Where Bollywood Comes Alive
Posts tagged Amitabh Bachchan
Celebrated lensman Jagdish Mali passes away
04 days ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Meena Iyer (BOMBAY TIMES; May 14, 2013)
Celebrated lensman Jagdish Mali, who was known by the less-informed only for his portraits on Rekha, passed away at noon on May 13. Bombay Times was fortunate to get some exclusive pictures shot by Jagi. A couple of months ago, the photographer was put in an embarrassing spot when a segment of the media reported that he was going through bad days. Fortunately, in his lifetime, he managed to regain some of his lost glory in print. Jagi lost his battle with life after he suffered a fall and was admitted to Mumbai’s Nanavati Hospital. His actress-daughter Antara and son-in-law Che Kurien paid him frequent visits in the last week. The news of his death came as a rude shock to the Bollywood celebrities whom he had photographed in his halcyon days.
In his four-decade-long career, Jagi had a wide and illustrious portfolio. His father was an artiste and Jagi, who grew up in the middle-class bylanes of Bandra East, started his life shooting unusually sharp pictures of everyday life. Fate, of course, had other plans. Celebrities sought him out and got him to shoot their pictures because his camera often spoke more eloquently than he did.
Fastidious and moody like most artistes, Jagi would only shoot when he was inspired. While one will have to publish a tome to show his entire life’s work, the image that comes to mind as Jagi’s trademark shot is the black and white photograph of Aamir Khan’s Ghulam poster that shows the actor packing a More >
Timeless beauties who have romanced both father and son
06 days 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 >
Sanjay Gupta on shooting Kaante in a ‘hellish’ LA hotel
06 days ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 13, 2013)
Sanjay Gupta’s 2002 action thriller, Kaante, was the first Bollywood film to be completely shot in Los Angeles with an American crew, using state-of-the-art technology. It was filmed in South California, not in Beverly Hills but downtown Los Angeles.
One of the locations was The Roosevelt Hotel at the Hollywood Boulevard, named after President Theodore Roosevelt. Opened May 15, 1927, it was dubbed ‘The Million Dollar Hotel’ after it came to light that it had cost its financiers including Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Louis B Mayer nearly $2.5 million.
Gupta decided to set the opening and closing of his film on the hotel’s rooftop and even got a billboard advertising The Million Dollar Hotel. By the turn of the century, the hotel had lost its sheen and mainly offered subsidised living – a room for the night at $2 – drawing pimps, drug peddlers, drug addicts and the likes.
In Kaante, six men – Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Suneil Shetty, Kumar Gaurav, Mahesh Manjrekar and Lucky Ali – are arrested without evidence by the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department). Their antipathy toward the department causes a plan to be hatched – robbing the bank that holds the payroll of the LAPD. The six men meet on the terrace of the infamous hotel to arrange for ammo and getaway vehicles. However, the heist goes wrong and they end up in hell and sit on the ledge again.
“The hotel was hellish and we couldn’t enter through the front More >
Amitabh Bachchan buries hatchet with IIFA?
06 days ago
by Fenil Seta
in Rumour has it
Kunal M Shah (MID-DAY; May 13, 2013)
After being a brand ambassador for the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) for 10 years, it was a shock to learn that Amitabh Bachchan refused to be a part of IIFA a couple of years back.
Well, that was in the past. As of now, it has been learnt that Big B is back at the IIFA to be held at Macau, its next foreign venue.
Our source said, “In all probabilities, Mr Bachchan is back at the IIFA awards He was the brand ambassador and the main pillar of the awards for about a decade. His contributions to the the entire ceremony was humongous to say the least. However there were differences in 2010 after which Bachchan and the entire family decided to boycott the awards.” In 2010, Salman Khan stepped into the big shoes of Bachchan in Sri Lanka.
Following which, Bachchan did not even attend the awards in 2011. “In fact, Sabbas Joseph of Wizcraft who handles the event had said that they did not wish to have any brand ambassador anymore. However all these seem to be a thing of the past and the Bachchan family is back.” Amitabh Bachchan and Sabbas Joseph remained unavailable for comment.
Will Aaradhya Bachchan walk the red carpet at Cannes?
01 week ago
by Fenil Seta
in Rumour has it
Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; May 10, 2013)
Cannes and the Bachchans have become synonymous with each other. This year more so, thanks to The Great Gatsby and Amitabh Bachchan’s role in it. So we hear the entire Bachchan clan will be on the red carpet at the French Riviera this year. And yes, the latest addition to the family, Aradhya Bachchan, will also be part of the entourage. However, papa Abhishek will not be there as he is shooting for Dhoom 3.
By now we know that Ash is a hands-on mum. Though she never takes Aaradhya on the sets, she ensures that the tot is taken care of. Most of the times along with her nanny, Aishwarya’s mother Vrinda also travels with her.
Last year, Aaradhya was barely five months old when the Cannes film festival happened so we couldn’t see her by mommy Ash’s side but now that Aaradhya is 17-months-old and has already travelled to Vancouver with her mom, we hope to see her on the red carpet in Cannes.
A source reveals that Aishwarya is keen to show Aaradhya around in the French city and if possible take her to the fest too. Will Ash be taking her doting daughter to the red carpet is the big question!
A fashionable tot on the red carpet: As Aishwarya’s style on the red carpet in Cannes has always been the fodder of much speculation, Aaradhya too will be a star kid to watch out for if she walks with mommy. The toddler seems to be already becoming a kind of style icon as she was earlier spotted with animal print pants and boots with fur.
