Akshay Kumar demands 45 crore per film

Akshay Kumar who is riding high in the industry has made news for his whopping price demand for his next film. Akshay has refused to do a film for his Mohra director Rajiv Rai unless he pays him his dues of a massive 45 crore.

Akshay has ruined Rajiv Rai’s plans of making a comeback in the industry with his friend Akshay Kumar. Now the film has been put on hold because of Akshay’s demands for 45 crore.

Akshay had initially given the film a nod and Rajiv Rai had moved from his Los Angeles home to Mumbai for the proceedings. Rajiv had also registered three titles Do or Die, To Do or Die and Heat. But when Akshaty spoke to the producer regarding the money details Rai was shocked to see Akshay demanding a percentage of the profit along with few other rights related to the film. This totaled up to nearly 45 crore. Given this the total budget of the film shot up to Rs 80 – 90 crore which the producer knew he would never recover. So Rai will not go ahead and make his dealilngs with Akshay and is now planning on making a film with Aamir Khan which will be a period film in English scripted by a Hollywood director.

Frieda Pinto to star in a Woody Allen film

After Slumdog Millionaire bagged 8 Oscars at the Academy Awards, Frieda Pinto has reached her claws deep into the heart of Hollywood and grabbed one of the best directors yet, Woody Allen. That’s right Frieda Pinto has bagged herself a role in Woody Allen’s next film.

The Indian born actress is overwhelmed with all the attention she has been receiving after Slumdog and is very busy trying to figure out a career for herself in Hollywood. Woody Allen is synonymous with films like Annie Hall, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Husbands and Wives and Bullets Over Broadway.

Frieda Pinto is currently really trying to avoid all Indian media with all the rumours of her being married and all.

Frieda is currently is LA where the Oscar week is on, she’s trying to get some rest and more over some privacy. “Let Frieda have her privacy please” cries out a very concerned sister Sharon Pinto.

Here comes Filmfare Awards 2009

After the amazing Oscar sweep the entire nation is rejoicing the amazing feel of victory, but all’s not done yet because up next is the Filmfare 2009 Awards and here are the nominees.

BEST FILM

Chak De! India
Guru
Jab We Met
Om Shanti Om
Taare Zameen Par

BEST DIRECTOR

Aamir Khan (Taare Zameen Par)
Anurag Basu (Life… In A Metro)
Farah Khan (Om Shanti Om)
Imtiaz Ali (Jab We Met)
Mani Ratnam (Guru)
Shimit Amin (Chak De! India)

BEST ACTOR

IN A LEADING ROLE (MALE)
Abhishek Bachchan (Guru)
Akshay Kumar (Namastey London)
Darsheel Safary (Taare Zameen Par)
Shahrukh Khan (Chak De! India)
Shahrukh Khan (Om Shanti Om)
Shahid Kapoor (Jab We Met)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE (FEMALE)

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (Guru)
Deepika Padukone (Om Shanti Om)
Kareena Kapoor (Jab We Met)
Madhuri Dixit (Aaja Nachle)
Rani Mukerji (Laaga Chunari Mein Daag)
Vidya Balan (Bhool Bhulaiyaa)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (MALE)

Aamir Khan (Taare Zameen Par)
Anil Kapoor (Welcome)
Irrfan Khan (Life in a… Metro)
Mithun Chakraborty (Guru)
Shreyas Talpade (Om Shanti Om)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (FEMALE)

Konkona Sen Sharma (Life in a… Metro)
Konkona Sen Sharma (Laaga Chunari Mein Daag)
Rani Mukerji (Saawariya)
Shilpa Shukla (Chak De! India)
Tisca Chopra (Taare Zameen Par)

BEST MUSIC

A R Rahman (Guru)
Monty Sharma (Saawariya)
Pritam (Jab We Met)
Pritam (Life in a… Metro)
Vishal-Shekhar (Om Shanti Om)

BEST LYRICS

Gulzar…Tere Nina (Guru)
Javed Akhtar…Main Agar Kahoon (Om Shanti Om)
Prasoon Joshi…Maa (Taare Zameen Par)
Sameer…Jab Se Tere Naina (Saawariya)
Vishal Dadlani…Aankhon Mein Teri (Om Shanti Om)

BEST PLAYBACK SINGER (MALE)

A R Rahman …Tere Bina (Guru)
K K…Aankhon Mein Teri (Om Shanti Om)
Shaan…Jab Se Tere Naina (Saawariya)
Sonu Nigam…Main Agar Kahoon (Om Shanti Om)
Sukhawinder Singh…Chak De (Chak De! India)

BEST PLAYBACK SINGER (FEMALE)

Alisha Chinai…It’s Rocking (Kay Love Story Hai)
Shreya Ghosal …Barso Re (Guru)
Shreya Ghosal …Yeh Ishq Hai (Jab We Met)
Sunidhi Chauhan …Sajanaji Vari Vari (Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd.)
Sunidhi Chauhan …Aaja Nachle (Aaja Nachle)

Ken Ghosh’s Shahid-Jiah starrer will wrap up in April

Ken Gosh’s tentatively titled film ‘Yahoo’ has almost completed its shooting and is apparently scheduled to wrap up in April if all goes well. Shahid and Jiah Khan who star opposite each other in the movie still have to shoot for 20 days for two songs in the film.

Ken Gosh is most comfortable with his protégé Shahid who he says is quiet content with working with as the feedback he gives on the sets of the movie is quiet helpful. And its not only Shahid but any actor who can bring interest and vocal views is welcome in his books. Gosh however denies the title of his film being Yahoo or anything else. he states that the media has decided to name his film and that he has registered something completely different.


This will be director Ken Gosh’s third film with Shahid and while the first two films were produced by the Tauranis of Tips [music company], the new project has corporate giant UTV producing the project.

Shahid will be playing a rookie who wants to be a great dancer in the film and his moves will be choreographed by Justin Timberlake’s move maker Marty Kudelka. Marty has trained Janet Jackson, NSYNC, Pink, Jennifer Lopez, O-Town, Christina Milian, Mandy Moore and Donnell Jones to his tunes & will make Shahid do the same for Ken Ghosh’s new film Yahoo!

My role in 'Ravana' similar to Sita: Aishwarya

Aishwarya Rai, who is currently shooting for director Mani Ratnam's film "Ravana" here, said her character is not called Sita in the film that also stars her husband Abhishek Bachchan.

"The name of my character is not 'Sita'. I am playing a woman who has similarities with the Sita of 'Ramayana'," the actress told reporters at the press conference of her new Hollywood flick ?Pink Panther 2' here.

Aishwarya, however, refused to give further details about "Ravana".

"I can't give any details about ?Ravana' at the moment. You will have to wait and watch. All I can say that it is an intense film set in today's time and Mani has given a totally new perspective to the art of storytelling," she said.

Asked if she is paired opposite Abhishek, Aishwarya said they never played a conventional couple on-screen.

"We have never been paired opposite each other in the conventional way, apart from the film 'Kuchh Naa Kaho'. Be it 'Dhoom 2' or 'Sarkar Raj', it's not the conventional man-wife pairing. Even in 'Guru', the film revolves around Abhishek. So, by the time 'Ravana' happened, we have become used to this," she said.

"But, director Abhinay Deol has decided to cast us in his new film. Hopefully, the audience will see us romancing on screen there," she added.

Aishwarya said it is always a pleasure to act with Abhishek.

"It's always a pleasant experience working with actors like Abhishek. I am not saying it just because I am his wife, but the fact remains that he is one of the nicest co-actors I have seen so far," she said.

Talking about "Pink Panther 2", which has released in India Friday, Aishwarya said the film is a "joyride".

"Anyone who is familiar with English films and 'Pink Panther' will know what I mean when I say the film is a joy ride. Although I have a small role in the film, I said 'yes' only because I wanted to work with institutions like Steve Martin.

"Besides, I have highest regard for comedy because it is the most difficult emotion to portray on screen. ?Pink Panther 2' is an easy comedy and every one can watch it with family," she said.

The actress has been shooting for "Ravana" here since Feb 17. Abhishek is expected to join her soon. The shooting will continue till mid-March.

Saif and Kareena play terrorists in Rensil D'Silva film?

2009 is a special year for Rensil D'Silva as he takes the big leap from writing to direction. By now it's known to one and all, that Rensil would be making his directorial debut with the --Saif-Kareena-Vivek Oberoi starrer to be produced under the banner of Dharma Productions.

The buzz in the media circles is that the intense film is titled Jihaad, but Rensil denied this rumour. "No...my film is not called Jihaad. It's a name that the media seems to have given the film but it's not the official title", says Rensil.

Probe him a little bit on what the film is about and Rensil says, "It's a romantic thriller set against the backdrop of global terrorism."

There is a strong buzz that Saif and Kareena are playing terrorists in the film but the director is not ready to reveal much. "I can't reveal plot points or character sketches at this point of time", says the writer turned director, who doesn't deny the news.

