India a strong film market: French studio

A leading French production house, Studio Canal, sees India as a potential hub for international films and believes it is essential to create awareness about Indian films abroad.

'It's actually a very nice discovery. I decided to travel to India because the Mumbai film festival (MAMI International Film Festival) invited us,' Rodolphe Buet, executive vice president, international distribution and new business of Studio Canal, told IANS.

'I thought it's a great idea to combine both film festival and film market to allow people to meet each other and create some business link,' said Rodolphe, who is here for the the first time.

He is highly optimistic about the relationship developing between India and European production companies and hopes Indian companies would soon start investing in Hollywood productions.

'I think Europe, France and India are very strong film markets and have film lovers. Companies like Reliance have invested a lot. I think their international production will create substantial revenue in the future.

'So, considering the level of relationship we are developing, in the coming weeks some huge Indian companies will invest in European or Hollywood productions that we are investing in,' said Rodolphe.

'The other reason of my trip was trying to understand the growth of this market and meet the executives involved with the movie and television industry as we are considering, from the European point of view, that India would be one of the major and leading markets in the coming year,' he added.

MAMI is an initiative of Reliance Big Entertainment that is also investing in Hollywood projects.

Studio Canal, based in France, is a production and distribution company that owns one of the third-largest film libraries in the world. Started in 1988, it is now a $600-million company.

'At this stage buying or selling doesn't mean a lot. At this moment, we are trying to make people understand our library, our production and to make a relation. The market of Indian movies in rural Europe is limited, except in the UK because in the UK there is a huge Indian community. So the main target is to identify the movies that will match the liking of the European audience. We made an agreement with Reliance to distribute some of their movies,' Rodolphe said.

He maintains he tried to understand the production of Indian films before striking any deal with Indian production houses.

'I met several. I tried to understand the production level - what kind of film will make sense for a European audience.

'I think what we really need to achieve first is some kind of awareness about Indian films and create some success to make the exhibitor and the press understand India has a very big film industry that produces good movies. They have to discover this thing. We will try to go step by step to secure some success,' said the 47-year-old.

Asked if he could zero in on any potential deal, he said: 'I met global networks and they are going to open a section for international movies. They are a potential deal for us.'

Some offerings from Studio Canal include 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day', 'Basic Instinct', 'Cliffhanger', Under Siege' and 'Free Willy'.

Talking about the company, he said: 'We started Studio Canal 22 years ago in France and now we operate in the UK and Germany as well. Over the years, we have got a very strong library dealing with major production companies. It's a $600 million company and producing all over the world,' said Rodolphe.

'Our company is investing not only in Europe but also in Hollywood projects. We invested in the remake of 'Cliff Hanger' and other thrillers and comedies. Studio Canal is involved with local and international productions and because of our production level we can find potential partners in huge markets such as India,' he added.

Will Rakta Charitra announce the grand re-entry of RGV on Telugu screen?

 

 

 

Ram Gopal Varma does only do two things in his life. The first one is to make movies and the second one is to use/manipulate to media to publicize his movies. He is like a bachelor who is married to movies. He is facing a strange situation now. He made Rakta Charitra movie based on the lives of Telugu people Paritala Ravi and Maddelacheruvu Suri and he cast non-Telugu actors in the main leads. It’s going to be a big test for him about how Telugu audiences are gong to receive a Telugu story enacted by non-Telugu actors and directed by a Telugu man.

Voilence in it’s purest form

 
Rakta Charitra has unadulterated violence in it’s purest form. Ram Gopal Varma says that entertainment may not mean comedy/humor. Entertainment means to engage the audience throughout the movie with any emotion. The emotion RGV has chosen for Rakta Charitra is violence.

Movie sold out for good profit

 
Rakta Charitra created unprecedented craze among trade circles. This film is sold for a good profit in AP. Chinna Vasudeva Reddy and Raj Kumar who were instrumental in increasing the Telugu film stamina in USA with their rapid/aggressive distribution through their flagship firm KAD are making their debut as producers with Rakta Charitra. For the first time in the history of Telugu cinema in USA, a Telugu film featuring non-Telugu hero (Rajnikant’s Robo is an exception) is releasing with 28 prints (21 physical prints and 7 digital prints).

Premieres galore

 
Rakta Charitra is being premiered to celebrities. Mahesh Babu who watched the movie on the night of 20 October described Rakta Charitra as a spine-chilling movie and he found RGV to be at his best. A big ticket premiere is going to be held in all five screens of Prasads on the night of 21 October. USA exhibitors are also going to screen the movie in most of USA centers on the night of 21 October.

Tamil Producer inspired by 'Dabangg' Salman Khan

When Salman Khan is not making news for his reported moody behaviour, it seems he is busy channelising his energies onto canvas. Now, the actor-artist says he plans to organise an exhibition of his latest paintings sometime next year. “I think I will have an exhibition sometime in February,” says Khan. When prodded on the possible location, he jokes, “Not in Mumbai. Maybe in Paris somewhere?”

Arrangements are currently being made to finalise the gallery for his art exhibition in the city. The actor will also promote his NGO, Being Human Foundation, through his art-works.

That Khan is an avid painter is known to his fans. He had gifted actor Ranbir Kapoor a painting of his grandfather Raj Kapoor on his TV show Dus Ka Dum in 2008. But his recent present to friend and actor Aamir Khan — a picture perfect charcoal painting of Aamir’s character from Ghajini — drew everyone’s attention to his talent once again. Even the legendary artist MF Husain has praised Khan’s canvas skills.

Recalling the instance when Husain gifted Madhuri Dixit a portrait he had made of her after watching Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Salman says, “I was also part of that film and hugely appreciated in it. But I never got any paintings or anything from him (Husain). They said he made a painting of me begging with a bowl and all that. But we met up after, and it’s all okay. He saw some of my works and he quite liked them as well.” 