Designer’s More >
Amitabh Bachchan does The Great Gatsby for free
01 week ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Meena Iyer (BOMBAY TIMES; May 9, 2013)
Sources indicated that Indian cinema’s leading light, Amitabh Bachchan, has graciously waved his fee for his Hollywood debut in Baz Lurhmann’s The Great Gatsby. He has a cameo as the Jew, Meyer Wolfsheim, in the movie.
Says the legend, “My role is hardly that of a minute. A year-and-half ago, Baz Lurhmann called me and said he has a small role for me, which he felt was not worthy of me. He nevertheless asked if I would do it and I readily agreed. I did it as a gesture. It is not remunerative. I have not charged anything.”
The Bollywood icon says he is humbled by the rave reviews that he’s received in Hollywood from critics who caught the film’s New York premiere last week. Now, Bachchan is en route to a more glittering opening at the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.
Ajay Devgn packs up from Bhopal
11 week ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Mehul S Thakkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 8, 2013)
Ajay Devgn has been camping in Bhopal for more than 45 days to shoot Satyagraha, along with Kareena Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan. The gruelling schedule, which saw the actors shoot under some rather extreme weather conditions, finally drew to a close last afternoon. Contrary to reports, Ajay does not play a character inspired by Arvind Kejriwal, but an NRI entrepreneur who comes to India and turns to activism. The actor has been on location for almost all of the 45 days, barring a couple of days he took off to celebrate his daughter’s birthday and to promote Himmatwala. In these scenes, shot just before the film wrapped up, Ajay is seen delivering a rousing speech to an agitated crowd, and later attacked by water canons. A similar scene had been shot earlier with Amitabh Bachchan.
Check out Big B at Miss World Pageant press meet in Bangalore in 1996
01 week ago
MUMBAI MIRROR (May 8, 2013)
While he continues to count among the country’s most celebrated icons, Amitabh Bachchan’s career has seen more than its fair share of twists and turns.
One such crossroad was in 1995 when the actor turned corporate with Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd (ABCL), a company modelled on the lines of Hollywood studios, which would dabble in all aspects of entertainment like film production, music and event management.
Little did Amitabh imagine when ABCL brought the glittering Miss World Pageant to Bangalore in 1996 that the extravaganza would prove to be a millstone round his neck, leading to losses running into crores of rupees.
The picture captured by lensman Eshwar Durga has Amitabh standing up on his chair with child-like enthusiasm, addressing a press conference at the Vidhana Soudha in the Garden City during the pageant.
Yes, it was a matter of pride for India to be hosting such a grand show with 88 contestants from across the globe, but it turned out to be a major setback for Amitabh and his company. Again, this was just the tip of the iceberg. Other ABCL ventures too sank without a trace and the firm was eventually declared ‘sick’ by the Indian Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction.
The seemingly indefatigable Amitabh had been reduced to a near-bankruptcy situation. While the millennium revived the star’s fortunes and he rose, phoenix-like from the ashes, by his own admission, it was his conscience and the fact that he owed More >
Amitabh Bachchan looking for residential property in Bhopal?
01 week ago
by Fenil Seta
in Rumour has it
Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; May 6, 2013)
Looks like Bachchans have a strong connection with Bhopal. According to sources, while Amitabh Bachchan was shooting for Prakash Jha’s film, Satyagraha in Bhopal, he used his free time to scour for a suitable residential property to set up another home.
Interestingly, the legendary actor has a special connection with the city as his wife Jaya’s mother Indira resides there. It is said that the Bachchans already have two flats and some land in Bhopal. This time AB is apparently interested in buying a property at the outskirts of the city of lakes.
The source adds, “Bachchan saab was here for the shooting of Prakash Jha’s movie and he had earlier expressed how he likes the place for its lush green ambience.” Apparently Big B had stayed back for a day after the shooting to finish some work and the hunt is still on for the coveted property.
Another source from Bhopal revealed that someone close to the Bachchans had mentioned that the family loves the city so much that he took the latest addition in the family — granddaughter Aaradhya — to his mother-in-law’s place.
Even during his earlier shooting schedule for Satyagraha, he was seen visiting his favourite places in the city.
Bachchan remained unavailable for comment.
100 years of Indian Cinema: Signature moves that define magic of Bollywood
12 weeks ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
MUMBAI MIRROR (May 3, 2013)
Shah Rukh Khan – ARMS AND THE MAN You know it is an actor’s signature move when he is compelled to do it even in a sci-fi-thriller. Over the decades, women have gone weak-kneed every time SRK leaned back and spread out his arms. Yes, even in Ra.One. When you could fit a universe in there, what’s a love-struck woman? Though his favourite screen name- Raj has often spawned clones, dare anyone copy his special move!
Amitabh Bachchan – ON HIS BROAD SHOULDERS Be it his drunken act in Amar Akbar Anthony or his fiery speech as the original Vijay Deenanath Chauhan, we’ve grown up on his trademark pose – one shoulder arching up as he emotes using the fingers of his other hand even as his eyes, facial expressions and baritone work in sync to make a powerful impact. Who else but Amitabh Bachchan to master this one and make it his own?
Madhuri Dixit – BEAUTY AND THE BUST She gave the word ‘booby trap’ a whole new meaning with her Choli ke peechhey and Dhak Dhak moves. If Mithun had his disco pants and pelvic thrusts, she had her bust-thrust that defined the cinema of her decade. Every time Mads arched back, the box office responded with a thunderous applause.
Helen - MOTHER OF ALL MUNNIS Long before Angelina Jolie dropped the leg bomb, it was Helen who won over the good guys and the baddies with her shapely pins. Feathers, frills, body stockings, going-up-tillhip side slits, Helen not only flaunted it all with élan, but shimmied in those. She was More >