For all those who can’t have enough of comparing South superstar Rajinikanth to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, here’s one more ‘byte’ to chew on. Like Rajini, who’s probably been the only Indian hero to command a huge fan following in Japan, it is now Salman, who is storming the markets there with Ek Tha Tiger. Filmmaker Kabir Khan who was in Osaka to announce the release of his action thriller in Japan confirmed on tweet about the buzz that Salman is creating there. Alongside the poster of the dubbed version of ETT, Kabir tweeted, “Just got over with a packed press conference in Osaka. Happy to see the excitement in Japan about the release of EkThaTiger :-).”
Shibani Kashyap is on a high these days. And the reason — the singer has been invited by the Consulate General of India to be a part of the Republic Day celebrations of Mauritius on March 12. Shibani will be the only one representing the Indian music fraternity as she heads there as part of the Indian contingent. Also present at the event will be President Pranab Mukherjee as well as the Mauritian Prime Minister along with head of 16 countries. A source reveals, “Shibani will be touring Mauritius from March 8 to 16. She will represent India with her troupe during the event to showcase Indian music and a crowd of more than 25,000 is expected at the venue (National Stadium). Being a national event, it will also be telecast on national television.” Post this, Shibani will also perform for the delegation on March 16 in a grand reception.
Sunny Leone recently bombarded her Twitter account with her pics. However, the former porn star did disappoint her fans who were hoping to see a l’il more than just her face. Now with a bod like that, wonder what made the Leone babe go all coy when it came to her Instagram pics. Is that the ‘Bollywood heroine effect’ — of putting on display a holier-than-thou-image — we see rubbing off on the actress who is currently back home in LA post her film shoots here? “Starting to really miss Mumbai.Miss my team&the Ragini mms 2 crew!Can’t wait to get back and finish this movie!” tweeted Sunny.
After the stupendous success of The Greatest Indian, HISTORY TV18 presents its second local production,Bollywood@100. Karan Johar as the host will narrate magnum opus moments and enliven untold tales from behind-the-scenes of Indian cinema over the last 10 decades. Starting Friday, March 8, 2013, discover a gamut of untold stories, intriguing facts about iconic films as veteran and new age Bollywood stars get candid with Karan Johar. The series will showcase interesting anecdotes from superstars like Rishi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Javed Akhtar to icons of the present-day — Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Says Ajay Chacko, President, A+E Networks | TV18, “We’re delighted to launch Bollywood@100, an initiative celebrating 100 years of existence of this industry. This is a unique series cum interactive initiative that is looking at Bollywood from a historical perspective while engaging audiences in selecting the best over the decades.” Through a month digital voting campaign, the series stimulates viewers to nominate and vote for their personal favourites across various categories in order to arrive at the ‘Greatest ever’ in Bollywood.
Bollywood has always attracted the West. Be it the loud performances or over-the-top romantic numbers or the action-drama-comedy movies, the Hindi film industry has been a fascination for many. And British author Jeffery Archer is no exception to that. When asked if his books match the Bollywood style of films, he said, “I think my books would make a good Hindi movie. Out of all my books, The Eleventh Commandment and Matter of Honour would make perfect Bollywood hits. I don’t mind if they adapt it to an Indian background.” The writer, who will be in town to promote his latest novel Best Kept Secrets seems to have a taste for Hindi films. “I loved Lagaan and Slumdog Millionaire, I could watch them again and again!” he exclaims. The trend has set in to draw a movie plot from books. So any filmmaker listening?
Shah Rukh Khan has been missing from Twitter. The actor who was a regular on the microblogging site last posted a tweet on January 9.His fans are crying foul at this sudden and long lack of communication from their screen idol. They are turkeying for frequent updates from the object of their adoration. SRK was one of the few actors who would also have regular bonding sessions with his fans. He would answer their queries, he called it ‘question-hour’ and he would encourage them to ask him interesting questions. He would even oblige his fans by wishing them happy birthday, and giving them advice sometimes. The actor stopped interacting with his fans online after he came under fire for writing an article in a foreign publication. He was accused of playing the ‘muslim victim in India’ card. He angered a lot of people who took to twitter to abuse the actor. Shah Rukh called for a press conference and set the record straight. However, the actor was deeply distressed about the heckling on Twitter, and he withdrew from the public space. His last tweet read: “Sad. I read so much judgements, jingoism, religious intolerance on the net. and I usedto think, this platform will change narrow-mindedness, But, no!” His fans are heartbroken. They have been writing to him to come back, They have started a #PleaseComeBackToTwitterSRK and his fan clubs have even been writing to other celebrities and friends of the actor to urge the star to come back. His fans have created posters, videos. Showering online love and affection towards him, they are asking for SRK’s comeback on twitter instead of goodies. No amount of goodies can equate to a single tweet from the superstar. His fans in the country and abroad are waiting for SRK to tweet. Will the actor forget the haters and log on for the sake of the ones who worship him?
