28 links tagged “bollywood”

The year 2007 gave Bollywood a parting hit in "Taare Zameen Par", Aamir Khan's directorial debut about a child with learning disability. The golden run is likely to continue in 2008 too with the New Year releases promising a bouquet of romance, thrillers and period dramas.

Actress Hansikaa is in the midst of false rumors as there is news circulating on websites and other media saying she has signed on a Bollywood film in the lead opposite none other than cricketer Shoaib Akhtar!ut the news is very much untrue as a very agitated Hansikaa decides to refute all of them."I have not met Shoaib Akhtar, leave alone read a script or met anyone else from the production team. News of me doing a film with him is totally false.As of now the only film I'm doing are a South film opposite Junior NTR called ‘Country’ and Kumar Mangat's ‘Money Hai Toh Honey Hai’ opposite Govinda. That's all.These are all the projects I am working on,” says a peeved Hansikaa. So there, another rumour flies out of the window!

Age no bar is what can be surely said for bollywood actor Amitabh Bachan who is now 66 years old but hail and hearty which is why he is the one who has hit the cover of Film Fare the famous bollywood magazine in India. As far as I think this is extremely creditable for this bollywood actor who does not believe in sitting back and relaxing in this age because he does not believe in thinking and accepting that he is old according to him “he wants to work till the time he feels he can work and we all can see that he is still going strong. Appearing on the cover page of a glamour magazine at the age of 66 is super star Amitab Bachchan all about re-inventing his stardom. After his brief statistical from films and emerging as a bigger star and his remembrance of his first picture on the covers of Filmfare. We asked some questions to the Big B of Bollywood, on the occasion of launch of Film Fares August Edition featuring Big B on the covers.

Katrina is laughing over the rumour of her split with Salman Khan. In an interview with a leading tabloid Kat also denied reports of Sallu interfering in her professional life reiterating, as she has done before, that she has a life of her own."I create my own equations." emphasized the 23-year-old.So does Katrina hang around with Salman and his family and friends out of gratitude or is there romance involved? Katrina's response was interesting."What one has to do in circumstances when one has no choice is another thing. If I have something to fulfill in my personal life, the media cannot stop me."Equally interesting was Katrina's response when asked if she is single."If a woman is not married or engaged, she is single," she sighed.Now the duo will make a special appearance alag-alag in Atul Agnihotri’s Hello.

You must have not even heard of Shilpa Shetty’s Kannada blockbuster, ‘ Auto Shankar’ , which released about two years back in the south! The film however has it all that takes to being labelled as ‘controversial’, especially as it is all set to be released in Hindi and Tamil!The film which stars Shilpa Shetty alongside South superstar Upendra is the story of an auto rickshaw driver called Shankar, belonging to the middle class section of the society. Shilpa plays a boorish lady don who unscrupulously recovers loans given to the poor. However Shankar teaches her a lesson and makes her reform her attitude as the two fall in love!The problem with the film is its dialogues. The film which is badly dubbed in Hindi has some lewd dialogues which are sordid and extremely derogatory towards women. We saw the trailer and were shocked to hear what the hero says in a scene as he tries to sexually molest Shilpa, in order to teach her a lesson!“Tum rape karne ke bhi layak nahi ho kamini, agar phir maine tumko un garibon ke aankhon mein aasoon nikalte huye dekha to tumhe Bandit queen ki tarah sadak pe kapde utarwake nanga ghumaunga.” (You are not even worthy enough to be raped, b****! If I see you troubling the poor again, I will strip off your clothes and make you walk naked on the road like Bandit Queen”)

You must have not even heard of Shilpa Shetty’s Kannada blockbuster, ‘ Auto Shankar’ , which released about two years back in the south! The film however has it all that takes to being labelled as ‘controversial’, especially as it is all set to be released in Hindi and Tamil!The film which stars Shilpa Shetty alongside South superstar Upendra is the story of an auto rickshaw driver called Shankar, belonging to the middle class section of the society. Shilpa plays a boorish lady don who unscrupulously recovers loans given to the poor. However Shankar teaches her a lesson and makes her reform her attitude as the two fall in love!The problem with the film is its dialogues. The film which is badly dubbed in Hindi has some lewd dialogues which are sordid and extremely derogatory towards women. We saw the trailer and were shocked to hear what the hero says in a scene as he tries to sexually molest Shilpa, in order to teach her a lesson!“Tum rape karne ke bhi layak nahi ho kamini, agar phir maine tumko un garibon ke aankhon mein aasoon nikalte huye dekha to tumhe Bandit queen ki tarah sadak pe kapde utarwake nanga ghumaunga.” (You are not even worthy enough to be raped, b****! If I see you troubling the poor again, I will strip off your clothes and make you walk naked on the road like Bandit Queen”)