Apart from Saif, Kareena and Vivek Oberoi the film was supposed to star Tara Sharma. However, the actress is due to have her first baby soon and hence had to back out of the project. Minissha Lamba would now be essaying that part. The supporting cast also includes Kirron Kher, Om Puri and some talented new faces.

So, how much of the film's shoot is complete at this stage? "We are around 40% through with filming. We've shot in Philadelphia, Delhi and the Mumbai schedule is currently underway. We plan to complete shooting by May and will release the film in the last quarter of 2009," says Rensil.

While the story of the film has been written by Karan Johar, Rensil has worked on the screenplay of the film. An interesting fact however is that instead of Dharma favorites Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, this time it would be Salim-Sulaiman who would be composing music for this film.

My Oscars will connect people, says A.R. Rahman

A smiling A.R. Rahman, who made a triumphant return home Thursday after winning two Oscars for the music of the film "Slumdog Millionaire", said his victory would change apprehensions about Indian music in the West and was a starting point for him as well. "My biggest dream to connect people through music has come true. In a world where there are enough reasons to separate us, the Oscars have unified us," Rahman had told reporters at the Kodak Theatre.

"Let's forget about the East and West divide now - it's the closeness now that has happened. There used to be a lot of apprehensions earlier for Indian music in the West but this award has changed that perception."

Rahman won two golden statuettes for "Slumdog Millionaire" for best original score and best original song for "Jai Ho". They were among the eight Academy Awards bagged by the film by British director Danny Boyle about an underdog-wins story set in India.

He also ruled out a political role for himself. "I am a musician first and last and have no aspirations for any political activity or office," Rahman said while reacting to suggestions from reporters about accepting a nomination to the Rajya Sabha.

Rahman skirted the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils caught in the crossfire between the army and the rebel Tamil Tigers.

"Neither the Oscar ceremony nor this stage are forums to raise political issues. While I may be personally against any harm to any human being, I also feel that Tamils should get protection in a peaceful atmosphere in Sri Lanka, I am above politics," Rahman said.

With his trademark humility and simplicity, the composer said the song, "Jai Ho", which won an Oscar, may not have been his best to date.

"It may not have been my best. However, the songs matched the sensibilities of Western audiences with its rhythm, burst of energy and joy and resulted in a huge impact," Rahman said.

"The series of awards has got me so much of respect. All the legends like Mick Jagger and others talk to me like equals now - that's great. We can do collaborations and some extraordinary work in the future," he added.

As for his future plans, he said: "I would continue to work in Tamil films - as much as I do in Hollywood - provided the projects excite me."

Vidya Balan decides to go easy on glamour

The graceful Vidya Balan has turned a new leaf. After her unsuccessful attempts to revamp her wardrobe in "Heyy Babyy" and "Kismat Konnection", the actress has decided to go easy on the glamour quotient.
"It's not as though I'm disowning my efforts to do glamorous roles. I'm proud of 'Heyy Babyy' and 'Kismat Konnection'. But this year I'm doing films that don't need me to stretch my personality. I'm very happy doing roles that come naturally to me. That's what I decided about my career this year," Vidya told IANS.

Vidya has just given the nod to Nikhil Advani's next film "Chand Bhai", which would surprise many. It is a raw, realistic and song-less film on juvenile delinquency.

"It's nothing like the high-flying glam stuff that one expects from Nikhil after 'Chandni Chowk To China'. 'Chand Bhai' is a stark, very real kind of drama. And I get to co-star with a very talented actor Akshaye Khanna with whom I was in Nikhil's 'Salaam-e-Ishq' though we had just one passing shot together," she said.

The actress admits "Chand Bhai" doesn't feature her in the central role.

"The film revolves around a delinquent boy's character. But I'm very happy to be part of a film that addresses itself an important social issue. This year I think I'm done with searching for various bylanes to my screen identity. All my forthcoming films have a sharp sense of social purpose, and that definitely includes Vibhu Puri's 'Chenab Gandhi', which I'm enormously excited about because it's produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali."

Vidya has been attending costume and reading sessions for "Chenab Gandhi" and is spellbound by the script. The film also stars Amitabh Bachchan and Hurman S. Baweja.

"I haven't really interacted that much with my co-star Hurman as yet. With Mr. Bachchan, who plays the title role, I share a lifelong bonding. Right from 'Eklavya - The Royal Guard', we've been paired in so many films right up to 'Chenab Gandhi' and now Balki's (R Balakrishnan's) 'Pa'.

"If I did all the films last year that I was offered with Mr. Bachchan, I wouldn't be working with anyone else," said Vidya, adding she's excited to work with Abhishek Bachchan for the first time in "Pa".

"We've never been paired together. It would be interesting to have another interesting co-star to work with," she said.

Vidya recently saw "Ghajini" and was bowled over by Aamir Khan.

"I'm dying to work with Aamir. And Shah Rukh Khan of course is my favourite. I said on Sajid Khan's chat show I want to kill Shah Rukh's wife. No one took me seriously. There was no enhancement in the security around her. Sad."

Rituparno Ghosh to play gay director!

Bengali filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh is all set to debut as an actor with director Kaushik Ganguly's gay love story "Chhaya Chhobi".
But Ganguly clarified that the character is not inspired by Ghosh's life.

"Although Ghosh plays a director, the character is not at all inspired by him. In fact, the story idea came to my mind after one of my team members, who was a gay, had an untimely death. I realised what a lonely and psychologically miserable life he had, just because the society found his behaviour and thought process 'abnormal'," Ganguly told IANS.

Ghosh will play a film director, Neel who is in love with his cameraman. But the cameraman is a bisexual and married.

Asked him how he finalised Ghosh for the lead role, Ganguly said: "I met Ghosh some time back and he asked me about my new project. When I told him the story of ?Chhaya Chhobi', he was curious to know if I have anyone in mind to play the gay filmmaker called Neel. I said ?I would love to have you as Neel'.

"There was a long pause and then Ghosh said if I am serious about casting him as Neel, he is ready for it. I am thankful to him because no one in our Bengali film industry has a better capability to understand human psyche than him and hence he will do justice to the character."

Ganguly wants to give a message through the film.

"I want the society to realise that no individual can dictate another man's life. My film is a love story of two men - one homosexual and another bisexual - where forced loneliness and psychological, physical and social alienation play the key roles," Ganguly said.

"Neel doesn't have any guilt feeling about being gay. His behaviour is slightly effeminate, but I didn't dress him up like a woman with bangles or ?bindi' or make-up for simple reason - gays are not eunuchs (as they are portrayed on-screen nowadays).

"And, a gay love story is no different from a man-woman love story. As far as I know, this is going to be the first full-length film on gays in India," Ganguly said.

Raima Sen will play a researcher, while Ganguly's actor wife, Churni Ganguly, will play cameraman's spouse.

The actor, who will play the cameraman, is yet to be finalised.

Oscar team welcomed with tears of joy

The Oscar winning team of "Slumdog Millionaire" was greeted with tears of joy, garlands and champagne at the airport here on its return from Los Angeles early Thursday.

Sound technician Resul Pookutty and actor Irrfan Khan were virtually mobbed by a large crowd of onlookers who had gathered at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, while Azharuddin and Rubina - the two slum kids who acted in the movie - were the cynosure of all eyes.

As they stepped out of the airport, the family members of both kids hugged them with tears of joy at their achievement.

Slumdwllers of Garib Nagar had hired a bus to go to the airport to receive the children, said Yakub Sheikh, a neighbour of the two children's families.

When Pookutty stepped out, a cheering crowd offered him a bottle of champagne which he opened to a huge round of applause. All the team members were then garlanded by their friends, relatives and fans. Pookutty was taken to his home in Goregaon suburb of northwest Mumbai in an open car.

Even those who had come to either see off or receive their near and dear ones at the airport joined in the celebrities by offering flowers and cheering the Indians who had brought Oscar glory to the country.

Police had made elaborate security arrangements at the airport and safely escorted the team members to their respective vehicles.

When Azharuddin and Rubina reached the slum in Bandra around 5 a.m., almost all the residents of Garib Nagar and the adjacent Behrampada slums were awake to receive them, said Sheikh.

"Although they had been gone for just a week, it has been an emotional reunion for their families," he said.

"Slumdog Millionaire" won the big ticket Oscars for best picture and best director at the 81st annual Academy Awards as well as for six others, including two for Indian music composer A.R. Rahman, who won for best original score and best original song for the exuberant "Jai Ho" with lyricist Gulzar.

While Pookutty shared the award with two others for best sound mixing, the film also won best adapted screenplay, best cinematography and best editing awards.

Katrina out, Mugdha Godse in for Rohit Shetty's comedy

Mugdha Godse, who made quite a few heads turn in "Fashion", has replaced Katrina Kaif in director Rohit Shetty's next entertainer.

Shetty, whose "Golmaal Returns" had set the cash registers ringing last year, confirmed that Katrina was the first choice for the film, which is yet to be named.

"Yes, we wanted Katrina Kaif in the project. She would have been a definite value-add. It's a pity though that she can't be doing my film because the dates of my film clash with some other assignments of hers," Shetty told IANS.