Here's celebrating the 10 strong woman characters on TV on the eve of International Women's Day. Gunjan, Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke: She fought with the college authorities when girls were barred from wearing jeans, she got her cousin Rachna’s parents to allow her to play hockey. Gunjan, a 17-year old girl of today is undergoing the problems every teenager faces but the difference is in how she tackles them. She is courageous,breaks boundaries and stands up for what is right. She tackles a stalker head-on and when she realises her fiance is spineless she breaks off the engagement. More power to her! Sandhya, Diya Aur Baati Hum: From defusing bombs to exposing fake swamijis, Sandhya is the epitome of a liberated woman. An educated city girl with aspirations to join administrative services, she finds herself married to an uneducated boy, Suraj, who has a sweet shop. Her mother-in-law Bhabo dislikes her but that doesn’t deter her from achieving what she has set out to. Not only does she complete her education, she inspires and instills confidence in her husband to go out and compete with chefs from the world over. The latest is shehelps build a school in the city forstudents of a small town Pushkar where she hails from. Mona, Kya Hua Tera Vaada: From looking after three children to having an adulterous husband to setting up a business, Mona handled everything with poise and dignity. When she discovers that her husband is having an extra-marital affair, she did not become hysterical but dealt with it in a pratical manner. She started working and though she found love with another man, she preferred to stay single and independent! Madhu, Madhubala:Madhu may look like a simple, sweet girl-next-door but never judge a book by the cover. The girl has an iron will. Living in a chawl, she thinks of bringing joy to her family in every way possible. From trying to fulfill her elder sister’s dream of becoming an actress, to marrying a superstar RK, she’s done it all to save her family. Working as a hair stylist, her will to be independent is very strong, no matter how many times life throws a curve at her. Priya, Bade Acche Laggte Hai: A self-righteous woman with ideologies Priya is a woman who doesn’t give up on life whatever obstacles come her way. She marries late but her marriage to Ram is short-lived as she meets with an accident and finds herself pregnant and alone in Dubai. Undaunted, she sets up a business and takes cares of her daughter. Now even if she has reunited with Ram, it is on her own terms! Gopi, Saath Nibhaana Saathiya: She is a typical bahu, who tries to cater to the needs of everyone in the household. And yet Gopi stands out for her positive attitude towards life. She is taunted by her sister-in-law for being illiterate but instead of feeling crucified, Gopika decides to get herself educated. She takes admissions and starts going to school unperturbed about what others will say.Simultaneously, she is also running a pickle business, giving inspiration to one and all. Dadisa, Balika Vadhu: When the show started, Dadisa was a conservative authoritative figure who did not let anybody take a decision without her consent. She expected her grand daughter-in-law Anandi to do household chores and wouldn’t let her study. But as the serial progressed so did Dadisa. Not only did she keep up with the times, she changed her patrician attitude and has been a strong pillar of support for Anandi in letting her divorce Jagya and getting her remarried to Shiv. Hope such lovable Dadisas are in every family. Anandi, Balika Vadhu:Anandi got married at a tender age to Jagya when she barely knew what marriage stood for. She was fond of books, studies and her school but had to abandon everything for household chores. Later, however, she not only pursues education but becomes the headmistress of a school! It was a turning point in her life when she became the Sarpanch of Jaitsar. When Jagya betrays her, she divorces him. Later she finds love in Shiv and marries him. The child bride has metamorphosed into a strong independent woman becoming a role model. Arati, Punarvivaah: She is a divorcee with a son but is not bitter about her ex-husband. When she remarries she creates a space for herself in her husband’s life and his two daughters much against their wishes. When her son is kidnapped she is the one who helps find the kidnappers. Currently she is fighting to give her husband’s step brother a rightful place in the property. Nothing, it seems, can stop this indomitable woman from fighting for what she feels is right. Megha, Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha: A mother of two, Megha tried to make ends meet and survive on her own after the death of her husband. Working as a journalist, she meets Mohan and falls in love with him. Bogged down by family and societal pressures, Megha initially doesn’t admit to her feelings for Mohan. But love wins over all odds she gets married to Mohan. Now Megha is running her own dance academy, but is separated from Mohan. That that hasn’t deterred her in making a mark for herself.
Asin, who had not signed any new film post Khiladi 786, was in for a surprise when there were reports in the media that she had got married. There were rumours that the actress has tied the knot with a US-based businessman. Reports also said that continuing acting post marriage didn’t seem possible as she may be settling in the US. She denied the rumours saying that she had no plans to get married so soon. Last year, the actress had shared her plans to go on a break post the Akshay Kumar-starrer. “I have been working back-to-back, and I feel I need to slow down and really take a break before taking on any new films. Even then I will only be doing really selective work now. I won’t compromise on quality at all,” Asin had said earlier. She also took off for a long holiday to the US presumably with friends
I wholeheartedly support the DNA iCan Marathon. The issue of girl education is a very noble cause taken up by the organisers. I believe that everything starts from being healthy and fit. Life hai to jahaan hai. Right from your confidence to your happiness, it all starts from being fit. If you are fit, you can do more, achieve more. Health ranks on top of the priority list. But even to realise how important being healthy is, you need to be educated and so the two really go hand-in-hand. I feel that the marathon is a superb initiative to tackle the other issues too. Education is the basic right of every individual.Educating women is empowering them to tackle crime against them. Also the doormat concept of treating women not befitting a human being has to be completely kicked away and again it is education that is the key to unlock all solutions. Initiatives like these are very encouraging and I hope that women turn up in large numbers because they truly can make a difference. Today women are far more aware of their rights. For every one woman wronged, there are five others fighting to make things right. And that courage to fight comes from education. It’s a start, but run women to let the journey continue.
Jackie Shroff was never an action star or a dancing sensation, but his son Tiger who will be launched in Sajid Nadiadwala’s film Heropanti seems set to excel in both the skills. Says an insider, “Don’t want to build up expectations for the newcomer before his film is launched, but Tiger dances like Hrithik Roshan and does action like Akshay Kumar.” That is a major compliment. The newbie is also not very much like his father on several other aspects. Adds the insider, “Unlike his dad, who in his time was known to be a born flirt, Tiger is very shy with girls. He is very reserved with the opposite sex. There was an apprehension among Tiger’s team and family members about him opening up on the big screen. He recently did a test photo shoot and those present felt that the boy is a natural in front of the camera.” Jackie, who is shooting a Bengali film Swabhumiin Jaisalmer, could barely contain his pride. “By God’s grace, Tiger has turned out to be a good boy, far more hard-working and focussed than I used to be when I started. And fully trained! Tiger understands his body and the camera. When I started I was a dud.” Jaggudada is all praise for Tiger’s producer Sajid too. “I don’t think my boy could’ve started with a better producer. Sajid is experienced and generous. He will make sure Tiger is well packaged and presented. My debut in Hero just happened. But a lot of thought is going into Tiger’s Heropanti.” Says Tiger, “It feels like the most important time of my life. I’ve been training like crazy. Every morning there’s gymnastics and dance rehearsals. At night,I run and practice martial arts. It’s a very focused regime that doesn’t leave me much time for a social life. That makes me a kind of not-so-cool guy.” Tiger admits the training for the film leaves him no time to get a love life. “The closest I’ll get to a girlfriend is the one I’ll have in my film.”
As if the number of horror films she does on reel are not enough, Bipasha Basu has been having some really spooky incidents for real too. And one such incident happened with her on the sets of Aatma. “I have always been scared of horror films. In fact, I hardly ever watch them myself. To top it all, when such scary things happen, I really get spooked out. And Aatma is one film, where there seems to be no dearth of such incidents,” shared the hottie. Talking about this particular episode that left Bips scared for days, an on sets source reveals, “We were shooting for an indoor scene, where only Bipasha was to be present along with a domestic help. Everyone was given strict instructions to maintain pin-drop silence. The scene was okayed in one take too. But by the end of the scene, Bipasha seemed very irritated about something.” The source adds that post the shot, she complained to the director Suparn Verma that despite telling everyone to maintain silence there was a woman who was singing all through the scene. “The junior artist confirmed that even she could hear a woman sing, even though strangely enough no one on the sets heard anything at all.” Baffled everyone immediately checked the sounds with the sound recordist, who played the tape many times over, but no sound of any singing could be heard. “This spooked out Bipasha and the junior artist, both of who heard the song distinctly,” the source adds.