The superstar is known to gift his family and friends works of art and has even faced trouble on that front. In 2007, he had promised to paint sister-in-law Amrita Arora, a version of The Last Supper. Instead of Jesus’s 13 disciples, Arora wanted the painting to portray her family members. When she announced this, the Catholic community threatened to file a police complaint against Salman for hurting their “religious sentiments”.

Amitabh and Abhishek win National Award

There was a sense of immense fulfilment and pride in the Bachchan household when the news of the National award for best actor in Paa and for the best producer of a Hindi film came in.

Abhishek Bachchan, who had also won his first National award for producing the best Hindi film, was doing a jig of joy across Jalsa, while Mr Bachchan, who won his fourth National award for best actor, received congratulatory greetings from Abhishek on the phone and went back to sleep.

Abhishek could barely contain his joy. “The first person I called was, naturally, my son,” he said referring to Mr Bachchan’s astonishing makeover as his son in Paa , where he played Abhishek’s son. “He heard me and then went back to sleep. Paa is an old hand at the National Award. But this is my first (though as a producer). Our film has won four National Awards. We’re all over the moon. As a producer I tried to make sure that everyone working for us was comfortable and happy. That showed in the end-product, I guess. This gives me the confidence to continue producing the films I believe in.”

Balki, the director of Paa who is in London, could barely control the chuckle in his voice. “By now Mr Bachchan should have won 20 National awards. This is just the beginning. I am so happy he won it for my film. It just resurrects my faith in the institution of awards. The problem for me is what next? I know I’ve to make a film with Mr Bachchan. He’s addictive. Let’s see if what I’m doing next will do justice to him.”

Paa has also won National Awards for the best supporting actress (Arundhati Nag) and for the best make-up artist (Christien Tinsley).


Amitabh Bachchan on winning his the National Award:

“I thank the Government of India and the National Awards committee for this great honour. ‘Paa’ has bagged 4 National Awards, including Best Hindi Film, Best Supporting Actress by Arundhati Nag and Best Make-up by Mr. Chrisiten Tinsley & Ms. Dominie Till and I congratulate all of them for winning this prestigious award. I especially thank R. Balki – a gifted Director whose exceptional vision and passion has created this wonderful film, Abhishek - who took complete charge of the project as the producer and Natasha & Dakshina for their valuable assistance on the make-up. Also big thanks to Reliance for joining hands with us! This is an important success for AB Corp Ltd and the entire cast and crew who have helped make such a brilliant movie.”

Warner Bros picks up distribution rights of Ramayana—The Epic

Hollywood studio Warner Bros has picked up distribution rights of animated feature film ’Ramayana — The Epic’, slated for a Dussehra release on October 15.

Produced by Maya Digital Media, ‘Ramayana — The Epic’ is one of the most ambitious and expensive full length animation feature film to be made in India.

It will be released in three languages simultaneously across India — Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

“Chetan Desai’s version of this epic has taken animation films in India to the next level. Warner Bros. Pictures is delighted to be associated with this project,” said Denzil Dias, Deputy Managing Director (Theatrical), Warner Bros Pictures, India.

Directed by debutant Chetan Desai, the film has Manoj Bajpayee, Juhi Chawla, and Ashutosh Rana lending their voices to the lead characters of Ram, Sita and Ravan respectively.

The film promises to be a spectacular audio visual experience far beyond anything ever attempted in India with skills and designs matching international standards of Computer animation and Digital Visual effects.

“We want to take the most popular Indian story to a global audience. Warner Bros, with its reach and expertise, provides the ideal platform to launch this new avatar of Ramayana, where the past meets the future and mythology meets technology. It’s the story of the original Indian superhero,” says Ketan Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director. 

Speaking to PTI, Director Chetan Desai said, “’Ramayana — The Epic’ marks the coming of age of Indian animation. About 400 persons worked on the project for five years with the best technology available in the world.” 

Mr. Desai said his techno-artists have worked tirelessly to create some of the most complex 3D animated characters and costumes, spectacular virtual sets and landscapes to be produced in India and appear on the Indian screen.

“Innovative techniques and processes had to be invented to give it the epic scale. It has the budget of a full fledged Bollywood film,” he said.

The film has recreated the ancient classic like never before and possesses the enchantment and wonder of the original, presented with imaginative visual virtuosity and an aesthetic visual design.

According to him, Ramayan is a timeless classic and a perfect story to be told on screen. “It’s still alive in the hearts and minds of people. The film is of 100 minutes duration and the story spans from the birth of Lord Ram till he comes to Ayodhya defeating Ravan,” he added.

Mr. Mehta said the film is a mythological adventure, picturised in a stylised and contemporary manner with quality action sequences rivalling international standards.

“With this movie, Indian animation industry is scaling new heights. It is an spectacular audio visual experience far beyond any thing ever attempted in India with skills and designs matching international standards of Computer animation and Digital Visual effects. Art inspires technology, and technology inspires art,” he said.

Dabangg has created a new benchmark: Sonu Sood

Actor Sonu Sood believes that the success of his latest film Dabangg has set a new benchmark at the box office after 3 Idiots.

The film, in which Salman Khan plays a corrupt cop and Sonu a politician, has collected Rs48.25 crore (gross) at the opening weekend. And trade pundits say it has beaten the initial earnings of Hindi cinema's highest grosser 3 Idiots.

“Dabangg has created a benchmark by breaking all the records and now I am sure every film will be compared with Dabangg," Sonu told reporters at Oberoi Mall Monday. He was here to promote the eco-friendly Ganesha initiative.

"It’s an amazing experience to see Dabangg doing so well. It’s all Ganapati’s blessings that the film got such a huge success."

The actor reveals he has garnered more compliments for his sculpted physique than his acting.

“I have got loads of compliments and more than acting people praised my physique so from now on I think every director would like to show off my bare body,” said Sonu.

Sonu was earlier seen in films like Aashiq Banaya Aapne (2005), Singh Is Kinng (2008) and Jodhaa Akbar (2008).

