Bollywood News

Ameesha Patel shines at Cannes Film Festival

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MID-DAY (May 24, 2014)

 

Ameesha Patel, who is presently in Cannes for the premiere of her film Shortcut Romeo, was overwhelmed with the response it fetched at the prestigious festival.

Not only was she praised for her looks but also for the way she handled the international media. Her fans on her micro-blogging site were praising her for the way she carried her Indian-ness in an elegant and subtle way at the event.

Says Ameesha, “I’m so glad with the response we have got for our film and for my looks too. Manish Malhotra and I decided not to overdo any outfit and just keep it subtle and classy. I feel we have achieved that. The actress adds, “My time in Cannes has been superb. The entire two days just went in giving interviews to the media from all round the world.

Then there was the red carpet for my film and the after-party where I was invited to as a special guest at one of my favourite places -the Ritz Carlton – where we partied till the wee hours of the morning. We will be leaving for London and later New York for our film’s promotional activities.”

Romance ensures big returns on investment

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Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 25, 2013)

 

A look at the list of Bollywood’s Rs 100 crore films will reveal that there are no quintessential love stories in it. Some of the top grossers in this catalogue include 3 Idiots, Dabangg 2, Bodyguard, Rowdy Rathore, Agneepath and Housefull 2, and none of them effectively fall in the romantic genre. On the contrary, it is romance that ensures big returns on investment — like the recent Aashiqui 2. Made on a budget of less than Rs 10 crore, including print and advertising, this film is set to make approximately Rs 75 crore from the domestic box office.

Trade experts also agree that every decade has four to five love stories that have trounced the so-called big hits when it comes to return on investment. Not surprisingly, it’s the love stories over the years that have stood the test of time. Bobby, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Maine Pyaar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Koun, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge, Kaho Naa.. Pyaar Hai to name a few.

Says trade consultant Amod Mehra, “Raj Kapoor’s Bobby came when there was a lot of action around; Amitabh Bachchan’s Zanjeer had released. Romance is one thing that will never die. Everyone is a romantic at heart, whether it’s Dawood Ibrahim or Karim Lala. The only problem is that when one works, then there are a dozen duplicates to cash in on the success of that one.”

Adds filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, “People are looking for a new experience. You can have a loveless, lifeless existence, but it’s love that More >

Now, a biopic on India’s first Olympic winner

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Mehul S Thakkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 25, 2013)

 

Now that Bollywood has got a taste of biopics, it seems it just can’t get enough of it. After Milkha Singh, Mary Kom and Dada Kondke, now it is wrestler Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav’s turn to make it to the big screens.

Riteish Deshmukh’s production house Mumbai Film Company has acquired the rights to make a biopic on India’s first ever Olympic medallist, Kashaba, also known as Pocket Dynamo. He won bronze at the 1952 London Olympics Riteish acquired the rights from Khashaba Jadhav Vikas Sanstha, a trust formed by Khashaba’s son, Ranjit Jadhav.

Confirming his latest project, Riteish said: “We are making a film on the life of Khashaba Jadhav and it will be made in Hindi and Marathi. He is a hero who deserves to be remembered and honoured. ”

The actor ventured into film production with the Marathi film Balak Palak, which went on to win much critical acclaim.

Kal Ho Naa Ho kid actor showcases his film at Cannes

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Shakti Shetty (MID-DAY; May 25, 2013)

 

Remember that cute kid who played Preity Zinta’s little brother in Kal Ho Naa Ho or the chubby kid who played younger Hrithik Roshan in Mujhse Dosti Karoge? He is no longer the affable boy but has transformed into a young filmmaker. Atith Naik is currently in Cannes to showcase his short film at the festival.

Atith, who started his acting career at the age of six, appeared in seven feature films and more than 160 commercials.

Says the proud filmmaker, who is in his 20s, “My short film titled The Girl in the Woods is about a girl trapped in a forest and has to deal with her haunting past. It has been selected for the Cannes Short film Corner this year and I’m glad to be here. This time, there are a lot of Indian faces here for a change.”

Atith is also making sure he has a sound training for his future projects. He is enrolled in Columbia College, Hollywood and is expected to graduate next year with a major in cinematography and another degr’ee in Fine Arts.

“I left India at the age of 18 to study film production in the Philippines. Later, I moved to Los Angeles to get a degree. I don’t harbour any dreams to be an actor. I know my calling and I’m far more comfortable working behind the camera. I recently assisted Vince Toto on a HBO pilot series who is also mentoring me,” says Atith.

