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Posts tagged Abhishek Bachchan
Sanjay Dutt bid adieu to his family and friends; goes to jail
03 days ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Kunal M Shah (MID-DAY; May 17, 2013)
After keeping the media on its toes for around two months, Sanjay Dutt finally left his Bandra residence to surrender to the TADA court and commence his three and a half year jail term.
There was a frenzy that ensued as everyone — media persons and common man alike — gathered wanted to catch a last glimpse of the actor being driven away to the court.
Dutt left his Pali Hill house around 1.30 pm and reached the court in the presence of the waiting media.
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, his sister Priya Dutt and his wife Mnayata accompanied the 53-year-old actor.
As Dutt’s car screeched to a halt, Bhatt disembarked first, requesting the media with folded hands to make way for Dutt to make his exit. And as the actor reached the court, the formalities began for his surrender.
B-Town bids farewell
Earlier in the day, his close friends from the industry including Bunty Walia, Apoorva Lakhia, Kiran Kumar, Soham Shah and Rahul Aggarwal visited Dutt.
Before he left his Imperial Heights residence, the actor chose to spend some precious time with his kids Shahraan and Iqra and his weeping wife. Earlier in the week, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn and Abhishek Bachchan also came in to visit Dutt.
Time travel
The Supreme Court in its March 21 verdict awarded five years’ imprisonment to the actor for illegal possession of arms.
The apex court on May 14 refused to grant him more time to surrender. On May 10, the Supreme Court had dismissed Dutt’s plea seeking More >
Abhishek Bachchan’s car runs over lensman’s leg outside Sanjay Dutt’s house
03 days ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Jigar Shah (MID-DAY; May 17, 2013)
Tinsel town has always shared a love-hate relationship with the media. And with Sanjay Dutt finally leaving home to serve his three-and-a-half year jail term, it has been a rather busy time for the gathered media people outside his Bandra residence.
Sources say it was almost a circus scene outside the Dutt residence on Tuesday as the actor’s friends from Bollywood poured in to offer their encouraging words to the convicted star.
A source says, “There was a beeline of camera people and photographers outside Imperial Heights in Bandra. Close friend Abhishek Bachchan too came in to voice his words of support. However, as he was leaving the venue, something unfortunate happened.” A swarm of photogs apparently threw themselves at his car to click the exiting star. And in a bid to escape, Bachchan’s driver drove over a cameraman’s foot. Incidentally, at that moment, Abhishek chose to drive away.
The source adds, “He left the spot in a rush. However, after reaching home he enquired about the injured media person and personally called him to apologise for the accident. He even offered to pay the victim for all the medical expenses incurred due to the incident.” Insiders say the cameraman was rather shocked at the actor’s generosity and was lost for words.
Next Shootout film to have Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham?
05 days ago
by Fenil Seta
in Rumour has it
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; May 15, 2013)
Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, who is in top form post Shootout At Wadala, will take the franchise forward with yet another daring shootout story. Sources indicate the new film is inspired by India’s leading encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar, who had gunned down nearly 80 anti-social elements. Abhishek Bachchan is tipped to play Salaskar and John Abraham will, in all likelihood, play a top cop. At this juncture, it looks like the film will only take some references from the Salaskar chapter in history because in real life this encounter specialist went down fighting terrorists in November 2008. G
upta chooses to remain tightlipped about this one because he is still working on the script.
INCIDENTALLY… John and Abhishek will start Dostana 2 in October 2013, says a source from Dharma Productions.
Timeless beauties who have romanced both father and son
01 week ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Jigar Shah (MID-DAY; May 13, 2013)
Madhuri Dixit has done an item number in the upcoming film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani with Ranbir Kapoor. Over a decade ago, Madhuri matched steps with Ranbir’s dad Rishi Kapoor in Yaraana and Prem Granth. Here’s an ode to these timeless actresses who managed to romance both father and son on the big screen…
MADHURI DIXIT: Rishi and Ranbir Kapoor were not the only fathers-on jodi that Mads got to romance. In Feroz Khan’s 1988 film Dayavan, she was paired opposite Vinod Khanna. At that time, Madhuri was 20 and Vinod 42 but their sensuous song together, Aaj phir tumpe, became a rage. Nine years later, Madhuri was paired opposite Vinod Khanna’s son Akshaye in Mohabbat which was directed by her then manager Rakesh Nath’s wife Reema.
