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Posts tagged Sanjay Gupta
Is Sunny Leone an A-lister?
01 week ago
by Fenil Seta
in Rumour has it
Aakansha Naval-Shetye (DNA; May 15, 2013)
In a rather short span of time, Sunny Leone has managed to make a place for herself in the industry. The adult film star who made her desi debut in the reality show Bigg Boss landed a role with the Bhatt camp. Following a successful film debut in Jism 2, she was signed by one of the biggest banners in B-Town — Balaji Motion Pictures. In the first offering she grooved to an item song. Leading actress Priyanka Chopra was the other ‘item girl’ in the same film – Shootout At Wadala. Next she will be seen in Ekta Kapoor’s pet project Ragini MMS 2. Meanwhile, Sunny has signed an endorsement deal for which she was paid the price that all A-list actresses demand. Not to mention her three-film deal with producer Parag Sanghvi for Rs5 crore. But is she an A-lister yet? After Hrs analyses…
Too early to declare Industrywallahs feel that it’s too early to label her an A-lister, though she has a huge fan following. An industrywallah cheekily points out: “She is an A-lister alright, only the A here still stands for ‘Adult’.” Fact: In Shootout in Wadala, her item song drew the maximum ceetees and taalis in the theatres. Figures show that her Laila song had more hits online than PeeCee’s Babli Badmash. However, SAW director Sanjay Gupta feels she doesn’t make the cut, “Sunny’s just one-film-old and it’s too early to slot her as an A-lister. She is one of the most-searched names on the internet. Now whether it’s for pornography or not, who are we More >
Next Shootout film to have Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham?
01 week 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.
Sanjay Gupta on shooting Kaante in a ‘hellish’ LA hotel
01 week 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 >
John Abraham gifts Yamaha bike to Sanjay Gupta
12 weeks ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
MID-DAY (May 8, 2013)
John Abraham had a surprise gift for Sanjay Gupta yesterday. When the filmmaker stepped into Johnny boy’s office yesterday, he was told to shut his eyes. The star then wheeled in a Yamaha bike ( costing about Rs 30 lakh) as a gift. This was the star’s way of celebrating the success of his film Shootout At Wadala with the film-maker.
Sanjay Dutt-Sanjay Gupta’s Alibaug revived?
02 weeks ago
by Fenil Seta
in Rumour has it
BOMBAY TIMES (May 8, 2013)
Buzz is that Alibaug could well be Sanjay Dutt’s next film to hit the marquee. Scripted by Sanjay Gupta, the film, said to be the story of the director’s life and friendship, is being readied for release. The portions of Dutt, who plays the main character in the movie, have already been shot and dubbed, it is learnt. The film also features R Madhavan, Dia Mirza, Sanjay Suri, Gul Panag and Mandira Bedi, among others. Gupta is keen to complete and reach it to the cinemas because it’s his first ‘slice-of-life film’ (as he’s called it). It is also said to be close to his heart.
Kangna Ranaut’s brilliant hat-trick as gangster’s moll
02 weeks ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 6, 2013)
Kangna Ranaut, who plays Mumbai gang-lord Manya Surve’s love interest in Shootout At Wadala (SAW), seems to be the all-time-favourite moll of gangster films. After earning acclaim for her performances in Anurag Basu’s Gangster and Milan Luthria’s Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai — she played a gangster’s girlfriend in both films — Kangna has scored a hat-trick with her latest portrayal in a similar genre, with critics and audience lauding her performance alike.
SAW director Sanjay Gupta especially chalked out the character of Vidya, Manya Surve’s love interest, after he learnt about her existence during his interaction with the police while researching on the subject.
Though her character was kept under wraps, Kangna ensured Vidya stood out with her portrayal and her on-screen chemistry with John Abraham. Bringing a certain tenderness to the raw machismo in the film, the actress essayed Vidya in a heart-wrenching, true-to-life manner that the National Award winner (Fashion) is known for.
All praise for his heroine, Gupta says, “Kangna is the tender soul of a very dangerous and violent world depicted in SAW. And it’s amazing how she has portrayed the character of Vidya minus any star trappings. She completely surrendered to the role and made it all her own.”