In spite of his constant pleas of unconditional amity with India and the Indian entertainment industry, Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan remains out of bounds here. Bollywood composers who wish to record their numbers with the maestro (who happens to be the late legendary singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s nephew) have to proceed to Dubai for the recording. The latest Bollywood song to be recorded with Rahat in absentia is the number Dil ko aaya sukoon for Priyadarshan’s Rangrezz written by Sameer Anjaan and composed by Sajid-Wajid. This love ballad also marks the debut of singer Hiral Brahmbhatt, who is a very well-known singer in Gujarati cinema. While she recorded her part of the song in Mumbai, Sajid-Wajid flew to Dubai to record Rahat’s part of the duet. Apparently producer Vashu Bhagnani tried every trick in the book to get Rahat to India for the recording, but to no avail. Hiral says, “Unfortunately I couldn’t record the duet with Rahat saab. Sajid and Wajid recorded with him in Dubai. No one would be able to tell that the two singers were apart when they sang this song. But I would love to sing with him at some point.” As for the inability to bring Rahat into India, sources say the status quo is unlikely to change inthe near future. “Relations between the two countries have worsened to the extent that even Gulzar saab had to return home from Pakistan. And then Rahat is a special case. He was alleged to have been involved in FERA violations in India and would therefore be even more wary of coming to India than other Pakistani artistes,” says a source from the music industry. The source adds that it’s become an accepted practice to record with Rahat in Dubai. “And why only Rahat saab, several other Pakistani artistes also record Bollywood songs in absentia,” adds the source. Recently director Luv Ranjan recorded a love ballad with Pakistan’s Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan for Aakash Vani on Skype. And when Mira Nair wanted the legendary British rocker Peter Gabriel to collaborate with Pakistan’s pop icon Atif Aslam on Bol ke lab azaad hain tere for her film The Reluctant Fundamentlist, the collaboration was conducted via the internet.
On International Women’s Day, Shah Rukh Khan will be making an announcement that would make the entertainment world sit and salute the King for his gracious conduct. On March 8, Shah Rukh will declare to the world that henceforth in all his films the heroine’s name would appear ahead of him in the credit titles. It wouldn’t matter whether the leading lady is senior or junior to SRK. From this day onwards, ladies’ first in all the credit titles of King Khan’s films. This initiative and the endeavour to give women a prominent place in the entertainment industry, would be enunciated in a short film that Shah Rukh has shot with R Balki for International Women’s Day. Says Balki,“Yes, it’s absolutely true! Shah Rukh will go on film this Women’s Day to declare that his heroines’ names would appear before his name in the credit titles of all his films.” Apparently, Balki and the team behind the film came up with the idea of credit-line priority for women in Shah Rukh’s film and the superstar was game for it. Says Balki appreciatively, “Shah Rukh didn’t hesitate for even a second. He immediately agreed to the idea of henceforth allowing his leading ladies the right to go first in the credit titles.” Though revolutionary in the present day contextof male-centric entertainment in Hindi cinema, the leading lady’s name appearing before the hero is not unknown. In the films starring Meena Kumari and Dharmendra hername preceded his name in the credit titles. Some films featuring Mala Sinha with either Biswajeet or Sanjay Khan also featured the leading lady’s name first. Nanda also got first billing in her films with Shashi Kapoor and Rajesh Khanna. However, these exceptions to the patriarchal rule were made in deference to the actress’ seniority. For a leading man to agree to let his co-star’s name appear first in all his films is unprecedented and laudatory.
Designer Shruti Sancheti, who is all set to display her Summer/Resort collection at the upcoming Lakme Fashion Week, recently got a letter from Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. Her line that’s been done with the support of Maharashtra Weaver’s Board — Indrayani, is inspired by the Swadeshi movement and aims at reviving the indigenous art of weaving. She further hopes to expose the younger generations to this traditional craft. Shruti says, “I’ve often admired Modi’s work and wrote to him telling him about my collection.He reverted with a letter of appreciation, saying he felt it was time designers took Indian textiles to a new level. Adding that we should market the handmade, environment-friendly fabric to stand out in the crowd.” The base fabric of her designs, which she will showcase on March 25, comprise finely woven cotton teamed with linen and cotton silk, with influences of Indian as well as Edwardian elements of that time.
Singer Shefali Alvares will be performing in the North-East for the first time on March 10, as the songstress has been invited for Kaalrav ‘13 – an annual college festival. This three-day event, by the Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology, will host a number of events including singing contests, dance competitions, fashion shows, dramatics as well as robotics, web designing competitions. Shefali is visibly excited about her gig. She says,”I’ve heard so much about the music scene there, that I’m really looking forward to singing in front of the audience. It will be more of my Hindi-Bollywood tracks rather than rock, but I also plan to throw in a few English numbers like Rolling In The Deep and Another Brick In The Wall.” Shefali adds that she’s spent a lot of time rehearsing. “Since the crowd will be 17-21 year olds, I’m choosing more club and dance music. Most of my stuff is electronic or upbeat tracks so I’m sure it will work well with the festival,” she explains
For several decades now, Bollywood's movie poster design doesn't include the names of stars. Hollywood, on the other hand, leads with it. Top-billed actors are named prominently. Ever wondered why this happens? Let's consider a few facts:
In Bollywood, we believe our stars to be larger than life and hence, don't feel the need to name them. Most stars have near-perfect recall with audiences, everyone knows them. That's a sentiment echoed by Race 2 producer Ramesh Taurani. "The popularity of our stars is so high that we don't feel the need to put their names," he says.
And even though Hollywood goes out to a global market and a wider audience and their stars are more recognised than ours, they choose to name their stars. Is it that Bollywood has evolved with its own system?
Arbaaz Khan, the producer of Dabangg and Dabangg 2 seems to think so. He says, "We have our own way of crediting and advertising our stars and it works beautifully for us. However, we are quite flexible with having the actor's name or not having it. There are times when we name the star on the poster. For instance, when we need to introduce a new actor. Or when a big star is playing a big character we sometimes say 'Star X in or as.......'"
And while the Indian argument could quite simply be that we are "like this only", it just shows that we treat our stars more than just names and rather like heroes beyond celluloid. Aakhir, apne choice ka maamla hai!
A dimly-lit or dark room, a yelping woman, a callous villain and a hero who saves the helpless victim. Bollywood of the 1950s to 1980s almost had a set rape "formula". Fortunately, this has diminished on the silver screen, but sadly, rapes are on the rise off-screen.
India witnessed a staggering spiral of 873 percent in rape cases between 1953 and 2011, according to statistics compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau.
