I Get Depressed When People Try To Pull Me Down

Kareena Kapoor Picture

Mumbai, July 22 (IANS) Kareena Kapoor admits she gets upset when uncharitable remarks are made about her or her performance. Though the actress doesn’t mind healthy criticism, she isn’t amused when comments are made without any provocation or reason.

“I have realised over a period of time that the higher you go, more and more people will try to pull you down. I used to hear about this from my sister (Karisma) but am experiencing this first hand now. It isn’t really funny actually,” Kareena told IANS.

Kareena was obviously referring to a section of the media coming down heavily on her since the release of “Kambakkht Ishq”.

“Well, the movie has released, done well and it’s time to move on to newer things. Critics had things to say about the film and it’s okay if they didn’t like the film. In any case, audiences had their own take on the film and they made the film a success. It’s all balanced out at the end of the day,” she said.

Some critics did feel that the “Kambakkht Ishq” content was too abusive at places.

“That continues to beat me,” she said in an amused tone. “Come on, it was just a movie. We were not developing any rocket science there. However, I guess some people did take it all personally and equated ‘Kambakkht Ishq’ to World War III,” said Kareena.

She can’t be immune to criticism though, isn’t it?

“Yes, I do tend to get upset and depressed when people try to pull me down. Sometimes it just comes from nowhere and you end up feeling that what did you really do so wrong to be facing such criticism.

“But then I understand that there could be a phase in one’s life when you get attacked from all corners. It’s fine because I know it will pass,” said the actress who is looking forward to the release of “Qurbaan” before year-end.

She is happy though that she has a loyal set of friends, family members and supporters around her who help her keep her chin up.

“And then of course there is Saif,” she perked up. “He has been around for so long and keeps me happy and smiling. Yes, there are detractors, but then there are supporters as well. After seeing Bollywood business closely for so long, I try not to take things too seriously.”

Her “Tashan” didn’t do well at the box office, but Kareena has had impressive releases over the last few years like “Omkara”, “Jab We Met”, “Golmaal Returns” and now “Kambakkht Ishq” doing well at the box office. In between, she also had a special appearance in another box office winner “Don – The Chase Begins Again”.

“Yes, thankfully it has been a nice run. I’m now really looking forward to ‘Qurbaan’, ‘Main Aur Mrs. Khanna’ and ‘3 Idiots’.”

Saif: Working In Rensil’s Film Has Made Me More Religious

Saif: Working In Rensil’s Pic

Saif Ali Khan revealed that working as a Islamic fundamentalist in Rensil D’Silva’s Qurbaan.

Saif says, “Yes, I play an Islamic fundamentalist while Vivek Oberoi plays the more moderate Muslim.”

“The role has not only made me more politically aware, it has also made me more religious. I knew a lot of things about Islam. But I was always more spiritual than religious. Working in Rensil’s film has made me know more about the religion. I did a lot of reading on Islam during this film. I always believed in the higher power.”

“The one most decisive thing that I learnt had to do with Allah – we tend to presume that to be the Muslim god. But Allah is the Arab word for the same god, or the one true god. That, I thought, was a wonderful thing to learn while playing this character.

“All religions believe in the oneness of god. So what’s all the fighting about? Whether it’s Christianity, Islam or Judaism, many of the religions have fought a holy war at one time or another. It’s been a part of religious history.”
Saif is playing a negative character in the flick, he says, “It’s the most politically relevant character I’ve played. Though my Langda Tyagi in ‘Omkara’ was a political creature, his politics was subverted. In Rensil’s film, I play the jehadi as a very real and suave gentleman, dressed in very dapper clothes like a college professor, and hence more frightening.”

Deepika Padukone Looks Ugly In Picture

A Telugu Film Titled Love 4ever

Deepika Padukone who is known for her style statement in real as well as in reel shocked her audience when she appeared very awful in an item number done in a Telugu film titled Love 4ever. Her hair styling and make-up was done in such an amateur manner that she looked very atrocious in the song.
Interestingly, days back her item number was reported to be one of its kinds and it was also said that Deepika was looking hot and sexy like never before. But the result appeared to be just opposite.
Deepika debuted with a Kannada film, ‘Aishwarya’ but this is her first item number in a south film. Deepika Padukone said that she had accepted the song as it is very crucial and the story moves forward with her song. Directed by Jayant, the film has two lead debutantes.
Deepika’s dance number has been choreographed by Ahmed Khan at a Hyderabad studio.

Imran Khan Says That Like His Uncle He Too Is A Perfectionist.

Imran Khan Says That Like His Uncle

What do Aamir Khan and Imran Khan have in common apart from their bloodline? The younger Khan says that like his uncle he too is a perfectionist.

“Aamir is one of India’s finest actors. Though he doesn’t agree that he is a perfectionist, he just likes to work hard… it is a good thing. Even I like working hard, so I’m a lot like him professionally,” Imran told IANS in an interview.

“I feel that if I am putting my name, face, energy, talent and time into something – it should turn out to be the best. If I’m associated with something – be it a film or an event, I like to do whatever I can to make it a success. At the end of the day, everyone should strive for perfection,” he added.

At 26, Imran is quite a mature decision maker considering his criteria for choosing his films.

“I don’t go by banners. I go by what interests me and appeals to me. At times it’s the script itself. I chose ‘Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na’ for its simple, cute, romantic and comic feel. Then I chose ‘Kidnap’ for its action. Now I have done ‘Luck’ after which I’m doing a romantic comedy again to break the monotony. So whatever excites me, I do it,” he said.

In “Luck”, Imran has performed death-defying stunts and has starred opposite his childhood friend, Shruthi Haasan who is making her Bollywood debut with the movie. Releasing July 24, the action-thriller also stars Sanjay Dutt, Mithun Chakraborty and Ravi Kissen, apart from others.

It was Imran only who suggested Shruthi’s name for the female lead to director Soham Shah.

“I’ve known Shruthi since we were 10 years old. We have grown up together and know each other way too well. Soham was very sure he wanted a new girl for ‘Luck’. And since I had seen a lot of girls during the screen tests for ‘Jaane Tu…’, I told him — ‘Dude, you’re going to have a tough time finding one.’

“He also wanted someone who could do her own stunts. I just thought of Shruthi not knowing if she wanted to act or not. But then she came down to Mumbai and it worked,” he narrated.

According to Imran, Shruthi is “quite serious about her work”.

“Shruthi used to enter the sets with a serious look on her face. She is very serious about her work. But so am I. At times it was hard to act opposite her because she knows me inside out,” he said.

After “Luck”, Imran will be seen in “Delhi Belly” and “Seven Days in Paris”. He has also signed up for Dharma Productions’ “I Don’t Believe In Love Stories”, in which he will share screen space with Sonam Kapoor.

Sameera Ready For More Pictures

Sameera Ready For More Wallpapers

No Bollywood offers, no problem. That is what seems to be Sameera Reddy’s philosophy. The actress who has created a niche in Kollywood through films like Varanam Aayiram is planning to do more films in Tamil. She has also expressed a desire to do a film opposite Rajnikanth. She seems to be spurred by Aishwariya Rai’s success, who is currently doing Endhiran with Rajni.

In the meanwhile Sameera is also approaching Tollywood producers also to do more roles in Telugu films also. Sameera has just one film on floor in Bollywood at this point of time and she intends to finish it soon and shift base to Chennai. Let us wish Sameera all the best in these new trials.

Bipasha’s sexy role inspired by Jolie’s ‘Tomb Raider’ in new film

Bipasha’s sexy role inspired by Jolie’s Pic

Angelina Jolie’s `desi` counterpart Bipasha Basu is all set to scorch the screen and tantalize the cine-goers provocatively in his new film, which is said to be inspired by ‘Tomb Raider’.