Mugdha, who is paired opposite Neil Nitin Mukesh in Madhur Bhandarkar's "Jail" too, is only too happy to be in the full-on entertainer that is Ajay Devgan's home production.

"I love singing and dancing around trees and have no contempt for hardcore commercial Hindi films. I'm happy to be playing one of the female leads in the film. Moreover, my part requires me to look glamorous as well as add to the plot," said Mugdha.

Is she aware that Katrina was initially approached for the role that she has been signed on for?

"I have heard about this, but frankly I don't worry about such things. Cliched as it may sound, replacements do happen in the industry. I don't know whether I'm replacing anybody or not. but I'm glad about playing an interesting character," Mugdha chirped.

So is she excited about working in her first 'masala' film?

"I'm happy to be paired opposite Fardeen Khan and I love that man's style. Moreover, I'm being directed by Rohit who has never put a foot wrong. He is a guy who thinks commercial cinema and knows how to get his audience engaged in theatres. I'm sure I will have a blast working in this film," the actress said.

Rs 1.5 Crore spent on a song in 'Kambakth Ishq'

Sajid Nadiadwala Kambakth Ishq now has two faces...rather voices. There was an item song by that catchy title that Sandeep Chowta had composed for Ram Gopal Varma's 'Pyar Tune Kya Kiya'. Urmila Matondkar and Fardeen Khan had danced that track into the charts.

Now there's a new song by that title for Sajid Nadiadwala's Kambakth Ishq composed by RDB. No, not another R.D. Burman remix -God Forbid! It's the bhangra -pop group from Briton RDB, acronym for Rhythm Dhol Bass.

A favourite with Akshay Kumar, RDB were first heard in our cinema for Vipul Shah's Akshay vehicle Namastey London followed by 'Singh Is Kinng'.

RDB walked into 'Kambakth Ishq' after Carmen Electra and other international artistes who were supposed to participate in the song walked out.

Says Sajid, "It's just Akshay and Kareena dancing to RDB's tune and what a tune it is. It's not a music video but a song that we'll use as an integral part of the film. It will occur close to the film's interval. It will also be the first promotional song."

Press him for a sum of money spent on the song, and Sajid says it's close to 1.5 crore rupees.

Wonder what Sajid's old associate and faithful music director Anu Malik who scores the rest of the songs in Kambakth Ishq has to say about this invasion from the outside!

Kylie Minogue to shoot music video with Akshay

A.R.Rahman is all set to put the listeners on an all-time high, by having none other than Australian pop sensation Kylie Minogue to sing for his forthcoming film 'Blue'. For the uninitiated, this film stars the dashing Akshay Kumar, dynamic Sanjay Dutt, suave Zayed Khan, along with the lovely ladies Katrina Kaif and Lara Dutta!

Produced under the banner of Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd, Blue is supposed to be India's first 'official' underwater film! But something that promises to float for decades to come is none other than Rahman's magical wand that has now got the sensational Kylie lending her magically mystical voice to not one but two of the songs in the film. While one of the songs is a duet with Sonu Nigam, the other is a racy solo number for the promotional video of the film. The USP of her duet track with Sonu Nigam is that while Sonu recorded the song in Mumbai, Kylie recorded the same in London, after she got a copy of Sonu's song. How this fusion was made possible, is something that only the musical maestro A.R.Rahman can tell us!

The latest news is that Kylie will be shooting for the duet song with Akshay Kumar while gyrating to ace choreographer Farah Khan's dancing instructions. It really seems like the makers of this film are leaving no stone unturned to give the film a truly international feel. After all, it's only once in a 'Blue' moon that we get to see the clubbing of such mega talents under one roof!

India's Oscar wins just the beginning: Bollywood

Bollywood hailed Oscar winners A.R. Rahman, Resul Pookutty and Gulzar saying they were the flagbearers of Indian cinema and that this is just the beginning of the country's march to global glory. From Amitabh Bachchan to Preity Zinta everyone was euphoric about the wins.

Amitabh Bachchan: Great moment for Indian cinema and Indian talent. And that two of our most talented film artistes have won international recognition is remarkable.

Karan Johar: It's a proud moment for our fraternity. This is just the beginning. Rahman and Resul are flagbearers for an entire movement in world cinema where India is going to play a major part. More power to them and thank you Rahman and Resul for this master-stroke of a flag-off.

Deepa Mehta: It's just fabulous. I can't think of anyone more deserving. What a great day for Rahman. What a great day for India and Indians. We always knew Rahman was talented and brilliant. And now the world knows it.

Preity Zinta: You've no idea how euphoric I'm feeling. I've been up and dancing all morning. I mean Rahman and Gulzar saab are the jewels of Indian cinema. They did my first ever song "Jiya jale" in 'Dil Se'. And they've been doing consistently outstanding work. What Rahman did in 'Slumdog Millionaire' was to bring out a kind of clever fusion which just clicked with the world. I love him for it.

The one that I'm happiest for is Resul. To be honest I knew little about his work until 'Slumdog Millionaire'. 'Dil Chahta Hai' was the first Hindi film with live sound. Now, of course, sound in our cinema is finally making itself heard. It's sad but true that we very often wait for the West to recognise a genius. My heart had broken when I had seen how little kids were shown to be treated in Mumbai in 'Slumdog Millionaire'. It was so true and so sad. Now my heart swells with pride. I'm so happy I don't know if I'm coming or going.

Shabana Azmi: Rahman is a genius like no other. His music is informed by his spirituality. His success in the international arena was written in stone. No surprises there. Resul has brought the spotlight on the skill and prowess of Indian technicians. As a fellow student of the FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) I feel doubly proud. But for me the greatest thrill is that a small independent film rather than a big budget studio film has won the best film. I'm thrilled for my friend Anil Kapoor. He has walked the path less travelled and is reaping the dividends.

Bipasha Basu: I was so sure that he would get it. Long before he had won, I had typed a text message saying A.R. Rahman has done it. I think Resul and Rahman have made all us Indians proud. What an amazing performance by Rahman. And his acceptance speeches were so real confident and dignified. I'm so happy. For the first time in my life I was late for work because I was watching the Oscars.

Shilpa Shetty: I cried when I heard Resul's name being announced. Those tears of joy were for all of us. I felt I had won the Oscar. Resul and Rahman both deserved it. We waited long. But the wait has been worth it.

Shahid's birthday will be a close-knit affair

Bollywood actor Shahid Kapur, who turns 28 Wednesday, is looking forward to celebrating his birthday by hosting a party for family and close friends.


'Shahid is pretty excited about the party and has been planning it for months,' said a source close to the actor.


The expected guests at the party are his father Pankaj Kapoor, his second wife Supriya Kapoor, their children Rohan and Sana, Shahid's brother Ishaan, his close friend from Bangalore Shriram, designer Sabina Khan, Ken Ghosh, Shahid's trainer Abbas and a few others from the film industry.


The 'Jab We Met' star is currently shooting in Jodhpur and will fly down specially to celebrate his birthday, the source said.

Shahid Kapoor mobbed by girls!

Industry's blue eyed boy and the new romantic icon of the youth, surely has a huge fan following amongst the girls. According to an eye witness shahid who is presently staying at Taj in Pune, shooting for Vishal bharadwaj KAMINEY has a huge problem getting to the sets. Invariably the campus crowd in Pune has got the news of Shahid shooting in Pune and the girls have been mobbing and gate crashing on the sets for autographs.
Recently the same frenzy was witnessed by the media, when they had a special show for girls for KISMAT KONNECTION in Mumbai multiplex. Shahid was mobbed by the girls present there.

Industry people say that they have not seen this kind of frenzy for a long long time. Not surprising, since the young superstar has given 3 back to back solo hits VIVAAH, JAB WE MET, KISMAT KONNECTION, and is on his way to superstardom.

Shooting For 3 Idiots On

The shooting of Rajkumar Hirani's 3 Idiots is currently going on at a frenetic pace in the cities of Mumbai and Delhi. The film, which has been adapted from Chetan Bhagat's novel, Five Point Someone, stars Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Madhavan.

According to sources, Aamir, Madhavan and Sharman Joshi play three engineering students in the film. Of the three, Madhavan plays the narrator in the film. He takes the audience into the film and the lives of the characters. The film's shooting is nearing its end. The shooting in Mumbai and Delhi is expected to get over by March 30. After that the unit will move to Ladakh, where there is five days work remaining. The film will then go into post production and be readied for a December 25 release. Hirani's film will be the first time that Aamir will be working opposite Kareena. It seems that before starting work on the film, Aamir, Hirani and producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra had a signed agreement going about the draft of the script that they would adhere to without any deviations whatsoever. But it seems that the Chopra forgot about the marketing aspect. With Aamir agreeing in principle to not interfere in the film's shooting, that part has gone very smoothly. But now it seems that the actor wants to know about how the producer wants to market the movie and the entire marketing strategy of the film. Like they say, old habits die hard.

