Bollywood Blog (India)

The Top 5 Male Actors of 2009

Biju Baby — 2009-12-08T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrity, Music, News, Opinion

This is a little tricky.The years report card (well, almost) is thankfully not dipped in blood and tattooes, like what December 2008 gave Bollywood. (Remember Ghajini?). A cursory look through the highest 10 grossers in Bollywood for the year brings out an overwhelming whiff of sweet, crazy, mindless (mind you) zany love that had been missing from the marquee since a long time. Though blood and bullets seems to have held on to its share, 2009 was refreshingly back to Cupidville. 2009 also had some quirky absences, more so in Hrithik Roshan , who was instrumental in one of 2008's biggest hits. Big B had Aladin and now Paa. King Khan did a jig and a speech in Billu Barber and that was it. Aamir Khan is reprising December 2008 with his only release for the year, 3 Idiots next week and hopes for a repeat of Ghajini's results. The top 5 male actors of 2009 was compiled based on the number of films, how they fared at the box-office which naturally implied their contribution to the business of Cinema.

5. Salman Khan. Mr.Muscles got back and how. For all those who worried or wept copiously about Sallu bhai's fading magic at the box-office, he replied with lead, a couple of jigs,bare knuckles and wisecracks that had them roaring in the aisles. Of the four releases, Wanted, Main Aurr Mrs Khanna ,London Dreams, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (special appearance) - Wanted made up for all the rest of the duds and also made it the 2nd highest grosser of 2009 at the box-office.

4.Saif Ali Khan - 2009 was a decisive change for Saif Ali Khan, striking gold at the box-office with his first attempt at production, and of-course real love spilling onto screen in the last quarter.Though the latter tanked, once again lending some credence to the real-life-couple-don't-work-in-jinx, Love Aaj Kal will be marked as milestone in the career of Saif Ali Khan, the actor and the producer.

3. Sanjay Dutt - Overworked, under-utilized and sleepwalking through the proceedings - that was Sanju Baba in 2009. Luck, Aladin, Blue and All the Best summed up his reel trip for the year, with All the Best striking it big-time at the box-office. Probably the saving grace but he still made a marked difference with the combined revenue of his four projects.

2. Ranbir Kapoor- Why not? With Wake Up Sid, he gave the tepid industry figures a wake-up call, and along with the luckiest damsel in tinsel town, went on to lead the biggest blockbuster of the year 2009, Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani. With Rocket Singh :Salesman of the Year , he will hopefully elevate himself to the 'bankable' stars of the Bollywood galaxy.

1. Akshay Kumar (yawn) - With five releases in a leading role, that started with the desi Kungfu Panda rechristened Chandni Chowk to China,then on ton 8 X 10 Tasveer, Kambakkht Ishq, Blue and now De Dana Dan , Akki rules.Also for sheer number and the revenue. With Kambakkht Ishq and Blue in the top 10 revenue grossers ( regardless of the fact that the latter was a disaster on its own terms), 2009 again belongs to Akki. De Dana Dan with the Amazing Kat is blazing box-office revenues worldwide which more or less nails the title down, lock, ishtock and 2 ishmokking barrels.

Up Next : The top 5 Bollywood Movies of 2009.

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The Top 5 Female Actors of 2009.

Biju Baby — 2009-12-03T03:13:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrity, News, Opinion

It is that time of the year everyone readies themselves for a bit of soul searching ( if ever there is one, that is) and make seemingly steadfast resolutions to better themselves for the coming year. And when it comes to the Business of Bollywood, the overall performances of the products released in 2009 leaves a lot to be desired. And as far as the fairer and the prettier counterparts that drive box-office results in Bollywood, the old order seems to have quite prophetically given in to new, and there is a new star that is giving her peers the jeebies and her producers the big smile. More on that as we sift through our top 5 picks here at Bollywood Blogs.

5. Konkona Sen Sharma.

She has deftly moved from the "critical praise" phase to the "critical praise and commercial success" phase since her Mr. and Mrs.Iyer in 2002. And she always seems to find that right balance between 'parallel/ arthouse/alternative' productions and the commercial mainstream ones, having gone about quietly cultivating that level of acceptance in both patronizing communities. Both her mainstream releases, Luck By Chance and Wake Up Sid has propelled her into the league of bankable female leads who could be counted on for their projects.

4.Rani Mukerji.

For someone who has been on the top slot of Filmfare's 'Top Ten Bollywood Actresses' list for two years in a row (2004-2005), and No.5 at the "Ten Most Powerful Names of Bollywood" by Filmfare Magazine in 2007, 2009 seems to be a horrible dream. As Shobha De put it across very succinctly last week, she seems to be like Mumbai who desperately wants to reinvent herself, but have no idea into what! Dil Bole Hadippa, a movie constructed around her, was blown to kingdom come by the public. Maybe, her best is yet to come.

3. Kareena Kapoor.

The Queen of 'Zero' seems to be adding just that to her professional remuneration since 2008. Of the 3 releases Kambakkht Ishq, Main Aur Mrs.Khanna and Kurbaan till now, only Kambakkht Ishq enlived the box-office.3 Idiots, the big ticket release and her last in 2009 holds promise, may redeem her and propel her back to Diva.No 1 status. We hope too.

2. Priyanka Chopra.

Maybe its a tall order to replicate 2008, but 2009 could be counted on for the sheer number of roles Piggy Chops handled if you could just run them through. But What's Your Raashee failed to find its lucky run at the box-office. But Kaminey was good enough to keep the ship on course, but on cruise control.

1.Katrina Kaif.

This Kat rules Bollywood. From 2007, she has consistently powered box-office blockbusters just looking pretty and jiving to the chart busters. Katrina kaif is a phenomenon in Indian Cinema, whether you like it or not. And she has proved that she can set the collections on fire by just looking pretty with the latest Azab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani. NewYork , APKGK and now De dena Dan has reaffirmed her as the most sought after ingredient for any commercial production in Bollywood as of 2009. The reason is simple. She brings in the crowd, and the money. As far as the story goes, who cares for anything else?

Coming next Week: The Top 5 Male Actors of Bollywood.

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Miss. Shilpa Shetty becomes Mrs. Shilpa Kundra!

Sowmya S — 2009-11-25T03:32:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrity, Events, News, Opinion

The heavens come alive, stars glitter in all their glory, angels sing, rambha, menaka and urvashi dance (for the Indian touch), and everything is larger than life when two hearts decide to get together. Cheesy, but this reminds me of lyrics from many Bollywood songs. Well, nothing like this really happened in the case of Bollywood's not-so-successful-but-definitely-a-belle Shilpa Shetty and London-based businessman Raj Kundra. The two tied the knot on November 22 in a small family ceremony at Khandala.