And she also has an international co-star for company – Billy Zane of ‘Titanic’ fame. Not only Bips has a challenging role, she is fortunate to be directed by the famous animator David Silverman in the film.
Produced by Smita Thackeray, the romantic thriller will go on floors on July 25. The film also features Rajvirr as the second lead in the film. A source revealed to a news daily, “At the moment, they are doing photo shoots with Bipasha and Rajvirr. Bipasha`s role is along the lines of Angelina Jolie`s ‘Tomb Raider’. Her character is immensely sexy at the same time very mature and intense.”

The film will be shot entirely in Kodaikanal. Billy Zane seen as the villain in Titanic and later in the ‘Mummy’ series had a meeting with Thackeray. He will soon be arriving in India for the film. “There were reports that Bipasha and Billy were to do a film a few months back but now that Smita Thackeray has locked in both the actors, she plans to make an official announcement of the film,” a source added. The film, which is a love triangle, is touted to have explicit love scenes and lot of red-hot masala. Let’s see whether `desi` Bips can beat Jolie’s sexy act!

Battle of Bollywood Giants- Bachchan Vs Khan Vs Kapoor

Bachchan Vs Khan Vs Kapoor

It is going to be a battle worth a watch as three biggies are all set to clash on the Republic Day weekend. Amitabh Bachchan’s Rann, Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots and Ranbir Kapoor’s Rajneeti are slated now to release on January 22nd 2010.

Ramu’s Rann was earlier planned for October 2nd release date but following the censorship issues about his Jana Gana song he seems to have decided to push the release ahead. Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots starring Aamir, Kareena Kapoor, Madhavan and Sharman Joshi was slated for a December 25th 2009 release date but again with the dates shuffling post the two months strike, it won’t be possible for Aamir to make a Christmas Day hat-trick. Rajneeti on the other hand was always slated for a January 22nd release date. This Prakash Jha film is carrying excellent reports and also stars Katrina Kaif, Ajay Devgan, Nana Patekar and Arjun Rampal in it.

A trade insider tells us, “It will be battle royale no doubt about it even if one of these films chicken out. Each film has its strong points and worthy contenders.”

Another trade analyst says, “Though they may clash into each other, with the extended weekend they would get with the Republic Day holiday each one will manage to get their required space. But what a feast it would be for the audience!”

Katrina In Desi Version Picture

Katrina In Desi Version

Firoz Nadiadwala is pairing with director Anees Bazmee to make a desi version of Hangover after buying it’s rights.

The original hangover flick is about four guys who attend a 24 hour stag party in LA only to wake up with the worst hangover of their life and realize that the groom has gone missing.

A source reveals, “Firozbhai loved the script and the film and immediately got into the process of acquiring the Hindi rights of the film. In fact, he has also been casting for the film on the sly. Abhishek Bachchan will play the role played by Bradley Cooper and Paresh Rawal will step into the shoes of Zach Galifianakis.

Katrina Kaif will play the role of the fiancée. The film will start early next year.”

Director,Anees Bazmee confirmed the information, It’s true. I am shooting in South Africa and Sanjay Dutt and I have been discussing the film.

I loved the film and Sanjay is very eager to do it too. Even Ritesh Deshmukh and Abhishek Bachchan have been finalised. I am shooting No Problem in Durban, once I am free of that, I will start scripting the film,” said Anees.

Rani Mukherjee Turns To God Picture

Rani Mukherjee Turns To God

One has often heard of Govinda’s obsession for puja’s and superstitions but now we hear that Rani Mukherjee has gone the same way. She is constantly hanging on to superstitions and rituals to keep her anxieties at bay if our sources’ claims are to be believed.

Rani Mukherjee had been going through bad times. Rani’s father was also not keeping well. However, things are looking upbeats since her next, the Yash Raj Films’ production Dil Bole Hadippa opposite Shahid Kapoor is all set for release.

The actress, who was at the peak of her career a few years ago with releases like Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black, Yash Raj’s Veer Zaara and Karan Johar’s Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, suddenly seems to have come up against a wall. Her talent is not really in question, but her luck and choice of films is.
After Black, instead of going for a variety of roles which would showcase her talent, Rani Mukherjee chose to stick to Yash Raj banners alone – with films like Laaga Chunri Mein Daag and Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. Bhansali’s Saawariya did nothing to improve matters. The actress has sought divine help to overcome all the obstacles.
Rani is believed to have undertaken a fast on every Thursday for 40 weeks, followed by a pooja at the Sai Baba temple in Shirdi. The actress has already been at it for the last three months. We just hope for her sake that it all works out fine for her. But things just may change and maybe Rani will again become the queen of hearts and the box office.

I Really Want ‘Love Aaj Kal’ Break all Records: kareena kapoor

kareena kapoor Picture

Kareena Kapoor is keeping her fingers crossed and cheering for her boyfriend Saif Ali Khan so that his upcoming release Love Aaj Kal can surpass the record created by her last flick Kambakht Ishq,which got the best opening this year so far.

She says, “I really want ‘Love Aaj Kal’ to break all box-office records. Yes, ‘Kambakkht Ishq’ is my film but then so is ‘Love Aaj Kal’. For both Saif and me ‘Love Aaj Kal’ is a not just a prestigious project but also something which is very close to our hearts.”

“Yes, I’m aware about the huge expectations and I also know that ‘Love Aaj Kal’ has turned out to be a lovely film. The good part is that the film has generated all around positive vibes and everyone expects good things from the film.”

Natasha Takia New Face In Bollywood Picture

Natasha Takia New Face In Bollywood

With Ayesha Takia getting married off, there is a gap in the tinsel town for a cute babydoll actress. Now, the sister of Ayesha, Natasha Takia, is all geared up to make a space for herself in Bollywood. She has recently released a hot, sizzling yet cute photoshoot of hers and talks to A Gnaesh Nadar about her career plans. Though she has not yet bagged in any offers, but this 21-year-old girl has already sent the message that she is ready to get going. All she is waiting for is a promising role and a promising producer to give a knock at her doors.

Friendship – A Hit Recipe In Bollywood Picture

A Hit Recipe In Bollywood

New Delhi, July 29 (IANS) Before “Dil Chahta Hai” happened in 2001, romance and action thrillers were ruling the roost in Bollywood. But the film about three urban youngsters not only proved to be a huge hit, it also brought the theme of friendship back in vogue.

“New York” is the latest film successfully exploring bonding among friends. It comes after last year’s three big hits – “Dostana”, “Rock On!” and “Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na” – which also revolved around changing equations among pals.

Filmmaker Kabir Khan, who gave this year’s first big hit “New York”, said:

“Friendship is an interesting human bond and this as a theme lends scope to have many interesting situations and stories. It is a very interesting relationship to explore.

“When you have the theme of marriage, then you might get stuck somewhere but with the subject of friends, the opportunities are immense and many interesting stories and angles can be given to the film,” he told IANS.

“However, what is of prime importance is that the film is made well. If the film is not made well then no theme can work, whether friendship or something else,” he added.

Starring John Abraham, Katrina Kaif and Neil Nitin Mukesh, “New York” narrated the story of three friends.

But Bollywood has experimented with the theme earlier in melodramatic movies like “Dosti” (1964), a sentimental drama on the friendship between two people – one blind and the other crippled – and “Sangam” (1964), where two friends – Raj Kapoor and Rajendra Kumar – fall in love with the same girl (Vyjayanthimala).

Action-oriented films like “Sholay”, “Dostana” and “Yaarana” too had friendship as an integral part of the storyline.