It was a shocking Friday. Both the new releases tanked perhaps because of the lack of aggressive promotion. Sudhir Mishra’s Khoya Khoya Chand, masterful in its sets and ambience, could not grab the audience’s interest.Sanjay Gupta’s Dus Kahaniyaan was the other loser. Oddly enough, a couple of its screenings in Mumbai had faulty screenings. For example, Mumbai’s Apsara at the 10 a m screening began the Nana Patekar episode upside down, leading to hoots from the audience.

Ask her about Salman Khan and she breaks into a rash. Ask her about Akshay Kumar, ditto. Quiz her about the rumoured bad vibes with Bipasha Basu and she wants to throttle you then and there. All hazards considered, Katrina Kaif was interviewed by Hiren Kotwani who survived to tell the tale

The last few days have been a startling see-saw for Ranbir Kapoor. While his shooting at the Golden Temple in Amritsar for Siddarth Anand's untitled film has gone off swimmingly, what transpired on Saturday night left the young actor shaken stirred and queasy.Ranbir had to be flown back from Amritsar to Mumbai via Delhi for an entertiament event organized by Sony Electronics.Since it was impossible for Ranbir to catch a normal flight for the event Sony organized a chartered flight to Delhi from where Ranbir was supposed to catch a King Fisher flight to Mumbai just in time for the event late Saturday night.But the Gods of the winter fogs had other plans.Says a Sony spokesperson Vikramjit Roy, "It was an event on Saturday night where the Saawariya stars Sonam and Ranbir were supposed to meet the contestants.We chartered a flight from Amritsar to Delhi for Ranbir as the sector doesn't have have good connectivity.Ranbir reached Delhi but couldn't make it to Mumbai as there was a major snag at Delhi airport on Saturday. All normal commercial flights were delayed. Ranbir had to fly back to Amritsar early Sunday morning."While Ranbir remains tightlipped about the airborne fiasco, members of Siddharth Anand's crew in Amritsar say the actor flew back from Delhi to Amritsar at 4 am and started shooting from 8 a.m."All this is an occupational hazard. And I better get used to it," said the bone-weary sleepless Ranbir on Sunday.

There was a time when Bebo found Bipasha's boyfriend John 'expressionless' but not anymore.She has a three-film deal with Shree Ashtavinayak whose recent release Jab We Met has rocked the box office and returned both Shahid and Bebo to the Bollywood mainstream.Now the production house has decided to cast her opposite John and poor Kareena has just no choice but to eat her own words.In a dramatic turnaround, Bebo has told a Mumbai tabloid that she has no problem working with John. “I have no problem with John. I have heard the outline of the story and I like the basic idea, but I will give my final word after hearing the script in detail,” she says.We wonder if Kareena’s turnaround is just good diplomacy or an actual change in her opinion after watching John in his recent films.Meanwhile, John has made it clear that he has never had any problem with Kareena.

Bollywood star Soha Ali Khan says her mother, a former actress, never wanted her to take up acting as a career.Khan, 29, daughter of actress Sharmila Tagore and former Indian cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, said Tagore disapproved of her decision to give acting a shot."She never wanted me to become an actress and even now, when I'm making a mark in the industry, I know she will still want me to do something else."Before her film career took off, Khan worked as a finance professional at Citibank."My mother will always want me to do something else," she said. "She still sometimes tries to convince me how finance was better for me and that I should have made a career out of it."Khan, who shot to fame with her performance in "Rang De Basanti", has a Masters degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.Her latest film "Khoya Khoya Chand" opened in theatres across the country last Friday.

Ad-maker R. Balakrishnan's first feature film Cheeni Kum got resounding critical acclaim and decent commercial success. But Balki, as he is popularly known, is now writing his second film titled Pa featuring the Bachchan father-son duo."After 'Cheeni Kum' I was back in advertising. This is a good time to make ad films, so I've been directing quite a lot of ad films," Balki told IANS.Balki makes ad films for Lintas where he still works in spite of his success as a filmmaker."The ad featuring Abhishek (Bachchan) and a panchayat is mine. In addition, I've recently directed ads for Tata tea, Bajaj and Surf Excel.""This has been a good year for advertising. But now I need to get back to my film. I confess I've been a little slow with the scripting of 'Pa'. But now I'm just about to complete the screenplay."Pa would be the third film to feature Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek as father and son after Sarkar and its sequel Sarkar Raj. And Balki promises this one will be far more moist and sentimental.