In some way or the other, most of the Indian Household has been a part of this wedding all throughout, right from the beginning, when rumours were afloat about a potential romance, followed by Shilpa's denial and then the engagement itself, not to forget Shamita Shetty's Big Brother news too. The beautiful Shilpa glowed at 34 and Raj looked smart during the wedding, which was more of a family affair. I genuinely respect such small marriages which still keep the essence of togetherness alive. With most celebrity weddings this is not the case. There's always too much gossip, painful media coverage, unnecessarily huge-budget weddings and all that jazz.

Clad in a very traditional red saree designed by Tarun Tahiliani, adorned with diamonds and emeralds, the beauty looked more beautiful than ever, a tad more appealing than how Mrs. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looked on her D-day. With all the traditional outfits displayed at the wedding - Raj himself looked dashing in a maroon Sherwani and carrying a sword - a chariot ride to the mandap, the two-day festivities and the entire glow of the event, the marriage did look and feel very Indian.

Shilpa started her career years ago (1991) with an ad for Limca and walked into Bollywood through a supporting role in Baazigar (1993). I think that career-wise, Shilpa's road wasn't too green, but there were good films and performances here and there, like Dhadkan, Phir Milenge, Rishtey (in which she played the sexy fisherwoman, remember?). 'Chura Ke Dil Mera' from Main Khiladi Tu Anari is definitely evergreen in Indian minds and shot her to fame. When her Bollywood chances looked bleak, Shilpa did try her luck with a few South Indian Films - again some proved good, while others didn't. However, her item numbers: U.P. Bihar Loot le and Shut up & Bounce from Dostana did get us shaking a leg.

Despite being in the industry for a very long period and despite being beautiful and charming, Shilpa definitely needed one Big Brother and another Big Sister (Jade Goody - R.I.P.) to attain national and International fame. No, I am not complaining. I'm glad the damsel got her due. I feel the same with this wedding too. With all the drama surrounding her, including the Akshay Kumar link-up, the Anubhav Sinha nonsense, the Shane Warne fiasco, and the Richard Gere kissing saga, it feels nice to know that Shilpa at last found love.

Sources say that Shilpa met Raj, who was handling her business in the UK, soon after she won Big Brother in 2007, and gossip-mongers swear that they have been dating each other since then. But of course, the couple denied all those rumours stating that "they were just friends". Then there was Raj's ex-wife too, who claimed that Shilpa "stole" her husband, leading to their divorce. Well, in this case, I guess there may have been some fire, and hence all that smoke.

I don't know what to comment about Raj's divorce with his wife. Divorce is pretty much a norm in Bollywood. From the days of Hema Malini to Sridevi to the most recent Saifreena - it's creepy, unethical and all that. But hey, nobody wants an opinion on that, do they?

Early 2009, the love-birds became business partners when they got to buy a 12 per cent stake in IPL team Rajasthan Royals. Two years, I think, is a decent time within which to get to know a person, and with all those smiles on the couple's faces, we can assume that they are very happy in their love. Here's wishing luck to Shilpa and Raj for a long-lasting and gleeful life together! Cheers!

P.S - "..will write to you very soon... as Shilpa Shetty Kundra..." reads Shilpa's personal blog http://www.shilpashettylive.com/blog/ . I am planning to read through this right away!

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Paa, AB, ABC and R.Balakrishnan.

Biju Baby — 2009-11-18T05:05:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrity, News, Opinion

Paa, R.Balakrishnan's second outing with his two all - time favorites, Amitabh Bachchan and Ilaiyaraja is set for release on December 4, 2009. R.Balakrishanan who literally had you by your emotional cuffs with his endearing May - December romance Cheeni Kum is all set to repeat that success once again with Paa, which is touted to be "a very rare father-son-son-father story" . It would have been rare and all the more sweeter if Mr.Balakrishnan had sought out something original than this cleverly packaged and Indianised version of Robin William's Jack, which released in 1996. If you could sway us with your Cheeni Kum, am sure with a career deeply rooted in the industry of ideas and 'diffusion ' of the same, you would have gone with something more refreshingly original than repackaging Hollywood.

Plagiarism being more the norm than the exception in Bollywood these days, this would seem a little early in coming, but I do sincerely hope your next project would be 100% Balakrishnan as opposed to Paa. Maybe it was more safer to go with a project like this, tried and tested and proved commercially successful at the world box - office which is primarily reassuring for a market like India. With ABCL producing the movie worth around Rs 16 Crore, this is also ABCL's concerted effort to break free from its old shackles and its first move to be a prime force in the Indian movie production business. Quite obvious from the way the First Family has put its whole might behind the movie, with Ms. AISHWARYA Rai -Bachchan controlling the production, Big B and Abhishek in the cast and Jaya Bhaduri introducing the characters in the opening credits.

The clever promos, the innovative marketing buzz with its unusual theme and look have created an unprecedented spike of curiosity about the product which says a lot about the road up ahead, post release.
Wit a lemony twist of real-meets-reel role reversals as Abhishek playing the on-screen father to the terminally ill Amitabh Bachchan as his son Auro, realized in a production budget that has been firmly in control, Paa is sure to work wonders.

With Paa's music released on 15th November, 2009, Ilaiyaraja's tracks, in a uncanny repetition from Cheeni Kum, also happen to evoke intensive dejavu of his old numbers from Telugu and Tamil.
Since Cheeni Kum, it has become more of a game now to decipher the original tune from a Ilaiyaraaja Hindi track. The Gumm Summ and its various permutations gives you a terrible flashback of Thumbi Vaa from the Old Malayalam Classic Olangal, and Mudhi Mudhi reminds of you of the old hit Ninnukkori Varnam from Gharshana. But the Maestro, is beyond comparisons, so be it.

Here's hoping Paa repeats the success of Cheeni Kum, redeems ABCL and enable R.Balakrishnan to giving us something refreshing like he did with his debut movie.

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Sade huey Prem ki Mari Hui Kahani!

Sowmya S — 2009-11-13T11:18:00+00:00

First of all, film-makers should give up using promising terms like 'ajab', 'ghazab' and what not in their movie titles. It's not just misleading, it is unbearable. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani has ajab and ghazab only in the title. Everywhere else, it is absolutely 'sada hua' and 'mara hua'. The weak plot, saddening so-called comedy sequences and overall stupidity is so overpowering that one almost ignores Ranbir Kapoor's decent performance. The Kapoor boy definitely has it in him. However, the script did not have anything in it.

