Jackie Shroff, Sonu Sood and Manjari Phadnis.

Best remembered for her Marilyn Monroe skirt act in 'Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander', Pooja has been missing from the big screen for a long time. She is more active on small screen and participated in reality shows and even got to host her own chat show - 'Just Pooja'.

She participated in dance reality shows Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 1 and Nach Baliye 3. She tried daredevil in the first season of Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi.

Recently she featured in Sony TV's Maa Exchange, a twisted Indian version of internationally popular show Wife Swap. Now she is keen on more reality shows and a comeback with her talk show.

'I am getting more offers for reality shows. Let's see what I decide. But I am very hopeful to return with my own talk show where I can be a relationship counsellor for the general people. I think I can handle it really well,' said Pooja.

Pooja, daughter of actor Kabir Bedi and late Odissi dancer Protima Bedi, is a single mother to daughter Aalia, 13 and a son Omar, 10. She divorced her husband Farhan Furniturewalla in 2002, after an eight-year long marriage, and admits it is tough being a single mom.

'My kids were very young when my husband and I took divorce. When I went to (comedian) Rajeev Nigam's house as part of Maa Exchange, I saw him bond with his son. At that point, I did miss the father-child bonding in my house and for a moment I felt that I need a husband now,' she said.

Unfortunately, the feeling of settling down was short-lived for Pooja.

'It has been really tough being a single mother. You have to take care of the children - financially, emotionally, so you have to work hard and also spend time with them. It wasn't easy but I am proud of the way my children have shaped up - mature and well-mannered. Their scores are wonderful, the walls of their rooms are full of medals and certificates and they enjoy all sports. Most of all, they respect me and their elders. So I have no complains!' she said.

Shah Rukh, Shahid and Priyanka set to rock Durban

Durban is in for some real Bollywood flavour when stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra will groove to their hit numbers Sunday at an event to celebrate 150 years of India-South Africa friendship.

The concert, which promises to bring together the world of cricket and entertainment on a common platform, will be hosted by actor Anil Kapoor.

This friendship concert is an initiative by AAMEDIA, a South African corporate, and Cricket South Africa. It is being directed and executed by Wizcraft International Entertainment and Cineyug Productions.

'Wizcraft has had a very warm and welcoming relationship with South Africa. The second IIFA Weekend and Awards were held in Sun City in 2001 and we returned for the fourth edition of the same in 2003 in Johannesburg forging a strong relationship between the two countries,' Wizcraft director Sabbas Joseph said in a statement.

'The hospitality extended to us was touching and overwhelming. South Africa holds a big place in our hearts,' he said.

'We have made new friends and fond memories and now an opportunity to come back and produce a concert in Durban. Celebrating Indian cinema and cricket is truly a privilege,' he added.

The event will be held in commemoration of the arrival of the first Indian labourers in 1860 to work on the sugarcane plantations in South Africa.

The concert will also honour Sachin Tendulkar and Makhaya Ntini - two great stalwarts of cricket from India and South Africa respectively.

Several South African artistes are also scheduled to perform at the event, including Liquideep, Locnville, Drum Cafe, HHP, and 1st Project.

Wizcraft is looking at many other events in 2011. It is set to produce a concert for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in Sri Lanka and also has been selected to execute the opening ceremony of the event to be co-hosted by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.

It will also produce the 6th Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards Jan 11.

JOKER to be first 3D Bollywood film

Shirish Kunder the multi-talented husband of director Farah Khan has confirmed that they are embarking on making the first Bollywood film in 3D, called JOKER. The lead male role for the film will be played by Bollywood action star, Akshay Kumar.

Kunder confirmed on his Twitter account that he is making the film, he tweeted, ‘Yes we are making JOKER in 3D.’

The film is Kunder’s dream project and he has delayed it until he felt the time was right to start the project. Most people think that JOKER is going to be a superhero movie but it’s not the case. Originally it was scripted to be a superhero movie but Shrish said he has changed the concept.

