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Posts tagged kalki koechlin
Karan Johar-Anurag Kashyap bonding big time
03 weeks ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Kunal M Shah (MID-DAY; April 26, 2013)
Who are the latest BFFs in B-Town? No, not Priyanka and Deepika, nor Anushka and Katrina. This time it is Anurag Kashyap and Karan Johar. Yes, unlikely as it may seem the duo has been bonding quite a bit over the past few months. While KJo is known to be a hardcore commercial filmmaker, Anurag dabbles with reality in his films. And now with both joining hands and openly praising each other’s work, it seems that the best is yet to come.
The latest in the new dosti is that Johar who makes his maiden trip to Cannes has appointed Anurag — who has frequented the annual event themost, as a director, producer and film connoisseur — as their official guide. So the other three are keen that he plan their itinerary and set the pace. On the other hand, Karan has volunteered to dress Anurag and the others and style them.
The duo, with Zoya Akhtar and Dibakar Banerjee, will be presenting Bombay Talkies and walking the red carpet. Karan says, “I am extremely honoured that our omnibus endeavor has been officially selected at Cannes. I can’t wait to walk the red carpet with Dibakar, Anurag and Zoya.”
The friendship has also worked in business. Anurag and Karan are co-producing Hasee To Phasee, which stars Sidharth Malhotra, Parineeti Chopra and Adah Sharma. This is their first co-production and the association plans to make more.
Anurag’s wife Kalki will also be seen doing a Karan Johar production. She is seen in a prominent role in Ayan Mukerji More >
Huma can give Konkona a run for her money-Kannan Iyer
01 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Well begun is half done. That applies to Kannan Iyer, whose Ek Thi Daayan seems to have kick-started his career as a director. Excerpts from a chat
MUMBAI MIRROR (April 22, 2013)
Ninety per cent of horror films made in India have the audience howling with laughter. How did you manage not to let such a thing happen with Ek Thi Daayan? I am not a horror buff. The script by Vishal Bhardwaj and Mukul Sharma had something very believable about it. More importantly, it had all the ingredients to keep the viewer guessing. Horror doesn’t intrigue me, drama does. What I mean is I have focused on just telling a story. No attempts were made to scare the audience. And that did the trick. If horror becomes comedy, it can be awful.
Ekta Kapoor was apprehensive of casting Konkona… We needed one of the best actresses for Konkona’s part. Ekta never doubted Konkona’s talent. Her concerns were simply commercial. She wanted to know if Konkona’s inclusion would make the film appealing to only a niche audience. Fair enough. Any producer who invests in a project has the right to pause, think, and debate before taking the final decision.
Were you considering Rani Mukerji for Konkona’s role? There were such reports in sections of the media, but those were wrong. We definitely had Rani in mind, but for Huma Qureshi’s role. But look at the way Huma has performed. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that she can give Konkona a run for her money. And a pat on the back to the three kids in the film- Vishesh More >
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 >
It’s sexy to submit myself to a woman-Emraan Hashmi
01 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Emraan Hashmi confesses it’s ‘cool’ to not be in charge for a change
Garima Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; April 17, 2013)
Emraan Hashmi has always made women on screen swoon to his charms. But he happily takes a backseat in his next, Ek Thi Daayan. Even though the actor added another genre to the string of lip lock-ridden releases in his CV with this horrorthriller, he did not believe in the supernatural when he signed on the dotted line for the film. Says Emraan, “The film has drained me mentally and physically. There were nights I’d return home from shoot and couldn’t sleep. I started believing in the supernatural and reading about it. It’s quite dark, but I’ve come to believe that all matters are occult until they are understood, whereby they become science!”
He adds, “For the longest time, I thought all this was mythical, but I’ve come to terms with the existence of practising witches. They’re careful before they cast a spell because bad things can happen, but when they do, it’s serious.” But, does he succumb to the charm of the three potential wiccans — Konkona Sen Sharma, Kalki Koechlin and Huma Qureshi — in the film? Says the actor, “I’m spoilt for choice in the film. I had a blast. But in real life, I don’t mind submitting myself to a woman. It’s a sexy feeling. For a change, it’s cool to not be in charge. Evil, daayan-esque women are a major turn-on.”
The perks of the cast aside, Emraan says it was also the combination of Ekta Kapoor and Vishal Bhardwaj, the producers, More >
Ranbir and I are in an old marriage-Ayan Mukerji
11 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Ayan Mukerji talks about friendship, romance, turning 30 and working with lovers-turned-best friends
Chandrima Pal (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 17, 2013)
Ayan Mukerji is a blur in the Dharma office. He has a crucial session with Pritam, some last-minute shots to be canned with Madhuri, his breakfast (egg whites and green tea) to finish and a thousand other loose ends to tie up before he can plan his next big trip to the Himalayas. Which of course, can happen only after Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani releases. Even then, he perches on the table in his cabin, and chats up a storm Excerpts from an interview:
How has Ayan changed from Wake up Sid to Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani? I feel more confident as a filmmaker. After my first film I felt too young and raw and I looked young and raw as well (laughs). Now that I am truly settling into my groove, there is no cap on that personal growth process. When the film was incepted I did not know how it was going to play out. Part of the journey of making a film is that personal growth that happens insidiously. You know, when you realise you were 10 years old yesterday and now you are 15…
Well, you are turning 30 this year… (Nods vigorously) It is a landmark of sorts. And that is part of the film as well.