Is Bollywood to be blamed?
"Blaming cinema for influencing young minds is not a fair assumption," says film historian S.M.M. Ausaja.
"Yes, the youth forms a major fraction of the cinema-going public, but every entrant in the theatre is aware of the film's make-believe nature. Today's generation is more educated, less gullible and doesn't fall prey to fiction," Ausaja told IANS.
Rewind over two decades into the film world - from Pran to Prem Chopra, from Shakti Kapoor to Ranjeet, the arch villains of the bygone era played rapists over and over again. Sometimes as a revenge tool and sometimes as a mark of men's superiority over the fairer sex - whatever it was, rape unabashedly featured in film scripts.
Mehboob Khan's "Amar", B.R. Chopra's "Insaaf ka Tarazu", N.N.Sippy's "Ghar" and Rajkumar Santoshi's "Damini" are some examples.
But change ensued.
Today's cinema doesn't have rape scenes per se, but many have blamed double entendre lyrics in sleazy item numbers like "Munni badnaam" and "Sheila ki jawani", uninhibited skin shows and lovemaking on the big screen as aggravators of increased sexual violence against women in real life.
The brutal gang rape of a Delhi girl in December 2012 triggered off a national debate over the the portrayal of women in popular cinema and TV, and its impact on the general public.
However, showbiz singularly cannot be blamed for the rise in crimes against women, noted Samir Parikh, director, Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare.
"No one parameter can be blamed for the rise in any crime. But it is scientifically proven that watching aggression increases the tendency of aggression. Similarly, even if there are too many rape scenes in movies, the objectification of women itself can impact minds. If you promote that, it will have its impact," Parekh told IANS.
The need of the hour, then, is perhaps, as veteran actress and social activist Shabana Azmi once put it, that our heroines "make more discerning choices".
"Crass lyrics, voyeuristic camera angles, fragmented images of heaving breasts, swivelling navels, swinging hips rob women of autonomy. So much easier to blame than to reflect and share part of the blame. All sections of society including films need to analyse how we are part culpable," Shabana posted on Twitter.
But that, to no effect so far - except the fact that rape scenes are now abysmally low on the big screen.
Reasons Ausaja: "It has vanished because a new generation has arrived which doesnt have cinema as an avenue for titillation, there are other far superior means. Rape in the 1970s and the 1980s unfortunately was used more for its 'item' value than as a necessity of the script.
"There was no internet, no access to porn and no open sale of desi Playboys, and the families were largely conservative. Today's generation has access to myriad forms of nudity, and they won't watch a film just because of some skin show in it," he added.
To some extent films may impact people's psyche, but at the same time Parekh feels there are other important factors that can't be ignored in perpetuating sexual violence.
"Like how people here just stand by and let things happen; the law and order of our country; the society - all crimes are a result of collective factors," he added.
Perhaps then a vivid display of the consequences of rape can help in reducing such crime, once said psychologist Neha Patel.
"When films show rape scenes, they often focus on the suffering of the girl instead of showing the consequences borne by the man. If this is shown, it might inculcate a feeling of fear in men," she said and added: "We have seen how ads send out subtle messages."
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who earned the tag of "Angry Young Man" after his films " Zanjeer" and "Namak Haraam", believes the first actor to hold the title is not him but Sunil Dutt who portrayed an angry Birju in the 1957-epic " Mother India".
In the Mehboob Khan-directed "Mother India", Sunil Dutt played the rebel son of a woman, played by Nargis, who works hard for survival with her two sons after her husband disappears.
"'Namak Haram' bore seeds of the anger that was next seen in 'Zanjeer', and the subsequent titling of the epithet 'Angry Young Man' by the media," Big B wrote on his Facebook page.
"But I have always believed that the first powerful depiction or in a sense the birth of the so called 'Angry Young Man', was designed by Mehboob Saheb (Mehboob Khan) in 'Mother India', where the character Birju, played so brilliantly by Sunil Dutt, was depicted," he wrote.
While "Zanjeer" featured Amitabh as inspector Vijay Khanna, "Namak Haraam" saw him as Vikram Maharaj.
Do you wonder why Ajay Devgn has lately been doing too many light-hearted dramas? He doesn't want to associate himself with films that a family can't watch together and says it is a myth that vulgarity or skimpy clothes can make a movie work at the box office.
The National Award winning actor seems to be following his resolution sincerely as in recent times he has been part of successful family entertainers such as the "Golmaal" series, "Bol Bachchan" and "Son of Sardaar" as well as an action-drama like "Singham".
"I have decided not to do anything that you can't watch with family. I don't want to do any film, which has A-certificate," Ajay said in a group interview. The actor is shooting for Prakash Jha's intense social drama "Satyagraha" in the City of Lakes.
"I was recently watching a Hindi film, and my father (action director Veeru Devgan) got up and went away. Later, when I asked him, where did you go, he said, 'They were wearing such clothes, I thought you guys would be embarrassed watching it with me.' My father is from the film industry, if he can walk out, you can imagine.
"I don't want to do such films. It is a myth that if you would show vulgarity or 'kam kapade' (skimpy dresses), the film will work," added the actor.
His next outing on the big screen is " Himmatwala", a remake of Jeetendra and Sridevi starrer 1983 hit movie and he describes the new "Himmatwala" as "an action, emotional drama... Jeetu saab played an engineer, here it is a street fighter, so the attitude is completely different."
Apparently Ajay told director Sajid Khan that he won't wear white shoes or while pants, a trademark of Jeetendra, in the remake.
When asked, the actor said: "I have worn white shoes, but they are keds. I had no condition like this. Jokingly I had said that don't make me wear white shoes."
"Himmatwala" is still remembered for Jeetendra's dance in songs like "Taki Oh Taki" and "Naino mein sapna, sapno mein sajna".
Ajay said: "I don't think I can dance like him. I danced the way I was supposed to."
The 43-year-old's career took off with 1991 action drama "Phool Aur Kaante", his debut film, and later he moved to intense roles with "Takshak", "Zakhm" and "Company" among others. He then shifted his attention to comic capers.
The actor said that it was "not a conscious decision" to shift from one genre to the other.
"I was lucky to get right script at the right time. Yes, I wanted to evolve, I wanted to learn. I have learned so much from 'Takshak' and 'Zakhm'. I have learned a lot from the films that have not worked," said the actor and added: "Nobody is a better actor than K. Vishwanath (who directed Ajay in 'Dhanwaan')".
As an audience, Ajay "watches all kind of films". "There are times when I want to watch a commercial, family, happy film, but there are times when you start watching something and you can't stop. Recently I saw descendant, but it was so slow, but it grips you and grips you and can't get up," he said and added: "My funniest film so far has been 'Golmaal' one."