Puli – Movie Review

Pawan kalyan

The expectations have been high from the day Puli started its rolling. The combination of director SJ Surya and Pawan Kalyan had brought out the biggest hit in the hero’s career like Khushi. At a time when Pawan Kalyan was almost went into oblivion with the disaster of Johnny, the film Jalsa gave him the breath. However, after a long wait, Puli had hit the screen amid speculations whether it would be released or not. Unfortunately, the film is quite horrible and watching the film is a misery and it is the director who should be blamed for the disaster.

Story:The film begins with a woman searching for her husband, who was a police officer. After police fail to give any clue about her missing husband, she meets the villain Al Saleem (Manoj Bajpai), who thrashes her to death almost. She survives and pleads with God to save the society. Then she finds that she was pregnant and gives birth to a baby boy. She brings him up and makes him an upright cop with the name Komaram Puli (Pawan Kalyan). He saves the prime minister (Girish Karnad) in Hong Kong from the hands of terrorists and when he was going to be rewarded, he pleads with prime minister to help him launch a special team Puli Team to police the policemen. Once Puli gets a complaint about a missing police officer 

Hussain (Surya) and investigates the case. He finds that Hussain got the last call from Al Saleem. While investigatig, Puli comes to know that Al Saleem bought the car from Nixon, a mafia don, who allegedly died in an encounter in Hong Kong. He finds link between a dancer (Shreya) and Nixon. What happens next should be seen on-screen.

PERFORMANCE:
Pawan Kalyan appears imitating like Sai Kumar, who played the police officer roles in several Kannada and Telugu films. His voice was loud and at times unbearable. He tried to put his entire energy with ever dialogue. He has given an eccentric performance, which is not expected from a good artiste like Pawan Kalyan, who played cool in all his earlier films. The love and romantic scenes between the hero and the heroine are disgusting and gives a feel of aversion. Nikisha Patel is a grace as her beautiful eyes, fresh oomph gives a relief to the front-benchers at least. Though she did not get any scope to perform, she filled the glamour slot well.

Shreya’s item number is below average and such a song doesn’t need a heroine like Shreya as any of the item girls could do it. Manoj Bajpayee’s character is another disaster. The director introduces him as an international don, but it ends up in such a poor manner and he was almost shown as a comedy villain with no dignity. Other artistes including Nazar, Charan Raj, Saranya, Girish Karnad and others just appear in some scenes and have done justice to their roles. Ali was wasted.

TECHNICAL:
The producer had spent a lot on the film and the lavishness appears on the screen. The entry of the hero was shot in Hong Kong. Though the action scene choreographed in the introduction would get whistles from front-benchers and Power Star’s fans, it appears very cinematic for a common audience. The director migh have thought of making the film on the lines of some Hollywood films and hence the film lost nativity. The film is of graphics, rope work. Cinematography is average and the editing is atrocious. Music is audible but the choreography of songs is not impressive. Re-recording is loud and noisy. The director left the entire film disjointed. Screenplay was atrocious and he lost grip on the main storyline with wrong placement of songs and poor narration. It is absurd to show the power of god during the birth of the hero and, the power of mother’s tear in making the hero recharge before death.

ANALYSIS:
 

The poor screenplay and lackadaisical attitude of the director is clearly visible with inconsistent appearance of the hero. He appears with a long moustache in one scene and in the next immediate scene, it gets shortened. He appears in Khakhi for a while and in olive green uniform. It is not known why a police officer need six body guards two before and four after, especially, when he was talking about policing on police. It is a surprise how in one scene the villain’s car towed away by the hero in Hyderabad and in the next scene he appears in Hong Kong with a helipad on the roof top of a big building. such inconsistencies made the film laughable and the film has no visual appeal and even the hardcore fans of Mega family curse the director for giving another disaster to Pawan Kalyan.

Cast: Pawan Kalyan, Nikisha Patel, Manoj Bajpai, Nazar, Charanraj, Ali, Girish Karnad, Brahmaji, Cochin Haneefa, Gopinath, Saranya, Shreya Saran (special appearance), etc

Credits: Music – AR Rahman, Cinematography – Binod Pradhan, Editing – Prabhakaran, Producer – Singanamala Ramesh Babu, Story, screenplay, dialogues, direction – S J Surya

Banner: Kanakarathna Movies
 

Khaleja’ Releasing on Sep 30

Mahesh in Khaleja

Finally the date has been announced. Mahesh Babu’s ‘Khaleja’ will release on September 30th.

Produced by Kanakarathna Movies, the movie is an action entertainer directed by Trivikram Srinivas who teams up with Mahesh after their super hit movie ‘Athadu’.

The movie’s music will be released next week. A few insiders say that Mani Sharma has composed a few brilliant chart-topping numbers.

Mahesh Babu fans can’t wait anymore as the date has been announced. It’s been a long while since the hero ignited on screen!

Mahesh Khaleja Story in Trivikram Words

Mahesh Babu

Life is an ensemble of incidents. Man becoming God is purely incidental. According to scriptures, there is God in every human being. Daivam Manushya Rupena is the theme of the film. Mahesh Babu is a regular taxi driver, an ordinary human being who transforms into a divine incarnation when he comes face to face with an unjust incident.

Honestly speaking, we started out to make a regular commercial Mahesh Babu film but it assumed a life of its own. Watch out for an entire new Mahesh Babu. He has pushed his boundaries and tackled comedy phenomenally well. He is the comedian, character artiste, item guy, action hero, lover boy all rolled into one. It has all the elements of a commercial film and yet very out of the box.

Anushka brings bad luck to him throughout the film. That leads to hilarious situations. Mahesh has attempted humour for the first time. I won't say it's an experimental film but the treatment is definitely very unusual. There is nothing run-of-the-mill about it.

Let me give you some inside news. Mahesh Babu worked with me on the script completely and closely. You can call him associate script writer. We have also tried a new camera technique. There are lengthy shorts without frequent cuts. We haven't done anything for cinematic or dramatic convenience. Yash Bhatt, the cinematographer has done an outstanding job of using zoom in a very different way.