It was young filmmaker Farhan Akhtar who gave male-bonding a new definition with his superhit “Dil Chahta Hai”, which starred Aamir Khan, Akshaye Khanna and Saif Ali Khan. Their performances as chilled out urban youth struck the right chord with the multiplex audience.

In 2007, Govinda- and Salman Khan-starrer “Partner”, a light-hearted romantic comedy, went on to be a huge box office success.

In the recent past, filmmakers have explored the bond successfully in blockbusters like “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”, “Jhankaar Beats”, “Masti”, “Mirch Masala”, “Rang De Basanti” and “Heyy Baby”. These films were light-hearted and thoroughly entertained the viewers.

Mumbai-based film historian S.M.M. Ausaja feels people identify with such films and that’s why they work at the box office.

“Over the years, films on friendship have done quite well, with films like ‘Dosti’, ‘Yaarana’ and of course ‘Sholay’ being landmarks in this genre. The main reason for their success is that people identify with such subjects. When such themes are explored in movies, they mostly make a mark,” he explained.

Film critic Omar Qureshi agreed: “Films with which people can identify always work. Everyone can connect with films that revolve around friendships because everyone has a friend. There is no one who doesn’t have a single friend.

“When the audience can relate to the situations in the film, they get interested in the story. Thus, friendship films have been hits mostly.”

Geetika Joshi, a 19-year-old college student, feels films like “Jaane Tu…” or “Rang De Basanti” have more appeal because of the friendship angle rather than out-and-out love stories.

“I like films based on friends more. After all friends are such an integral part of our lives today. I go and watch such films with my pals and have a ball. These are light-hearted and have a fun element,” she said.

“Films on friends are young, hip and very us, they represent our generation.

I love such films,” said Uday Goswami, a BPO employee.

Delhi Brass Band Has Bollywood Dreams, Thanks To Imtiaz Ali

Delhi Brass Band Has Bollywood Dreams

New Delhi, July 29 (IANS) They have been in the business of music for over 70 years and have played popular tunes at innumerable weddings in the national capital, but now they nurture Bollywood dreams. Jea Band, one of Delhi’s oldest brass bands, features in “Love Aaj Kal” and its owner says it could just be its stepping stone into the film world.

“(Director) Imtiaz Ali didn’t approach me directly. One of his team members got in touch with me. As far as I know, ‘Love Aaj Kal’ shows two different time periods and I guess that the director felt that we are the only band that can work on both the eras,” Anil Thadani, owner of the band, told IANS.

Talking about “Love Aaj Kal”, Anil said: “The production team of the film took photos of our band taken in 1960 and showed it to Imtiaz Ali. After that I met one of the costume designers and she asked me to prepare a sample of the uniform and we did.

“We worked in two schedules and shot with 18 band members for about 10 days in Delhi and outside Delhi.”

Starring Saif Ali Khan in a double role along with Deepika Padukone, the film releases July 31.

Established in 1936 by Anil’s grandfather Jealal Thadani, Jea band features in the catchy song “Chor bazaari” in “Love Aaj Kal”. Anil says this is their second film after Mira Nair’s internationally acclaimed “Monsoon Wedding”, in which they made a brief appearance.

Interestingly, it was this very band that performed at the wedding of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai in Mumbai April 20, 2007.

Now when brass bands are no more that fashionable and in demand at weddings, the band was thrilled to be approached for Ali’s film.

The director’s working style has impressed Anil. “It was a good experience working with him (Ali). He is not only a good director, but a good person to work with as well.”

“We will try to do more films and we are hoping that the film does well at the box office as it will bring more work for us. At the same time I am also planning to expand my business. Right now we work during wedding seasons only, but I aim to work round the year. I want to convert it into an event management company,” the entrepreneur said about his future plans.

“My wife has also joined me. And we plan to do everything from planning weddings, birthday parties to inauguration ceremonies. We want to work 24×7,” said Anil, an alumnus of Hindu College who willingly joined his father Heera Thadani’s family business. His brother, however, works with Lloyds Bank in London.

“I started looking after the work while I was in college. It was my conscious decision to join the family business. My father helps me out. In fact he is more active than me,” he added.

Right now Jea Band has two branches in the capital and charges somewhere between Rs.5,000 and Rs.20,000 depending on the season.

“We don’t have permanent employees. We have contractual labourers and some of them have worked with us for generations,” Anil said.

Love Aaj Kal Is A Cleaner Film Than Jab We Met” – Imtiaz Ali

Love Aaj Kal is a cleaner film than Jab We Met

He may be just two films old and his third film is about to release yet there is no denying the fact that Imtiaz Ali is a director who any actor in Bollywood would give his whole and soul to work with. His first film Socha Na Tha has its own loyal fan following while his next Jab We Met is a cult film of this generation that catapulted Shahid and Kareena to super-stardom. Now Imtiaz is all set to present his third film Love Aaj Kal which as the title suggests talks about Love Aaj (today) and Kal (yesterday). In this exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Imtiaz Ali gets candid on his take on love, the loveliest heroines in Bollywood and even confesses the craziest thing that he has done in love.

Imtiaz…in each of your films the journey undertaken by the protagonists plays a very important part. How has been your journey from Socha Na Tha to Love Aaj Kal?
There have been a lot of ups and downs, lot of starts and stops. Between Socha Na Tha and Jab We Met, I tried to start 4 -5 different films but never really succeeded. After Jab We Met nothing much changed in my life though the movie was a huge success. Soon after I started working on Love Aaj Kal. But I must say, throughout this journey I have met a lot of interesting people and have got a lot of good wishes and blessings from people which feels good.

Love Aaj Kal takes a look at the how ‘Love’ has evolved over the years. Could you tell us a little bit more about the film?
The film essentially is about two sets of people. One set of people believe that what used to happen in the olden times in love relationships is very silly while the other set of people (the older generation) feels its not possible to deal with things so practically especially when it concerns matter of the heart. Both plots (Veer Singh’s romance with Harleen many years back and Jai and Meera’s relationship in the present) simultaneously reveal in the movie. Finally both stories end up believing in the same message that in any era, the routine of love may be different but the experience is the same

Imtiaz Ali How did the seed of Love Aaj Kal germinate?
On a lot of occasions I have heard this comparative analysis of how things were in a relationship in the past and how they have changed today. Many often we hear, Humare Zamane Mein Aisa Hota Tha Lekin Aaj Kal Aisa Hota Hai. The beauty is each generation of people believes that what they are saying is right and what the other generation is saying is bullshit. This on-going debate kind of triggered the idea of Love Aaj Kal

After the huge success of Jab We Met, weren’t you tempted to repeat the jodi of Shahid and Kareena for this flick?
No… because as a director I am the first audience of the story and hence need to give what is best for the story rather than just cast for marketing value.

You are the first director to have worked with Saif the actor and Saif the producer. How has been the experience?
As a producer Saif is completely non-existent. He just provided Vision as well as Vijan (Dinesh Vijan) to the film (laughs).As an actor he is extremely exciting to work with.

Jab We Met has been a turning point in Kareena’s career. Do you think Love Aaj Kal would do that for Deepika?
I hope so (smiles)

Among other things, the USP of the film is also the coming together of Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh on the big screen after a hiatus. How did that happen?
Rishi Kapoor is playing a full-fledged role in the movie. His is a very important part. However Neetuji’s role is more of a cameo. So let’s not expect it to be a comeback kind of a role. She has been very sweet to grace the film with her presence and I being a huge fan of hers since childhood, for me it was a dream come true moment for directing her. It was wonderful to see her coming back on the studio floor after nearly 30 years. She was a bit nervous in the first shot but I told her, “I am sure you will give a great shot”

Imtiaz Ali Apart from Deepika, there’s yet another PYT (Pretty Young Thing) who is seen in the promos. Could you tell us who she is and why she is being kept under wraps?
Well…her name is Harleen in the film and that’s all we would like to reveal at this stage. We would like to keep something for the audience to watch the film and check out for themselves.