Speaking about the changes to the film, Shrish said in a recent interview: “I have changed it and reworked the entire story of the film. The new Joker, since I had the rights to the name, will be like any other commercial Bollywood pot boiler, but one thing for sure is that Joker will differ in terms of its innovation, unlike anything what we have seen till date.”

Shirish has been inspired by the success of James Cameron’s Hollywood blockbuster ‘Avatar’ and saw lots of scope to utilise the techniques for the visuals of JOKER in terms of live animation.

However, Shirish is not looking at using CGI (computer generated imagery) for the film as used in Avatar. The way Avatar was made is not fully applicable to Kunder’s project. “Using the camera James Cameron developed will not be a suitable option. For my film, we will use the available stereoscopic camera since with that we can shoot the entire project in 3D, like shooting a normal film.” he said talking about the camera options.

When Kunder was asked about why he chose to do a movie specifically in 3D, he replied, “Coming to the whole 3D aspect of the film, if we look back it was always there, but seldom used for the sole reason that we didn’t have the right technology to screen and view the film.”

I won't get provoked by marriage rumours: Katrina Kaif

Mumbai, After spending six years in Bollywood, British-born actress Katrina Kaif has learnt to handle rumours and criticisms. While she rubbished reports of her marriage to Salman Khan, she also denied speculation about her sister Isabel entering the Hindi film industry soon.

"It's complete rubbish and the paper (Saamna) is denying it. When I marry, the world will know. Right now I've no such plans," Katrina told IANS.

Commenting on speculation about her relationship with Salman, she said: "That's bound to happen. If you're a public figure and if neither of the party is clarifying anything, there's bound to be a lot of speculation and unnecessary comment. But I'm not going to get provoked into giving explanations. Because once they start, they never end."

Asked about a picture that showed her entering her birthday party last year, Katrina said: "That wasn't when I entered the party. The picture was taken while we were leaving. I was tired and, yes, I was disappointed. I didn't want it to be turned into tamasha (drama)."

Salman and Shah Rukh Khan had a war of words at the birthday bash that was widely reported in the media.

Talking about her sister Isabel's Bollywood plans, Katrina said: "That was something completely blown out of proportion. At the moment she's too young to take up an acting career. In fact, my sister is off to drama school. Something I never got to do, and I wish I had. Not being a trained actress bothers me and I'm happy that my sister is taking that route.

"I realise I can't be talked about only for my work. You can't have things exactly the way you want them to be."

Although Salman and Katrina are a real life couple, they have not been able to form a saleable pair on screen. Katrina had hoped "Yuvvraaj" would work so that she and Salman would be a saleable pair and filmmakers would sign her with Salman as eagerly as they do with Akshay Kumar.

But the film sank without a trace at the box office. Apparently, a major drawback was that director Subhash Ghai kept writing the script as the film progressed.

"I'd like to stick to a bound script from now on. The time has come for the entire film industry to get completely organised. A script helps both the director and the actor to connect with each other and with the plot. I'm not going to be shy about insisting on a script," the actress said.

Katrian admitted she had very little space in "Yuvvraaj". "Yeah, that was something I grew gradually aware of. I didn't have that much to do. But that's okay."

However, not attending acting school doesn't make Katrina feel inadequate as an actress.

"I think I had to undertake my own journey and do things my own way. I learnt on the job. I think I've acquired knowledge of the camera on-camera. So no regrets about not attending any acting school. If I had regrets about any aspect of my career, I'd be the most ungrateful person on the planet. Look at the level of acceptance I've received in so little time. Some people don't get this kind of success after working all their lives," she said.

The 24-year-old ventured into Bollywood in 2003 and was instantly written off because of her strong British accent. But after five years of hard work and determination, she is one of the most sought after actresses in the film world.

After the failure of "Yuvvraaj", Katrina is no longer considered a lucky mascot for a film, but she is nonchalant about it.

"I think that's just people talking a lot of nonsense. Actors far more intelligent and talented than me have had to deal with ups and downs. Sooner or later I'd have had to deal with failure. No point brooding about it. I've learnt my lessons from the 'Yuvvraaj' experience," said Katrina.