He has also shot music videos for artistes like Jamie Foxx, Up and Down Under, Siddhant Shirodkar and Bassnector.

Marathi filmmakers unhappy with the U/A tag

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Censor Board objects to drinking scenes, portrayal of extra-marital relationships and wearing a bikini

Pooja Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; May 25, 2013)

 

With over 20 films releasing in the last six months, the Marathi film industry has been grappling with the Censor Board for certifications. Many filmmakers were forced to delete certain dialogues to avoid getting the A certificate. Yet, most films released have got U/A certificate for smoking, use of cuss words, and inappropriate portrayal of women.

ASHYACH EKA BETAVAR (U/A) Reason: Sai Tamhankar was wearing a bikini Sai Tamhankar, who essays the character of a bar dancer, is shown wearing a bikini. Filmmaker Sanjay Hinge clarified, “The name of the film indicates that the film is shot on a beach. What’s wrong if the actress is sporting a bikini? I fail to understand why the Censor Board objects to things that are already happening in the society and are portrayed realistically in cinema. The same audience watches Hindi films and accepts violence and cuss words.”

LEK LADKI (U/A) Reason: For showing the actress drunk in a song sequence The film which released last month got a U/A certificate because Supriya Karnik was shown drinking in one of the songs. But filmmaker Yashwant Bhalkar said that he refused to delete the song for the sake of getting a U certificate. He said, “The song is an integral part of the film. The situation demanded that she be shown drinking. Changing the scene would have looked unrealistic.”

TUHYA DHARM More >

An international crew for sequel of Dunno Y.. Na Jaane Kyon

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Sneha Mahadevan (BOMBAY TIMES; May 25, 2013)

 

Dunno Y.. Na Jaane Kyon, the controversial 2010 flick, is back with a sequel. The original cast — with Kapil Sharma and Yuvraaj Parashar in lead roles — will be repeated. But this time around, there’s an European crew on board.

The original film was seen by a European producer and director in Israel — at one of the many film festivals it did the rounds of — and they expressed a desire to come up with a sequel.

Says Kapil, “Our film was controversial, but it also got us a lot of international recognition. We travelled for an entire year and went to a lot of film festivals across the world, so it was all worth it. I never expected a European director to be interested in making Dunno Y Na Jaane Kyon 2. They were very clear that they wanted Yuvraaj and me in the film. I am glad I have got this opportunity so early in my career. An international crew means more recognition.”

The rom-com, a love story between two boys from India and Pakistan, will be shot in Norway. For Yuvraaj, this project has been a dream come true. “I am from a small town, so getting a break in Bollywood was a big deal for me. It’s a very challenging role, but this time around, I’m more confident because homosexuality is now spoken about more openly,” he says.

The film’s promo/teaser is being launched on May 25 at the Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival.

Dunno Y Na Jaane Kyon 2 is produced by Movies Masti Magic Studios.

Salman’s Mental heroine Sana Khan wanted for kidnapping

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Cops hunt for Sana Khan, leading lady in Sallu’s next, over attempted abduction of a 15-year-old girl. After the girl had rejected Sana’s cousin Naved’s marriage proposal; the actress decided to teach her a lesson

Vickey Lalwani and Nazia Sayed (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 24, 2013)

 

Sana Khan, Salman Khan’s leading lady in his next film Mental, is on the run after being booked by the Navi Mumbai police for trying to kidnap a 15-year-old girl who had rebuffed her cousin Naved Khan’s advances.

While Naved and his two friends — Kshitij Gopinath Dubey and Vismit Vilas Ambre – were arrested, Sana has gone into hiding, disrupting Mental’s shooting schedule. A 17-year-old boy, who was with Sana, Naved and their friends when they tried to kidnap the girl, has been booked under the Juvenile Act.

Sana, who was Salman’s favourite in Bigg Boss’s 6th edition, has not reported on Mental’s sets since April 30, when the mother of the minor she had attempted to abduct filed a complaint against her at the Turbhe police station. The complaint says that Sana had tried to kidnap the girl when she was returning from her class X tuitions.

Sana has featured in three TV commercials with Salman. She has also appeared in advertisements with Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan. While she did grab some attention when she was in the Bigg Boss house, Mental is Sana’s big break.

