Where Bollywood Comes Alive
Posts tagged kanpur
Shah Rukh Khan’s bodyguard hired for Ranbir Kapoor?
14 weeks ago
by Fenil Seta
in Rumour has it
BOMBAY TIMES (May 21, 2013)
Yusuf, who has been guarding Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan on his promotional city tours for years, currently has a new assignment. His job is to guard B-Town’s sweetheart Ranbir Kapoor. And, Yusuf felt a sense of deja vu when he accompanied Ranbir to Indore and Kanpur three days ago to promote Yeh Jaawani Hai Deewani. A unit source says, “There were around 8,000 people at the Kanpur mall where Ranbir visited and about 1,000 at the Indore hotel booked for his stay. The organisers and Yusuf had a tough time getting the actor into the elevator. The security guard had only experienced something like this when Shah Rukh visited places. And though he was prepared for the mayhem because of his past experience of guarding SRK, there was a brief moment when he was taken aback seeing the impact RK Jr had on the cities. Not even the sweltering heat and the dust caused by the posse of vehicles that wheeled in because of the film unit’s presence could deter the people from crowding there to catch a glimpse of the Kapoor scion. And, Yusuf stood like a rock around the star.”
Ek bhi achcha gaana karte ho, notice ho jaate ho-Ankit Tiwari
01 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Sun Raha Hai Na singer and composer Ankit Tiwari on his big Bollywood break and destiny taking its time
Bryan Durham (BOMBAY TIMES; May 3, 2013)
Almost everybody has listened to Sun Raha Hai Na from Aashiqui 2. A track that’s high on melody, the male version has been composed and sung by Ankit Tiwari. The seemingly overnight success story, however, has been several years in the making and the 26-year-old from Kanpur has struggled in Mumbai for six years at least.
More at ease speaking in Hindi than in English, he comes across as confident yet refreshingly humble and with realistic aspirations. It could have something to do with a grounded upbringing in a musically inclined family and a strong support system backing him all the way. But he makes no bones about the fact that he realises that fame and success are temporary and hard work the only constant.
Tell us how you began musically. My mom is a singer at jaagrans. My dad and her form part of a troupe called Raju Suman and Party and they perform at Mata ki Chowkis and I would accompany them as a child. Aap keh sakte ho ki usi mahaul mein rahe. Main school mein hi tha and I told my mom and dad about my musical dreams. Meri zidd, mera sapna tha… so, they understood and let me try my luck. And over the years I did. I believe there is one universal truth: ek inner calling honi chahiye. And I knew I could do it. I only do those things that I can do. I can’t cook, for example, no matter however hard someone tries to teach More >
My weakness has become my strength-Emraan Hashmi
01 year ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Emraan Hashmi talks about his journey from Footpath toShanghai and rise from formula to creative fulfilment
Anand Holla (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 10, 2012)
Days before Shanghai’s release, Emraan Hashmi had to cancel his tickets to the the IIFA awards at Singapore. The last thing this actor, at the cusp of stardom and art, was expecting to be held up by was a stomach flu. At his expansive Pali Hill residence, Emraan, in a checked shirt and flat-front khakis, lounges in the hall that’s flush with sunshine and breeze. “I must have eaten something nasty at Kanpur or Lucknow where I had gone to promote Shanghai. I really wanted to be with Dibakar Banerjee and my co-stars at a platform like IIFA,” he says.
Away from the arc lights, Emraan is the antithesis of his ‘filmi’ screen image. He has had a silent surge, first as a mass hero, then as a bankable star, and now an ‘A-lister’, who is starring in a Karan Johar film as well as a Vishal Bhardwaj venture. In most of his 25 films thus far, the majority of which have been super-hit potboilers, the 33-year-old has played grey, troubled characters that get away with swindling, killing, betraying people and, of course, kissing girls and getting luckier than that too. From Footpath, Murder, Gangster, Awarapan, Jannat, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai to his disarmingly sincere performance as Jogi Parmar in Shanghai, Emi (pronounced Immy) has coursed the long mile. The only thing that has remained unchanged in his career is the signature More >
Salman Khan takes over Kamalistan Studio
01 year ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
For the first time in Bollywood, a studio is booked exclusively for a film, with an unprecedented security ring of 80 beefy bodyguards
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 9, 2012)
It is undoubtedly one of the most keenly awaited Salman Khan films. And Dabangg 2 is kick starting in style from today. Mumbai Mirror has learnt that for the first time in the history of Bollywood, an entire studio has been rented exclusively for a film. Kamal Amrohi Studios (Kamalistan at Jogeshwari East), which houses 12 units, will not be given out on hire till the first schedule of Dabangg 2 concludes, making it a first in the 55-year-old studio’s history. What’s more, Salman has deputed 80 security personnel to guard the sets, which have recreated pockets of Kanpur.
When contacted, Shera, Salman’s bodyguard and close associate confirmed the news and added, “Yes, Bhai (Salman) wanted it this way.” Elaborating on the unprecedented security cover, Shera said, “This was Bhai’s idea. And we did not have any difficulty in convincing the studios. Bhai is close to the owner after all.”