Komaram Puli with 600 prints in 1000 theaters

Pawan kalyan and Nikisha Patel

Power Star Pawan Kalyan’s ‘Komaram Puli’ is releasing on Today with 600 prints in 1000 theaters. This highly anticipated film is directed by SJ Suryah and produced by Singanamala Ramesh under Kanakaratna Movies banner. A new face Nikeesha Patel is making her debut as heroine and our sexy beauty Shriya will appear in a special song to mesmerize her fans. Music scored by AR Rahman is already a big hit. ‘Komaram Puli’ is the second film coming in the combination of Pawan-SJ Suryah after almost a decade.

Salman Khan's Dabanng - Preview

His film “Dabangg” (Fearless) releases next week; he's bagged the fourth season of Bigg Boss; he's gone public about his ‘single' status; and, he sues the producer of “Veer” Ashok Galani for under-payment, despite the film being a hit — Salman Khan can't not be in the news. 

But, it's his role in “Dabangg” that interests us the most, for now. He plays Chulbul Pandey aka ‘Robinhood' Pandey, a corrupt cop from UP, who stands up for the downtrodden. Is it inspired by his ‘bad-boy-of-Bollywood-with-a-heart-of-gold' image? “There's no similarity at all. You can't be the person you portray on screen. You look for inspirations; observe people around you and act; that's it. Chulbul has a lot of shades. No one really knows how he'll react. He can laugh one moment, flare up the next; he can be very loving yet brutal.”

Last Eid, Salman gave a huge hit in “Wanted”, and the industry seems to be expecting an encore this Eid. 

And, this film sounds the same — the target audience, the music, the humour, the look... “How is it the same? Neither the cast nor the production house is the same. That film was urban, this is set in rural UP. The action, the characters, the story… are all drastically different. The only similarity could be that Robinhood is a policeman. If we wanted to make another ‘Wanted', we could have just made a sequel instead of going through this whole creative process, isn't it?” 

Powerful script

Salman says it was the script that drew him. “When Abhinav Kashyap (the film's director) first brought it to me, I was hooked. When writing reaches an unrealistic level in any genre, that genre fadesaway. If people thought raw action and mass appeal was back with ‘Wanted', it happened so because of a revival in that sort of writing.” The USP of “Dabangg”, he says, is not action. “It's an emotional love story. Remember, action is of no use without emotions,” he says.

Salman's co-star in the film is new-face Sonakshi Sinha, Shatrughan Sinha's daughter. She was Salman's choice for the movie. 

“She has the kind of Indianness to her that's been missing for a while in Hindi films. She not just acts well, but can also dance,” he says.

Well, Salman is known for encouraging not just younger actors but also first-time directors. 

While he confirms he's doing yet another film with Prem Soni who wielded the camera for the first time in “Main Aur Mrs Khanna” (last year's big debacle), Anurag Kashyap's brother has got his big break with “Dabangg”. “I was given a chance when I entered the industry; I'll give a chance to others. If the script is good, I'm yours.” 

The charitable side

Ask him about talks on his charity foundation Being Human sprouting a production arm with the Hindi remake of Mahesh Manjrekar's Marathi film “Shikshanacha Aaicha Gho”, and Salman denies it. “Actually, we were thinking of making movies with a social bent, under the Being Human banner.

But, I'm not too sure, because I don't want leverage out of charity. Of course, I'm still thinking about making such films.”

Asha Bhosle remembers struggling days, says no to Bollywood

She continues to rule the charts with her golden voice but veteran singer Asha Bhosle says she went through some very difficult times during her days as a struggling artiste.

Asha says that as a newcomer it was hard to convince musicians to hire her but is not keen on doing Bollywood playback anymore.

"No one helped me. I would go begging for work. It was not easy as I had no godfather or someone to help me. A lonely person tends to make mistakes, it is always better to have someone to guide you. I had no one," Bhosle said in an interview.

Bhosle, who has been the voice of more that 12,000 songs in a career spanning six decades, does not find Bollywood exciting anymore.

"I have been singing for so long. I will do playback only if something new and exciting comes my way," she says. When asked about the stories of rivalry with her elder sister, Asha declined to comment.

"I don't want to comment on what the media says," said the singer, adding that the love of her fans has kept her alive.

"Apart from my parents, I am thankful to the musicians who gave me work when I was a newcomer in the industry. Also I am grateful to my listeners who have kept Asha alive, she would have died otherwise," said the singer.

Bhosle, who always tries to do something new on each of her birthdays, is now planning to launch a record with tabla maestro Shujat Khan.

"I am making an album with Shujat, which is an amalgamation of classical and folk music. I did live recording after years and it was such fun," said the singer.

Bhosle has mastered almost all genres of music be it pop, ghazal, classical or qawali and now is in talks with Mexican-American artiste Carlos Santana for a duet.

The voice behind hits like In ankhon ki masti, Sona re and Rangeela, Bhosle says she is now trying to popularise Indian music in the West.

The singer will celebrate her birthday during a concert in Singapore.

"My energy is my lifeline. I cannot do without it. I am planning to open the ninth outlet of my restaurant Asha's in Dubai," said Bhosle, adding that she only concentrates on the menu while the financial aspects of the business are looked after by her son Anand.

"The menu includes my favourite dishes and I keep checking the quality of the food," she added.  

Read more at: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=ENTEN20100152465&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=music&nid=50389&cp

Mallika debuts as singer with “Hisss”

Mallika Sherawat is all set to make her singing debut in her Hollywood project ‘Hisss’, which will be composed by Julian Lennon, son of Beatles legend John Lennon.

The actress, who landed in Mumbai recently after spending almost a year in Los Angeles, recorded the song in a studio in Los Angeles which will be released as part of the ’Hisss’ soundtrack and promotions.

According to an insider, Mallika has recorded her voice singing on two different songs. The first of the songs is composed and arranged by Julian Lennon. Upon mixing of the track, the song will be sent to Lennon for approval.

The second track that Mallika recorded is arranged by German composer Alexander Von Bubenheim who is behind the background score of ‘Hisss’

The film has 5 songs and 3 dance remixes.