The film is about a laidback young man Prem (Ranbir Kapoor) who, for reasons I have no clue of, falls in love with Jenny (Katrina Kaif), who in turn is in love with Rahul (Upen Patel), who is a dedicated son of a religion-obsessed politician Pitambar Jalan (Govind Namdeo). The story drags on - Prem falls in love with Jenny, and the day he goes to proclaim his love to her, she confesses her love for the Canada-returned Rahul. Prem is heartbroken, but soon enough picks up the broken pieces and decides to help Jenny marry her love. However, Rahul's father, Pitambar Jalan, is dead against the inter-caste wedding. Using all the tricks up his sleeve, Prem manages to convince Pitambar to agree to the wedding, but on the D-day, Jenny realises that she is 'madly' in love with Prem, and runs off with him. Go figure!

So yes, the storyline is as stale as it can get. Since the movie was intended to be a rom-com, the unappealing storyline is not what worries me. Ideally, the winner should have been the comedy. Unfortunately, except for a couple of scenes, the jokes don't really have the intended effect.

Katrina is as pretty as a wax statue - flawlessly beautiful, but painfully emotionless. Upen Patel looks very silly. Maybe he should give up acting altogether and thus help save movie-buffs from killing themselves. And Salman's special performance has to be mentioned, simply because of the hideous jeans and T-shirts he wears. What was he thinking? Arrgh!

Darshan Zariwala, as Prem's father, does justice to his role and I feel that he is the only genuinely funny person in the film. The locations seem out of place for some reason. They are too clean and nice to be Ooty, and if the movie was shot in Turkey, I'd say it was an unnecessary waste of money! The location is definitely beautiful, but it doesn't look or feel Indian.

On the whole, one gets to see a lot of flaws. Amidst all the chaos, there are two things about the movie which allow you to breathe a sigh of relief - Ranbir Kapoor and Pritam's music. Ranbir's performance is worth the watch. However, he really needs to pay attention to the kind of films he chooses to be in. The song 'Kaise Baataon' makes for pleasant listening, and 'Tera Hone Laga Hoon' brings a smile to one's face.

A romantic comedy from Raj Kumar Santoshi years after the classic Andaz Apna Apna invariably implies sky-high expectations. But the movie is a disappointment. I did read articles mentioning that the movie did well at the Box Office. However, in all honesty, I don't see why this film should become a hit. My verdict is - do not go through the torture of watching this film even if you are offered free tickets. Why beg for a headache?

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Madhur Bhandarkar is jailed in his own ideas.

Biju Baby — 2009-11-06T02:21:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrity, News, Opinion

How long can you milk a concept for all its worth?
Once is great. Twice is good.Thrice is audacious. 5 Times would be pretty stupid is what anyone with a reasonable amount of common sense would say.
And Jail has proved it right.

Madhur Bhandarkar hit upon this motherlode of 'reality' movies with Chandni Bar in 2001. It was first of its kind in the franchise, and there were possibilities in a subject of that nature , and true to its content even recieved a National Award for the film. With Page 3 and Corporate he thought he had the Average movie fan eating out of his hands. Fair enough. The movies were big commercial successes, which made him audacious enough to go on with this now - predictable format of taking this cooking pan, throw in a handful of characters made famous or infamous through the media, known to the public, create a handful of others to support them, saute in over medium heat, add a dash of pithy dialogues and a song to taste, and voila, the latest Bhandarkar dish was ready for public consumption.

Madhur Bhandarkar is a brilliant craftsmen, but knowingly or unknowingly, he has gradually become a prisoner of his own ideas. maybe he should even get a patent for this version of 'reality - films and resell the franchise.
The reasons for the above are many. Chandni Bar worked at various levels. As a story, though the characters had elements of familiarity in real life, the narrative was natural, and honest. As his movies progressed on the same format, of half reelity and half reality, his narrative seems to be becoming more and more contrived and stilted.

Though the concept of a story centered around a jail has been surprisingly not had any takers in Bollywood ( ok, Teen Deewarein, what else?), this time Madhur Bhandarker has gone for the ready - mix variety for his cooking, and predicatbly, the end product looks colorful, sans soul.And as for Jail, all he had to do was look around through the world classics in this genre and pick the most popular of the characters and give it a Bollywood twist.

C'mon, Mr.Bhandarkar, whom are you trying to convince with this deep, intense buddy act interplay between Parag and Nawaab - is it for those who are not familiar with Andy and Red from The Shawshank Redemption? The character sketch is so blatantly similiar that it is disgusting. And Manish mehta as Joe D'souza who runs over 6 people (aha) on a drunken driving spree.
Cardboard cutouts anyone?

The characters as evident form the released story line are too boring to be true. Maybe Madhur never realised that the themes he progressively chose, unlike his first subject, that of dance bars, were so deeply ingrained in the popular media, that events have taken on a jaded sheen in everyday affairs.

How in God's name are you going to put uniqueness in a character that's been so familiar with the public, who knows the beginning, the middle ground and the end of ever character's screen life?
Break out of your shackles, Mr.Bhandarkar.
Maybe its way too symbolic to have this project named as Jail.
Its a bit ironic and sadly funny too.

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Real life lovers, reel life zeroes

Sowmya S — 2009-11-05T04:19:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrity, News, Opinion

Neither an impregnable marriage vow nor a heartfelt love proposal is strong enough to keep a real-life relationship working on reel - at least it seems like that to me. Even sensational couples in reality don't seem to create much sensation at the box office when they come together.

Take Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan, for instance. I think that with the entire media hype around them, they could easily pass off as the most sought-after couple, after Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. But when they come together on screen, the sizzle is somehow not translated there or is done wrong. Tashan? Gosh, let's not even get there!

Ditto with Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor. I personally think they look cute together. However, I must admit that their combination in Bachna Ee Haseeno was not really a great idea!

Kajol definitely broke the hearts of many fans - men and women alike - when she decided to move out of the Bollywood fraternity after tying the knot with Ajay Devgan. We were all glad when she announced her return to films. But Raju Chacha was a terrible comeback. And to think that her chemistry with her own husband was pathetic! It hurts. The more recent U, Me Aur Hum was no exception either. Stolen from the very beautiful Hollywood flick, The Notebook, the Hindi version had no appeal - neither did the couple.

Akshay Kumar, in the good old days, sent temperatures rising with Ayesha Jhulka, Raveena Tandon and Shilpa Shetty, and has now accomplished the same magic with Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor and so on. But with wife Twinkle Khanna, he was ice cold in movies like Zulmi and International Khiladi.

Beauty queen Aishwarya Rai looked very pretty in Kyun... Ho Gaya Na. But, her pairing with her then boyfriend Vivek Oberoi was not so pretty. It was the same case with hubby Abhishek Bachchan in Sarkar Raj, Umrao Jaan, Kuch Na Kaho and Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke. With all the news around the junior Bachchans at the time of their marriage, the last thing people expected to see was a lack of onscreen chemistry between the two love birds.

Then again, there's the steaming hot John Abraham and Bipasha Basu. We have to agree that together, they create news off-screen. But, together, onscreen, they are often a tragedy. Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, Madhoshi, Aetbaar - all bad!