Shakti Kapoor's Daughter Set to Make Acting Debut

The taboo on daughters of actors entering the industry seems to be vanishing. The Kapoor sisters, Karisma and Kareena were the first to break the taboo when they took to acting. Of course, actresses Sharmila Tagore and Hema Malini's daughters,' Soha and Esha also joined the bandwagon. Anil Kapoor's Sonam was the next to follow. And now is the turn of villains as well.

It seems that silver screen baddie Shakti Kapoor's daughter, Shradha, is all set to make her acting debut in Leena Yadav's Teen Patti opposite Amitabh Bachchan and R Madhavan. The 21 year old girl, who seems to have inherited her looks from her mother, Shivangi and aunt Padmini Kolhapure, has a background in theatre. According to sources, Shradha will not be romantically paired opposite anyone in the movie. Teen Patti is based on a true story about some students who mastered the art of card counting and made a killing at the casinos of Las Vegas. The film, which is scheduled for a release in June or July this year, will also feature Pierce Brosnon in a cameo. The unit will be travelling to Boston to wrap up the shooting for the movie.

Resul Pookutty wins Oscar award

Noted Keralite sound engineer Resul Pookutty has bagged the Best Editing award at the Oscars for Danny Boyle's much-acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire, which also won the Best Adapted Screenplay award, the Best Cinematography award and the Best Film award. Resul Pookutty is the first Keralite to win an Oscar award. The 81st Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

Hailing from Vilakkupaara village near Anchal, Kollam, Resul Pookutty has been in the top of headline after he won an Oscar nomination for his work in Slumdog Millionaire, a film in the Oscar race with ten nominations, including three for music director A.R. Rahman.

A graduate of Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, Resul Pookutty has been in the music industry for 13 years now with a filmography of more than ten blockbusters. He started his career with Rajat Kapoor's little-known Private Detective in 1997 and came into the limelight with his work in Black (2005).

Interestingly, Black was a film without songs, but the sound got everyone talking. His next venture, Gandhi My Father, was a challenging experience in his career since the film demanded extreme attention on the variations in Gandhi's voice from his youth to old age. However, his hard work paid off when he got an opportunity to work with one of his favourite directors Danny Boyle in Slumdog Millionaire. His other noted films include Saawariya (2007), Ghajini (2008).

Despite the hype, BILLU doesn't entice audience

Despite all the brouhaha around the word 'Barber' being dropped from the title, three item songs from top heroines (Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone), Shah Rukh Khan making headlines with his press conferences followed by his surgery, India's costliest director (Priyadarshan) at the helm of affairs and a huge release, BILLU has been given a cold shoulder by the audience. The film has managed to do a barely face saving business at the box office and is hardly finding an audience for itself as it enters its second week.
While the first week's collections read 18 crores from India, it isn't really flattering considering a huge release and the heavy price that it comes with. Moreover, though it was obvious that the film's main lead was Irrfan Khan and not Shah Rukh Khan, there were still expectations that the superstar's name itself would manage to bring in a decent chunk of audience.

However, as seemed to be the case before the release of the film itself, the film faltered in its promotion. Last minute media hype failed to create curiosity around the film in itself and while Shah Rukh Khan got quite some mileage for himself, the plan backfired as the film didn't create a similar impact. Result? After a decent inflow of audience over the first weekend, the film only went downhill with every passing day.

If one looks at it, that's permissible as well considering most of the films fail to attract much audience over the weekdays and actually do their maximum business over the weekends. However, in case of BILLU, the word of mouth was clearly missing and more than being considered good or bad, it was just sheer indifference around the film that affected it most. There weren't many who were curious to watch BILLU on the big screen and though the DVD sales could turn out to be encouraging considering movies of this genre generally perform well in the home video circuits, as for the theatrical business, it seems on a constant decline.

As for the other films that released alongside BILLU i.e. JUGAAD and THE STONEMAN MURDERS, they were complete non-starters. While the latter at least got some good reviews coming it's way (but hardly any moolah), the former was an absolute washout with it being hardly in the running after the first weekend. Both the films have only contributed to the heavy tally of flops that Bollywood has been witnessing in a pathetic 2009 so far.

The only film which has managed to keep its head high in all this mayhem is DEV D which got some good audience for itself in the second week as well. The film didn't crash per se, as some trade experts were 'hoping', and did attract its target audience - youth - in the second week as well. A clear 'Above Average' success at the least, this medium budget film has managed to net close to 12 crores and is all set to touch the 15 crores mark in the long run, hence making it the highest earning Abhay Deol film ever.

Shahid's eye for details!

We all know how particular Shahid is when it comes to endorsing products. He models for only those that he strongly believes in!
Shahid has now taken a step ahead! The actor has expressed himself creatively for the Pioneer ad that he shot for recently.


A source said, "Shahid was busy mastering his dance steps for the ad. But he just could not get it right. He felt there was something amiss in the background score of the ad. To get things right Shahid asked the director to create a hook in the background score impromptu. Hook is a kind of snappy jingle or music that makes a person instantly associate himself to the song. It's a melody through which the song is remembered. Kiran Deohans ,the ad filmmaker, was mighty impressed with Shahid's instant creation."

Says Kiran Deohans, the director of the ad, "Shahid has an eye for detail just like his father. Shahid took an active part in everything and that was quite impressive. The music was ready and when Shahid was listening to it he felt something was missing in the music as there was no hook at the start. He wanted it to be added soon as then he could practice the steps accordingly and go ahead and finish the shoot comfortably. Besides being a great actor and a superb dancer, he is a very friendly person too."

Shahid made creative contribution in other aspects of the ad too. Said the source,"Shahid added his bit to everything. He actively participated in the other departments too and took interest and gave inputs in the making of the entire ad. He would practice the steps till very late in the night and then immediately go for his shoots.

No wonder Shahid is particular about the products that he represents!

Abhishek Bachchan breaks Guinness record

Abhishek Bachchan broke the Guinness' world record for maximum public appearances in 12 hours while promoting his latest film 'Delhi 6'.

Abhishek Bachchan's whirl-wind, record-breaking tour of Delhi and neighbouring cities began two days later than scheduled, but was packed with record breaker choc-a-block post-release flurry of activities.

Abhishek visited the EDM Mall in Ghaziabad, Spice at NOIDA, Crown Plaza in Faridabad, Select Citywalk, Ambience Mall and Central Mall in Chandigarh and Shoppers' Stop in Juhu in Mumbai.

But at precisely 7.35 p.m. Sunday in Chandigarh at the PVR Theatre Central Mall, Tribune Chowk in Sector 29, Abhishek broke the existing Guinness record of German actors Jurgen Vogel and Daniel Bruhl in the category of the greatest number of public appearances by a film star at different cities in 12 hours.

Exhausted but exhilarated Abhishek said: "I equalled the existing record at approximately 5 p.m. (Sunday). How do I feel? On top of the world. It always feels good to do something that goes beyond what's already been done."

Siren of the Week: Monalisa

Antara Biswas aka Monalisa, after many a 'B' grade movie in Bollywood, is trying her luck in South Indian films. Recently, she did an item number in a Kannada movie and is looking forward to the release of 'Udrekam' in Hindi and Telugu. The Bengali siren debuted in Bollywood with 'Tauba Tauba' in 2004, and is best known for her dare bare acts. She is still searching for that elusive big break.

DO KNOT DISTURB: Govinda-Riteish to turn classic comic jodi

BIG Pictures and Vashu Bhagnani's Puja Films conjure up a Laughathon with their next co-production DO KNOT DISTURB a comedy flick; this film brings the master trio Vashu Bhagnani, David Dhawan and Govinda back in action and today the cast has assembled to flag off the film's promotional activities.
DO KNOT DISTURB also brings together Govinda and Riteish Deshmukh for the first time on the silver screen. They promise to tickle your funny bone with their brilliant comic timing and remind you of some classic comic jodis like Amitabh Bachchan- Dharmendra and Sanjay Dutt- Arshad Warsi. Adding a touch of oomph is not just one but two Miss Universes Lara Dutta and Sushmita Sen. Joining the comedy band wagon is Sohail Khan who plays a vital character in the film.

An absolute tickle fest, DO KNOT DISTURB is a tale of a rich businessman trying to hide his extramarital escapades with a supermodel, from his wife. To save himself the discomfiture, he bribes a waiter to be the supermodel's stand-in boyfriend. What follows is a series of mistaken identities and zany misunderstandings which culminate into a mammoth laugh riot.

KAMINEY bad man Sunil 'Chopper' Bhope identified!

