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Posts tagged Yash Chopra
People tell me I am better looking than the heroines-Shah Rukh Khan
06 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Itee Sharma (MID-DAY; November 11, 2012)
He may have recently turned 47, but Shah Rukh Khan shows no signs of ageing or slowing down. In Yash Chopra’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan, the actor will be seen in a romantic avtar after a hiatus of almost eight years. In a free-wheeling chat, the ever-enthusiastic SRK opens up about the late filmmaker, his 20 year-long journey in Bollywood and veteran actors he wants to work with.
How do you keep fit at 47? I don’t have excesses — I don’t overeat or overindulge. I have no bad habits, except coffee and smoking. I sleep as many hours as required. I have a few days off presently, after which I won’t be able to spend time with my kids for some time. So I am currently keeping them awake till 3-4 am; but apart from that, I don’t have any late nights.
Has age taken a toll on your thinking yet? My mind is much faster than my body.
What was it like to play an army officer in Jab Tak Hai Jaan? I am glad I am playing an army officer. I hope that by portraying characters from the armed forces in our films, we can popularise the profession. Our army, navy and air force are beyond being a profession, it’s a dedication to your nation. I will be glad if even one young boy is inspired to join the armed forces after watching the film because it is the most honourable and noble profession.
You star alongside two heroines in JTHJ. The last time you did that was in Veer Zaara. What took you so long? I only do love stories with beautiful women. I was waiting More >
Death brings Rani Mukerji closer to the Chopras?
06 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Rumour has it
Following the filmmakers demise, the actress has been a pillar of strength for the family
Subhash K Jha (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 10, 2012)
These are trying times for late Yash Chopra’s bereaved family. However,standing unwaveringly by their side is Rani Mukerji, who has been a pillar of strength throughout the crisis. The outspoken actress has been uncharacteristically subdued, lending quiet support to the Chopras all along. If at all, Yash Chopra’s demise has brought the family even closer ,and that includes Rani, who has been there in their time of grief. A source close to the Chopras said, “Rani is a very domesticated person at heart. Nothing pleases her more than being at home with the people closest to her. And Yashj-is home is definitely home to Rani now. The way she has been there for the family, especially for Pam Bhabhi, has definitely brought her closer to the Chopra parivaar. So much so, it is being speculated whether her heightened closeness to the Chopra clan will positively impact her impending marriage with Aditya Chopra.
A friend of the family told Mirror, “One cant really predict a date. But their relationship is for keeps. Rani went all out to win not only the reticent Adi’s trust but also the entire family’s confidence. She pursued this goal with the sincere single-mindedness of Tina Munim proving herself worthy of being an Ambani bahu. Like Tina, Rani has passed the test with flying colours. Its only a matter of time before the marriage More >
Yashji is way cooler than anyone I have ever met-Anushka Sharma
06 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Jigar Shah (MID-DAY; November 10, 2012)
Dressed in a white ganji and denims, a bespectacled Anushka Sharma talks about Jab tak Hai Jaan. She tells us about working with the late Yash Chopra and how he’s cooler than Aditya Chopra. Her love for travelling and how two actress (Katrina and her) can work together…
You are the only actress who has worked with both Yash and Aditya Chopra… Working with both Yashji and Adi in the first place feels just awesome. It feels like an achievement. I feel special. Yashji is just way cooler than anyone I have ever met.
Did you feel you missed out on the white chiffon saree that Yash Chopra heroines are famous for? Not really, my character is not like that; she has to be reminded that she is a girl. I wear a lot of white ganjis in the film, so it is the equivalent of the white chiffon sarees. When I saw Dil To Pagal Hai, I would run around the house like Madhuri Dixit wearing a chiffon dupatta thinking I’m the coolest thing in the world.
You love travelling in real life and in the film you play documentary film maker…. One thing that I live in the world for besides my family is travelling. I suffer from travel pangs if I’m in Mumbai for a long time. Two of the happiest things for me this year is my new house and my Schengen visa. Within a year, I have been to Italy, Spain and France. When I’m shooting abroad, I take a few days off and check out a new place. In fact, I’m like a hippie. While shooting for this film I got to see Kashmir and More >
I have been pushed to the wall-Ajay Devgn
16 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
I’ve been in the industry for 21 years, and have never been part of any controversy. But now…
Anshul Chaturvedi (BOMBAY TIMES; November 8, 2012)
Where is this legal fight heading? Whatever happens to my film, Son Of Sardaar, as a result of this doesn’t really matter anymore. I am fighting the practice; I am not fighting a battle only till Diwali. I will fight the practice and perhaps, after six months, the industry will have reason to thank me. There is a lot of support from the industry; many people face these issues but can’t muster the courage to fight. As far as the film is concerned, I am very confident. It is a complete Diwali entertainer and I have no worries about it clicking at all. What’ll happen at worst if we don’t have enough screens? The business we would have done in three days will take us six days, that’s about it. Ultimately, a film that’s entertaining WILL run.