It feels funny when I think of Kareena and Shahid Kapoor's chemistry. When they were blindly in love, in real life, they made disasters like 36 China Town and Fida. Once they broke up, Jab We Met was born. Sigh! Somebody please explain to me how this happened.

My wild guess is that for a couple to be successful onscreen, they should break up in real life. Okay, that's really evil! Let's get logical here. Irrespective of how much the couples are in love, the movie makes a difference only when it is made well. However, good chemistry is more like a cherry on the cake - while it's not particularly necessary, it is definitely preferred.

P.S. - Now if we slyly do a bit of shuffling among these couples, they work magic. Like say, Kajol with Shahrukh Khan, which is an evergreen choice, Saif with Rani Mukherji, which is cool, Akshay with Priyanka Chopra, which is hot, and John with Priyanka, which is good too. And the winner of the best-chemistry list would be Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with Hrithik Roshan (much to Abhishek Bachchan's annoyance)! This list can go on and on... but sadly, it has no real-life couple in it yet.
That's the sad truth. Sob!

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Ranbir Kapoor - Fresh, Sensible and Improved Version

Biju Baby — 2009-10-26T08:38:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrity, News, Opinion

Usually when one receives the Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his first film, despite the fact that it was a bland and a bird-brained-script laden Saawariya, you tend to lose your bearings, and your moorings. It also piles on tones of pride when you get it beating another debut act (Neil Nitin Mukesh) whose Johnny Gaddar was a refreshingly crafted Bollywood product, which had both the critics and the fans rooting for it. Surely, the voting community at Filmfare Awards must have seen something in Ranbir Kapoor which the Constant Movie Fans missed in Saawariya.

There is a pattern seen among most of those who "arrive" into Bollywood with this deadly combination of a starry lineage and a Debut Award. It also brings along with it the pompousness and foolish pride masquerading as star power. Once the misplaced feeling of self - righteousness has set in, only God can save you. Usually after the next three releases that sink without a trace, sanity and commonsense sets in ( Hritik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna - the list is an eye - opener). For Ranbir Kapoor, there was a slight change in the script here. His debut film itself sank without a trace. Though the leading role came on a silver platter, along with a marketing strategy and an A -list Director, Ranbir Kapoor curiously had earned it, slogging it in a very useful apprenticeship, learning the craft under the tutelage of the very same Director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

But the pattern was back. Saawariya was followed by an equally miserable disaster called Bachna Ae Haseeno, directed by Siddharth Anand must have put the much needed sensibility and the fear of the Lord in Ranbir Kapoor because it seemed to take Ranbir in an altogether different direction, daringly decisive and later proved right.

His new direction was pursuing a strategy of relying on the script and NOT the budget, along with the confidence the director brought to the script. Ayan Mukherji's directorial debut, (produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions and distributed by UTV), called Wake Up Sid, that released on October 2nd, 2009 was refreshingly different. Though the script had holes and patchy transitions at parts, he literally lived the role of Sid - "a lazy, aimless, unmotivated slacker from Mumbai" who finds direction in his life with the arrival of Aisha ( played by Konkona), who teaches him the real purpose of living a life, rather than existing by virtue of being alive. For a movie made on a modest Bollywood standard of Rs 15 Crore, the Box Office earnings as of 15 October, 2009 stands at Rs 25 Crore.

Ranbir seems to be poised at the rising tip of a growth curve now. Wake Up Sid seems to have metaphorically transcended to real - life if one takes a look at his choice of roles for his forthcoming movies that would be releasing in November and December.
There is promise in the air.
There is Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani directed by Rajkumar Santoshi - a rollicking love story, paired opposite Katrina Kaif, which is in the news for all the wrong reasons of late.
And in December, Ranbir's Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year - directed by Shimit Amin ( of Chak de India! ) and produced by Yash Raj Films, hits the theaters meeting Aamir's Three Idiots head on.
Rocket Singh also bears a striking resemblance to the Hollywood Flick - Employee of the Month. But, we will confirm it as we get more details.
The last quarter of 2009 will be decisive for Ranbir as far as his craft, carrer and his growth curve in Bollywood is concerned.
Here is wishing him all the luck Prem and Rocket can bring around, in 2009.

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Stolen Sweets this Diwali from Bollywood.

Biju Baby — 2009-10-16T00:24:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Opinion

It may sound awfully inauspicious this Season, but somebody has to say it. It is one thing to have 'inspiration' from a creative product but it is doubly painful to watch the line getting longer by the day.When Dil Bole hadippa came around, and the biggest love factory in Asia went about promoting that spunky Kaur moon - lighting as a spunkier cricket - crazy Sardar, and reams of interviews about the uniqueness of the plot, you forgave them.
I mean, how can you be so naive about all this in this age of information, where evrything you need to search and be informed is at the ease of pressing a key.
Did Aditya Cjopra really think that no one would find the startling similarities been Dil Bole Hadippa and She's the Man directed by Andy Fickman, released in 2006 which is the story of this girl who takes the place of her identical twin - brother, stars in football and falls for his buddy. Yeah, I know, where you are heading with the counter - argument for this one. Change football to cricket, add punjab and patriotism (the usual Yashraj ingredients) and voila, your dish is complete.
What is even more hilarious was She's the Man itself was a reworking of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
And then came Acid Factory. Coming from Sanjay Gupta, it was no surprise about the originality of the film, but this took the cake amongst all his inspirations.The Columbian film - maker Simon Brand's Unknown released in 2006 in English worldwide and as Mentes en Blanco in Columbia tells you exactly the same story. But, even the original loses steam after the first 20 minutes as the director loses all semblence of ideas and the plot goes into hamming over - drive. It was more of taking Christopher Nolan's Memento (our own Ghajini) and extending it to the entire movie's set of characters. But, it was an acid bath, literally for the movie fans as they watched this garbage in Hindi.
It just didn't stop there.
Blue, the biggest and the costliest Bollywood production is a a mix of two movies , main parts copied from Into the Blue and land action from Torque. Even the story line seems uncannily similar to Into the Blue, starring Jessica Alba and Paul Walker was about a under water treasure hunt by a deep sea diver dreaming of discovering a Spanish galleon, loaded with gold and becoming rich.

And to top it off, Into the Blue was inspired from Peter Benchley's The Deep which was made into a movie in 1977.

Or, for that matter,Sallubhai's Main aurr Mrs.Khanna.

Take the song Tumne Sochcha from Mein aurr Mrs.Khanna.
The song is an unprecedented feat of musical mastery by Sajid - Wajid who seemed to have taken the rhythm of Every breath you take and the song structure of Blackhole Sun by Soundgarden. Amazing!!
The much awaited Teen Patti is another inspired thriller from 21 starring Kevin Spacey.
More on it later.
Warm Diwali wishes to everyone.