’Hisss’, also starring Irrfan Khan and Divya Dutta, is slated for release this October.

Directed by Jennifer Lynch, the film is based on the legend of Naga and revolves around a snake woman whose mate is captured by an American hunter. She then decides to take revenge.

Kajol defies doctors orders watches We Are Family in theatre

By now it is an established fact that Kajol goes out of her way for friends. To no one's surprise, she defied doctor's orders on Friday and braved it to a suburban theatre to watch We Are Family because she had promised her friends producer Karan Johar and director Siddharth that she would.

Says the emotional director, "That's Kajol for you. A true friend. She's going to be a mother and she's a month away from delivery. She wouldn't have done this under normal circumstances."

Doctors have advised Kajol to avoid all strenuous activity. And apparently, husband Ajay Devgn has been going out of his way to ensure Kajol moves out of the home as little possible.

But Kajol being Kajol, she went where her heart took her.

Says Siddharth, "I was on tenterhooks until Kajol saw the film. I knew she would be brutally honest in her opinion. When she said she loved the film and that we had got on screen what we had set out to make I was relieved."

Johnson is a wonderful man, says Jessica Simpson

Singer Jessica Simpson is quite happy with her new beau, footballer Eric Johnson, and describes him as a wonderful man.

Usmagazine.com reports Simpson posted a photo of herself with Johnson on microblogging site Twitter and wrote, 'I met a wonderful man.. Damn I'm lucky!'
And Simpson's sister Ashlee Simpson-Wentz is happy for her too.

'She is happy, so we are all really happy. Her happiness is the most important thing to me,' said Ashlee, who insists her sister isn't in any rush to settle down with Johnson.

Konkana Sen Sharma got married to Ranvir Shorey

It's official! Konkana Sen Sharma is now Mrs. Ranvir Shorey. It was reported that the two actors will wed on Sept 3 and so they did. Ranvir and Konkana exhanged vows at their Goregaon residence, Mumbai Mirror reported.

The two have been living in together for the last two years.

The Bheja Fry actor was spotted atop a ghodi and looking his best. A source told the tabloid, "Ranvir clearly stood out amongst all the baaraatis and was looking smashing in his wedding attire.”

Buzz is that the wedding ceremony was a blend of Bengali and Punjabi traditions. Koko looked beautiful in a traditional Bengali attire complete with her grand mother's jewelery. Ranvir was decked up in a traditional shervani complete with flowers form head to toe.

Interestingly, most Bollywood celebs were not invited for the wedding. The actors prefered to keep is it a private affair and chose to not grace the anxious shutterbugs unlike hot bod Shilpa Shetty who posed for the Press post her marriage.

The tabloid also reported that the ceremony happened indoors. "Most industry folks were not invited even to this function. Konkona and Ranvir have always been very low profile people and they are not likely to ever change." 

Here's wishing them a happy married life!

We Are Family: Movie Review

By now the world knows that Karan Johar’s We Are Family is an ‘official’ remake of Hollywood flick Stepmom (1999). What many might not know is that even the original wasn’t absolutely original and derived its roots from a 1950 film No Sad Songs For Me or the 1995 American TV series The Other Woman . 

Here you have a screenplay originally credited to five Hollywood writers and Indianized by two Bollywood counterparts. By Indianizing Karan Johar doesn’t intend to place the plot in India. The producer can’t get over the NRI fixation and this time stations his story in Australia. Also perhaps an Indian setting could have been less convincing for the fact that a sauteli maa won’t be as sought after as the successor for the kids in a country where extended joint families would be a better bet. The nuclear NRI family setup gives more significance to the being of a stepmom. 

For the makers, adding own elements equates to populating the plot with three kids instead of two in the original. Of course director Siddharth Malhotra, an erstwhile assistant to Sooraj Barjatya, also appends a marriage ceremony as an epilogue to the narrative.

The story is about Aman (Arjun Rampal) and Maya (Kajol) who are divorced yet cordially connected for the sake of their three kids. Aman has found new love in Shreya (Kareena Kapoor) and wants her to warm up to his kids. Despite Shreya’s genuine attempts, the kids give her a cold shoulder. And Maya doesn’t want Shreya to be anywhere in the close vicinity of her children. Until she is diagnosed of cervical cancer! Having only a few months to survive, Maya’s prime concern is the future of her kids and suddenly she sees Shreya as her ideal substitute.

Malhotra’s storytelling is crisp and he doesn’t splurge any screen-time in elaborating the background account of Aman and Maya or what lead to their separation. You never know or wish to know what went wrong between the two but at the same time also wonder what makes them so amiable despite the divorce. But you surely wish to know what happened to Karan Johar’s Indian culture endorsement when, in a scene, the mother apologizes to her eldest daughter for being responsible for her uncool persona by not allowing her to booze or have fun with boys. A sequence straight out of Baghban (the Rimi Sen – Hema Malini sequence), it doesn’t go in sync with the family feel of the film but culminates more prudently. 

The terminally-ill protagonist in the film evidently brings back memories of Karan Johar’s earlier production Kal Ho Na Ho . But this one doesn’t succeed in becoming as optimistic and cheerful as the earlier attempt. Though the dying protagonist in both films believe in living life to the fullest, the female patient in We Are Family largely shapes the film as a tearjerker unlike the lighthearted effervescence of SRK’s KHNH . Also unlike KHNH where the therapeutic procedure was restricted to a single hospital scene in the climax, here the medical ordeal of Kajol is prolonged in the second half. Thankfully Malhotra evades the inevitable death sequence like in KHNH but not before including a long-drawn-out family photograph sentimental scene.

Like any Dharma Production is expected to do, even this one touches you heart strings with its poignant moments. The track of the eldest daughter who is more mature amongst the trio and her dislike towards Shreya shapes up interestingly. The theatrical clashes between the Kajol and Kareena adds density to the drama but at several instances you feel not much tension is buildup between the two and the drama reaches its pinnacle ahead of time. This clash of the titans faintly reminds of the Sridevi-Urmila Matondkar conflict from Judaai (1997) and concludes in a similar manner with the two women getting in sync.