The film has been shot at a wide variety of locations be it Delhi or San Francisco, London or Kolkata. How did you zero in on these cities?
We did extensive travelling and recce to finalize the locations. We chose London because it’s like any Indian city. There are a lot of Indians in London. There is a connection of bridges in this film and so we chose San Francisco and Kolkata which have two of the most popular bridges in the world- the Golden Gate Bridge and the Howrah Bridge. In fact, San Francisco and Kolkata also have the tram in common. As for Delhi, in Delhi there have been things which have existed in the past and the present e.g. Qutub Minar So in a way it forms the connecting place between the present and the past in the movie.

With Saif around the Fun Quotient can never be down… Any memorable incidents on the sets?
Oh…lots of them. Saif would often make a commentary to the making camera and go to each person and say things that would make us all crack up. Another funny instance was when a German lady was acting a bit rude while we were shooting in important scene with Saif and Deepika at the airport. Just the way Saif handled her and spoke to her, the whole unit was in splits. In fact after the episode I told him, “If she understands the sarcasm in your tone she will come back with a gun and shoot you”

The promos of the film show quite a few kissing scenes between Saif and Deepika. Do you think it will keep the family audience at bay?
The kisses in the film are just pecks. I am very aware of the family audience and can safely say that this is a cleaner film than Jab We Met. In Jab We Met there was a smooching scene but here you just have a cute kiss here and there.

Imtiaz Ali The music of Jab We Met is still playing on the airwaves. Following up on such a successful music score what brief did you give to Pritam?
No brief in general. The brief is always the script of the film.

How satisfied are you with his compositions this time around and which is your favorite track in the film?
Yes I am extremely satisfied. I must say Pritam and Irshad both have done really well. My favorite track would be ‘Dooriyan’ sung by Mohit Chauhan

Whose idea was it to incorporate the famous ‘Nagin’ tune in the ‘Twist’ song?
It was a joint idea… We were looking at a different song at first as a backdrop to ‘Twist’. I wanted something instrumental and which had a high recall. That’s when Pritam suggested the ‘Nagin’ tune.

Since you are known for your love stories, let me ask you what’s the craziest thing you’ve done in love?
Travelled a 1000 miles to see somebody’s face and then travelled all the way back

Who according to you are the 3 ‘Love’liest heroines in Bollywood?
Kareena, Deepika and Katrina

On a closing note in what way has Love changed from Kal to Aaj?
1. Longing happens later now…Intimacy happens first
2. People are much more honest in relationships now…People used to get honest much later then
3. People were more obsessed with Sex then than they are now.

Finally audiences have huge expectations from the film. What do you think they should look out for?
They should just go with a clean slate and watch it for the experience and decide for themselves if it was worth it

Wishing Sanjay Dutt A Very Happy Birthday! Pic

Wishing Sanjay Dutt A Very Happy Birthday!

Even though his native is a village near district Yamuna Nagar in Haryana, this kid was born and brought up in the glamour-oozing city of Mumbai. He is one of those very few ’star-sons’ who just did not want to take things on a golden plate, instead, choose to earn their star-status. We are indeed talking about today’s Birthday boy Sanjay Dutt, the humble son of the most illustrious parents: the late Sunil Dutt and Nargis Dutt.

Sanjay’s debut film Rocky still remains as one of the most memorable films in Bollywood. What followed after that, were an array of films that not just consolidated his position in Bollywood, but also catapulted him into the top league in no time. Even though bad times befell on Sanjay’s life in the form of drug abuse and possession of illegal arms, Sanjay stood terra firma against all this and came out clean to accept his mistake, an action that only a true son of the soil can do! It was this acceptance of guilt that transformed the man called Sanjay Dutt into a household name called ‘Sanju baba’, which later on took the form of the most affable ‘Munnabhai’, an unforgettable identity that the Indian cinema has ever produced!

In the recent times, besides the smash hit Munnabhai series, Sanju also gave some of his unforgettable performances in films like Daag The Fire, Haseena Maan Jaayegi, and Vaastav, which even earned him the Best Actor in a Leading Role award at the prestigious Filmfare Awards.

Join Bollywood.com if you want to wish and also give Sanju baba lots of jhaadu ki jhappis, simply by posting your messages below:

Imran Is Too Young To Create Problems For Me” – Sanjay Dutt

Imran Is Too Young To Create Problems For Me”

On his birthday today, Sanjay Dutt feels very charitable towards those who have apparently not been kind to him.

Shrugging off stories of Imran Khan undercutting his role in Luck, Sanjay says, ”Imran is like a little child. He was very respectful through the two films we’ve done together. He’s a good actor. I wish him luck and I want him to grow into an actor as big as his uncle (Aamir). Imran is too young to create problems for me.”

Sanjay says he did Luck for a lark. ”I did it just to help Soham Shah. I really didn’t have the time or date. I told him to just cast me in a small role which would finish quickly. In fact the role shaped up bigger than planned. As long as it makes some money and no one loses any, I’m happy.”

Hours before his birthday Sanjay was chilled out. But he has regrets about not being able to be near Amar Singh on his birthday. ”I couldn’t even visit Amar Singhji because by the time the visa materialized the surgery was over. My wife Maanyata was there. But I speak to him every day. He’s out of the hospital now. He sounds better. I’ve seen his health deteriorate during the election campaigns. God gave me an opportunity to look after my elder brother during the elections. I’m glad I was around.”

But cheering up Sanjay says, ”I heard Bunty Walia is coming. Everything he does is announced on Facebook. So he has announced he’s coming for my birthday.”

‘Aladin’ Promo Rocks! Picture

‘Aladin’ Promo Rocks!

He first thing that catches your attention as you watch the first promo of Eros and Sujoy Ghosh’s ALADIN is the look of the characters. While Ritesh Deshmukh [Aladin] and Jacqueline Fernandes [Jasmine] wear a contemporary look, Amitabh Bachchan [a genie called Genius] and Sanjay Dutt’s [the bad guy called Ringmaster] appearances immediately transport you to a fairyland.

The second thing that catches your attention is the grand canvas and the mounting of the film. ALADIN is a visual extravaganza and the first promo gives you a clear idea of what to expect.

The third thing that catches your attention is the visual effects that have gone into this movie. Of course, what you get to see is just a tip of the iceberg, but if you visit the Eye Qube Studios, which has been instrumental in giving the film international-level effects, you’d know that ALADIN should push the envelope and break barriers.

ALADIN is slated for a Diwali release and you’ve come to expect larger-than-life movies to set the screens afire in the festive week. Let’s hope that ALADIN lives up to those monumental and humungous expectations that the promo rightfully raises.

The promo of ALADIN will be unleashed this Friday with the prints of LOVE AAJ KAL.

Tum Mile:First Look Picture

Tum Mile:First Look

Release Date : 13 November 2009
Genre : Romance
Director : Kunal Deshmukh
Cast : Emraan Hashmi, Soha Ali Khan
Music Director : Pritam
Synopsis : 26th July 2005 rang an ominous bell-for most..but amidst all the chaos and the tragedy, it reunited two star crossed ex lovers. 2 people who meet after a hiatus of 6 years-now occupying different worlds. Evidently, they had moved on…
What starts off as a seemingly innocuous encounter on the same flight back to Mumbai-ends up as a rollercoaster ride through some of the darkest hours of Mumbai-as they see the city get swamped with disaster and loss…and are forced to stick together in this time of crisis.
The story shifts perspective between the past and the present- a glorious but crazy past of 2 starkly different people falling in love-the differences at first being exciting. Gradually with time, they journey through the emotional pitfalls attatched, the constant bickering, the frantic and urgent making up, and irreconcilable differences-that give way to a final break up.And then we see those very people struggling their way through a stormy night in Mumbai that threatens to take over the city, their fears and insecurities lying bare as their guard drops.
As emotions run high, the two learn more about each other on that night possibly than they knew in all those years of being together- tough situations call on some important revelations and they realize how transient and unpredictable life is and they need to make the most of the time that has been given to them together.