The theatrical promos of Vishal Bhardwaj's KAMINEY, included in the prints of DELHI 6, is creating quite a buzz and one person who is getting the maximum eyeballs is (no, its not oomph gal, Priyanka or heartthrob Shahid) Amol Gupte. Yes, the acclaimed writer of Aamir Khan's directorial debut venture, TAARE ZAMEEN PAR, is essaying the role of a bad man whose name is Sunil 'Chopper' Bhope. He is a gangster who wants to become a politician and plays Priyanka's elder brother in the film. It was a real surprise to see the kind hearted Amol, who is a messiah for dyslexic children in real life, play a baddie with such conviction in the teasers. He looks part of the character and has quite a scary appearance in the film.
However, this is not for the first time that Amol has tried his hands at acting. In fact, Amol has done Ketan Mehta's HOLI and MIRCH MASALA and has acted in over a hundred movies produced by FTII (Film and Television Institute of India). No wonder he seems so adept at acting. Amol too is quite happy to work after a long time and says that the acting stint had refreshed him and helped him get rid of the anxieties and controversies of the recent past.

Well, we are all looking forward to Amol's surprise baddie act in KAMINEY, when it releases later this year in June.

Anurag Kashyap: Ayesha is a female Kay Kay

Anurag Kashyap certainly has a penchant for extracting superlative performances from his debutant heroines. We saw that recently in DEV D where Mahi as well as Kalki came up trumps with their Paro and Chanda act respectively. Now he has great words to say about his find Ayesha Mohan as well who plays the key role of 'Kiran' in his upcoming film GULAAL.
"I can conveniently tag Ayesha Mohan as the female Kay Kay Menon. She is really intense and a bundle of talent. I am sure she is going to go places", says Anurag fondly about the actor whom he discovered years back when GULAAL was supposed to go on floors way back in 2005.

About the film, Anurag goes on to elaborate, "The film is set in Rajasthan and tells a fictional tale. It is a love story cum political cum thriller all rolled into one and is the journey of an honest man fighting a corrupt system. There is also a terrorist outfit angle in the movie. I wanted to make this film years back but due to certain circumstances, the film didn't move ahead. However, the story remained closest to my heart and so here I am."

The film also stars other newcomers like Raj Chaudhary and Abhimanyu Singh who play the lead protagonists. "Raj is surely going to be a man to watch out for. In addition, Kay Kay Menon and Aditya Srivastava anyways provide strength to the film. Plus there is Mahi who would be seen in a film of mine again after DEV D", he says.

He is quite positive about the music of the film as well, "Music of GULAAL is the kind that you would have never heard before. It forms an important piece of the movie and is composed by Piyush Mishra, who also writes the lyrics.

Now it's the turn of corporate world to be impressed by Gul

It's not just the critics and connoisseurs of meaningful cinema that is getting impressed by Gul Panag with every passing year. In the week gone by, when Gul was invited to speak at FICCI, she had quite a few people in awe of her once she held the center stage.
Though she is known for speaking her mind out and has also contributed with her writing in many a publications, public speaking is an arena where she wasn't exposed much (apart from talking about her films). However, when she was invited to talk about the topic 'Bollywood Influencing Lifestyle Trends', there were many amongst the audience who were left stunned with her eloquence.

Says an industry insider who was present at the event, "When Gul came on stage, frankly we thought she was there to up the glamour quotient. Yes, she speaks well and one of the better more intelligent actors that we have around. But the kind of depth that she brought around in her talk was really impressive. Seriously, none of us could see it coming. We were taken aback by the fact that she could speak with such depth, clarity and eloquence on a topic like "Bollywood Influencing Lifestyle Trends.

DELHI 6 on shaky grounds after negative word of mouth

Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network

What could possibly have been the saviour of Bollywood in the first quarter of 2009 seems to be heading towards adding to the woes of the industry. In a year that has seen much hyped films failing to bring in good moolah [CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA, LUCK BY CHANCE, BILLU BARBER], DELHI 6 appears to be yet another unwelcome addition to the heap.
The film opened to an average response on Friday and collections over the weekend haven't been too heartening either. In fact such poor has been word of mouth around the film that it seems all set to see a massive crash as the week progresses. Audience has been heard complaining about the narrative which is neither engaging nor entertaining, hence making DELHI 6 an absolutely disappointing, pointless and self-indulgent exercise.

Mounted on a huge budget, the film required good moolah coming its way in the first week itself and was hence released on a huge number of prints (~1000). However, such huge release hasn't helped the film's prospects either since there has been a general lack of interest witnessed amongst the audience. There are jokes floating all around amongst the industry insiders as well as 'aam junta' about DELHI 6 and result is an all around negativity for this film which is yet another disappointing outing for the movie buffs.

Though there isn't any major release for the entire month of March, it would still need a miracle for DELHI 6 to survive all the backlash coming its way. First week's collections would tell the tale and the start of second weekend would decide the eventual fortune of DELHI 6 which is widely being termed as nothing but a 'monkey business'!

Although Shahid and Priyanka are denying any romantic linkups, friends present at Shahid’s birthday swear that love is certainly brewing between the actors.

A party popper at Shahid’s birthday says, “Priyanka and Shahid were behaving as a much-in-love couple. In fact, it was as if they were ready to be open about their feelings for each other in front of friends. This from the reserved Shahid and cautious Priyanka surprised the starry guests. The bigger surprise was Priyanka’s hamari-bahu-Alka act at the party. She was the official hostess.”

“Priyanka had helped Shahid organise the party (including the guest list) and had even turned up early to help him out. She was looking after the guests, and making sure that food and the drinks were circulated properly. In fact, when Shahid went down to see a guest out downstairs and was away for five minutes, Priyanka went down to look for him. They behaved like besotted lovebirds. Priyanka even asked people who wanted to leave, to stay back and party till morning.”

Shahid’s birthday party was at a lounge bar of a five-star hotel, ironically Priyanka also celebrated her birthday at the same place last year which was a surprise from ex-boyfriend Hurman Baweja.

Strange!!

Katrina Kaif at Filmfare awards

Check out Katrina Kaif performing at Idea 54th Filmfare awards night! She looks haawt!!

Winners of 54th Idea Filmfare Awards 2008

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Hrithik Roshan - 'Jodhaa Akbar'

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Priyanka Chopra - 'Fashion'

BEST FILM

'Jodhaa Akbar'

BEST DIRECTOR

Ashutosh Gowariker - 'Jodhaa Akbar'

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (MALE)

Arjun Rampal - 'Rock On!!'

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (FEMALE)

Kangana Ranaut - 'Fashion'

BEST DEBUTANT (Male)

Imran Khan - 'Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na'

Farhan Akhtar - 'Rock On!!'

BEST DEBUTANT (Female)

Asin - 'Ghajini'

BEST STORY

Abhishek Kapoor - 'Rock On!!'

Jodhaa Akbar sweeps Filmfare awards

Bollywood stars Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra were declared the best male and female actors respectively at the glittering 54th Idea Filmfare Awards ceremony here on late Saturday night.

Jodhaa Akbar sweeps Filmfare awards

Bollywood stars Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra were declared the best male and female actors respectively at the glittering 54th Idea Filmfare Awa

Actress Freida Pinto arrives at the 81st Annual Academy Awards held at Kodak Theatre on February 22, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: Getty Images)

Rahman's Oscar wins give Bollywood big reason to celebrate

Indian music maestro A.R. Rahman's wife used to wake up in the middle of the night and say 'I want you to win an Oscar'. Now he has won two. It's not only her dream that has turned into reality at the 81st annual Academy Awards, it's a milestone for Bollywood too.

Bollywood celebrated as Rahman bagged the Oscars for best original score in 'Slumdog Millionaire' and its theme song 'Jai Ho'.


Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap is all praises for the singer-composer. He said: 'This is a happy moment for all of us. We all should celebrate because he (Rahman) has made us proud. Finally we did it!


Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who has worked with Rahman for his films 'Rang De Basanti' and 'Delhi-6', says the singer-composer truly deserved the award.


'I am proud and so happy that it's A.R. He brought north and south India together when he started composing music and now he has successfully bridged the gap between the east and the west. It's incredible! There are more people in the west who know him now than they know about his work,' Mehra told IANS.


Rahman, the first Indian musician to win the annual Academy Award, was listed for three of the film's ten Oscar nominations - one for his original score and two others for songs composed by him, 'O Saya' and 'Jai Ho'.


According to singer Mohit Chauhan who has sung in Rahman's latest hit composition 'Masakalli' from 'Delhi-6', this Oscar win is an inspiration for the Indian music industry.


'It is very encouraging. Rahman is a great inspiration for all the musicians in the country. And it's a great honour also. Our films are going places and so is our music. We can look ahead to good times,' said Chauhan.


Veteran filmmaker and critic Aziz Mirza says: 'The international recognition that Rahman has earned for himself makes every Indian proud. He deserves it more than anybody else for his wholehearted dedication to music. It's a rare honour. I congratulate Rahman.'


Southern actor R. Madhavan feels Rahman should have won an Oscar the very first time he composed music because he truly deserves it.


Actress Divya Dutta hails the composer and says she is extremely proud of his win.


'Like every Indian, I am very happy about the win. I was sure Rahman will come back with the award. The film was amazing,' said Dutta.


Before this, only two Indians have won the Oscar in its 80 year history - Satyajit Ray was given the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992 and Bhanu Athaiya won the best costume design Oscar along with John Mollo for the 1982 film 'Gandhi.'