That is the sense one gets from the promos… That journey or transition from being younger to slightly older, that journey through the 20s is present in the film
Wake up Sid also seemed to draw from as personal an experience. Did you feel like that? More >
Ranbir Kapoor’s prank on Kalki Koechlin goes horribly wrong
01 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Shakti Shetty (MID-DAY; April 3, 2013)
It’s not the first time that Ranbir Kapoor has played prank on his Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani co-stars. During the shoot of a wedding scene, the actor’s prank on Kalki Koechlin put her and him in a bit of a spot, quite literally! A source says, “Ranbir, who was in a mischievous mood, was supposed to apply a small amount of turmeric paste on Kalki’s face. But instead of applying a little paste on her face for the shot, Ranbir went ahead and plastered it all over.
To make things worse, Kalki’s sensitive skin reacted very badly to this act.” Although the 29-year-old actress took the whole episode sportingly, the shooting came to a standstill.
“Kalki couldn’t shoot for two days as the rashes were quite visible. So the unit thought of letting her skin go back to normal. Funnily enough, it was very difficult to do the scene again as we were scared what if she develops the rash again?” laughs the source.
The second time around, however, there were no pranks and the shoot went off smoothly.
Kalki Koechlin slams rumours of problems with hubby Anurag Kashyap
11 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Kunal M Shah (MID-DAY; April 2, 2013)
The grapevine has been abuzz recently with rumours that Anurag Kashyap and his actress wife Kalki Koechlin have been heading towards splitsville.
However, the actress of French origin makes it clear that all’s well and the couple is very much together.
The rumours gained momentum when Anurag started working with Huma Qureshi in Gangs of Wasseypur. Kalki’s absence by her husband’s side at public events over the last few months added fuel to fire.
However, Kalki puts all rumours to rest and in no uncertain terms states, “Where do you get this information? Anurag and me are still together!” Recently a daily wrote about Anurag’s growing fondness for Huma, further putting a question mark over their marriage.
Anurag and Kalki’s romance blossomed while shooting for Dev D and the director openly admitted his fondness for her. They got married in a private ceremony in April 2011.
Kalki almost dumped me last year-Anurag Kashyap
01 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Anurag Kashyap attributes his success to his talented team who play a huge part in his overall repertoire
Shakti Shetty (MID-DAY; March 31, 2013)
Two weeks ago, when Tamil film Paradesi released in Mumbai, Anurag Kashyap’s Phantom Films distributed it. Over the past few years, the celebrated filmmaker has been constantly associated with projects from across the spectrum — irrespective of genre or language. However, the 40-year-old director and producer confesses that he’s overrated by the media. In a remarkably frank chat, he reveals why.
You were once touted as the face of indie cinema in the country… Yaar, if I am the face of independent cinema then we’re not really independent! Yes, AKFPL (Anurag Kashyap Films Pvt Ltd) was about indie cinema but it gave way to Sikhya Entertainment and it’s funded too. I did what I did because of Guneet (Monga, co-producer). She used to run AKFPL while I just spotted people, gave ideas and laid down some ground rules. I did that by watching things and people online from my sofa. All the hard work was done by Guneet and her team.
And how do you manage the time to do so many things at once? It’s not me alone, it’s us. And we delegate a lot. Besides, I’m not doing so many things at once. It’s just the perception. Most of our films are finished. And my time is mostly consumed by only what I direct. We discuss projects once a week or twice a month. The key is to invest in a director who knows his job. After that, he goes and makes his More >
Kalki Koechlin does a Daniel Day-Lewis; to play Cerebral Palsy victim
01 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Subhash K Jha (DNA; March 30, 2013)
Kalki Koechlin is undoubtedly the queen of quirky characters. She has played several out-of-box characters — a teen prostitute in Dev D, a Britisher in search of her father moonlighting as a masseur in That Girl In Yellow Boots or a wayward hedonistic girl on the brink of a disaster in Shaitaan — and she has now moved to the biggest challenge of her career. In her next film, Margarita, With A Straw she will be playing the character of a girl who’s bound to a wheelchair due to Cerebral Palsy.
The film’s title Margarita, With A Straw referring to the cocktail drink, suggests the immobilised wheelchair-bound girl’s determination to have fun in life. Kalki had to prepare for months for the part, and that included visiting a disability centre for a period of time. Says Kalki, “Comparing me to Daniel Day-Lewis is raising the bar too high. But I am working hard to give it my best shot. It’s been tough work getting right the physicality of the character. I’ve been working for six months at a centre for disability in Bandra called Adapt.”
Kalki has been working closely with a person suffering from Cerebral Palsy. “She is a lady named Malini Chib-Alur. She is a prominent member of the disability centre. She has Cerebral Palsy.” The film that’s being shot in Delhi also stars Revathy and Sayani Gupta. The film is being directed by Shonali Bose.
Ranbir Kapoor-Deepika Padukone celebrated Holi two months ago
01 month ago
Kunal M Shah (MID-DAY; March 26, 2013)
Looks like for Ranbir Kapoor, it’s festive season all year long! While most of us are still waiting for tomorrow to bring out the colours, RK and his group of friends got into celebratory mode a couple of months in advance.
Sources say Ranbir and the cast and crew of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani indulged in some fun moments while shooting for one of the film’s music tracks.
An onlooker says, “The Holi song Balam pichkari was shot at Film City a few days ago. Once the shoot was over, Ranbir decided to drag everyone to the pool. His co-stars Deepika Padukone, Kalki Koechlin and Aditya Roy Kapoor were already wet.”
The first to be pulled in was Remo, who choreographed the song, followed by director Ayan Mukerji.
“Ranbir managed to pull in several others too. Within no time all the dancers in the song and the technicians were fully wet. With the entire crew in the pool, it was like an actual Holi.”