Mohanan’s cinematography comprises of too many close-up shots and with an almost ‘in-house drama’ one doesn’t get to see much of Australian exteriors. But no complains since the story doesn’t drift for external beauty. Editor Deepa Bhatia keeps the narrative tight though the climax could have been crisper. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s musical score isn’t something you take home after the film. Niranjan Iyengar’s dialogues are decent but you can predict instances when the emotional lines would be repeated in the film for the effect.

Both Kajol and Kareena come up with convincing performances. Kajol as the matriarch is authoritative and confident as always. Watch her in the scene where she breaks down or where she reveals about her imminent death to her kids. Simply superb! Kareena gives a mature performance as the career-woman who moulds herself as a prospective mother. Arjun Rampal adds grace to his character and is decent in his part. He never exerts too much yet doesn’t get lost in the female dominated film. However his bearded look in the final scene was absolutely uncalled for. Aanchal Munjal as the elder daughter is poised and remarkable. The younger daughter Diya Sonecha tries too hard to be cute with her mugged up lines but is only partly amusing.

This is the kind of film where all the moms and stepmoms of the world are assured to cry buckets. Watch it for some ‘familiar’ entertainment.   

Drum beats wake up Mumbai, Govindas seek pot of luck

Mumbaikars woke up to beating of drums on Janmashtami Thursday as Govindas got together at their venues to strategise and form human pyramids to reach 'dahi handis' -- or pots of curd and luck -- suspended high. 

With huge prize money at stake, Govindas in Panchpakhadi area of Thane aimed to break the Spanish team's world record of a nine-layer pyramid, and planned to make a 10-tier pyramid for the dahi handi - a popular sport associated with Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna. 

With rain playing hide and seek, preparations were affected Thursday morning. 'But then, the sun shone brightly and we breathed a sigh of relief,' said Monu Patil, a Govinda, as the participant in the human pyramid making is called, from suburban Borivli. 

With most Govinda groups still strategising their plan of action, a small group at Malabar Hill in south Mumbai became the first in Mumbai to break the handi.

'We aimed at celebrating the festival in a safe manner. We tried to keep the handi at a manageable level as we did not want to risk the lives of any of our Govindas,' said a participant from the group. 

The Govinda group from Dadar closely followed in breaking the handi. It had women Govindas too. 

'We have been practising for two months for 3-4 hours every night to get used to the human pyramids,' Patil said. 

Preparations for dahi handi are on a high this year, with several places offering a whopping prize money of Rs.25 lakh (around $53,000). 

The celebrations were at their peak at Thane, Worli, Malabar Hill, Dadar and Borivli, and will continue till 5:30 p.m. 

Special festivities for children are also being held on the occasion across the city.

Already crores of rupees are riding on the Govindas. 

Dahi handi is the celebration of the spirit of Lord Krishna, who loved eating curds and butter and broke earthen containers to get these. 

An earthen pot containing a mixture of milk, dry fruits and purified butter is hung around 20-30 feet high in the air with the help of a rope. 

Enthusiastic young men form a human pyramid by standing on top of one another, trying to break the pot. Onlookers throw water on the young men to prevent them from doing so. 

Breaking of the pot is followed by prize distribution. Devotees believe the broken pieces of earthen pot keep away mice and negative influences from their homes.

Devotees were seen thronging Krishna temples to worship the lord on his birthday. Most Krishna temples will celebrate the Krishna-janma (birth of Lord Krishna) at midnight with devotion and fervour.

I would like to produce small films: Salman Khan

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has no immediate plans to follow his brothers Arbaaz and Sohail into production. But says he would love to invest in "small and entertaining" films if he does. Asked about his plans on film production, Salman told IANS: "No. But if I do I would like to do simple, small and entertaining films."

Dressed in a black shirt and blue jeans, the actor was at the Kingdom of Dreams complex in the suburb of Gurgaon adjoining the national capital to launch the IIFA Buzz Café in Culture Gully and promote his new film Dabangg Monday.

He was accompanied by co-star Sonakshi Sinha and brother Arbaaz.

Also present at the launch of IIFA Buzz Café were actor Hussain Kuwajerwala and actress Kashmeera Irani, who are a part of Bollywood musical Zangoora, to be staged at Nautanki Mahal September 17 in the Kingdom of Dreams.

Dabangg, which is Arbaaz's first movie as a producer, has been directed by debutant Abhinav Kashyap, the younger brother of acclaimed director Anurag Kashyap. It is slated for release Sep 10.

The film is set in a small Uttar Pradesh town and has Salman in the role of a policeman. It is also the launch vehicle for Sonakshi, the daughter of veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha.

Archie Panjabi is leading British star at the Emmys

The 38-year-old actress was honoured for her role in legal series The Good Wife, in which she plays a misanthropic in-house private investigator at a law firm.

As well as Miss Hendricks, 35, she edged out Christine Baranski, her co-star in The Good Wife, and Elisabeth Moss of Mad Men.

Miss Panjabi previously had roles in films including Bend It Like Beckham, East is East, and The Constant Gardener.

There was disapointment for other British stars at the lavish ceremony at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

Hugh Laurie missed out yet again on an Emmy. The comedian turned actor has now been nominated five times for his role as a grumpy, drug addicted doctor in House.

But he went home empty handed as Bryan Cranston took the title of outstanding actor in a drama for his performance in Breaking Bad.

Michael Sheen, Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judi Dench were among the other high profile British nominees who failed to win a gong.

Sheen had been nominated for best actor in a miniseries or TV movie for The Special Relationship, a film in which he reprised his role as Tony Blair.

He lost out to Al Pacino, who won for You Don't Know Jack, in which he played the controversial euthanasia advocate Jack Kevorkian. Sir Ian missed out in the same category.

Dame Judi, and Dame Maggie Smith, both lost out in the category of best actress in a miniseries or TV movie. The award went to Claire Danes for her performance in Temple Grandin.