In his next outing titled 'Ya Rab', actor Ajaz Khan will play an ATS (Anti-Terrorism Squad) officer. Earlier seen in 'Allah Ke Banday' with Naseeruddin Shah, Ajaz trained with a real ATS officer.
"The film was shot in Lucknow and I was sent there 10 days ahead to be with Mr Khan, an ATS officer," says the actor, adding, "He carried one gun, 10 mobile phones and five laptops with him. His laptops were constantly on and he was receiving information from all parts of the world. That's when I realised that being an ATS officer is lot more than just physically protecting people. Lots of responsibility and risk is involved."
Ajaz, who has only done negative roles in the past, was looking for a positive one to come his way. "I was getting tired of being typecast. This is the first film where I am playing a positive character. My role was initially supposed to be played by either Suniel Shetty or Manoj Bajpayee. To put me in the same league as them is in itself an achievement for me," he says.
Ya Rab is directed by Hasnain Hyderabadwala, who has earlier directed movies like The Killer and The Train.
Ram Gopal Varma does not like being emotionally dependent on people and he says he lives in a delusional world where he is the "Superman".
The 50-year-old director says he does not need friends. "I am definitely an intense person. I don't have friends because I don't feel the need. I am not emotionally dependent on anyone, I don't need a shoulder to cry on. I live in a delusional work, where I am the superman, and superheroes don't need anyone," Varma told PTI in an interview.
The filmmaker also said he does not have time for social gatherings as he is either busy making or watching movies.
"I spend time with people when I am making movies but don't share an attachment. And also I don't have time for parties as I am busy watching or making movies," he added.
Varma is currently working on the sequel of his 1998 cult underworld saga "Satya". The new movie's trailer has been released and features Telegu actor Sharwanand. It will be made in two versions Hindi and Tegulu.
"I have completed the movie 50 per cent and I will be producing it as well. It has all newcomers. The film is about a guy who comes to Mumbai in 2013 to reinvent and re-establish a non existent underworld.
"The new 'Satya' will be armed with his understanding of the mistakes made by Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Rajan, Abu Salem, Chhota Shakeel and Arun Gawli," Varma said.
The original movie starred Telugu actor J D Chakravarthy, Manoj Bajpai, Urmila Matondkar and Shefali Shah. The film is considered a cult because of its gripping storyline, excellent narrative and memorable performances.
When asked why he didn't rope in big names for this movie, Varma said, "I don't make movies for stars, they come with a lot of baggage and you have to work according to them. I like to work freely without any interference."
In his over two decade old career, Varma has directed critically and commercially hit movies like 'Raat', 'Rangeela', 'Satya', 'Kaun', 'Jungle', 'Company', 'Bhoot' and 'Sarkar'.
Aamir Khan, who is shooting for Rajkumar Hirani's "P.K." in Rajasthan, has used a radio bought from Chor Bazaar here for one of the sequences in the film.
The 47-year-old was spotted wearing a skirt and a blazer during the film shoot and also carrying a radio in his hand.
It has now been revealed that the radio was bought from Chor Bazaar and has been used on Aamir's request.
"Aamir had seen the radio in olden times and was very keen to have it. He vaguely described it as one of the oldest radios," said a source.
The production team had a hard time finding the radio. They not only researched, but also asked a lot of people around. Finally, they managed to get it in Chor Bazaar.
Actor-producer John Abraham plans to donate and auction most of his clothes to raise money for a charity.
"I would like to give away most of my clothes to charity and empty my wardrobe. Our requirement is only two pair of jeans and four t-shirts, not more than that," the 40-year-old said at an initiative by a cosmetic brand.
"It's a great activity to do. I will probably get on to that space where I can donate that kind of money to people. We often get clothes on shoots, they just get wasted. So it's better to give it off to people, auction it off and make money for charity," he added.
Recently John featured in "I, Me Aur Main", but it was not received well at the box office.
If sources are to be believed, designer Niharika Bhasin Khan and actor Ayub Khan have ended their marriage of more than a decade, and it seems both of them have moved on in life. While Niharika is friends with actor Amit Sadh (of Kai Po Che fame), Ayub was recently spotted at a party with a 'new' friend. A source close to the couple says that the two now live separately and their children live with Niharika at her Yari Road residence. Both Ayub and Niharika continue to be friends and their separation was amicable.
Says our source, "People grow out of relationships and that is what happened between them," adding that their careers were in a way responsible for the split. A source close to the designer said that she is not romantically involved with Amit, but they are best friends. When asked about their camaraderie, Amit said, "Niharika is a very dear friend and also my stylist. I love spending time with her. But I hang out with other female and male friends as well. Anyway, I don't understand... I will continue doing what I do."
And, though buzz has it that Ayub is seeing someone else, one of his friends said, "It must be one of his co-stars. I don't think he is seeing anyone at present." While Niharika refused to comment, Ayub did not revert to our text messages.
In the meantime... Amit Sadh was spotted having lunch with KPC co-star Amrita Puri on March 6 at a Juhu restaurant.
Mahesh Bhatt is yet again standing up against what he considers as the oppressive attitude of the Indian establishment and security agencies towards Muslims, particularly the youth. Bhatt is set to stage a play along with Sandeep Kapoor, Promodome Films for the same. Directed by national award winning playwright Waryam Mast, the play titled Trial of Error is based on the establishment's distrust of Muslims with suspecting them and falsely implicating those in cases of terrorism, violence, anti-national activities, the trauma faced and their struggle for obtaining justice.
Actor Imran Zahid has been roped in to play the role of a journalist, who goes on to find out the truth behind the establishment's conspiracy role with projecting a bad image of the Muslim community. Mahesh had staged a play earlier, Last Salute based on a media person hurling a shoe at former American President George Bush when he was addressing a conference. This resulted in garnering a lot of accolades.
Bollywood stars have always had run-ins with the law. The latest we hear is that Preity Zinta was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). This came when certain irregularities in the conduct of the second season of the Indian Premier League were noticed. The ED has since recorded the statement of Preity, who is the co-owner of Kings XI Punjab, which went on for over 4 hours.
Apparently, the ED had reports which said that ill-gotten money flowed into the T-20 tournament from foreign tax havens. The second edition of the tournament which came under the scanner also led to the sacking of the then commissioner Lalit Modi for alleged financial irregularities in the organisation of the tournament.
Apart from Preity, the former BCCI president Shashank Manohar, cricketer Ravi Shastri, who were on the IPL governing council, besides actor and Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, had earlier been questioned in connection with alleged irregularities in conduct of IPL-2 held in South Africa.