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It's Bollywood's Diwali time again!

Sowmya S — 2009-10-15T02:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrity, News, Opinion

I jerked upright in the middle of the night imagining that I was caught in a bomb blast. Silly me! It's Diwali time. What did I expect? One of my very excited neighbor decided that he wanted to burst an atom bomb in that very-human (read: inhuman) time of the night, right on the top of my sleepy head. Well, this one time, I am not going to go blast his head instead. Diwali hain, hak bantha hain!

I wish, like in my neighborhood, such blockbusters happened in our B-town too. Diwali has always been the time for big releases in Bollywood - creating a nail-biting situation for film makers and audiences alike. I guess this year its no different. With three films hitting the limelight at the same time, I am all confused here. Which one do I go to first? Which one is paisa-wasool, which one is bheja-fry?

Let's expand on that thought!

The most hyped and the most spent upon release, I would say, is Ashtavinayak Productions' Blue. 100+ crores is no small deal. It's more like placing your one foot in the grave. If the movie doesn't do well, no prizes for guessing how big the loss will be. Let's be hopeful though. An elaborate casting with Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Lara Dutta, Zayed Khan and Katrina Kaif topped with a nice chiggy-wiggy performance by Kylie Minogue and not to forget the over-the-top underwater and on ground stunts, Blue definitely seems big to me. AR Rahman gives some good music and I cannot wait to see Resul Pookutty's underwater magic. So what if it's a remake of some Hollywood flick? Some inspiration is good. I hope the film doesn't give me any Diwali-blues!

Promising to get your guts out, err... I mean... make you laugh your guts out with some hilarious situations and some (hopefully non-hilarious) action sequences, Ajay Devgan's All the Best also hits the theaters this Diwali. The star cast of the movie includes Ajay Devgan himself, Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Bipasha Basu, Mugdha Godse and Asrani. The music has been provided by Pritam. The movie is all about how Prem (Ajay Devgan) and Veer (Fardeen Khan) try untangling some chaos created by Dharam Kapoor (Sanjay Dutt) through lots of lies and some massive funny cover-ups. I hope the film turns out to be as funny as it sounds. The entire star cast seem like they badly need a hit film for the well-being of their careers. All the very best to All the Best and its cast. However, if you take a look back, last year Rohit Shetty-Ajay Devgan's team effort Golmaal Returns did give the Khan and the Deol brothers (Heroes) a run for their monies! Should we expect something like that for this year too?

Let's move on to Main Aur Mrs. Khanna. A joint production of Sohail Khan Productions and UTV SpotBoy Pictures, this Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Sohail Khan starrer film revolves around an extra marital affair. I think there are by now atleast a zillion movies with this as the concept. So, the concept by itself has lots to prove. I am hoping that the storyline is different from all other similar concept movies. Like everybody else, I cannot take a repetition here. Preity Zinta looks slightly out of place in the item number and Deepika Padukone's special appearance better be for a reason. Salman has had very little luck in the past few years, especially during Diwali - Saawariya, Kyun Ki, Heroes, all flopped big time. Are we to expect a Deja-vu this year again?

My prediction seems to be a little biased towards Blue since it's got a lot to offer. Secondly in my list, I d say is All the Best - Silly comedies sometimes create wonder. As for Main Aur Mrs. Khanna, I really am not too optimistic. Will have to wait for the D-day to see how accurate my prediction is!

Deep blue waters, an extra marital affair, outright comedy - You make your choice. I have chosen all of it. Along with some crackers, family-time and lots of food, Diwali day is also going to be a movie day for me!

Happy Diwali all of you!

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Ranbir's charm, Konkana's appeal, Karan's win!

Sowmya S — 2009-10-08T04:12:00+00:00

Filed under: Review, Opinion

There is one particular genre of movies which force you to contemplate on the broader picture, in other words, expects you to use your brains and form an opinion. And there is another genre which just expects you to keep watching. Karan Johar's Wake up Sid falls under the latter category.
It did not surprise me even a bit when the very spoilt and aimless slacker (but dil se accha) Sidharth 'Sid' Mehra (Ranbir Kapoor) learns how to live his life independently and realises that he is in love with the much older Aisha Banerjee (Konkana Sen Sharma). It's the way any movie with this storyline should move. And it played exactly in the same lines. No need for a revelation there.

Produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions and distributed by UTV Motion Pictures, this romantic comedy film is Ayan Mukherji's directorial debut.

So, what worked?
The cast and acting. Yes. Brilliant Casting. Months ago when I read an article where Karan Johar claimed that watching the movie was the only way to understand the chemistry between Ranbir and Konkana, I just dismissed it as yet another movie maker's promising statement. We all are used to such things, aren't we? (My movie biggest, my script greatest, my cast coolest... blah blah). Wake up Sid definitely has given me good hopes about all other unlikely pairs in Bollywood.

The lead actors fit naturally in their roles. Ranbir seemed cute (first time for me) and Konkana - tussi cha gaye! She's pretty, acts her age and acts her role. Thank god! Anupam Kher and Supriya Pathak are promising and so is the rest of the cast. Kudos to all! Not to forget, Rahul Khanna looks very attractive!

Cinematography: I usually relate camera and angles to action and superhero films. But, Anil Mehta (Director of Photography) proves that interesting camera work can be effective on down-to-earth movies too. The angle-wise feel of the movie was great!

What didn't?
Movie Runtime. Too much. Too long. I personally feel the movie would've had some more appeal if the curtains were down in two hours. Three hours was unnecessarily long!
To Filmmakers: The lesser (the crap) the better!

Kashmira Shah. Why? Somebody enlighten me please.

What could have been better?
Music. I loved the Ghoonja Sa Koi Ek Thara number. It was definitely refreshing and definitely Indian. As for the other songs, well, I still can't make out one from another. It all sounds just the same. Some more variety would have been appreciated.

Storyline: Too predictable. Some surprise/intrigue factor would've made me happier.

Overall, the movie is worth the watch, time and money. A well deserved three stars!
If you still haven't, Go for it people!

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All The Best, Sanjay Dutt.You need it .

Biju Baby — 2009-10-08T01:46:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrity, Opinion

Dear Sanju Baba,

As a true blue fan of movies in general, and Bollywood in particular, I can't even recall off - hand the last last time I sat back and really enjoyed a Sanjay Dutt movie, in the past 3 years.The farthest I can look back is to a September, 3 years back when Laage Raho Munnabhai was released, and with your genial charm and dead -pan humor went on to collect close to Rs.70 crore in gross revenues.