Besides being a powerhouse actress and eccentric style diva, Kangna is also among the most sought after leading ladies, proof of which lies in her line-up of films this More >
My friendship with Sanjay Dutt can never be the same before-Sanjay Gupta
02 weeks ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; May 6, 2013)
Sanjay Gupta, 45, is a man who loves guns and men with guns in all his films. His movies, like him, are flamboyant and flashy, but he remains a loner at heart having spent his growing years with himself. He has seen more lows than highs in his life. While he confesses to his weaknesses of turning to alcohol or becoming a womaniser during his difficult times, he has never shunned his responsibilities, be it towards his two sisters or his wife even when they were divorced or towards his mother. Post the release of his film Shootout At Wadala, he opens up to Bombay Times about his difficult childhood, his fallout with friend Sanjay Dutt and what made him remarry his divorced wife Anu. Excerpts:
Let’s talk about your childhood? I was born, brought up and spoilt in Mumbai and come from an extremely modest background. From the time I remember, I only thought of making films and have pictures of mine acting and directing since I was in class III. My parents separated when I was two months old and I lived with my mother, who was a Punjabi. I too consider myself Punjabi due to her. I had a rough childhood and it always bothered me that unlike my friends, I could not dine with my parents at a dining table. My mom ran a rummy club in our two-room apartment and played rummy herself. I hated the whole rummy card culture with a vengeance and can never gamble in my life. I was not looked after as a child at all and was not attached to her. I More >
Fatherhood has totally changed me-Sanjay Gupta
02 weeks ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Sanjay Gupta on how his children have mellowed him and why his controversial days are over
Shakti Shetty (MID-DAY; May 4, 2013)
The last time he wore the director’s hat for a feature film was during Zinda, eight years ago. So Sanjay Gupta is obviously thrilled about his latest crime-drama, Shootout At Wadala. And the director-producer admits that his perception on life has changed over the years especially after turning into a ‘responsible’ father.
The filmmaker who quips that he’d have been a gangster if not a film personality says fatherhood has made him a better person. “It has totally changed me. I feel like my controversial days are over. In fact, sometimes I feel like making a film for my kids the way Martin Scorsese surprised us with Hugo.”
Elaborating on the controversy bit, Sanjay comes clean on the rumoured clash between him and producer Ekta Kapoor, “She comes with her reputation and I come with mine! Our tasks were pretty much cut out. Anything to do with the creative aspects was mine and anything to do with marketing was hers.”
The filmmaker who was lately more into producing than directing says he has now decided to stick to his first love. “I’ve made an oath that even if I make five films in one year or one film in five years, each one of them would be directed by me. Maybe it took me sometime to understand this fact. I shouldn’t have attempted to be god and godfather to others and given more time to direction. I’ve realised my mistake now,” laughs More >
Shootout At Wadala premiere cancelled due to Ekta’s IT troubles?
13 weeks ago
by Fenil Seta
in Rumour has it
Kunal M Shah (MID-DAY; May 3, 2013)
The income tax raid at Ekta Kapoor’s residence and office has resulted in the premiere of Shootout At Wadala being cancelled.
The film directed by Sanjay Gupta and starring Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, Kangana Ranaut, Sonu Sood and Tusshar Kapoor promised to be star studded but due to this untimely rain, the premiere has been cancelled Our source says, “The IT officials landed up at Ekta Kapoor’s Juhu residence early in the morning and also raided Tusshar Kapoor’s residence near by along with the office in Andheri. Ekta was already stressed with the release of one of her most ambitious film. Due to these episodes, the premiere has now been cancelled.” When contacted Sanjay Gupta, the director of the film, says, “Yes it is true we have cancelled it as Ekta was too stressed. We had planned a massive premiere and we were to put up a huge set at the theatre. In fact, every screen was to be named after every character and unfortunately we now do not have the time to execute all these things.”
Gupta adds, “However, we have called all our friends at a theatre in Juhu to watch it with audiences. We have some of our friends watching it on Friday as well.”
Sophie insists on doing difficult steps in SAW item number in short sexy outfit?
03 weeks ago
by Fenil Seta
in Rumour has it
Kunal M Shah (MID-DAY; April 27, 2013)
Sophie Choudry, who features in an item song in Sanjay Gupta’s Shootout At Wadala, had some difficult steps to perform. This included getting jiggy atop a bar counter as well as on a truck. As she was wearing a sexy short outfit, choreographer Ahmed Khan had his reservations about her ability to do so.
Says Khan, “I was against the idea as Sophie was wearing an extremely short skirt. I did not want her to get atop the truck and dance as a lot of people were present on the sets. But she was keen on doing it. I was impressed; she is a fantastic dancer and did the steps without any hiccups.” Sophie adds, “It was a great high as it’s something that I’ve never done. The truck was moving while we were dancing in it. It was a bit scary at first but then great fun. The costume was sexy and risqué but I think I carried it off pretty well.” A unit member states, “Everything went off well with out any oops moment.”