Mallika, Bipasha, Priyanka In Charlie’s Angels! Pics

Mallika, Bipasha, Priyanka In Charlie’s Angels!

On social networking site Twitter, Mallika Sherawat has been seen bonding with Priyanka Chopra big time. The two actresses share greetings and as if belonging to a mutual admiration society do not leave a single opportunity to praise each other. Where Mallika is seen wishing PC for her continued success, PC is wishing Mallika the very best for her film Hisss.

The two have gotten so close that Mallika even shared her wish of being cast as a Charlie’s Angel along with Priyanka and Bipasha if the franchise plans to make an Indian version of the film.

Mallika wrote to Priyanka on Twitter, “The Twitter people want us to do Charlie’s Angels. They said Bips also so we need to get her on Twitter. Gul (Panag) has a strong support too. Priyanka responded saying, “Sounds rocking!”

We wonder what Bips has to say on that but all we can say is Mallika, your pick is quite good, after all Mallika, Bipasha and Priyanka are hot and can certainly kick ass!

“I’m So Much Like My Character In Love Aaj Kal” – Deepika Padukone

“I’m So Much Like My Character In Love Aaj Kal”

Deepika says her character in Love Aaj Kal is exactly like her. “It was so much ‘me’ that sometimes I felt maybe I wasn’t doing anything on camera. I had to look to my director Imtiaz Ali for reassurance. I was reacting on camera the way I do in real life. So far I was always doing things that didn’t come naturally to me. This is my most honest performance. I can feel the growth in me in the four films and six roles that I’ve done so far. I’ve become freer with my emotions and lines.”

Currently shooting for Sajid Nadiadwala’s Housefull in London, Deepika is for the first time improvising on her lines. “I feel confident enough now to give my inputs. Yes, I can move around the emotions of my character. I know my space a lot better.”

Deepika hopes to create magic with Akshay in Housefull. It was rumoured that Akshay had lost faith in his pairing with Deepika after Chandni Chowk To China.

Deepika scoffs at the rumour. “If that was true you think he would be doing another film with me at this moment? I don’t think there’s any formula for success. The failure of China Chowk To China didn’t affect me. Of course considering the effort we all put in I was upset. I guess hard work isn’t enough. But I learnt a few skills during Chandni Chowk which I’ll use in other experiences of my life.”

Mallika Goes Nude For Her New Movie Pic?

Mallika Goes Nude For Her New Movie

Mallika Sherawat might be known for her bold style statements and her bold dressing sense. But when it came to stripping for her upcoming movie “Hisss” (pictured above), she flatly refused to go nude.

In one of the scenes, Mallika had to transform into a snake and that required her to slither and wriggle in the mud. While doing so, some certain parts of her body, including her bottom, had to be exposed.

Mallika did not want to show her bottom and hence she asked for a body double to do the scene.

Director Jennifer Lynch had to give in to Mallika’s request and agree on a body double.

“Hisss” is a story of a Naagin, played by Mallika, who sets out to find a mate with a vengeance.

Himesh Reshammiya Can Now Sing In Two Voices Pic

Himesh Reshammiya Can Now Sing In Two Voices

Thanks to a vocal chords surgery, Himesh Reshammiya can now sing in two voices.

According to a report, Himesh quietly underwent the surgery some months ago in South Arica and got himself one more voice other than his trademark nasal one. The new voice is a base middle octave.

Himesh loves experimenting and this time he wanted to experiment with his vocal chords. He has already had numerous experiments with his hair and his looks. This one was completely different.

Himesh’s new voice will be heard in his forthcoming films. He has already recorded songs in his new voice.

Rakhi Sawant Going To Marry In August Pic

Rakhi Sawant Going To Marry In August

Despite rumours that NDTV Imagine channel’s reality show “Rakhi Ka Swayamvar” is rigged, Rakhi has reportedly said that she really is getting married on August 2 to one of the three final contestants.

Rakhi apparently has already made up her mind about which of the three she will marry.

According to sources from the channel, she is most likely to tie the knot with Canada-based businessman Elesh Parujanwala. She has even confessed the same to some of her friends.

Her bridal outfit is designed by Neeta Lulla and her jewellery by Farah Khan Ali.

Rakhi has said that it is for real that she is getting married. She also said that she will never fake an institution like marriage as she has seen her own parents’ marriage break.

Speaking about her family’s presence at the wedding, she said that she will be the only one from her side. She said that she has broken all ties with her mother and she is now her past.

After marrige Rakhi and Elesh plan to get back to their respective work in their respective cities, Mumbai and Toronto. Though Rakhi is said to have got her Canadian visa and will be travelling to Toronto to meet his parents after her August 2 wedding. Elesh also reportedly wants to buy property in Mumbai to set up a second home there.

However, there could also be a twist in the story, as has been reported in some sections of the media.

According to these reports, Rakhi will not marry anyone as she’s having doubts about choosing her groom and is looking for an exit from the show without a husband. To make that possible, the producers are said to have given a twist to the show. The three finalists will be asked to choose between Rakhi and money, and apparently they will choose cash and leave the show.

Truth, however, will only surface on August 2. Meanwhile, Rakhi is preparing for the Mehndi and Sangeet ceremonies.

Sonu Nigam And Cinsay Internet Partnership Pic

Sonu Nigam And Cinsay Internet Partnership

internet is the future of entertainment, popular Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam has entered into a partnership with media and software company Cinsay to bring the star closer to his fans and consumers in the United States.

“The Internet is clearly the future of entertainment, and I am
very excited to be collaborating and working with such a progressive team as Cinsay,” said Sonu Nigam announcing the partnership in New York City on Tuesday (July 28).

“In addition to creating original content which will help my fans see me in different situations than they are used to, Cinsay and I are working together to create a line of apparel and merchandise which reflects my passion for performing. I hope fans around the world will enjoy these new designs.”

In conjunction with Sonu Nigam’s latest US concert tour Explosion 2009, the content-to-commerce partnership enables Cinsay to bring access to exclusive performance, rehearsal and behind-the-scenes video footage, music videos and branded consumer products, including new clothing and merchandise line, to fans in the US and elsewhere.

The concert tour takes him to Washington, DC, Atlantic City, Los Angeles, Houston, Oakland, Denver and Orlando.

The collaboration was facilitated by Music is Nirvana, a leading content aggregator of South Asian music and movies in the US.

As part of its joint venture with Cinsay, Music Is Nirvana will bring on board more South Asian talent to create music portals and merchandising opportunities.

“The time has come for a huge explosion of Bollywood entertainment and merchandise to hit the US, thanks to the success of films like ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ and stars like Sonu already have tremendous fan bases throughout the world,” Matthew Papish, president and chief executive Officer of Cinsay.

“We are pleased to be working with Sonu to help bring his talent and passion to existing fans, as well as an entirely new audience through Cinsay’s hugely popular enterprise software platform “content-to-commerce” and vast digital network,” he said.