News of Superstar Hrithik Roshan nursing his bad knee has been circulating for quite a while now, but not many know that the actor had been neglecting treatment so far, in spite of his doctor and physiotherapist's instructions!Finally though, Hrithik has given-in to their advice and the actor is off to Singapore for 6 weeks of rigorous recuperation.Owing to some action packed performances in Krrish and Dhoom 2 , Hrithik had torn the ligament in his right knee and all though it caused him tremendous pain. Hrithik refused to yield and continued working, the professional that he is. In spite of his doctor's advice for ‘No strenuous movements or exercise’, he went ahead and completed the painstaking training, traveling, shooting- required for his forthcoming film Ashutosh Gowarikar's Jodha Akbar !That was not all; the Jodha Akbar shoot got extended due to which all his ads got delayed. Hence once more the treatment of his knee took a backseat as Hrithik completed his commitments towards the brand relationships since even they have their own immense pressures. As a result, the knee did not get enough rest to recuperate and hence now the situation is such that it has become essential for him to put all the work on back burner and go abroad for complete treatment. In fact his new movie shoot has also been delayed because of the treatment now.Says Hrithik, "While working towards fulfilling my commitments to all my work, ads and film, I did not much care about my knee pain & have neglected my doctor’s advise to not put any stress on it and take complete rest if I wanted it to heal."However, going by the present condition, he thinks it's best to take a 6-week break and recuperate fully rather than stretch it further to the point of non-repair. "I am giving my health a prior importance now, so that none of my further commitments suffer in the near future ", adds the star known for his perfectionism.So off he goes to Singapore, for 6 weeks...well, we hope Hrithik returns soon, fitter than ever!

Hearing by the Ahmednagar district administration in the Rs 33-lakh fake land deal case involving Bollywood actress Rani Mukherjee commenced on Tuesday.The hearing involving Mukherjee and Sampat More has been adjourned till December 31."The lawyers of Rani Mukherjee and More presented their arguments. But no decision has been taken and the hearing has been adjourned till December 31," Sub-Divisional Magistrate Srirampur, Nandkumar Suryavanshi, told PTI.Mukherjee was duped of Rs 33 lakh in a land deal in Shirdi in Ahmednagar district.The actress bought a plot in the pilgrim town, hoping to build a house but was duped into paying for land belonging to the State Farming Corporation. The plot is yet to receive the required government clearance.The actress had bought 1,100 sq mt of land near Nimgaon Korhade at Shirdi, 271 km north of Mumbai, in December 2005 from More for Rs 33 lakh.The Corporation had given agricultural land slightly above a hectare, on a conditional basis, to Raman Kshirsagar, a farmer, in 1977. Kshirsagar sought non-agricultural status for part of the land to set up a brick kiln.Although the status was granted, Kshirsagar carved up the land and sold it to 17 buyers instead of setting up the kiln. One of the buyers was More, who in turn sold it to Mukherjee."The land could be seized by the administration. But Mukherjee could still own the land if she is permitted to regularise it by paying fine of Rs 21 lakh or more (75 per cent of the current land price), after its valuation is done," Suryavanshi said.

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who has her bag full of projects along with marital responsibilities to shoulder, says she takes up only those projects which she can handle."Whether it is films or endorsements, I am - and have been - very selective about my work. I take up work which suits and fits in my schedule," Aishwarya told IANS."I don't take projects that I cannot handle because I believe in totally fulfilling the commitments made my me," she added.An inside look at the making of Om Shanti OmThe actress won the Miss World pageant in 1994 and started her stint in Bollywood with Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya.She gave hits like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas and Dhoom-2 but was for long termed as emotionless on-screen by critics.However, Aishwarya proved her mettle by acting in films like "Provoked" and "Guru," and said she enjoys getting into the skin of varied roles.

Kareena's absence from Shahid's life has given a new hope to some of her female fans. We hear that one such smitten girl is haunting Shahid big time thses days.She found out his personal cell number from somewhere and she has been relentlessly calling the actor and expressing her unconditional love for him.Needless to say, Shahid was initially flattered to see the ferocity of her love for him. But when her calls kept coming and coming, the actor became cautious and stopped replying.But the girl was not to be daunted. She began calling him from other numbers. And she even started calling Shahid’s friends who were absolutely flummoxed how she managed to get their numbers.Sources say the girl knows a great deal about Shahid and is aware of some of his very personal secrets.But then, this too is nothing compared to what she did last week.According to reports, the girl went to meet Shahid at his house at night. She quietly sneaked into the building and even managed to reach his apartment. However, she was spotted in time and told to leave. Shahid reportedly wasn’t home at that time.The incident has alarmed Shahid and he has told all his friends to ignore her calls. However, he is not in favour of filing a police complaint against her.