DIMPLE KAPADIA: Sunny Deol and Dimple Kapadia came together in 1984 with Manzil Manzil. Later, Dharmendra acted with Dimple in Mast Kalandar in 1991 and, in fact, both of them even had a kiss in their next film Dushman Devta which also released in 1991.
SRIDEVI: This is a rare case when an actress worked with the son first and then the father. In 1990, Sridevi worked with Dharmendra as his lead in a film called Naka Bandi. Earlier in 1989, Sridevi worked with Sunny Deol in Chaalbaaz. In fact there are five other films in which Sridevi and Dharmendra were seen together.
RANI MUKERJ: It was 2001 when Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan worked for Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai. They later did films like Yuva, Bunty Aur Babli More >
Why Aishwarya Rai Bachchan refused to do Happy New Year
02 weeks ago
by Fenil Seta
in Rumour has it
Upala KBR (DNA; May 3, 2013)
The hunt for the lead actress to star opposite Shah Rukh Khan in his next home production Happy New Year is on. The last actress approached for the role was Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Farah Khan was very excited about this pair because they haven’t been seen together since Devdas (2002). Also, Ash’s next film is highly awaited since her maternity break. Her next announcement would have added excitement to the project, rather other obvious choices like Kareena Kapoor, who was in Khan’s last production or Deepika Padukone who is working in his current home production Chennai Express. He has also been paired with Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma last year for Jab Tak Hai Jaan, so the choices are limited. ARB would have been perfect for the part.
Says a source close to the actress, “Yes, the film was offered to Aishwarya, and ideally she might have considered it, but the film also stars her hubby Abhishek Bachchan, and he isn’t paired opposite her. That was her reservation. She believes that if they come together in a film, they should be paired opposite each other, else the audience might reject the film.”
I am not dating Anurag Kashyap-Huma Qureshi
01 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; April 19, 2013)
Huma Qureshi, 26, ensures she gets what she sets her heart on. She is more emotional than practical and would rather take her decisions based on gut, if not for her younger brother Saqib, who is more mature and is her best friend and advisor. Ahead of her upcoming film Ek Thi Daayan, she talks to Bombay Times about her conservative family background, her mentor NK Sharma and why she would never give up her friendship with Anurag Kashyap. Excerpts:
Let’s talk about your childhood? I was born and brought up in Delhi. While my dad is from Delhi, my mom is Kashmiri. My dad Saleem Qureshi owns a chain of restaurants called ‘Saleems’ for the past 30 years and it has eight outlets. While we lived in GK 1 in South Delhi, we were always sent to our grandparents’ house at either Nizammuddin Basti near the dargah or Rakabganj at Old Delhi on the weekends. My grandparents were extremely conservative and my brother Saqib and I had to be well-behaved and I had to be dressed in a salwar kameez. My father had seven siblings and we had a huge family. We also had a huge house with a tree in the centre of the courtyard. We used to love going there as we were all a riot. As I grew up, I was suddenly not allowed to play being a girl and I resented that. I am more girlie now, but at that time, I was a bit tomboyish and a brat. Though I now kick myself, I did not want to learn Urdu at that time as I found it uncool. We would also go to Kashmir for More >
Whoever chooses directing inherently is a fascist-Rohan Sippy
01 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; April 13, 2013)
Rohan Sippy, 42, is a product of one of Bollywood’s most respected families. Grandson of GP Sippy and son of Ramesh Sippy, he has been through his parents’ divorce and his own and knows the golden rule from his father that nobody knows anything. He is excited about working with two newcomers in his latest release Nataunki Saala and talks to Bombay Times about the reducing power of the producer, why a Sholay cannot be made today and why directors are inherently fascists. Excerpts:
Let’s talk about your family? I was born and brought up in Mumbai and was a South Mumbai kid studying at Cathedral. I went to Aiglon College, a boarding in Switzerland, after my tenth, after which I graduated in Philosophy from Stanford. I think I took up Philosophy so that I could say a ‘why’ to everything. We lived with our grandfather GP Sippy till I was 10, after which we moved into my mother’s house at Walkeshwar. I was in my teens when my parents divorced and that was one of the reasons my mum was keen I go to boarding school. Since my dad moved out of my mother’s house, I lived with my mum and landed up, therefore, spending more time with her. Both my parents remarried soon after I went to the boarding school. Even though my father Ramesh Sippy was a filmmaker and my mother was connected to the film industry, she was keen for me to complete my studies and did not want me to get into films.