There was a glimmer of the affable Sanjay Dutt's Jadoo, (a flare would be more appropriate), in Shootout at Lokhandwala, but that was it.
And that was in 2007.
The list of projects that you were associated with, in the last three years, looks more like a consolidated who - is - who of the general list of Bollywood celluloid disasters.
To refresh your memory, here are a few of the infamous ones -
Eklavya: The Royal Guard
Nehlle Pe Dehlla
Sarhad Paar
Dhamaal
Dus Kahaniyan
Woodstock Villa
Mehbooba
Kidnap
EMI
and Luck, the latest of the flaming, burning wrecks.

Though none of us have actually felt your 'absence', being in the news for all the other reasons than movies, the question is still begging to be answered.

The final quarter of this financial year, thankfully has 3 of your movies to look forward to. All the Best - Fun Begins, produced by Ajay Devgan, (flush with his back- to - back success of Golmaal and Golmaal Returns), the insanely - big budget caper Blue, and of course butting heads with Big B and the Supernatural in Aladin.

It is highly fortunate, and pretty darn lucky too, to have the creative support, and the associated tinsel power that comes with it in all the three releases associated with you, in this quarter.

Anyway you look at it, it is a safe bet.

It is Aladin amongst the three, that has invariably piqued our curiosity levels, and its been a long time since a Sanjay Dutt movie did that to us.

That is a very good sign.

Here is wishing you, Sanju Baba, all the best as you return to the marquee with a triple shot at regaining your lost glory.

Regards,

A Very Optimistic Constant Movie Fan.

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Romeo-Laila, Majnu-Juliet?

Sowmya S — 2009-10-01T10:13:00+00:00

Love is blind. And so are the people who cast stars in Bollywood these days. Why is Laila seducing Romeo, and what is Majnu doing with Juliet? Something is definitely wrong.

I just don't understand this theory. Cast two individually terrific-looking people, put them together on screen to make a ghastly pair and make complete fools of the audiences! Is this the new success formula mooted by some B-town punditji?

Last week, I was trying to make up my mind whether or not to watch Rani and Shahid together in Dil Bole Hadippa, and now Wake up Sid has come along with an unlikely pairing of Konkona Sen and Ranbir Kapoor. At least Shahid and Rani's onscreen chemistry was not as pathetic as was his with Vidya Balan in Kismet Connection. But then again, Rani did have to shed a lot (literally!) of weight to make this happen. As for Konkana and Ranbir - Karan ji, isn't the mismatch a little too much for us? Well, both of them are good-looking in their own right, but, when put together, I'm skeptical about whether or not the chemistry will exist between them. I want to know how Karan Johar could see something which I am not able to see. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, however!

And oh! Not to forget Wanted, with the terribly-unlikely Salman Khan and Ayesha Takia running around the bush - or should I say bullets? However, in this case, something seems to have worked, since the film is being labeled a hit. But, let's face it - the lead actors were very bad together. In future, we have many more such experiments coming our way - Asin with Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan in London Dreams, Priyanka Chopra and Uday Chopra in Pyaar Impossible (the chemistry seems almost impossible), and Himesh Reshammiya and Shenaz in Radio (who went mad first?)

Oh wait! The list is starting to form a permanent frown on my face.

I agree that we, the movie buffs, have certain mind-blocks with regard to the pairing-up of certain actors. But I guess we are grown-up enough to accept reasonable changes, provided they are refreshing!

On a different note, I think we should divert a few of our match-making aunties into B-town. It will work well for us in two ways: We will get rid of them and Bollywood will get rid of its bad casting habits! So it will work out well for all concerned.

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Sushmita Sen - Where art Thou?

Biju Baby — 2009-09-29T11:28:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrity, Opinion

It's not that we are overlooking the fact that she has a release due for October 2nd, 2009 - DO KNOT DISTURB by David Dhawan, paired against Govinda.It is just that curiously enough, in keeping with the season of 'second comings,' Do Knot Disturb gains a special place in Sushmita Sen's career graph that started with Dastak in 1996.
( Anyone remember that? Or for that matter Zor, the next release with Sunny Deol in the lead role as Mr.Vengeance?).

Anyways, the point is this - 12 odd years and 30 -something movie projects later, there is not a single movie of repute that can be called quintessentail Sushmita Sen, other than the 2004 summer blockbuster - Main Hoon Na, which also paved the way for Farah Khan the Director, and Red Chillies as the big - time movie production house.
But it also had the muscle and back - up of King Khan and his lavish production,and so was a safe bet, and a guaranteed minimum returns project,and Ms. Sen was extremely fortunate to ride high on that goodwill and heightened popularity.

After Main Hoon Na in 2004, Sushmita Sen continued to be in the news alright. As with established procedures of moder -day spin and drivel, mindlessly repeated again and again as news, there were at one point of time, more Hollywood projects associated with Ms.Sen than any professional in Bollywood could ever dream of in his/her lifetime.But, what it ended up was the excruciatingly painful and the immensely forgettable Karma,Confessions and Holi.It is also curious as to the choice of projects she has taken in the last five years, that has never even got her anywhere close to atleast a first -week run at the box -office.

Sample this - Paisa Vasool, Chingaari, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya,Main Aisa Hi Hoon,Bewafaa,Kisna,It Was Raining That Night,Zindaggi Rocks, Alag, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag,Dulha Mil Gaya, Karma, Confessions and Holi.

Does this in any way,seem like an informed choice of an artiste who has been in this business of acting (?) for the past 12 years?

Hopefully Do Knot Disturb will change all that, and as the season promises, it might usher in a new era of possibilities and avenues to Ms.Sen.

Curiously enough, a certain Miss World of 1994, has had the good fortune of playing her cards right, managing the right decisions and getting her career, as a notable power - lister of the Bollywood fraternity by now.
A study in contrast?
Maybe.

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What was that Raashee thingy again?

Biju Baby — 2009-09-29T04:59:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrity, Review, Opinion

According to the dictionary , 'plod' means to walk heavily or move laboriously, to proceed in a tediously slow manner or to work with constant and monotonous perseverance.
Nothing explains the experience of watching 3 hours of Priyanka's 12 avatars better than plodding through.
It was more of wading, dragging on along with the completely predictable scenes,desperately praying for a jump cut to the last scene, which took an excruciatingly 3 hours to materialize.
As a Constant Movie Fan, there is this one simple question to Priyanka - Why?

Ashutosh Gowarikar is 'renowned' for the 'epic length' of his productions, but,thankfully the ones that came around till now had something to look forward to,rather than the glowing signs of the emergency exit in the dark cinema hall. But to stretch a great concept, balanced on a flimsy script and stretch it to levels that border on the bizarre, testing the patience thresholds of the Constant Movie Fan is downright dangerous.