Danny Boyle wins, Slumdog takes home 7

Looking regal and royal in blue, Queen Latifa is on-stage in a gown quite befitting of her name She leads us into another of these cool montages. The big awards are so close we can almost taste them! Only a few more minutes!

Now the lovely, exquisite, delightful Freida Pinto is on-stage to present the award for Best Foreign Film. The girl exudes class, whether it's on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, in the pages of Vanity Fair or on the red carpet at awards show. The winner is Departures, a Japanese film.

And Jai Ho has won the Oscar for Best Song! Two Oscars for India's finest modern musician! What a night to remember. India at the Oscars will never be looked at the same. And a classy, gracious acceptance speech from Mr Rahman. Well deserved, sir. Well deserved. You've made all of India proud! Slumdog, for those keeping count, has collected a staggering six awards already.

And an incredible treat, the great AR Rahman is performing live at the Oscars. Wah! Wah! Triple Wah! O Saya is by Rahman himself, and accompanied by a platoon of dancers and drummers. It segues to a Western song and soon comes back to Rahman. This time, it's the song that made the film famous: Jai Ho! And now it's a collaborative effort. East meets West. And it sounds great! The crowd is on its collective feet, applauding. Now, to see how he does in the Best Song category.

And the winner is AR Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire! He's looking dapper in a black sherwani. Like a good Indian boy, he mentioned his mother and said a few words in his native tongue. India has arrived, ladies and gents. There's no point denying it now!

A lovely piece of orchestral music leads us into the award for best Original Score. AR Rahman, India's son, is up for the award...

Ahh, we're well past the halfway stage, at this point. Now it's time to dig into the really meaty awards: best film, actor, actress, director, etc. Where as previous years have dragged, this year's show is flying by.

And we're back, to find the enormously talented, uproariously funny Eddy Murphy on-stage. He gives a classy introduction to film legend and comedy guru Jerry Lewis, who comes on briefly to accept the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian.

And the winner is Slumdog Millionaire!??! Wah! Wah! The film is really and truly hitting a six in cinema's version of the World Cup. Chris Dickens brings it home (Best Film Editing), with a classy and gracious 'thank you'. In true stiff-upper-lip fashion he thanks his Indian hosts, his English friends and his own family. Classy, classy. Slumdog has won four awards!

Another award presented by Will Smith? He might as well have been named co-host. The award is for Best Film Editing. Can Slumdog win another?

And the Best Sound Mixing award goes to Slumdog Millionaire's Resul Pookutty. Amchi Mumbai, the movie is, and it captures the living, breathing pulse of India's most famous megacity, the city of Dreams! And now some genuine, authentic praise of 'Bombay', as he says. Who would have thought? Its sights and sounds are now centre-stage, having captured the world's heart!

Double Oscar delight for A R Rahman

Musical genius A R Rahman has won the Oscar for Best Original Song and Best Original Score for 'Slmudog Millionaire'.Rahman had to overcome many hurdles on his path from his native Chennai (formerly Madras) in south India to the Kodak Theater for the Academy Awards ceremony.

After his musician father died when he was 9, his mother scraped out a living by renting out her husband's musical equipment. Rahman began supporting his family at age 11 as a keyboard player in south Indian film composer Ilaiyaraaja's ensemble, and later formed a rock band and toured with prominent Indian musicians like tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. He earned a scholarship to the Trinity College of Music in London, where he studied Western classical music.

Back in India, he worked on advertising jingles until director Mani Ratnam tapped him to compose the score for the 1992 film 'Roja'. Rahman ended up changing the face of Indian film music by introducing Western styles like reggae, rarely heard on Indian soundtracks.

"I think my philosophy of life is music is universal ... so I'm never closed to things," said Rahman. "Like some people say, 'Oh, I hate heavy metal,' or 'I hate jazz.' Why do you need to hate it? Why don't you appreciate it in a certain context."

Western film composers began taking note of his work. Rahman's first major exposure to a larger Western audience came when Andrew Lloyd Webber asked him to write the songs for the 2002 London musical 'Bombay Dreams'.

"Like any good artist, A.R. is not a traditionalist, he's a revolutionary. He uses all the revolutionary things that come from all over the world in his stuff ... hip-hop beats, electronics .. and there's an incredible inquisitiveness and playfulness in his music," said the Oscar-winning, German-born film composer Hans Zimmer. "Plus he writes a bloody good tune ,,, and at the end of the day it comes down to can the guy write a tune or not and obviously he can."

Best cinematography Oscar goes to 'Slumdog Millionaire'

Anthony Dod Mantle won the Oscar for best cinematography for his work in the critically acclaimed film 'Slumdog Millionaire'.

From slums of Mumbai to a glitzy quiz show studio, Mantle handled his camera deftly, and brought forth the misery, pain, joy and celebration of the protagonists on screen in a manner that touched many hearts.

"I could thank thousand of people, which I can't... I really thank Academy for opening this door. I thank my wife, my mom-pa, my brother and sister, Danny (Boyle), and the people who helped me in the movie," Mantle said while receiving the award.

Shot in India on a modest budget of $14 million, 'Slumdog Millionaire' traces the life of a Mumbai orphan who overcomes poverty, betrayal, police torture and other hardships on his way to a reunion with his childhood love and success on India's version of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'.

'Slumdog Millionaire' gets best adapted screenplay Oscar

British scriptwriter Simon Beaufoy won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay for 'Slumdog Millionaire', a rags-to-riches story of a Mumbai slum boy who goes on to win a quiz show.
Beaufoy won the award at a gala event at the Kodak Theatre.
Directed by British filmmaker Danny Boyle, the film is based on Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup's bestseller 'Q & A' and got Oscar 10 nominations.

'Benjamin Button' gets best art direction Oscar

Donald Graham Burt and Victor J. Zolfo bagged the Oscar for best art direction for their work in 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'.
'Wall E' by Andrew Stanton won the best animated feature film of the Year, while best short film (animated) trophy went to Kunio Kat's "La Maison en Petits Cubes".
Michael O'Conner wins Oscar for best costume
Michael O'Conner won the coveted Oscar trophy for best costume design for the film 'The Duchess'.
Greg Cannom bagged the award for best make up for 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' at the 81st Academy Awards ceremony.

After 'Slumdog...', Mumbai slum is top Oscar holiday destination

For Vancouver-based art dealer Richard Trout, Dharavi is an amazing tourist spot.
He watched 'Slumdog Millionaire' a month ago and is now in Mumbai for five days making his way through the dingy bylanes of the Asia's largest shantytown - 175-acre Dharavi, home to more than 600,000 people.
The urban sprawl has been made popular by the crossover movie 'Slumdog Millionaire' - which has picked up the maximum number of Oscar nominations in 2009. A global online tourism vendor, Expedia.com. inTM, which has unveiled a Oscar holiday destination package, is promoting Dharavi and the city of Mumbai as one of the hottest tourism destinations this spring and summer.

'I am amazed by the size of Dharavi. I have never seen anything like it,' Trout, who planned his trip online on Expedia.com, told IANS from Mumbai.
A bulk of Mumbai's recycling units are based in Dharavi, apart from pottery and textile industries. The slum that has an estimated 15,000 single-room factories has been featured in several international publications.

Managing director of Expedia Asia Pacific, Arthur Hoffman attributes the popularity of the destinations made famous by the movies nominated for Oscar awards to the impact cinema has on the travellers' psyche.

'Movies have a powerful ability to evoke a sense of the exotica about the locations in which they are filmed. They are widely acknowledged to inspire travel to those destinations. For travellers, the fascination of picturing scenes in the film and then comparing it to real life can lead to a strange sense of deja vu, particularly for those who have seen the movie several times,' Hoffman said.

According to Expedia sources, post 'Slumdog Millionaire', Mumbai now tops the chart of global tourist destination followed by countries like Japan, made popular by the movie 'Memoirs of a Geisha', South America because of 'Motorcycle Diaries' based on Che Guevera's life, and New Zealand for the 'Lord of the Rings', which has 17 Oscars to its credit for the trilogy.

The top 10 Oscar destinations - in which popular Hollywood Academy award-winning movies were shot over the last four decades - include Mumbai ('Slumdog Millionaire' in 2009), Kyoto in Japan ('Memoirs of a Geisha' in 2006), South America ('Motorcycle Diaries' in 2004), New Zealand ('Lord of the Rings' in 2004), Scotland ('Braveheart' in 1995), Transylvania in Romania (Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' in 1993), America (various locations related to the movie 'Thelma & Louise'), Florence in Italy ('Room with a View' in 1985), Kenya ('Out of Africa' in 1986 ) and Salzburg ('The Sound of Music' in 1965).
According to Hoffman, each of these destinations unveiled by Expedia has interesting histories which are linked to international cinema and the Oscar awards. 'Slumdog Millioniare', for instance, tells the story of a young uneducated man from the Dharavi slum in Mumbai.