Madhuri Dixit must be thanking the heavens over and over again. The reason? Well, she will be working with the Kathak guru Birju Maharaj yet again for her next film Dedh Ishqiya.
Birju Maharaj, whose choreography as last seen in Kamal Haasan's Vishwaroop, said that it is always a delight to work with good dancers like Madhuri as they catch up with dance steps faster and their involvement in dance is tremendous.
A source close to actor Imran Khan recently revealed that the actor has deleted his Twitter account after being fed up of negative comments from his detractors. The friend said that Imran was being attacked by trolls who were unsparing in their comments on his acting abilities, because of which, Imran has deleted his Twitter account. Recently, there was also news that Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has boycotted the social micro-blogging site after a fresh surge of attacks brought on by his views on being a Muslim superstar in India. It has now been learned that the King Khan will have his media managers manage his account on his behalf. Imran Khan will be next seen opposite Kareena Kapoor in Gori Tere Pyaar Mein and also in Once Upon A Time In Mumbai 2, where he will play a street tough
Adult entertainer Sunny Leone, who marked her Bollywood debut with Bhatt Camps erotic thriller Jism 2, is the latest to join Bollywood's item girl bandwagon. Leone has turned item dancer for Sanjay Gupta's much-anticipated film Shootout at Wadala and will be seen in a sexy desi avatar in the number. A few pictures from the film's set has been revealed which shows her clad in a sexy ghagra –choli. In the pictures ,Sunny is seen having a good time with the film's cast and crew. The song has been choreographed by Ahmed Khan. First India's biggest realty show, then films and now item songs, this girl is surely here to stay.
Priyanka Chopra is excited about her first item song Babli Badmash Hai in Ekta Kapoor produced Shootout at Wadala. "I did want (to) work with Ekta, and she was very persistent about the song. It was a conscious decision for me not to do an item song after all these years in Bollywood. "But it was great opportunity as both of us had really wanted to work with each other. So I just decided to go out of my comfort zone," Priyanka told reporters here. This will be the first time that the actress will be seen doing an item song though her contemporaries like Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif already have such songs to their credit. Priyanka will be seen dancing to the tracks of Babli Badmash Hai in the Sanjay Gupta directed 'Shootout at Wadala' which stars John Abraham, Anil Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee, Tusshar Kapoor, Sonu Sood and Kangna Ranaut in the lead roles. It's scheduled to hit the screens on May 1.
TOI had reported that the stage had been set for a truce between Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, scriptwriters of the original Zanjeer, and Amit Mehra and Reliance, makers of Zanjeer 2.0. Following a strongly-worded letter sent off by Khan to the Scriptwriters Association, the body had called for a meeting between all parties concerned, headed by FWICE (Federation of Western India Cine Employees), with a view to ending the tussle.
However, the latest development is that Mehra has slapped a legal suit not using Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan or Pran's performance in the film. All he is using is the script, which was written by Javed and I. Hence, he should take our permission and compensate us for the same."
Added Khan: "The matter is still very much with the FWICE. We shall abide by the Federation. If the issue doesn't get resolved even then, we will press for an injunction on the film."
Salim-Javed have been fighting for intellectual rights over the new Zanjeer for quite some time now. On his part, Mehra has been arguing that since the writers have already been remunerated once, they are not liable to be paid again. Against Salim-Javed, who have been demanding royalty for their script ever since the Zanjeer remake went on floors. At last count, the duo had sought compensation to the tune of Rs 6 crore from Mehra and Reliance. Apparently, Mehra decided to take them to court only when he realised they were not going to relent.
While Mehra, who attended the High Court proceedings yesterday, remained unavailable for comment, Khan said: "No order was passed by the judge. I am told by my lawyers that the case is as good as dismissed." "I am appalled that Amit doesn't seem to understand our stance, which is crystal clear."
Additional Commissioner of Police (Western region) Vishwas Nagre Patil has clarified that Salman Khan has not threatened anyone. He however has asked for an investigation report on the Chimbai koli vs Salman Khan case.
Speaking to TOI, Patil said, "As far as Salman Khan is concerned he went to the cottage a long time back and did not threaten anyone. In fact there photographs of him in discussion with people over there. Some of them have even posed for a photograph with him.''
Patil has asked the senior inspector of Bandra police station to submit a report to the DCP.
He said, " the fisher folks were reluctant to give the statement to the senior inspector so I told them not to be scared and requested them to record their statement. I can also say that there is no pressure on us from anyone a fair probe will be done in the case.''
The kolis have alleged that Salman's bodyguards threatened them and even burnt the plastics and wooden planks used for rolling the nets.
Patil said, "Everything needs to be established in the case. The women who came to did say that three security guards got into a scuffle with them but we have yet to establish whether they worked on Salman's property.''
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan feels sad with the increasing number of atrocities against women and says that such acts need immediate attention as women are born to live free.
"Stop this disrespect! Measure the presence of women in our existence with required dignity! Protect them that fall unfortunate victims to savage inhuman intent and stand tough against them who raise their hands to defile them," the 70-year-old posted on his blog.
"Despite great awareness ideals that have taken space and demonstration among the society, the atrocities continue with abandon. Great introspection needs to be done to fathom the reason and the continuous disregard for all that should be looked upon as an evil.
"I will not agree with the reasoning that such incidents happen all over the world or whether the statistics favour another region or not. I am interested in why it is happening at all," he further added.
With International Women's Day falling Friday, Big B also supports a latest campaign.
"8 March, I will be doing my bit to make the world a safer place for women. What's your promise? Ring the bell," he posted.
"Supporting Breakthrough's latest campaign. Will ring the bell for a world where women feel safe, free, and secure. One million men make one million promises to end violence against women this year. What's yours? There is a cause that needs support. There is a call that needs attention. And there is a heart that needs to be heard," he further posted.
An international campaign launched in 2008, it calls on men and boys to take a stand against domestic violence. The campaign seeks to reduce domestic violence and to highlight the role male fraternity can play in reducing violence.
In the glittering world of Bollywood, everything is not gold as it seems. Time and again, Bollywood celebrities have got involved in several fights and cold wars, that led to several gossips and speculations. One such biggest cold war in the industry would be that of between The Bachchans and superstar Salman Khan. Salman Khan and Amitabh Bachchan have worked in a few movies like Baghban, Baabul and God Tussi Great Ho. Though their father-son onscreen portrayal looked quite amazing, the duo did not share good rapport off screen. In fact, it was rumoured that Salman and Abhishek Bachchan too were involved in a cold war against each other. Keeping in mind, Salman's past affair with Aishwarya Rai, it is believed that The Bachchans and Sallu never shared a friendly relationship. Especially, after Ash got married in the Bachchan family, gossips were hyped and it was said that Salman's relationship with the Bachchan got strained. But, the latest we hear is that things between the two have turned friendly again. Have a look at a few rare, unseen pictures of Salman Khan and The Bachchans.