For those who still haven't figured out the Raashee thingy yet, it is this story of Harman Baweja who plays Yogesh Patel, who has this deadline of 10 days to get married - he plans it with meeting a girl from each sun-sign, two meetings a day (that makes it 6),next 3 days to make the big decision,and get married on the 10th day.Great concept, makes it all the more fantastic when you can get one actress to play all the 12 characters.
The potential here is huge.You have the novel 'Kimball Ravenswood' by Madhu Rye to fall back on, in case you get your creative stumbling blocks. And as the director and script-writer, your handful of movies have redefined the Bollywood cinemascape.

Outstanding, till now.

And then you go around and write the sloppiest and the silliest ( painful, but have to say it ) script that could ever be expected of Ashutosh Gowarikar, and he makes sure you endure that for 3 hours.
It is not that you could walk out ant any given point, but you still sit around, partly in disbelief at the half - cooked dough he is trying to pass off as a delectable delicacy, and partly still vainly hoping for the big turnaround that would have you glued to your seat in the next minute. Alas, it never arrives.

Priyanka Chopra does her best. But, plodding through with 12 stories in 3 hours with the same actress that becomes repetitive to the point of mental exhaustion is outright criminal.
But, then again, hey, this will be forgiven, Mr.Ashutosh Gowariker. Regardless of all the invectives that those viewers spat out in the cinema, they will surely return for your next production.That is a given.

But that nagging qestion still remains - Why?

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Dil Bole "Hard Kick to your Rear - End" apa.

Biju Baby — 2009-09-28T12:05:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrity, News, Opinion

Either Yash Chopra Productions has that incurable, potentially rare medical condition called the tractors-mustard-fields- flowers-and-terraced-houses syndrome or someone way up in the Production hierarchy has some lug nuts running loose and rolling around in the attic. Because, try as I might, one just cannot make any sense of Rani Mukerjee's new avatar and seemingly comeback vehicle "Dil Bole Hadipaa". In a time where the inane shares more than equal time with the worthy ones, was this more of the 'If you can't beat them, join them' modus operandi which most of the times spell total celluloid devastation? It has been proved once again, hope Rani Mukerjee sits up and takes notice.

There is no need to even point out a simple fact like this to a 40-odd films old veteran of Indian movies, but just for the sake of repetition, here goes Ms.Mukerjee - The Script is Always the King.

No amount of cross-dressing or impersonation can save you, if you don't have a strong script. At least, a method in the madness is absolutely necessary.Without that, its as good as zilch. Hope you know it by now.

Speaking of repetition, yours truly was under the impression that the wide angled stock -shots of mustard fields swathed in yellow, to brightly painted block-terraced houses and impromptu bhangra hoe-downs was cremated along with Veer-Zara, but its good to know that deep inside the walls of India's greatest Love Productions factory, there are people caught in the mushy time-warp.

Regardless of the fact that Wanted was bullets, lead, six-packs, headbands and a little bit of Salman co-ordinating all these - its first week netted close to Rs 36 Crore and is slated to be the biggest hit for 2009. Yours truly honestly believe there was a fair percentage of its viewers opted for the latter after tuning in to their trusted feedback sources.

Veera Kaur/veer Pratap Singh is a great idea. No doubt about it. The only problem was that cross-dressing never made a believable character. If its spell - binding transitions that you were looking around to mold that character, wish you had rented Girl, Interrupted from your local DVD store and watched it, at least,say once.

There is still Kuchee Kuchee Hota Hai to look forward to in 2010, the animated version of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, marking its 10th Anniversary Release.( Seriously, do these ever work? I also wonder what happened to PNC's animated version of SHOLAY).

There is no doubt that Rani Mukerjee put in a lot of hard work, fortitude,energy and enterprise in essaying the role.But, how long can you put up with cheesiness, broken - banter and dazzling costume changes masquerading as a movie script?

Here's wishing sanity prevails, Ms.Mukerjee,and we get to see more on the likes of Black, Bunty and Bubli and KANK as time goes by.

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Rakhi Sawant as VIRGIN MARY - Immaculate (MIS)Conception?

Biju Baby — 2009-09-28T12:01:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrity, News

Remember how her acolytes went about town about Mallika Sherawat slated to play a 'celibate Yogini' in a "Hollywood"(ahem) production tentatively titled The Aquarian Gospel, directed by Drew Heriot, way back in February 2008? I haven't laughed as hard back then, as I did now, and I did this with a cold premonition way back in my heart.

If she can pull off the greatest ropetrick - (the varmala trick ), in front of a gullible 1 billion strong TV audience, she might just about do this too.With that one grand celebration of medicrity on the Idiot Tube, Rakhi Sawant sealed her place under the Sun as the new reigning Queen of TRP's, and if Virgin Mary is what is needed to keep the 'legacy' alive, so be it? Frankly,what is wrong with that, ladies and gentlemen?

As far as the news article goes, "While Rakhi is casting herself as Jesus's mother Mary, she already has a wish list of actors who she would want to play Jesus. "Mother Mary has always been my idol. Ideally, I want Salman or Hrithik to play Jesus. But they won't do it. Kunal Kapoor has the intensity to play Jesus. If I don't get any of them, I'll cast a newcomer."

Sallubhai as Jesus Christ? Heaven help us.

Rakhi ka Swayamwar is long gone off the public memory.So is its successor, Pati Patni or Woh, along with that also went her 'publicly-engaged-Elesh Parujanwala", back to Canada.

So, its back to us, the Gullible Addicts of The Clan of the TV Remote Control and Rakhi Sawant with her Bible project.

All it takes is the time needed for the Idiot tube to beam its publicity promos, right into your living room.

Maybe this borders on the macabre, but can't help thinking,could we expect an item number in between the Wedding scene at Canaan? Or perchance one at King Herod's royal court?

Anything can happen. Strange are the ways of the Lord.

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BOLLYWOOD's NEW EMOSANAL ATHYACHAR.

Biju Baby — 2009-09-16T05:38:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Opinion

Are our Big time Movie Producers, unethical, two-bit, double-crossing smooth operators?

Or is this a new,dark and nefarious type of publicity gimmick thought up by some really spaced-out marketing wizard,which has gone terribly wrong after the first time around?The past one year shows a very interesting trend.(I also have come to suspect the dark humor on the side of the Producer fraternity too.)

It seems now that along with the big-budget movie productions slated for release,hyped over the three weeks prior to their release, a new activity has been added to the ones that we are used to,over time.Along with the audio release,trailer/promo release,the movie's micro - site with wall papers,screen savers and the like,there is a very interesting addition to the whole proceedings.The LAWSUIT.
It isn't funny.It is so true.

Flash back One - April 2008.

The lawsuit activity hit big time,and center stage prior to the release of Krazzy 4 ,as some of the tracks that were used by Rakesh Roshan for the movie were outright plagiarism of famed ad-jingle maker Ram Sampath.The fertilizer hit the fan on a Wednesday, rose to fever pitch,as the blogosphere hummed,the TV channels debated with rabid intensity on the ethics employed by the Roshans -(the refrain being,they have money,they can do anything) and the next morning,to the collective sigh of Bollywood,they reached an out-of-court settlement and The movie went on to be released the next day.This was all the more interesting as it was the high-voltage David-pitted-against-the Goliath story and the media ran with it.