Jessica Alba set for Spy Kids 4

Hollywood beauty Jessica Alba and filmmaker Robert Rodriguez are to team up for a third time, for the fourth Spy Kids movie. Alba has worked with Rodriguez in Sin City and Machete. She is set to star in the latest installment in the franchise that takes a different approach, now that the original child stars, Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara – are in their 20s.

The 29-year-old beauty will play a mother who comes out of spy retirement to train her kids in the art of espionage in Spy Kids 4: All The Time in the World, Contactmusic reported.

The film will also feature Spy Kids regulars Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino.
Alba will next be seen on the big screen in the comedy Little Fockers, starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Robert De Niro.

Kat sheds tears over break-up mess

Katrina Kaif broke down into tears after media quizzed her over her break-up with Salman Khan. Usually discreet and guarded about her relationship with Salman, the actress was extremely hurt by Salman's public announcement of their relationship status. "It was disturbing. Everyone questioned meabout a statement made by Salman. I won't be bullied into talking about my personal life. I will take contractual action to ensure limits are not crossed," she sai.

Katrina was visibly upset by Salman's insensitive revelation about their split.  To rectify the harm done, the actress has decided to take stringent steps to ensure her privacy and fix limits for the media. Reportedly, she will be making certain modifications in her contracts making sure that she is asked questions strictly related to her professional work and endorsements.


She has made it very clear that she won't be discussing this topic at any public event again.

We are Family is not a remake: Siddharth

The director of We Are Family, which is set to release on September 2, says that though they have bought the official rights of Hollywood movie Stepmom, the film is not a remake but an adaptation.

"Though the soul of the film is same, we haven't taken the film (Stepmom) scene by scene. In We are Family, Kajol and Kareena's character stay in the same house, which is not the case in the original film," informs the director.

"So the film is not a remake, but an adaptation," continues the director who was promoting his film at Waves Cinema, Noida.  The filmmaker has definitely worked hard on the film as it reflects on his weight. "I've lost 40 kgs. I was 120 kg earlier and now I'm 80 kg. I'm Kareena's second cousin. I'm inspired by her."
Adds Kareena naughtily, "Or probably it's the size zero effect."

Soha in MMS scandal; captured naked in beauty salon

After Katrina Kaif's alleged sex scandal, it's the turn of the Rang De Basanti girl, Soha Ali Khan. Soha is trapped in an MMS scandal. It is reported that during her routine bikini waxing session in a beauty salon, her naked body was caught in a hidden camera.

The video shows her getting undressed and wearing a towel and after some time the salon attendant waxes her bare body. It is reported that the video was shot without the knowledge of the actress, as she seemed to be very comfortable during the waxing session. The video has been shot in two parts; 'before' and 'after' the waxing session.

The MMS clip is highly in demand and is hovering the internet with a rage. The video is available at the cost price of $20 to $30.

SRK likes Lafangey Parindey

Most know that being Shah Rukh Khan is a tough task. But the busy star, despite his personal commitments, always makes time for his colleagues from Bollywood. Recently, after his father-in-law recovered, SRK made it a point to go and watch Lafangey Parindey, after which he tweeted,“Saw Lafangey Parindey last night... Deepika (Padukone) has acted really well and so has Neil Nitin (Mukesh)... best of luck to Pradeepda (director Pradeep Sarkar) for his film.” 

And Neil Nitin was super excited. First he replied to Khan’s tweet saying, “thank you so much sir. This really means a lot to me, lots of love always.” Then made a public statement: “Friends I’m most excited that one of the greatest actors of the world Mr. Shah Rukh Khan liked my performance and has tweeted about it.”

Deepika gets proposed in Delhi, says no!

She may be the dreamgirl for many but not everyone has the courage to go up and propose to Bollywood beauty Deepika Padukone. 

But the 24-year-old actress was shocked when a youngster went down on his knees and asked her, "Will you marry me?" 

An amused Deepika turned down the proposal saying, "I am not ready for marriage yet."

"But I am ready for you," shot back the youth, which left the former model laughing. 

Deepika, who turned up in a gorgeous white saree to promote her upcoming film Lafangey Parindey along with co-star Neil Nitin Mukesh and his father, has constantly been linked to liquor baron Vijay Mallaya's son Siddhartha. 

The actress, who was previously dating Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, was first spotted with Siddhartha at an IPL match cheering for his team Royal Challengers Bangalore. 

Deepika had earlier said that she will not stop leading a normal life because of the media's excessive interest in her personal life. "It does not matter if you link me up with someone because I know that I am leading a normal life. I have my guy friends with whom I go out like everybody else," she had said.

A. R. Rahman asks media to project 'positive image' of Commonwealth Games

Oscar winner A.R. Rahman, who has composed the theme song of the Commonwealth Games, said that he was pained by the negative publicity for the mega sporting event. 

Appealing to the media to present a positive image of the Games, Rahman said: "It is my humble request to you (media) to present a positive image of the Games to the international community." 

"Hundreds of people are working day and night for making the Games successful. People across the world are asking if India will be able to hold them successfully… so kindly bring a positive image to the Games," said the music maestro. 

Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi quoted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Independence Day address in which he said the Oct 3-14 Games would be a "national festival". 

"With 30 days to go for the opening of the Games village, we are confident of a great Games," Kalmadi said. 

With the delay in preparations and corruption allegations in the biggest sporting event being organised in India since the 1982 Asian Games, Manmohan Singh issued clear instructions that the facilities for the Games be made ready in time and meet international standards.

Peepli [Live] gets rave reviews

They say an intelligent film comes along once in a decade, starts off as the 'dark horse' and ends up winning the race! Aamir Khan's Peepli [Live] is being touted as one of the smartest social satires to have hit the Indian screens in a long time. Reviewers are pouring their heart out and going gaga about the film. Some have even compared the film to Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali. A magnanimous compliment in itself.