John to take final call on release date of his films John Abraham John Abraham Biography Upcoming Movies Fanspeak Videos Photos View All In order to ensure that his upcoming films have a good run at the Box Office, actor turned producer John Abraham has decided to take a call on the release dates of his projects. The actor's home production Vicky Donor was a huge hit, which seems to have given John a fair idea about the right time for release of movies. The film was released on April 20 last year and there were no other big releases at that time. "I am going to dictate my release dates to a large extent. I will take the studio in confidence as they need to understand my point of view. I decided the release date of Vicky Donor. I knew what I was doing... so let me do it," John told PTI. "I will be absolutely cautious about the release dates of my films," he said. John's next release will be Shootout at Wadala where he essays the role of gangster Manya Surve. The film will hit cinema houses on May 1, which happens to be the International Worker's Day. John's other release this year will be his home production Madras Cafe, directed by Shoojit Sircar. A political thriller, the film will see John play an intelligence agent and Nargis Fakhri as a journalist. Shootout at Wadala releases on May 1. It is the Labour Day, and on August 30 we release Madras Cafe - a solo release, no one is releasing a film that day. It is a clear two week run. It's a crucial date for us. Everyone will understand as we come closer to the release date. It is going to be an amazing release," he said. John, however, seems unhappy with the response garnered by his latest release I Me Aur Main at the Box Office. The film, a romantic-comedy starring John, Chitrangada Singh and Prachi Desai in the lead, was directed by debutante Kapil Sharma. Produced by Goldie Behl and Shrishti Behl Arya, the film was released on March 1. "I feel very little was done too late. It had a niche audience. I had due respect for the film and I did as much as I could with all honesty. I would never desert a film. I don't know about other actors... for me my credibility is important than my career. At the end of the day I have to be known as a human being," the actor said. "I still feel it is a beautiful, sweet film. I think Kapil Sharma is a very talented director," he added.
Mahankali to clash with Gundello Godari at BO Mahankali Gundello Godaari Mahankali Story Cast & Crew Fanspeak Videos Photos View All Two lady producers like Lakshmi Manchu and Jeevitha Rajasekhar are all set to test their fate at the Box Office. Yes! Their much-hyped and most-awaited movies Gundello Godari and Mahankali, which are releasing in theatres worldwide on March 8, will clash with each at the collection centres across the globe. They belong to different genres and trade experts feel that both will have good opening. Mahankali is an action entertainer, which is directed by Karthikeya and produced by Surendhar Reddy. The movie features Dr Rajasekhar and Madhurima in lead roles. The angry young man will be seen as a powerful police officer. Chinna has composed music and background score the film. Its posters and videos have created lot of curiosity among film goers, who are all excited to see Rajasekhar again. Whereas Gundello Godari is long-awatied movie, which has been in making for nearly two years. It is a romantic-drama, which is directed by Kumar Nagendra. Set against the backdrop of 1986 Godavari floods, the movie features Sundeep Kishan, Aadhi Pinisetty, Tapsee Pannu and Lakshmi in lead roles. It has huge amount of CGI work. Its promos have soared up the viewers' expectations to sky high. However, Ilayaraja has composed the music for Gundello Godari, which has become a big hit in the market, besides adding lot of hype to the movie. Trade experts feel that Gundello Godari is carrying lot of positive buzz, when compared to Mahankali. So it is likely to lead the race at the Box Office.
Deepika in Shahid Kapoor's Phata Poster Nikla Hero Shahid Kapoor Shahid Kapoor Biography Upcoming Movies Fanspea
k Videos Photos View All Deepika Kamaiah is on cloud nine as the actress has made debut in Bollywood. The Chingari girl has entered Hindi film industry with forthcoming Phata Poster Nikla Hero starring Shahid Kapoor. Well, the actress has recently completed her portions. Deepika Kamaiah will be seen in the role of a village girl and her role lasts only for a few minutes. According to her, it is a cameo that will shape the course of Shahid's journey in the movie. She claims that Shahid Kapoor is a down-to-earth actor and was friendly on the sets. The Bollywood actor also helped her to better the dialogue delivery. Deepika Kamaiah believes that it is a stepping stone to Bollywood even though her role is very small in the movie. However, her portions were shot in Mysore. Phata Poster Nikla Hero, which also features Ileana D'Cruz and Padmini Kolhapure in important roles, is likely to release in August
After Cheeni Kam and Paa, R Balki has secretly been bulking up another high-concept project with Amitabh Bachchan. And it won’t feature Shah Rukh Khan, like a report recently suggested. Laughs Balki, “I don’t know where that came from. Maybe because I shot a short-film with Shah Rukh last week. The same thing happened with my wife (the English Vinglish director Gauri Shinde). Gauri directed a Tamil ad for jewellery with Sridevi, and the news spread that she was working with her again. Well, we both wish we were working with Sridevi and Shah Rukh on feature films. But not right now.” Balki’s next movie will feature the Big B. The initial plan was to cast Abhishek in his next film. That script has not materialised as yet. The director says he hit upon another original idea for the Big B and has been working on itfor some time. Apparently Balki’s script got delayed as he got busy playing the perfect producer to his wife’s directorial debut. The Big B script is almost ready now. All Balki would reveal about its content at the moment is that it again takes the Big B into an area where he has never been before. “But he won’t be in love with a much younger woman (Tabu in Cheeni Kam) or stricken with a rare genetical disorder (progeria in Paa),” jokes Balki.
Nurse wounds inflicted by internet trolls while their teams take the virtual blows
A star and his followers have always had a storybook affair, until social networking empowered the latter with an open platform and a mask of anonymity. To follow a star does not necessarily translate into exchanging terms of endearment. 'Followers' now tweet to berate, bully, abuse or heckle the stars. As Deepa Mehta had said in an interview to this newspaper, it gives the anonymous, armchair critic a sense of empowerment. And no one knows this better than Shah Rukh Khan, who has quit Twitter again, after a fresh surge of attacks brought on by his views on being a Muslim superstar in India.
This is SRK's second boycott of the popular medium after being hounded out by trolls under similar circumstances last year. But the star showed just how vulnerable he still is, when he tweeted: Sad, i read so much judgements, jingoism, religious intolerance on the net & i use to think, this platform will change narrow mindedness, but no!
TOI has learnt that SRK is now putting together a strategy to handle his online presence. He will no longer take the virtual punches on his chin, but his media managers will do the needful.