Flash back Two - December 2008.

This time it was Aamir's version of Ghajini,slated for release on 25 December. Just when you thought you had been snowed under the pre-release hype,the issue was,confusing,perplexing and bordering on the bizarre.The injuction was given in Chennai and Mumbai High Courts,though Mr.Chandrashekharan was 'surprised, shocked and perplexed' as to how Geetha Arts and Murugadoss could entertain any idea of producing the film in Hindi when they had not been given any rights for the same.",he also revealed that he had come to know about the project going on the floors in April itself!!! Whoa.Now,that is what I call timing.

Flash back Three - September 2009.

Salman's comeback (?) Wanted Dead and Alive release date had Boney Kapoor running around looking for money to someone who allegedly claimed he owed a bit.10 Crore,to be exact.The hassled one was LMB Holdings, a B4U group company, who claimed Boney Kapoor owed them 10 crores and wanted a stay till he paid it back.Boney deposited the money,and Sallubhai will pound the baddies,starting Sep 18,2009.

Jumpcut to September 16, 2009.

But,all is not well with Kamal Haasan-Mohanlal Combine Unnaippol Oruvan,due for release on September 18th.The HC has unequivocally put its er..hammer down and asked Kamal to obey a status quo on the litigation filed by Pyramid Saimira over the alleged advance amount they paid for Marmayogi, which is surprisingly another 10 crore!!!Whoa again!So,unless any miracle happen in the next 48 hours,(which I think will happen,as far as trends go),the Movie will again emerge the winner,relegating the ethics to the background,till another time and another big production.

Come to think about it, you have become so conditioned to this 'activity' along with the current marketing spiel,that it would be less all the fun without having one legal suit for every movie release.

What say?

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Lisa - A beautiful Ray of hope!

Sowmya S — 2009-09-16T05:36:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrity, News, Opinion

When a week ago I read about Lisa Ray suffering from some rocket-science kind of cancer (Multiple Myeloma), the first thing that came into my head was, 'Really? Is she? Or are they talking about some role she is playing? Is this some silly publicity stunt?' Oh! Evil me!

Well, on further reading about the chemotherapy on her blog, a realization hit me hard - celebrities are indeed human beings. Like the common man, when diagnosed with cancer, they have to go through all the pain and depression. However, Lisa is evolving as a ray of hope and strength to all those people, celeb or non-celeb, who deal with the disease. Read more about Lisa, in her own words: http://lisaraniray.wordpress.com/

I feel sad when I get to hear about people dying of cancer, on a daily basis. Is this nature's new way of keeping a tab on the population? I wonder!

I woke up on September 15 and the first thing I heard was about Patrick Swayze's death. The 1991 winner of the 'Sexiest Man Alive' title had to give in to the enemy, Pancreatic Cancer, after two long years of suffering. There are a whole lot of very talented celebrities who had to lose the cancer battle like the beautiful Nargis and the dramatic Nutan. Also, who wouldn't know about the controversial Jade Goody (of Big brother fame) or the showman Feroz Khan. The list seems never ending...

For some reason, I find it very unreal to accept that a celebrity has cancer. Why? How many of us knew that Kylie Minogue (yes the one dazzling in the new Hindi movie 'Blue') was suffering from breast cancer? It's a mean world. We get so carried away by their external appearances. If any of the celebrities were to stand in front of me and tell me about their suffering, all I would do is stare at them and wonder about their beauty or appeal or both.

As I get to read more about Lisa Ray and many other famous people fighting the disease like Nelson Mandela, Robert De Niro, Elizabeth Taylor and Lance Armstrong, I am able to see and understand them in a more personal way.

For the sake of all of the humans suffering from this harmful disease, all I can do is wish that real life had a bit of the poetic justice that we mostly see in reel life. I still remember the scene from a movie I watched where the male lead miraculously recovers from the deadly cancer and gets back to running around trees. How unrealistic yet how appealing a thought! Sigh! Sad that reality is different...

Kudos to the very beautiful Lisa Ray for accepting something that cannot be changed, with so much courage and no drama. She has bestowed in me a newborn respect for herself and every other person who has to go through this painful disease. Way to go Lisa! And yes, like you say, NEVER STOP FIGHTING!

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Strip and Win - Bollywood's new success formula?

Sowmya S — 2009-09-10T07:23:00+00:00

Filed under: Celebrity, News, Opinion

What do you do when you (are a woman and) lose in Bollywood? - Well, you strip!

It's like strip poker in the industry these days and almost every actress seems to have gone through this phase.

The Bikini culture in B-town can be broadly classified into two categories I reckon:
One, where you strip and you get lucky
The other, you keep stripping and nothing happens

The first category sure did give Bollywood some of today's sensational (and sometimes not-so seasoned) actors like Deepika Padukone, when King Khan saw her steaming in that swimsuit on the Kingfisher Calendar. Also, if you force yourselves to a nice little flashback down memory lane, you'll see the image of Priyanka Chopra sporting a Bikini in her first film Andaaz. Well, both of them have come down a long way now, with considerable success.

The second category is what keeps us wondering. What didn't work?
The most recent strip queens you get to see are of course Lara Dutta and Rani Mukherji. What forced them to try out Bollywood's most used, but hardly successful formula to success? Here's my speculation:

Lara : Hmmm... Understandable! She has been offered 'almost-not-there' kind of screen space for a long time now. The last time she had a decent hit was Partner which was back in 2007. I guess this frustration is what got her to do a lot of Bikini scenes in her new flick Blue. She looks good though.

But it hurts to see Rani, the good old Rani, in Dil Bole Hadippa. Agreed that there is no complete bikini but hey, who are we kidding. The clothes are pretty much a fusion of a swimsuit and a lehnga. We thought you had good acting potential Rani, you really didn't have to do this!

Apart from these two, there are a host of other actresses who have tried out the same formula. I feel terribly sorry for Kareena Kapoor when I think of all that effort she had to put into shedding those curves to become a straight size 0, not to forget her bikini-self in Tashan. Didn't work, again. Amisha Patel (who?) in 'Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic', Minisha Lamba in 'Kidnap'(why?), Amrita Rao in Shortcut (why, oh why, oh why?) - all flops, big flops. Bipasha Basu and Esha Deol's skin show in the Dhoom series went to the dogs when all the credit went to the boys - Hrithik Roshan and John Abraham.

So, is it time to let go of these shortcut formulas and try out some real acting?

(P.S - I really hope Rani and Lara don't fall under the Dhoom girls' category or the Kareena Kapoor league. Good luck girls!)

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