As a child, were you affected emotionally by your More >
Bollywood gets ready for the first ever TOIFA
11 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
The Times of India Film Awards, which kick-start in Vancouver tomorrow, will see the biggest names from Hindi cinema dazzle on stage
BOMBAY TIMES (April 3, 2013)
It’s going to be a starry week in Vancouver as the biggest names in Bollywood head to British Columbia for the Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA). Unlike regular one-day award functions, TOIFA is a three-daylong extravaganza of fashion and music, in addition to the awards from April 4-6. While Hindi film buffs in Vancouver are in for a big treat, we will bring you all the action through the pages of the Times of India. You can also log on to www.timesofindia.com for instant updates.
THE 3-DAY EXTRAVAGANZA
APRIL 4: MUSICAL NIGHT Performances by Sunidhi Chauhan, Mohit Chauhan, Shalmali Kholgade, Hard Kaur, Kavita Seth and Hans Raj Hans
APRIL 5: TOIFA-TECHNICAL AWARDS Technical Awards along with fashion show by Manish Malhotra
APRIL 6: TOIFA-MAIN AWARDS Performances by Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, Abhishek Bachchan, Anuskha Sharma and Shiamak Davar
What we lacked in talent & fitness, we made up in heart-Abhishek Bachchan
01 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; April 1, 2013)
An all-star team, led by captain Abhishek Bachchan and vice-captain Ranbir Kapoor, played against our cricketers headed by Virat Kohli for underprivileged children at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi on Saturday evening. While the cricket team won 4:3, Bombay Times was exclusively present along with the all-star team on the bus ride from the hotel to the stadium. We bring you our conversation with them during the journey, which was great fun.
Our conversation with Abhishek started during the flight over a cup of coffee. When the flight attendant served Abhishek coffee with sugar, he immediately said, “May I have some more sugar, please? I am a sweet person.” It was heartening to see all the stars travel by a low-cost airline without any fuss whatsoever and without even their managers. In true sportsman spirit, they travelled in a bus from the airport to the hotel and in more ways than one, were good but occasionally naughty.
How did you think of putting together an all-star team for football? Actually, I am not a football player and like most football fans, I am bad at football. But, it has been an integral part of my life and my earliest memories are of watching the World Cup with my father, who has always been a Brazil fan. Having gone to a British boarding school, football was always around me, even though I always played basketball. My friend Rohan Sippy and I, in fact, played basketball in our school team and we actually More >
The ‘Gay’teway To Bollywood
01 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Depiction of gay characters in Bollywood continues to be steeped in stereotype, even as realism’s struggling to rear its head
Aakanksha Naval-Shetye (DNA; March 28, 2013)
At a recent Gay and Lesbian Center gala held in LA, studio mogul (Sony Pictures) Amy Pascal, in her speech highlighted the stereotypical depiction of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community) characters in Hollywood films. She insisted that studio bosses scrutinise and make an attempt to eliminate gay slurs. She said, “How about next time, when any of us are reading a script and it says words like fag, faggot, homo, dyke — take a pencil and just cross it out.” The studio honcho also pointed out that not every gay character on screen needed to be defined by his or her sexuality. She quipped, “Can’t we depict men and women who just so happen to be gay — perhaps a lawyer or soldier or business executive or scientist or engineer…”
While the issue was raised about the depiction of LGBT characters in Hollywood, things are as bad, if not worse in Bollywood.
No laughing matter this! Filmmakers in popular cinema here continue to use characters of alternate sexuality seeped in stereotypical images as crutches to provide comic relief. Few will forget Kantaben’s shocked expression on seeing Saif Ali Khan and Shah Rukh Khan in bed together in Kal Ho Naa Ho or Abhishek Bachchan’s effeminate act in Bol Bachchan. John Abraham’s flirty act with Boman Irani’s character in Dostana had the audience in splits, More >