The movie captures life and locales of Mumbai- both in the shanties of Dharavi and in the homes of the rich. The music of the movie, which is the toast of the Oscar, captures the diversity of musical genres of the country.

The ancient province of Transylvania in Romania for example - immortalised by Bram Stoker's 1992 classic 'Dracula', which won three Oscars in 1993 - is known for its famous castle of Bran, supposed to have been the home of prince Vlad Tepes, who inspired the Dracula legend. It is also one of the picturesque provinces of Romania.

Kyoto, where was the movie 'Memoirs of the Geisha' was set, is home to the Kiyomizu temple, the Fushimi Inari shrine and the rich geisha culture of Japan. The movie won three academy awards.

Scotland made famous by 'Braveheart', won five academy awards. The movie features the famous Scottish highlands, the river Nevis and the famous castle of Edinburgh.
Hotels and local tour operators are offering discounts to woo tourists in the season of the Oscars. A trip to any of the foreign locations, if made on a shoestring budget, said sources in Expedia, would not exceed Rs.300,000.

Priyamani sizzles in Bikini!

'Drona', directed by Karuna Kumar, has Priyamani at her glamourous best. In addition to a hot rain dance with Nithin, the dusky Malayali beauty is seen in bikini.

It seems, the former model is going all out to change her village belle image that has been dogging her after 'Paruthiveeran', the performance which fetched her the National Award for the Best Actress.
Here are some sizzling pictures of Priyamani from 'Drona'.

I never thought my son could be an actor: Vashu Bhagnani

He has produced over 15 movies including hit comedies like 'Hero No.1' and 'Biwi No.1', but Vashu Bhagnani candidly says that not once did he imagine that his son Jackky would become an actor.

"It was never at the back of my mind that Jackky will become a hero. I always thought being a producer's son, he'll follow suit and remain only a producer. May be in the future he could have tried his hand at direction, but I never thought my son could become an actor," Bhagnani, who is launching Jackky in his home production " Kal Kissne Dekha", told us.
One of the main reasons Bhagnani thought his son would never face the camera was his weight.

"Jackky was too heavy. He used to weigh around 130 kg. Because of his size, I never thought he could become a hero. I don't even know when he started working out and shed 60 kg. When I saw his thin frame ... that very day he became a hero for me, both literally and metaphorically," said Bhagnani, who is confident that his son will go places.

"After watching his performance, I'm confident about him. He is hard working, looks good, can act and dance well and can fight well too in front of the camera - he is a complete actor," the producer said.
'Kal Kissne Dekha' has been shot extensively in Pattaya, Thailand, complete with a song sequence and a boat chase in the sea.

Directed by Vivek Sharma, the film that also stars Rishi Kapoor and debutante Vaishali Desai, is scheduled for an April release.
Known for making comedies, Bhagnani said he couldn't have launched his son in a comic caper because "a newcomer can be launched only in a romantic role".

"Making comedies is my hobby. I derive fun out of it. But I had to launch my son and I couldn't have done that in a comedy. But I have made love stories too like 'Jeena Sirf Mere Liye', 'Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai' and 'Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein'."

So why isn't his favourite David Dhawan directing 'Kal Kissne...' ?
"David belongs to a different school of filmmaking and 'Kal Kissne...' belongs to a different school of thought. He is very dear to me, but it wasn't possible to make this film with him. But he is directing a film for me," he explained.

When Gulzar refused to bow to SRK's lyrical pressure!

is known to take interest in the music of his films and that's how he came up with the words "Love mera hit hit" for a song in his just released 'Billu'. But when the superstar approached noted lyricist Gulzar with his words to write the full number, the poet declined to use them.

Before Shah Rukh, composer Pritam Chakraborty had approached him with the same words.
"Pritam protested that the words were given to him by Shah Rukh and had to be used. When I refused, Shah Rukh came home a number of times to convince me. I reluctantly turned him down," Gulzar, who has written three songs for the film including the controversial "Marjani", told us.

"He (Shah Rukh) even suggested that I write whatever I wanted and his words 'Love mera hit hit' would be fitted into my lyrics. But that's not the way I work. I never will. So I wrote just three of the songs in 'Billu' and left the project," he said.
Shah Rukh and Gulzar go back a long way.
Recalling his earlier Shah Rukh song, Gulzar said: "In 'Chaiyyan chaiyyan' for 'Dil Se' some people objected to the use of the word 'tabeez'. Now in 'Marjani' they objected to the word 'hazur' I believe.

"All I can say in my defence is that the word hazur in 'Marjani' isn't referring to the Prophet. It means 'presence'. I'm sorry if I've hurt anyone's sentiments. I'm sorry if some people have misunderstood what I've written. I'm very very careful about the words that I use. In fact, I left 'Billu' midway for this reason," Gulzar said.
The poet doesn't allow even a word of his lyrics to be tampered with.
"There have been a number of occasions when I've opted out because I wasn't comfortable with the words that I was supposed to write," he said.
Gulzar opted out of Sanjay Chel's 'Khubsoorat' when the director wanted a word to be substituted by another.

"But the funniest incident occurred when I wrote the children's song 'Chaddhi pehan ke phool khila hai' for 'Jungle Book'. Someone said the word chaddhi (underwear) was vulgar. Could I change it to lungi? I stuck to my chaddhi," he said.

'Slumdog….' is India's Oscar favourite! Oscar Awards 2009 on India

Oscar Awards 2009 on India

2009 Oscar nominees are….

BEST PICTURE

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

BEST DIRECTOR

Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
Gus Van Sant - Milk

BEST ACTOR

Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Zoya Akhtar writes Hindi films in English!

Zoya Akhtar, who has earned rave reviews for her first film 'Luck By Chance', reveals that she thinks and writes her movies in English due to her weakness in Hindi.

'Whenever I write a film it's in English because I'm much faster that way. I have a better command over the language than over Hindi. I can speak in Hindi but I think in English,' said Zoya, daughter of noted lyricist Javed Akhtar.

Rahul Bose to pen romantic comedy

After starring in comedies like 'Pyaar Ke Side-Effects', 'Dil Kabaddi' and 'Maan Gaye Mughal-E-Azam', versatile actor Rahul Bose is all set for another film of the same genre, but this time he will write it himself.

'Rahul has got an amazing sense of humour and he has always enjoyed working in romantic comedies. So he has now decided, and is all charged up, to pen down the screenplay of a romantic comedy himself,' said a source close to the actor.

The film will be directed by Rajeev Virani, who had earlier made 'The Whisperers'. Rahul had written the screenplay for 'The Whisperers' and also his directorial debut 'Everybody Says I'm Fine'.

Salman Khan allowed to shoot!

The Rajasthan High Court, which had lashed out at the officials for allowing the film crew of Veer to shoot in the famous Amber Fort in Rajasthan, ordered the crew to pack their bags and leave the premises a few days ago.

It may be recalled that during the shooting of Veer, a wall in the Amber Fort collapsed injuring 15 people. Following the incident, the High Court ordered Veer’s crew to leave the premises and stop the filming in the Amber Fort.

The High Court, on a plea filed by the film’s producer Vijay Galani, held that the unit can resume shooting after paying a compensation of Rs. 20 lakhs,
which will also be utilized to compensate the victims of the wall collapse

Varma's next thriller shot in 'sexy' Sri Lankan jungle

Ram Gopal Varma's next venture is a spooky crime thriller featuring newcomers, but the maverick filmmaker is more upbeat about the location he shot in - the Sigiriya jungle in Sri Lanka that he calls 'frighteningly sexy'.

The director says the Sigiriya jungle caught his eye because it is enchanting yet terrifying, setting it apart from other forests.

'I have personally seen quite a few jungles in India like Ranthambore, Mudumalai and Wynad and also in Malaysia and Thailand, not to mention countless other jungles on video ranging from Indonesia to Brazil,' Varma said.

'However, when I set my eyes on the Sigiriya jungle in Sri Lanka, it took my breath away with its sheer character. One might say that a jungle is a jungle but then you have not seen the Sigiriya forest. It's both enchanting and terrifying at the same time. This is why I term it as a frighteningly sexy jungle,' Varma told IANS.

The film's poster also proudly flaunts a brief but spooky synopsis: 'If you could hear it, you could run. If you could see it, you could hide. If it had a body, you could kill. You can't escape the unknown.'

'Well, every tree of this jungle looks like it has got a story to it and hiding beneath it is something that is just waiting to pounce on you,' explained Varma, who has now moved on to shoot his next project 'Rann'.

'For the subject matter of 'Agyaat', which is about a set of people trapped in a jungle and something out there killing them one by one, I had no intention of showing the entity that is creating the terror. It is imperative that the jungle substitutes for the entity that is killing them,' the director explained.

'Agyaat', which mainly stars newcomers, is about a film crew that loses its way in the jungles and something starts killing them one by one. The crew comprises several interesting characters like a narcissistic star, a subservient spot boy, a cameraman, a frustrated action director, an assistant director who has a crush on the heroine, a self-obsessed actor, a producer who thinks the director is making a mess and a director who thinks he's the Steven Spielberg of India!