The film was screened for a select reviewers a day prior to release and it seems the film has hit jackpot with them. The film is also expected to do well at the box office.

Deeming it as one of the most intelligent and humourous Indian commentary in long time, Mayank Shekhar, film critic said, "It is for sure the only true black comedy in Hindi to appear in 27 years. If you’re wondering what happened in 1983, well, two journalists and a Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. Peepli’s right up there and a must watch."  The film takes a dig at vote thirsty politicians and bureaucrats in India and attempts to bring to light the plight of farmers and their struggle.

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan who also watched the special screening wrote on his Twitter page: "Delighted with Peepli [Live].. so real so nostalgic so superb. Loved it !!" He also tweeted this morning saying: "No stars, no foo faah, just a simple tale put across so effectively. So impressed with the first time director!(sic)"  Trade Analyst and film critic Taran Adarsh said, “Peepli Live is sure to ride initially on the strength and credibility of its iconic actor/producer Aamir Khan and once that is achieved, the powerful content is sure to speak for itself. Peepli Live is a film that would not only appeal to Indians, but is sure to reach out to audiences beyond India. Simply brilliant!”

Salman Khan, who had earlier called producer-actor Mr. Midas, wrote on his twitter page: "Everybdy shud watch this film. Its comedy tragedy khulasa sansani breaking news (sic)."

The film is directed by debutante Anusha Rizvi and stars Omkar Das Manikpuri, Raghuveer Yadav,  Shalini Vatsa, Farrukh Jaffer, Malaika Shenoy and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead roles.

Film critic Nikhat Kazmi said, "By and large, Peepli [Live] is a lively and living document on the `other' India, that lives beyond the neon lights and the cruising metros. Another ace up Aamir Khan's sleeve!"

Prachi Desai becomes the face of Goa Tourism

Starting her career from Ekta Kapoor's Television soap, actress Prachi Desai with her cute looks and sweet smile, has captured the hearts of millions of viewers. The best example is her most appreciated film Once Upon A Time In Mumbai, which turned out to be a hit at Box office.

This young beauty has lot more to be happy about. GoaTourism on Wednesday announced her as their brand icon. Prachi, who looked stunning in the outfit of Dimple Kapadia in her recent film Once Upon A Time In Mumbai, will promote the exotic holiday destination

of India.

Prachi Desai was present at the press conference of Goa Tourism which was held in the capital city. Goa is the fastest growing tourism of India, so with its growth the tourism has decided to bring few changes to their marketing strategies. The Goa tourism secretary M M Modassir confirmed that their main target is the youth and making Prachi Desai, the icon of youthful Goa, is the part of the marketing strategy.

The actress who was overwhelmed by the honour, felt proud to become the face of India's most popular tourist destination. She will be seen in Goa Tourism commercial ads during the month of August and September.

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Star of India finds a new role - just don't call it Bollywood

AAMIR KHAN might be one of Indian cinema's biggest stars but he's still prepared to do a screen test - even for a film that he is producing. He did one for Peepli Live, a spirited black comedy which opens in Australia tomorrow.

Khan says he was a great admirer of the script by first-time feature director Anusha Rizvi and wanted to make sure it got the audience it deserved. Star power always helps, so he, Rizvi and her co-director and husband, Mahmood Farooqui, ''flirted with the idea'' that Khan might play the main character.

But having done a screen test, they found exactly the right actor to play Natha, a put-upon farmer who's inveigled into threatening suicide, and he was off the hook. The role went to little-known Omkar Das Manikpuri.  The idea that he might have starred in it, Khan says cheerfully, ''now seems absurd to me as I am sure it does to everyone''.

Peepli Live is a comedy about some serious subjects, including political corruption, the urban-rural divide, the phenomenon of farmer suicides and the media's insatiable appetite for stories. In the way it depicts a voracious media, it has something in common with the sardonic 1951 Billy Wilder movie Ace in the Hole, which had Kirk Douglas playing a manic journalist who prolongs a disaster story to help further his career.

Khan hasn't caught the film yet but he's keen to see it.

When Peepli Live premiered at Sundance earlier this year, he had dinner with the filmmaker Paul Schrader, the writer of Taxi Driver and American Gigolo, who drew his attention to the resemblance.

While his film does not have stars, Khan says the cast did not lack experience: they just hadn't made feature films. Omkar Das Manikpuri has a theatre background. Like several of the performers who play the inhabitants of the fictional village of Peepli, he was a member of Naya Theatre, a repertory company set up by the late Habib Tanvir, a director, Khan says, whose work included adaptions of Shakespeare in dialect and who mixed folk style with modern theatre techniques.

Khan, a boyish 45, is best known to Australian audiences as the star of Lagaan, that wonderful 2001 epic of cricket and colonialism.

He is at pains to point out that Bollywood, the name often applied to all Indian cinema, can be a misleading and limiting term. India, he says, produces more than 1000 feature films a year; of these, 250 to 300 are the ''Bollywood'' or Hindi-language movies.

There are 22 languages in India, he says. ''We have Tamil films, we have Telugu films, we have Malayalam films, we have Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi … And it's not just a variety of languages, it's a variety of styles.''

Salman helps Sonakshi lose 30 kilos

Sonakshi Sinha reportedly lost a massive 30 kgs in order to fit into her role in Dabangg. She is cast opposite Salman Khan and the debutante says that Salman made sure that she maintained her figure by sweating it out every day at the gym.

She says that although it was tough to lose 30 kilograms, Salman made sure that she was on a strict diet. She also hit the gym each day after every shooting session.

Dabangg is to be released on September 10. Sonakshi, the daughter of yesteryear star Shatrughan and Poonam Sinha, seems to focus completely on this film. She hasn’t taken up any other projects.

She says that she’s selective about her films and has decided not to sign anything till the release of Dabangg. She adds that she’s meeting a lot of people, however she would decide only after the release of her first full length film.

She isn’t open to the idea of doing an item number. She, however, has got all praises for the beautiful Malaika Arora Khan for her moves in the raunchy item number, “Munni Badnam” from the film.