Speaking about the arrangement, a source from the studios revealed that the studios have been rented out for 15 days, even though the requirement was for 12. “It is always better to keep a margin of few days for a project as massive as this.”
“Aisa pehle kabhi nahin hua. Even though Rakesh Roshan’s Koyla and Subhash Ghai’s Khalnayak had top security, the other units at our studios were given out to television More >
‘Bollywood is a town of Illiterates’
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Why poet Shahryar stopped writing lyrics after Gaman and Umrao Jaan
Mohammed Wajihuddin | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; February 27, 2011)
You’d expect a Jnanpith Award winner to hop cities and towns, delivering lectures, distributing gyaanand lapping up media attention. Yet, when noted Urdu poet Shahryar, who won the Jnanpith in 2008, visited the city this week, he remained largely confined to his son Faridoon’s flat. Barring an interaction with students at Ismail Yusuf College, Shahryar turned down invitations to be “honoured” by several poets-writers. “Ever since the award’s announcement in September, a lot of people want to felicitate me. But I am not comfortable with such functions,” he says, adding with a wry smile that his mobile phone bill came to a whopping Rs 12,000 for just two days after the award was announced. Reason: he was in Jeddah for a mushaira when the news broke and had to pay roaming charges.
If Shahryar didn’t realize the congratulatory incoming calls would create such a big hole in his pocket, it conforms to his gentle, almost naïve nature. Despite garnering immense popularity with the songs of his two initial films — Gaman (1978) and Umrao Jaan (1981)—the shayar vanished behind the wall of academics. Anyone else in his place would have exploited—and justifiably so—the success and parked himself in Bollywood. But Shahryar, the quintessential teacher and poet, went to Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), his alma More >
Movie Review: TANU WEDS MANU by FENIL SETA
22 years ago
If one is attempting a love story replete with all the typical Bollywood ingredients, one can’t help but get inspired from some of the popular classics of the same genre, even if one doesn’t wish to. There’s of course nothing wrong in that and it’s natural too. But in order to avoid getting ‘old-wine-in-new-bottle’ kind of response, the filmmaker should ensure that his execution stands out from the rest of the films, even if it borrows heavily from them. Now this is not an easy task to attempt but director Aanand L Rai succeeds in achieving the feat in Tanu Weds Manu! A sweet romantic comedy, the execution along with the one-liners and performances ensure a good time to the viewers although the film does falter at places.
The story of the movie: Manoj Sharma aka Manu (R Madhavan) is the ideal bridgegroom anyone can ask for. He’s sweet, temperamental, working in the medical field, has a nice family and home in Delhi and doesn’t have any addictions (although he smokes occasionally). Based in London since 12 years, he’s compelled to come to India when his family pressurizes him to get married. As soon as he lands in India, he’s told to go to Kanpur to meet Tanuja Trivedi aka Tanu (Kangna Ranaut) for marriage. Manu falls for her but Tanu is least interested in him. She’s a rebel and diametrically opposite to Manu. Besides, she already has a boyfriend named Awasthi and hence in no mood to marry Manu. Manu thus steps back. But destiny has other plans. They More >
Tanu Weds Manu: Real Indian romance
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
BOMBAY TIMES (February 24, 2011)
Kangna Ranaut and R Madhavan starrer Tanu Weds Manu has the courage to open when the World Cup is peaking. It is the content that is giving the makers courage to release their film this Friday. The film that has timed its release this shaadi and Valentine’s season, have characters Tanu and Manu that are realistic representations of today’s youth who even though influenced by the western world are Indian at the core. Set in North India the film it is shot on location in cities like Kanpur, Kapurthala and Delhi. The earthy touch to the romance comes alive in the concept of ishqbazzi which has somewhere been lost to Western style romance in our movies. The very identifiable characters of their friends like Pappi (Deepak Dobriyal) and Jassi (Eijaz Khan) just make the film even more endearing. In fact, Tanu Weds Manu has created a lot of buzz.
Kangna’s tit for tattoo
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Sonal Chawla (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 03, 2011)
Kangna Ranaut has been in the news for having had a boob job and now, she’s back for similar reasons. In a scene from her forthcoming film Tanu weds Manu, Kangna will display her tattooed chest.
The scene has Kangna’s co-star Madhavan and her in it. And she pulls down her kurta to expose the upper part of her breast and reveal the tattooed name of her boyfriend in the film ‘Awasthi’.
We hear that she got this temporary tattoo done in henna and that she had to do it repeatedly over three days, till the scene was complete.
A source said, “Initially, Kangna was amused at the scene but had no qualms in doing it. She had to perform this shot to avoid getting married to her co-star in the film.
Her parents want her to go for an arranged marriage in the film and she tries all ways possible to scandalise Madhavan.”
Director Aanand Rai said, “Kanagana plays a pataka, middle class girl from Kanpur and a rebel in the real sense. So to piss off everyone she tattooed her boyfriend’s name on her breast.”