"Shah Rukh is distraught with the negative energy on Twitter.
The abuses and the vicious attacks on him after every tweet have made him very cynical about the medium," explained a friend of the star. "You can see from his last tweet that he is disillusioned with the medium."
But SRK is not alone. Aamir Khan, who is perhaps not subjected to such intense scrutiny, seems to have taken a break from Twitter because of similar reasons.
"It's been over six months since Aamir has actually updated his Twitter account. He occasionally posts on Facebook, which is linked to his Twitter handle. No one knows about it, but he has actually stopped checking his Twitter account," said a friend close to the actor, adding, "This way he is immune to the negativity of trolls." We believe his team monitors the rest.
Apparently, Aamir's nephew Imran Khan has taken a leaf out of his book. "Imran was being attacked by trolls who were unsparing in their comments on his acting abilities. Imran has not just stopped checking, he has deleted his account," said a source close to the actor.
One could argue that social networking is a double-edged sword. As Ranvir Shorey says, "Stars live in a bubble. The medium grounds them." There are some who use the medium to 'deny' unflattering stories that appear in the media or even settle scores with those with a so-called agenda. There are also others, who are yet to figure out how to deal with the self-styled virtual vigilantes - masked, anonymous and very, very powerful.
Some people just like to abuse famous people on Twitter. You either get used to it or choose to ignore it. When I get such negative tweets, I know only a handful of them are being nasty. —Vir Das
People who send negative energy should know that it doesn't affect anyone but them. So, no it doesn't affect me. A few negative people are easily ignored. —Arjun Rampal
I am not on Twitter for a reason. I don't need to know so much about others, neither do I want to talk about myself there. —Zoya Akhtar
No matter how confident director Sajid Khan and actor Ajay Devgn seem about their film, Himmatwala’s success, they admit they’re nervous. “I get nervous before my film’s release as there is an added pressure to perform better than the last release,” Ajay said to us, while Sajid jokingly
added, “We are sure of our project so just to avoid buri nazar, Ajay and I used to put kaala tikka on first ten days of our film’s schedule.” Remember Sajid facing criticism for boasting that he’s cracked the formula for hit films and understands the audience psyche like no other? Well he’s at it again. “I’m never over confident but I’m very sure as an audience as to what will work. Therefore, I’m sure my film is going to do very well and Ajay and my combination is going to work wonders. Poore desh ka koi aisa hall nahi hoga jahaan film dekh kar log taali ni marenge,” said the filmmaker. Giving a little more insight into the film, Sajid said that his film is about that level of action and drama which made Amitabh Bachchan or Dharmendra a star. “And today only two stars can do justice to such roles: Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn. That’s why films like Dabangg and Singham clicked well with the audience,” he said. Ajay agreed with Sajid, and added: “Salman is that one actor who made rustic movies a hit and then everyone else followed him.” The actor-director duo swear by not using any vulgarity or blood on screen. “I will never do vulgar things to titillate the audience as obscene content can never make a film hit,” said Ajay and Sajid added, “I don’t want to make anything, which you can’t watch with your family.
The Oscar award winning director Danis Tanovic, who is in charge of Emraan Hashmi’s ticket to Hollywood, has got a former Bond girl for the film. Who’s she?
It’s learnt that the former Bond girl Maryam d’Abo will be seen in a pivotal role in Tanovic’s film. Maryam joined the likes of former Bond heroines Ursula Andress and Grace Jones when she made an appearance as Kara Milovy in the James Bond film The Living Daylights in 1987. In the film she was paired opposite Timothy Dalton.
In 2002, Maryam d'Abo also co-wrote the book Bond Girls Are Forever as a tribute to the women who have played the role of a Bond Girl. Of late, the English actress, who is married to Oscar-nominated British director Hugh Hudson, has been keeping a low profile.
“Maryam is playing an important role in the film and it was director Danis Tanovic’s idea to cast her,” a source tells a tabloid.
Producer Guneet Monga also confirms the reports. In fact, the actress is already in Patiala for the film’s shooting schedule.
Recently, Emraan Hashmi also walked the red carpet at the Berlin International Film Festival in support of Danis Tanovic’s new film An Episode In The life of an Iron Picker.
And as far as Emraan Hashmi’s film with Tanovic is concerned, the makers have kept everything under wraps, and want to keep everyone guessing about the yet-untitled flick
A source close to actor Imran Khan recently revealed that the actor has deleted his Twitter account after being fed up of negative comments from his detractors.
Adult entertainer Sunny Leone, who marked her Bollywood debut with Bhatt Camps erotic thriller Jism 2, is the latest to join Bollywood's item girl bandwagon. Leone has turned item dancer for Sanjay Gupta's much-anticipated film Shootout at Wadala and will be seen in a sexy desi avatar in the number.
John to take final call on release date of his films John Abraham John Abraham Biography Upcoming Movies Fanspeak Videos Photos View All In order to ensure that his upcoming films have a good run at the Box Office, actor turned producer John Abraham has decided to take a call on the release dates of his projects. The actor's home production Vicky Donor was a huge hit, which seems to have given John a fair idea about the right time for release of movies. The film was released on April 20 last year and there were no other big releases at that time. "I am going to dictate my release dates to a large extent. I will take the studio in confidence as they need to understand my point of view. I decided the release date of Vicky Donor. I knew what I was doing... so let me do it," John told PTI. "I will be absolutely cautious about the release dates of my films," he said. John's next release will be Shootout at Wadala where he essays the role of gangster Manya Surve. The film will hit cinema houses on May 1, which happens to be the International Worker's Day. John's other release this year will be his home production Madras Cafe, directed by Shoojit Sircar. A political thriller, the film will see John play an intelligence agent and Nargis Fakhri as a journalist. Shootout at Wadala releases on May 1. It is the Labour Day, and on August 30 we release Madras Cafe - a solo release, no one is releasing a film that day. It is a clear two week run. It's a crucial date for us. Everyone will understand as we come closer to the release date. It is going to be an amazing release," he said. John, however, seems unhappy with the response garnered by his latest release I Me Aur Main at the Box Office. The film, a romantic-comedy starring John, Chitrangada Singh and Prachi Desai in the lead, was directed by debutante Kapil Sharma. Produced by Goldie Behl and Shrishti Behl Arya, the film was released on March 1. "I feel very little was done too late. It had a niche audience. I had due respect for the film and I did as much as I could with all honesty. I would never desert a film. I don't know about other actors... for me my credibility is important than my career. At the end of the day I have to be known as a human being," the actor said. "I still feel it is a beautiful, sweet film. I think Kapil Sharma is a very talented director," he added.