Between 2007 and 2008 Katrina delivered six back-to-back hits - "Namastey London", "Apne", "Partner", "Welcome", "Race" and "Singh Is Kinng".


Source: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1233655901&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&

Adlabs creates record in 2K digital movie screening

Sep 25 Mumbai, (IANS) Adlabs Films Ltd, a part of the Reliance - Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG), has crossed a milestone by having 10,000 movie screenings in 2K digital format since the process was launched in April this year.
These screenings included Bollywood, regional as well as Hollywood movies shown in BIG Digital 3D format. 2K digital format refers to images with 2048 horizontal pixel resolution. These images are sharper than usual images. The record was achieved with the evening screening of Shyam Benegal's "Welcome to Sajjanpur" at the Imax Wadala, which is Mumbai's first multiplex to be converted into a 2K digital cinema.Adlabs was India's first cinema chain to start screening movies in 2K digital format by using Hollywood standard DC I-grade projectors and servers. "In fact, Adlabs was the world's first cinema operator to commercially distribute movies in digital format through optic fibre cable (OFC)," claimed Patrick Von Sychowski, chief operating officer of Adlabs Cinema.Movies are encoded in at Adlabs Digital Cinema Mastering Facility at the Film City in Goregaon here and then sent over 200 Mbps connection to its Content Distribution and Logistic (CDL) hub at the Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City (DAKC) in New Mumbai.From the DAKC hub, the contents are sent further via dedicated 100 Mbps OFC to cinemas as far as Ahmedabad. OFC allows for fastest delivery of digital cinema movies."Adlabs' Digital Cinema Mastering facility at the Film City in Mumbai is Asia's first such facility to have received the international Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) accreditation," Sychowski said.

source: www.bollywoodworld.com

Shah Rukh turns property developer in UAE

Sep 18 Dubai, (IANS) Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is now trying a new role as a property developer, conceptualising a series of buildings in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), an entertainment website reported here.
Khan's first project is called Shah Rukh Khan Boulevard and is located on the island of Al Dana in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE-based website Masala reported.Covering an area of 1,700 sq km, Ras Al Khaimah is among the five emirates that form the northern emirates of the UAE and lies along the border of Oman."Our inquiries have revealed that the superstar, who has been lying low since that July 17 tiff with Salman Khan, will be in Dubai to announce the project at the real estate expo City Scape (in Dubai), to be held from Oct 6 to 9," the report said. The cluster of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments are being designed by well-known architect Toni Ashai and Shah Rukh has associated himself with the project through TSA International Investments, a leading real estate financial consultancy in the UAE.According to the report, buyers have been invited to offer refundable 'expression of interest' cheques for the apartments, but sales will begin only after the official launch by the King Khan Oct 20, before his 'Temptation Reloaded' show in Dubai. Khan already is associated with the UAE'e leading real estate developer Nakheel and owns a house on the posh Palm Jumeirah manmade island off the coast of the Dubai.Though Bollywood actors have earlier endorsed real estate projects in the UAE, this is the first time that a celebrity would actually be developing a property himself, the report said.

source: www.bollywoodworld.com

Bollywood

Bollywood (Hindi: बॉलीवूड), is the informal term popularly used for Mumbai-based Hindi-language film industry in India. Bollywood is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the Indian film industry. Bollywood is one of the largest film producers in the world.

The name is a portmanteau of Bombay (the former name for Mumbai) and Hollywood, the center of the American film industry. However, unlike Hollywood, Bollywood does not exist as a real physical place. Though some deplore the name, arguing that it makes the industry look like a poor cousin to Hollywood, it seems likely to persist and now has its own entry in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Bollywood is commonly referred to as Hindi cinema, even though Hindustani, understood as the colloquial base common to both Hindi and Urdu, might be more accurate. The use of poetic Urdu words is fairly common. There has been a growing presence of Indian English in dialogue and songs as well. It is not uncommon to see films that feature dialogue with English words and phrases, even whole sentences. There is a growing number of films made entirely in English.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Source: wikipedia.org