“We are very committed to promoting South Asian talent on various platforms across America. With our partnership with Cinsay, we are very excited to promote Sonu’s merchandise and content and plan to sign on more leading artists,” said Nick Rajsakha, CEO of Music Is Nivana.

Aishwarya Rai An Elephant Disrupted Picture

An Elephant Disrupted Aishwarya Rai

The shooting of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai starrer “Raavan”, disrupted when an elephant ran amok in the jungle where it is being shot, will resume Friday, cinematographer Santosh Sivan said here Thursday.

“We will resume shooting tomorrow (July 31),” Sivan told IANS.

The tusker, whose name is Kunju, killed 51-year-old mahout Andavan. After the incident, the road at nearby Athirapally forest was blocked and the cast and crew of Mani Ratnam’s film could not return to their hotel.

“We didn’t see much since we were shooting on the other side of the bridge… so we couldn’t cross over… we had to stop shooting, but I didn’t see anything except the confusion. We had to spend a few hours in a guest house in the forest,” said Sivan.

Neither the actors nor any crew member of the film was injured.

Later the elephant was chained and tranquilised by veterinary doctors.

Besides Abhishek and Aishwarya, “Raavan” also stars Vikram, Govinda and Manisha Koirala. It is being made in Hindi and Tamil simultaneously.

Sonu Nigam Joins Hands With US Software Firm

Sonu Nigam Joins Hands Picture

New York, July 30 (IANS) Saying that internet is the future of entertainment, popular Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam has entered into a partnership with media and software company Cinsay to bring the star closer to his fans and consumers in the United States.

“The Internet is clearly the future of entertainment, and I am very excited to be collaborating and working with such a progressive team as Cinsay,” said Sonu Nigam announcing the partnership in New York City Tuesday.

The concert tour takes him to Washington, DC, Atlantic City, Los Angeles, Houston, Oakland, Denver and Orlando. The footage and the merchandise line will be available at www.cinsay.com/sonu.

The collaboration was facilitated by Music is Nirvana, a leading content aggregator of South Asian music and movies in the US.

As part of its joint venture with Cinsay, Music Is Nirvana will bring on board more South Asian talent to create music portals and merchandising opportunities.

“We are pleased to be working with Sonu to help bring his talent and passion to existing fans, as well as an entirely new audience through Cinsay’s hugly popular enterprise software platform “content-to-commerce” and vast digital network,” he said.

Dil Bole Hadippa To Feature At Toronto International Film Festival 2009

Dil Bole Hadippa International Film Festival 2009

Yash Raj Films had a successful start to 2009 with their film New York turning out to be the biggest hit of the year so far. Now all eyes are on YRF’s next Dil Bole Hadippa which brings together the duo of Shahid Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee for the first time.

Even before its worldwide release (Sept 18th), Dil Bole Hadippa has managed to achieve a rare distinction. The film has been selected for the esteemed Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2009 and will be presented in the prestigious Gala Presentations section of the festival as a World Premiere. The movie’s cast and crew will grace the red carpet and attend the first public screening of the film, on September 13, 2009 in Toronto, Canada.

Dil Bole Hadippa is the story of Veera Kaur (Rani Mukherjee) who belongs to a village where girls don’t play cricket. In order to fulfill her dreams, she puts on a turban and beard and becomes Veer Pratap Singh. Her brilliance on the field earns her a place in Rohan’s (Shahid Kapoor) team and then begins a roller-coaster journey of Veera and Rohan filled with music, romance and comedy through Punjab and beyond.

The film is produced by Aditya Chopra and directed by debutant director Anurag Singh.

Dil Bole Hadippa to feature at Toronto International Film Festival 2009

Lighting A Billion Lives Asin Picture

Lighting A Billion Lives

Asin at the launch of India’s largest ever public service communication programme.

Sardars Of The Silver Screen! Picture

Sardars Of The Silver Screen!

This Friday’s release Love Aaj Kal has two special ‘firsts’ for Saif Ali Khan. It’s the first film produced by Saif under his banner Illuminati Films and secondly it’s the first time that the suave actor would be seen as a ‘Sardar’ in a Hindi film. Saif who would be seen in a double role in Love Aaj Kal, plays Jai the uber-cool dude of the present era and Veer Singh a passionate sardar who would do anything for the love of his life. While this is a first time experience for Saif playing a sardar, many of Bollywood’s top actors have donned the pagdi and portrayed the role of a sardar with elan. Bollywood Hungama takes a trip down memory lane and looks at some of the best on-screen sardars of Bollywood in recent times.

Sunny Deol

Sunny Deol’s name figures first in this list for the Deadly Deol has effectively portrayed the role of a sardar in not one or two but three popular films namely Border, Gadar-Ek Prem Katha and Jo Bole So Nihaal. While his role as the bumbling cop Nihaal Singh in Jo Bole So Nihaal didn’t find many takers and also created some unwanted controversy, his acts as the stern Major Kuldeep Singh in Border and as the immensely patriotic Sardar Tara Singh in Gadar- Ek Prem Katha received a thunderous applause from one and all.

Akshay Kumar

Akshay Kumar may have starred in many films with a Punjabi flavor but he got a chance to portray a full-fledged sardar character for the first time in Vipul Shah’s Singh Is Kinng. Akki played the bumbling village idiot ‘Happy Singh’ who in a twist of fate becomes the Kingpin of a Mafia gang. The makers had even designed a special designer pagdi embedded with diamonds for Akshay’s character of Happy Singh. The character was loved by one and all and it surely made Akshay Kumar and Vipul Shah ‘Happy’ as they laughed all the way to the bank

Salman Khan

Salman Khan may have done a variety of roles in his career but never in his wildest dreams would he have thought that one day he would be playing a ‘Sardar’ on screen. The unthinkable happened when Salman was cast as the Army Major Balkar Singh in Samir Karnik’s multi-starrer Heroes. Sallu did portray the role with a lot of intensity, however, his trademark dialogue delivery with accent didn’t really suit the character of a Sardar.

Amitabh Bachchan

Big B is one actor who is always known to experiment with his looks in film after film. So when he was required to play a ‘Sardar’ in Anil Sharma’s Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo, Big B left no stone unturned in getting into the skin of the character. The turban, the beard all looked just perfect on Big B as he played the role Major General Amarjeet Singh with elan. What’s more he even did the bhangra with as much as ease as a true Punjabi would do. However, this was not the first time that Big B played a sardar. Few years back Amitabh even played a sardar in the forgettable flick Kohraam alongside Nana Patekar. That portrayal however is best forgotten

Ajay Devgan

While most of the above actors portrayed fictional ’sardar’ characters, Ajay Devgan had a tougher task at hand. He had to portray one of India’s most well-known freedom fighters Bhagat Singh. The film in question was Raj Kumar Santoshi’s The Legend of Bhagat Singh. Ajay delivered one of the finest performances of his career as the young Sikh Bhagat Singh who gave up everything for the sake of his nation’s freedom. This was probably the most sensitive portrayal of a ’sardar’ character in Bollywood and it rightly fetched Ajay the National Award for Best actor

Sanjay Dutt

Sanjay Dutt is best known for his portrayal of a bhai or a don in countless films but if one takes a closer look at his filmography, one realizes that even Sanju Baba has played a Sardar in a film. The film in question is a patriotic film Sarhad Paar (2007) which starred Sanju alongwith Tabu, Mahima Choudhary and Chandrachur Singh. Sanjay played the role of Ranjit Singh an army man who returns home after a long time. The film had Sanju sleepwalking through his role and given the fact the film was in the making for a long time, no one really bothered about when the film released and when it was removed from theatres.