There are very sharp divides in the fan fraternities online, if you notice. Yes, but that is now happening for every film, every few months, it’s not necessarily linked to the legal battle. It happened around Ek Tha Tiger also. There are sections of fans that vocally and blindly support the stars they idolise. I think it’s their honesty — they are supporting the person they like, irrespective of all else. Having said that, 90 per cent of people aren’t checking what the facts are before reacting to the dispute.
There are many comments on the lines of ‘It’s just been days since Yashji passed More >
A dummies’ guide to the Devgn-YRF legal battle
06 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Anshul Chaturvedi (THE TIMES OF INDIA; November 5, 2012)
Choosing what movie to watch where is usually not a very complicated choice, usually made while flipping through the cinema listings page and seeing which theatre or multiplex is screening which movie. But what those lists will say this Diwali is not as easy a choice, at least not for the people who decide what their theatres will run, caught as they are in a somewhat unprecedented situation.
The logic of which movie is screened where is fundamentally not very dissimilar from the logic of which movie you watch. You have options, a first impression, word of mouth, the star cast, etc, and choose to put your money to go and watch one movie ahead of another when you have multiple options in hand. The theatre/multiplex owner’s logic is not very different. He assesses your interest level in turning out to watch a film and opts to run it in his theatre ahead of another, hoping for good business.
In principle, therefore, neither can you be made to choose one movie, nor can a movie exhibitor be made to screen one. And just as word of mouth can change our calls even after we have first made up our mind, initial turnout can make theatres change their schedules after the first week or even earlier, shuffling shows to bring them in sync with what the audience is consuming. A point to note – a multi-screen venue, what we call a multiplex, has the option to screen several movies parallel, and so the call is not really a More >
Katrina Kaif talks about her bucket list
06 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Katrina Kaif reveals the three things she wishes to do before she hangs up her boots
Jayoti Soor (DNA; November 3, 2012)
Most of us who dream big have a list of things to do before we bid adieu to the world and our Bollywood divas are no different. Actor Katrina Kaif who has everything that a girl could ask for — a dream job, fame, money and good looks — is not really satisfied with her current state of affairs as her heart hankers for more.
When quizzed about her wish list, the leggy lass shares the three things she wants to achieve before her time is up. “I want to be a part of a cult movie that will be remembered down the ages, I want to go to Mexico and finally I want to conquer the world,” she says and adds with a mischievous grin, “A girl can always dream and nothing is impossible when you set your heart on it.” She was fortunate to cross out the one wish that topped her bucket list — to work in a Yash Chopra film. This was accomplished by having faith and praying at the Mount Mary church religiously, she reveals.
The only regret Kat has is that the late filmmaker will not be able to witness the final trials of the movie when it releases on Diwali.“I remember Yashji walking up to me and saying that the last schedule in Switzerland for one of the songs would be more like a party. The costume fitting had already been done and 12 chiffon saris by Manish Malhotra were finalised,” she says and adds, “One sequence was supposed to be shot in the water in the freezing More >
A low key birthday for Shah Rukh Khan
06 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
King Khan has decided to take his birthday celebrations easy after the recent demise of his mentor Yash Chopra
Shakti Shetty (MID-DAY; November 2, 2012)
Shah Rukh Khan turns 47 today. However the Bollywood star is not keen on a high-profile party to celebrate the occasion. Though he is not known for throwing glamorous birthday bashes, this decision has a lot to do with the passing away of his mentor and filmmaker Yash Chopra last week.
SRK states, “I’m planning to work that’s all I know at least during the daytime. Besides, it has never been a special day for me. Of course, I’ll make sure that I thank all my well-wishers from radio stations and newspapers, as usual.”
Speaking about his many fans who throng his residence Mannat on special days, the actor says, “It has become a thing now. Every single year, I see people arriving with cakes and cards. It’s a simple joy. But I wake up late, so maybe I should set up a shamiana for them to help them avoid the sun. It’s a humbling experience to greet people.”