Amrita Rao is all set to shock the audience with her look in 'My Name is Anthony Gonsalves'.The petite actor, who has always had the girl-next-door image, will be seen in a smoking hot avatar in the movie, in a very sensual song, 'Tum Miley'.Amrita, who will be seen in a mini skirt and a halter top, says, "The song is about attitude and style. The styling is fresh. It's a different new look and the song is very groovy, feel good and romantic. It was like a picnic for the shooting for the song."The actor also added that one has to surprise the audience at times, and that the look is classy, despite the little pieces of clothing. The song is shot in Goa, and is choreographed by Bosco-Caesar.

Since Aamir made a 'Black' statement there has been reactions coming from all over the world. While most support his view, others are shocked at his take on SLB's masterpiece. But the actor seems to be on damage control excercise now and has extended an olive branch to Big B.He called up Bachchan's office and spoke to his secretary, Rosy Singh to seek an appointment. Rosy told him that Bachchan is busy shooting for the next few hours and she would get back to him.When a leading tabloid quizzed Big B over the issue he said, I am not upset! It would be incorrect for anyone to assume that. Aamir has called my office to set up an appointment with me.Since I am shooting round the clock I have not been able to give time but as soon as my shoot ends, I shall meet him. Healthy discussion is a very welcome activity in our industry.One can never get upset with it. Aamir and I have, in the past, spent long hours discussing various aspects of films, performances and story ideas. When we meet, we shall do so again.It is unfortunate that due to our erratic and cumbersome schedules, the media has become our medium of expressing and communicating to each other! But thank God for that at least… else we would be deprived of any exchange. "We alos hear that Aamir is also planning to post a new blog declaring that he’s been trying to reach out to Bachchan and to seek some kind of a reconciliation.

Bollywood actor Rani Mukerji may have to pay Rs.2.1 million to local authorities for the controversial plot of land she has bought near Shirdi in Maharashtra, officials said Tuesday."An inquiry over the illegal transaction and cancellation of the previous revenue records were made today," Ahmed Nagar Sub-Divisional Magistrate Nandkumar Suryavanshi told over telephone.The star's private secretary and her lawyer Tuesday attended the first hearing of the case related to the land deal in the Sub-Divisional Magistrate's office at Ahmed Nagar.Suryavanshi further stated that, according to Section 29 of the Land Ceiling Act, Mukerji will have to pay 75 percent of the market value of the land to the government. Thus, she will have to pay Rs. 2.1 million.Mukerji had bought 11 guntas of land in 2005 from an agent, Sampat More. The property comes under the category of a new tenure land, which can be bought only with the permission from a competent authority of the district.More had not registered the property in his name when he bought it in the 1980s and sold it to the actor who purchased it without verifying the documents, landing in trouble.The district authority has not chosen not to transfer the land in her name till the inquiry is completed.Mukerji has been summoned on Dec 31 for the second hearing. The final hearing and the judgement will be given by the divisional commissioner later.

Hours after Bollywood's hottest couple made their much-speculated relationship official, astrologers are predicting a smooth run for Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai.Varanasi-based renowned astrologer Rameshwar Upadhyaya speculated the actors' wedding could not be delayed due to planetary positions."This wedding is bound to take place quickly because both sides are (astrologically) not in a position to delay it much. All steps, leading to the main event (wedding) have already been attended to by them. The Mangal Dosh (malefic effects of Mars) has been rectified. They have completed the ritual of engagement and it is before the society also. The only thing remaining now is the wedding that is to be scheduled for an auspicious occasion and that will take place soon," said Upadhyaya.The wedlock is likely to take place any time within the next two months, which have a number of auspicious dates."I feel that the wedding could be slated anywhere around the auspicious occasions that have begun from Basant Panchmi (Spring festival) and which will go on till mid-March. The date of the wedding looks possible anywhere around the first week of February, February 19-20, or it could also be in January. There are a large number of auspicious dates now," he said.Sri Kant Tripathi, Chief Priest of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, where one of the main prayers for removing possible astrological hurdle took place, said the duo would be blessed with marital bliss."This wedding will be successful in every way and there is no question of it being unsuccessful. We always pray for the well being of our devotees.