The principal photography of the film is through, but there would be an extensive effort put in
post-production. Varma promises that the film would boast of state of art special effects.
'True, there will be quite a lot of Special EFX which would be done in Mumbai itself,' he said.

A co-production of UTV Motion Pictures and Ram Gopal Varma, 'Agyaat' is all set for a July release.

Pranks, cricket, street food - Divya's time with Abhishek

Vivacious actress Divya Dutta, who plays a character called Jalebi in 'Delhi-6', says she had a great time working with Abhishek Bachchan as they enjoyed playing cricket and eating street food during the shoot.
'Abhishek is my favourite actor. He is really endearing and naughty. I had a good time with him, playing cricket, being a prankster and enjoying the whole experience,' Divya told IANS over telephone from Mumbai.

'Once I bought some kachauri and lassi while shooting in Rajasthan and he scolded me for getting so little. He then went and brought some for all of us. But the next day we were so guilty about gorging on the oily food that we straightaway hit the gym,' she said.

The 31-year-old actress has been appreciated for her roles in films like 'Baghban', 'Veer Zaara', 'Aaja Nachle' and 'U, Me Aur Hum'.

Divya shares screen space with acting greats like Waheeda Rahman, Om Puri and Rishi Kapoor apart from young actress Sonam Kapoor in the film directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.

So was she apprehensive about sharing the same frame with such big stars?

'I wasn't apprehensive at all. In fact I was lucky in a way to have worked with stalwarts. Acting is all about reacting so when you have such great actors working with you, that improves your acting prowess as well,' she said.

Speaking about her unusually titled character Jalebi, Divya said she plays a firebrand woman.

'My character in 'Delhi-6' is as unusual as the name. I'm pretty kicked about my role since it's a mind-boggling character. I have mostly done very feminine roles but this one required me to have guy-to-guy talks,' Divya said.

Preparing for the character was a task too.

'My character in the film is darker than I am and Jalebi sports a number of tattoos on her body. For this I had to be at the sets four hours before the others. I had to really work on my dialect because the language I speak is very different from that of the character. I also had to work on my body language,' the actress added.
Divya has spent her childhood in Delhi and therefore she loved being associated with a film set in the capital city.

'It's fun to be a part of a film that revolves around Delhi - the place where I've spent my childhood. In fact, I would say I'm proud to be doing a film revolving around Delhi. I'm a complete foodie and I gorged on everything Delhi offers, especially from Chandni Chowk,' Divya quipped.

Ash's red carpet styleSingle Photo | Multiple Photos

Her eyes speak volumes. Her poise and confidence reflect the inner beauty in her. And she is one of the world's beautiful women, and in her own words, not a fashion freak. But, Aishwarya Rai has come a long way since those first few fashion faux pas. Check out her red carpet style in recent times. She looks ravishing in this sleek long black dress designed by ace Italian designer Alberta Ferreti. In photo: Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan attends the premiere of 'The Pink Panther 2' at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City. (Getty Images)

Child stars of 'Slumdog Millionaire' to attend Oscars

The child stars of Mumbai-set 'Slumdog Millionaire' will be celebrating two firsts this weekend: a trip on an airplane and a ticket to the Oscars Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday.

"The kids are on their way to the Oscars! Everyone is very excited," the film's British director Danny Boyle wrote to Daily News in an email Friday.
The three main characters of the rags-to-riches story are played by nine actors, showing them in three stages of their lives, and all will attend the star-studded ceremony at the Kodak Theatre Sunday, Fox Searchlight Pictures said.
The older actors are no strangers to the limelight, including British Indian Dev Patel, 18, and Freida Pinto, 24, labelled a new style icon by Vogue magazine.
But for the younger co-stars, Rubina Ali Qureshi, 9, and Azhar Mohammed Ismail, 10, this will be their first time out of India, and first taste of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
Fox Searchlight said it was paying the bill for visas, travel and accommodations for nine children to fly to Los Angeles for the Oscars.
The film makers were accused last month of exploiting the children. Boyle and producer Christian Colson have rejected the charge, saying the children were paid above local Indian wages for their work and that the film's makers were also paying for their education.
'Slumdog Millionaire' is nominated for 10 Oscars-the industry's highest honours-including best picture and best director. It already has won at the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild, and the British BAFTA awards.

India's poverty in Oscar spotlight

New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) 'Slumdog Millionaire', 'The Final Inch', 'Smile Pinki'... in a first, three India themed films up for the Oscars, and all three dealing with poverty and disease!
India's poverty is under the global spotlight as never before with the blockbuster 'Slumdog Millionaire', tracing the rags to riches story of a slum boy, and the two documentaries, 'The Final Inch' focusing on the country's battle with polio and 'Smile Pinki' about a young child who can't get a cleft lip surgery because she is too poor.

The Oscars will be announced Sunday night (Monday morning in India).
According to a government survey, about 65 million Indians live in slums and out of them about 42 million live in city slums.

British filmmaker Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire' highlights the pain and misery of this section. He set his story in Mumbai's teeming slums in Nehru Nagar and nearby Dharavi, which is home to more than a million people and is the largest slum in Asia.

Based on Indian diplomat Vikas swarup's novel 'Q & A', 'Slumdog Millionaire' is about an impoverished teaboy who wins a multimillion rupee quiz show. The director has, however, woven hope and romance in his otherwise grim narrative.

The film was lauded in the West and grossed more than $100 million. It bagged seven British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards and four Golden Globes.

But Boyle's film has been criticised by some in India for showing only the ugly side of the country and concentrating on its grinding poverty.

Another film with an Indian theme in the Oscar nomination list is American filmmaker Megan Mylan's short documentary 'Smile Pinki'.

The documentary is the heartwarming tale of a poor village girl called Pinki whose cleft lip made her a social outcast, till her life changed after a meeting with a social worker.

Unlike 'Slumdog Millionaire', Mylan's work didn't bag headlines but there is a similarity between the two films - they are both about hope and end on a happy note.
Mylan says the happy ending inspired her to show Pinki's story.
'As a filmmaker who focuses on social issue documentaries, it is rare that I get into a film knowing we're likely to have a happy ending. So, I was excited to tell the story of this beautiful hospital and a team of doctors and social workers treating their patients with such compassion and quality care and making a positive impact,' says Mylan.

This is the fourth documentary Mylan has produced - her first with an Indian theme, and her maiden Academy Award nomination has followed.

Another Oscar nominee, 'The Final Inch' by American documentary makers Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant, is based in India too. It is about health workers travelling throughout Uttar Pradesh, urging parents to vaccinate their children against polio.

'The documentary revolves around the fact that in spite of a good polio campaign, which has really worked, we still haven't been able to eradicate polio. The areas targeted in the film are Meerut and the whole of Uttar Pradesh,' said Mohammad Gulzar Saifihe, a polio-affected man who features in the documentary.

This is not the first time that India's impoverished section is being highlighted at the Oscars.

Veteran Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray, who was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Academy Award, was criticised by Nargis for 'selling Indian poverty abroad to win awards'.

Ray's masterpieces include the 'Apu' trilogy, 'Ashani Sanket', 'Jana Aranya', 'Mahanagar' and 'Pratidwandi'.

'Slumdog Millionaire': Mast-watch!

'Slumdog Millionaire' is every inch a Danny Boyle film.
Hope within squalor, humour within violence - they’re all thematic trademarks of the British director of druggie drama 'Trainspotting' and zombie saga '28 Days Later'. This time, Boyle takes his wildly high-energy visual aesthetic and applies it to a story that, at its core, is rather sweet and traditionally crowd-pleasing.

Unassuming Dev Patel stars as slumdog underdog Jamal, an 18-year-old who comes from nothing but is on the verge of winning more money than anyone has ever won before on the Indian version of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'. The game show’s host (ideally smarmy and egotistical Anil Kapoor) grows unshakably suspicious as Jamal prepares to face one last question for the top prize of 20 million rupees and has him hauled in for police questioning (by ever-imposing Irrfan Khan).

Simon Beaufoy’s complex script, based loosely on Vikas Swarup’s novel 'Q&A', glides effortlessly among Jamal’s interrogation, his unlikely success in the television hot seat and his rough-and-tumble upbringing that provided the life lessons serving him so well now.

Jamal reflects upon the desperate times he shared with his older brother Salim (Madhur Mittal), after their mother was killed in a savage anti-Muslim attack. He remembers the cruelty of the Fagin-like figure who forced them and other orphans into slavery. And he recalls fondly the time he spent with Latika (stunning former model Freida Pinto), his first love who, as a scared child, became the brothers’ third Musketeer. (Loveleen Tandan, who cast the film - including the three sets of actors who play the main characters at various ages - did so much behind-the-scenes work, she gets a co-director credit.)

Maybe it’s a bit too clever that every question in the game show happens to have some connection to Jamal’s vividly Dickensian life, from his encounter with a blind child to the unfortunate reason he knows what a Colt .45 is. But that’s the point: witnessing the uplift of the charmed new life Jamal can now call his own.