In March 2007, Sana’s TV commercial for a men’s underwear brand had created a huge controversy and the advertisement was banned by More >

Salman Khan’s voice SP Balasubramaniam now belongs to Shah Rukh

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Legendary singer-composer SP Balasubramaniam, who sang for Salman’s early hits, returns with Chennai Express

Mehul S Thakkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 24, 2013)

 

SP Balasubramaniam, who will be always remembered by Hindi film followers as Salman Khan’s romantic voice from his early days, is back in Bollywood after a hiatus of two decades. The 66-year-old singer-actor-composer-producer has sung the title track of Shah Rukh Khan’s Chennai Express. A 20-second clip of the peppy track debuted online yesterday afternoon and immediately went viral. SP, as he is fondly referred to by his innumerable followers, has sung over 40,000 songs in various languages. His most popular Hindi hits include the classic tracks from Ek Duje Ke Liye starring Kamal Hassan and Rati Agnihtori and thereafter almost all Salman films between 1989 and 1995, notably Maine Pyaar Kiya and Hum aapke Hai Koun!

According to a source close to the development, “It was Vishal-Shekhar’s idea to get the legendary singer to sing a track for the film. They discussed it with Shah Rukh, who was surprised at the suggestion but trusted their decision.” The composers met SP in Chennai last month and discussed the project with him. “SP loved the idea and agreed to go on board. It is the first time that he has sung for Shah Rukh Khan. The maestro took just two hours to wrap up the recording,” added the source.

Mirror got in touch with SP minutes before he was about to board a flight. In his unmistakeable voice he said: “Let me More >

Injured Akshay takes rest for a day; back on sets of Thupakki

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Mehul S Thakkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 24, 2013)

 

Akshay Kumar was advised a week’s rest to recuperate by the doctors after he injured his right foot while shooting an action scene for Vipul Shah’s Thupakki on Tuesday. However, the actor was back on the sets yesterday.

The shoot was at the Mumbai Central railway station and A R Murugadoss, the director of the film, ensured the scene didn’t require much footwork from the actor. A segway was specially brought in to help Akshay navigate from his vanity van to the platform.

Apparently, he woke up Vipul in the middle of the night on Wednesday and insisted the shoot be resumed.

A source close to the production house told Mumbai Mirror, “All necessary permissions were taken in the morning to ensure a smooth shoot. It was an 800-member strong unit with around 300 artistes dressed in military outfits. Akshay, who was also in uniform, appeared to be limping a bit while giving the shots.” Vipul mentioned, “Akshay’s main concern was losing out on crucial days of filming.”

Murgadoss, who was present on the set, looked visibly nervous as he was concern about the actor’s health and did his best to ensure any further injury is avoided. He said, “I am impressed with Akshay’s bravery and his commitment towards his work. The doctors had advised him to take rest for at least a week.”

The accident occurred at Film City on Tuesday while filming a hardcore action scene involving a speeding truck.

Tracing Vindoo Dara Singh’s journey towards notoriety

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Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; May 24, 2013)

 

Vindu Dara Singh apparently had tears rolling down his cheeks when the Crime Branch officials began grilling him after his arrest for his alleged links in the IPL betting syndicate. Crying has always come easily to Vindu.

Over three years ago, the actor’s sobs was in-your-face on national television when he would get teary-eyed at the drop of a hat on Bigg Boss in which he was a participant.

Vindu with his wife Dina Umarova and cricketers Harmeet Singh, Adam Gilchrist and Manpreet Gony at a product launch at a hotel in Lower Parel last month. Pic/Satyajit Desai

In fact his late father Dara Singh had been both amused and horrified to see Vindu turn a weepy person on the reality show. The Rustom-e-Hind at that time had stated, “Vindu kuch zyada hi kar raha hai.” This need to do ‘something more’ has cost him dearly now.

The Akki effect From being a failed actor after being launched in 1994 to doing bit roles in films, Vindu’s life took a new turn after he won the Bigg Boss title. He also owed his fresh lease of life to buddy Akshay Kumar, who he considers as his godfather. Vindu became a permanent fixture in the films Khiladi featured in.

Vindu with Shreyas Talpade, director Shirish Kunder, Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha on the sets of ‘Joker’

B-Town buzz was that it was Akshay who recommended his dost Vindu for films he starred in like Kambakkht Ishq, Housefull and Housefull 2, and Joker. Vindu would also be part of the few and More >

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