He may or may not spend the day with the who’s who of the industry, but the actor rues how the media is always there at his home to capture every moment of the day. “It’s funny how I end up celebrating my birthdays with them! In fact, whether there be a party or not, I somehow spend this particular day with the media. Isn’t that sad?” quips SRK.
Interestingly, SRK’s 21st wedding anniversary fell just four days after Chopra’s departure and as expected, the event turned More >
Anushka Sharma spills beans on her strategy
06 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; November 1, 2012)
Anushka Sharma is the only heroine to have been directed by both Yash and Aditya Chopra. And she has the distinction of being the youngest heroine to be directed by the late veteran director in Jab Tak Hai Jaan. “It was Shah Rukh who brought it to my notice the other day. I feel very blessed. I will always look at this as a huge accomplishment,” smiles Anushka.
The actor, who had a dream debut opposite SRK, was not an overnight success like some of her contemporaries but that hasn’t stopped her from being choosy about her films or her endorsement deals. “Lot of people think that actors do endorsements just to make money, which is not entirely incorrect. Films do not pay as much as ads do. Being associated with brands gives you a certain financial stability, because of which you don’t have to do all the films — even the rubbish ones — that come your way. You can choose your work correctly, even if you have to wait for sometime,” explains Anushka, who did exactly that. After her debut, she got signed by a hair-oil brand, an association that has continued for three years. “Because of that I could buy a house in Mumbai. It also gave me the freedom to choose good work,” says Anushka who is the face of 10 brands today.
For the actor who is only five films old that’s quite an achievement! To top it, it was only her third film Band Baajaa Baraat that got her directors’ and audiences’ attention alike. “The film gave me the recognition that More >
Ajay Devgn nursing old wounds?
06 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Rumour has it
Prachi Kadam (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 31, 2012)
There has been considerable speculation over whether Ajay Devgn and his producers Eros have been asked to push the release of Son of Sardaar to avoid clashing with Jab Tak Hai Jaan. The clash is inevitable, though the BO verdict could swing either way. But what has sent tongues wagging is Ajay’s absence from Yash Chopra’s funeral and prayer meets. And while his PR managers insist, it was because he has been busy with his film’s post production and travelling a fair bit, fact remains, he was pretty much in town when almost all of the industry and every able-bodied member of the fraternity made it a point to be there for Yash Chopra’s last rites. Even an ailing Shashi Kapoor in his wheel chair made it to the solemn occasion. And while Devgn’s team insist he was ably represented by Kajol and the rest of the family members, the dissident voices seem to get louder.
Incidentally Devgn’s clash with YRF goes back to his debut film Phool Aur Kaante which hit the theatres the same day as Lamhe. Both were 1991 Diwali releases. And Ajay never worked with Yash Chopra or the banner he founded and nurtured. Neither was the actor seen at any event hosted by the Chopras.
While it didn’t matter all this while, the coincidences are too much to ignore.
An insider spoke up in Ajay’s defence: “He has never been close to the Chopras but he never let that affect his wife Kajol’s equation with them. When Yash-ji’s last prayer meet was being held in More >
Karan Johar to complete what his father had started
06 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
The filmmaker’s next, a period romance was actually Yash Johar’s idea, for which he visited Lahore
Mehul S Thakkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 31, 2012)
Student of the Year was a risky proposition for Karan Johar, by his own admission. But the gamble has paid off, what with the film doing well at the box office. But rather than rest on his laurels, KJo has already moved on to his next.
It is a project that is very close to his heart; says the filmmaker, a love story his father, the late Yash Johar, had envisaged and researched on. Says KJo, “It’s a period love story and it’s a script I have had for the past eight years. In fact, my father had researched the film. He had gone to Lahore for three months before he passed away. After his demise, I had such an emotional attachment with the script that I couldn’t bring myself to work on it.”
Instead of working on his father’s unfinished project, he got busy making Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and the script remained untouched. However, the story and the idea refused to let go of him. “The story kept coming back to me. It’s an epic romance and my friends who’ve heard it kept telling me to make a film based on it. So after SOTY released, I decided I had to make this film.”
Karan plans to fly out by end November just to write the script and will start shooting the film by November next year. In the last eight years or so, this is perhaps his quickest return to his original role of director.
“My father would have been baffled with More >