Bobby Deol

Bade bhaiyya Sunny may have portrayed a sardar character effortlessly in quite a few films, however when kid brother Bobby tried the same playing the freedom fighter Bhagat Singh in 23rd March 1931- Shaheed, the impact and the result was not the same. While he may have got the look right, Bobby’s portrayal of a sardar lacked the desired punch and with quite a few films on the life of ‘Bhagat Singh’ being released on the same day Bobby’s film lost the race.

Ranbir Kapoor

He is touted as the ‘Next Big thing’ in Bollywood and after an impressive debut in Saawariya and a cool performance in Bachna Ae Haseeno, Ranbir Kapoor is all set to try something completely different in his next film. Yes…Ranbir would be seen as a ‘Sardar’ in Yash Raj Films’ forthcoming flick Rocket Singh- Salesman of the Year, directed by Shimit Amin. While not much is known about this movie, going by the looks of it one can safely say that this Punjabi munda does look like a pucca sardar in this get-up. Way to go Ranbir!

Rani Mukherjee

In case you are wondering that it’s only the men folk in B-town who have portrayed a ‘Sardar’ in Hindi films, you couldn’t be further from the truth. The latest person to don a pagdi and get into the character of a sardar is none other than Rani Mukerjee. The actress will be seen as a cricket obsessed girl who dresses up as a sardar to play the game in YRF’s forthcoming flick Dil Bole Hadippa alongside Shahid Kapur. Whether the movie will click at the box office or no, one will have to wait and watch. However, we do give it to Rani for trying out something drastically different this time around.

Besides the above mentioned names, there are quite a few other actors too who have portrayed a sardar in Hindi films in recent times such as Kunal Kapoor (Bachna Ae Haseeno), Jackie Shroff , and Sohail Khan (in the forthcoming flick Kisaan).

We would like you to tell us who you think portrayed the sardar most effectively? Post your views in the comments section below.

Akki, Sunil And Paresh Re-Visit Signature Step Of Hera Pheri In De Dana Dan

Hera Pheri In De Dana Dan Picture

The trio of Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Paresh Rawal seem to be having a blast on the sets of Priyadarshan’s De Dana Dan. After all, the three actors are re-uniting together with their director Priyadarshan after a gap of 9 years. Even Priyan is very excited at the prospect of seeing his 3 musketeers back together on the silver screen after Hera Pheri.

Recently during the shooting of promotional track of De Dana Dan at Mehboob Studio, Akshay Kumar came up with the idea of incorporating the signature dance step of Hera Pheri.

According to a reliable source, “The promotional track, choreographed by Ganesh Hegde, was being picturised on Akshay and Katrina Kaif. While discussing the song, Akshay Kumar came up with the idea of having the signature step of Hera Pheri in the song. He immediately called up and requested Sunil Shetty and Paresh Rawal to visit the sets of De Dana Dan for a short while.

Next day, Paresh, who was shooting at Film City, and Sunil Shetty shot for De Dana Dan’s track for half an hour and left. The three of them relived old memories as the step was part of the song ‘Dena waala jab bhi deta, deta chhapar phaad ke’ from Hera Pheri.

An excited Priyadarshan remarked, “It’s not been easy to get the four of us together to shoot a film. De Dana Dan is a special film for all of us. When we were shooting the promotional video, we thought of making it even more special by adding the signature step of the Hera Pheri song.”

Now that the signature step of Hera Pheri has also been added in the promotional track one will have to wait and watch if this number goes on to become a chartbuster in the days to come.

Raavan Film Shoot Disrupted By Wild Elephant To Resume Friday

Film Shoot Disrupted By Wild Elephant To Resume Friday

Ashiruvananthapuram, July 30 (IANS) The shooting of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai starrer “Raavan”, disrupted when an elephant ran amok in the jungle where it is being shot, will resume Friday, cinematographer Santosh Sivan said here Thursday.

“We will resume shooting tomorrow (Friday),” Sivan told IANS.

Neither the actors nor any crew member of the film was injured.

Later the elephant was chained and tranquilised by veterinary doctors.

Besides Abhishek and Aishwarya, “Raavan” also stars Vikram, Govinda and Manisha Koirala. It is being made in Hindi and Tamil simultaneously.

Celina Sends Flowers To Police Officers! Pic

Celina Sends Flowers To Police Officers!

Pune, July 30 (IANS) Beauty queen-turned-actress Celina Jaitley was so overwhelmed with a ban on use of horses, elephants and camels by police here that she sent flowers to the officers.

Celina, who is an active member of animal rights organisation People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), sent bouquets and a card to commissioner of police Satyapal Singh and DCP Special Branch R.P. Sengaonkar who were instrumental in banning the use of the animals in the city, said a statement released here Thursday.

“Thank you for standing up for those who cannot speak for themselves”, Celina wrote in the card.

Anuradha Sawhney, PETA India chief functionary, said: “Humane people around the world are watching India’s treatment of animals. We applaud the Pune officers for taking action and urge other officers to do so, too”.

The animals were forced to pull oversized loads or give joyrides on crowded streets.

“When You See Him As Sardar, You’ll Forget Saif Ali Khan Is Muslim” – Kareena

You’ll Forget Saif Ali Khan Is Muslim” – Kareena

Kareena Kapoor wants to work with Imtiaz Ali again. “I need my acting energies to be re-fuelled. I’d love to work with Imtiaz Ali again after Jab We Met. Right now, he’s soaked in Love Aaj Kal. And that’s just fine. That’s my film too.”

Kareena has her fingers crossed about Love Aaj Kal. “I just want it to do well. I’m right there for it. I’m totally involved in it. Earlier I knew Saif as an actor. Now that he’s a producer I see a completely different Saif at home. He’s running around till 1 am. I’ve seen the film twice. Ain’t I lucky to see Imtiaz Ali’s new film twice over? Saifu is a killer in Love Aaj Kal. It’s his best performance after Omkara. When you see him as a Sardar, you’ll forget Saif Ali Khan is a Muslim. Everything from body language to beard, trousers and shirt is unbelievable.”

Last week Kareena airdashed to Jaipur to join Saif ad Imtiaz for the promotion of Love Aaj Kal. “I need to be by his side now. Love Aaj Kal is equally important to both of us.” No regrets about Kambakkht Ishq? “Any actress would give her right arm to do such a glamorous glitzy role. And I got to work with Sylvester Stallone. I couldn’t believe when he said he knew my work. I remember Saif was shooting in San Francisco. He flew down to LA to see my shooting with Stallone. I remember Saif was introduced to Stallone as a member of a royal family and the son of a former Indian cricket team. I remember our lunches. We had Indian kebabs. Stallone loved it. I’ll never forget it. He had heard of my grandfather (Raj Kapoor). He wanted to see my movies. I gave him DVDs of Jab We Met and Omkara. ”

Like Saif? “Let me tell you, he’s the most decent human being I’ve met in the industry. He takes everything and everyone on their face value. These past few weeks have been really tough on him. Promoting his film he had to keep talking about himself. We both hate discussing our lives specially our marriage plans. We’re constantly asked to fix a time frame….two years, three years. Frankly we don’t know. And does it matter? We are together, aren’t we? I know people had given our relationship six months at the most.”

Heroes Are Now Clowning Around Picture

Heroes Are Now Clowning Around

Other than singing and dancing, mainstream actors are also doing comedy

Signing on full-time comedians for films is passe – New Age cinema now has mainstream actors like Akshay Kumar, Shreyas Talpade, Arshad Warsi and Riteish Deshmukh take on the funny man’s mantle apart from doing the hero’s job of dancing, romancing the heroine and doing stunts.

Think of Bollywood comedians and a list of veterans like Mahmood, Asrani, Tuntun, Keshto Mukherjee, Johnny Walker, Jagdeep and Johnny Lever comes to mind. The actors were primarily roped in by filmmakers to inject the comic factor into movies.

But now heroes seem to have taken over the comedian’s role as well. And leading the brigade is A-lister Akshay Kumar, who entered films as an action hero but has lately been trying to make audiences laugh.

“I don’t want to get into logical films… I’m happy doing films where one can keep discussions around logic at home…I’m a clown…Once a clown, always a clown,” Akshay had told IANS.

The star has acted in a string of comedies like “Welcome”, “Singh Is Kinng”, “Chandni Chowk To China” and “Kambakkht Ishq”.

“Earlier movies were stereotypes and were slotted with a mother, a hero, a villain, a comedian, etc., because people wanted that…they didn’t expect the hero to be a comedian, as there was no appetite for comedy,” film critic Omar Qureshi told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

“But today audiences are more mature and want a good laugh and comedy is something that is working at the moment… So every actor wants to do something that’s in. Hence Aamir (Khan), Akshay, Shah Rukh (Khan)…everyone is into comedy,” he added.

Writer-director Neeraj Vora echoed: “Previously heroes were supposed to be larger than life. But thanks to Mr. (Amitabh) Bachchan and his films, the character started becoming more human and the trend was all over.”

Megastar Amitabh shed his angry-man image with comic punches in films like “Hera Pheri”, “Amar Akbar Anthony”, “Satte Pe Satta”, “Mr. Natwarlal”, “Do Aur Do Paanch” and “Namak Halaal”.

Superstars Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman Khan have also explored their funny side in films. While Shah Rukh gave fans a few laughs in “Yes Boss”, “Duplicate” and “Baadshah”, Aamir showed his comic skills in “Andaaz Apna Apna”, “Rangeela” and “Ishq”. Salman tried it with “Judwaa”, “Hello Brother” and “No Entry”, among others.

Govinda moved towards comic roles full time after his 1993 hit “Aankhen” and since then has delivered hit comic capers like “Coolie No.1?, “Hero No.1?, “Deewana Mastana”, “Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan”, “Haseena Maan Jaayegi”, “Jodi No.1? and “Bhagam Bhag”.

The young brigade of actors like Shreyas, Riteish, Vivek Oberoi, Fardeen Khan and Aftab Shivdasani have followed the trend.

Shreyas has been a regular with comedies like “Apna Sapna Money Money”, “Om Shanti Om”, “Golmaal Returns” and “Paying Guests” and is going to act goofy again in upcoming movies “Mirch”, “Hook Ya Crook” and “Aage Se Right”.

Asked if it’s a deliberate career move, he said: “The deal is that there is a lot of comedies being made today because as a success proposition it has more chances to work.

“I take it as a compliment… Comedy is a tough job. Coming from a film like ‘Iqbal’ and doing comedy is a challenge for me. I consider myself extremely lucky to have carried it well till date,” Shreyas added.

But Arshad, who was last seen in comic dud “Short Kut – The Con Is On”, feels hand-cuffed to the genre due to lack of other offers.

“There’s nothing I can do. I don’t have a choice…most of the scripts I get are comedy scripts. There are hardly any serious films coming my way. I’m a pretty good actor and I’m comfortable with both serious and comedy films. I’m not deliberately doing comedies,” he had told IANS.

Despite critical acclaim for his performance as a police officer in the crime thriller “Seher”, after the ‘Munnabhai’ series Arshad has mostly been seen in comedies like “Golmaal Returns”, “Sunday”, “Dhamaal” and “Golmaal: Fun Unlimited”. He will also revive his role of out-of-mind goon Circuit in “Munna Bhai Chale Amerika”.

But with regular actors turning to comedy, full-time comedians have suffered an eclipse.

“The sad thing about this (trend) is that comedians like Mehmood have become redundant since mainstream actors are now doing their job,” said Qureshi.

Movie Review Chal Chalein Picture

Movie Review Chal Chalein

Making an effective film that makes a social statement is a task which not many are able to master. It either creates ripples like TAARE ZAMEEN PAR or goes horribly wrong. CHAL CHALEIN attempts to tackle a new and interesting topic – parental pressure on children – but doesn’t make much of an impact due to reasons…

* First being that the writer goes overboard and creates a non-believable situation.

* Second, the screenplay is repetitive in the first half. Post-interval too, once the court sessions start, it’s repetitive again. The fare moves along at snail’s pace. The biggest drawback is that the climax tries hard to throw a hard punch, but comes across as disarranged.

A group of eight boys and girls studying in the eleventh standard, playful, witty, yet rational are jolted when one of their friends Navneet commits suicide because of his parent’s [Rati Agnihotri and Kanwaljeet] pressure, as he is interested in literature, but his father wants to see him as an engineer. The friends are worried about children committing suicide. They decide to do something to stop the suicides: They start a movement against parents and government.

A lawyer [Mithun Chakraborthy] helps these kids in their movement. The parents are annoyed obviously. The entire nation supports the children in this movement. Now it’s the law that has to react.

Although the film has noble intentions, the film could have been a gripping fare had director Ujjwal Singh tackled the subject more realistically. Barring a few sequences, the film lacks the power to keep you engrossed. Mithun is good enough in his part. Mukesh Khanna, Anoop Soni and Shilpa Shukla enact their parts well. The kids are okay.

On the whole, CHAL CHALEIN is a dull fare with slim chances.

Mugdha Godse To Star Opposite Bobby Deol In Horror Flick

Mugdha Godse To Star Opposite Bobby Pic

After receiving rave reviews for her acting skills in Fashion, Mugdha Godse is definitely set to explore her talent by venturing into drama, dark serious cinema and comedy with Jail and Rohit Shetty’s All the Best respectively.

Mugdha seems to be exploring new avenues with every film. The latest entrant in the list happens to be the genre of horror. The lady is all set to scare the audiences in a horror flick produced by Sanjay Ahluwalia and Rajeev Virani of Rupali Om Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

The film is to be directed by Rajeev Virani, a first time director and Mugdha is cast opposite the suave and dashing Bobby Deol. On asking Mugdha, the pretty actress exclaims, “I just couldn’t say no when I heard the script. It’s a fantastic script and I’m so excited that I can’t wait to start rolling. The whole art of scaring my audiences is so new for me and I’m looking forward for the same!”

Kajol To Endorse Knorr Soups Picture

Kajol To Endorse Knorr Soups

Knorr, Hindustan Unilever’s largest soup brand in the country, is all set to launch a new and exciting ad campaign this season and for the very same purpose they have roped in Kajol as the brand ambassador.

Kajol would be seen playing a mommy in the ad campaign which is scheduled to go on air from the 10th of August. The 2009 Knorr soup campaign redefines the 7pm snacking trend by offering Knorr soups as the perfect snack, represented through the campaign idea, “Tummy bhi khush, Mummy bhi khush”

Speaking on her association with the brand, Bollywood’s supermom Kajol had this to say, “Knorr soup has long been a family favourite and it feels great to be associated with one of my favourite brands. As a working mom, often I’ve found myself struggling with snack ideas that are not only easy on time but tasty and nutritious as well…a solution I found in soup! I strongly believe that a family that eats together lives together; and with Knorr soup’s assurance of real vegetables and complete absence of preservatives, I have one less thing to worry about.”

Vanessa’s A Little Too Snap-Happy Picture

Vanessa’s A Little Too Snap-Happy

Ever wondered what Vanessa Hudgens’ favourite hobby is?

“Photography. I think it’s a lot of fun… savouring the moment. I get to go to all these beautiful places, so it’s nice being able to take pictures of it.”

Did we even need to ask?

Although she forgot to mention her penchant for taking naked pictures of herself.