Artist List
FICCI Frames Diary, Day 1 - High on Glam & Content (11:59 PM March 16th)
Click above for event stills
Touted as Asia's largest global convention on the business of entertainment for the past decade, FICCI FRAMES has returned in its 11th edition this year. It is being held over three days, from March 16 - 18. Here is an overview of the turn of events on Day 1.
An illustrious inaugural session was held in the presence of high-profile dignitaries like - Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Bollywood filmmaker Yash Chopra, Shahrukh Khan, Karan Johar, Katrina Kaif, Harsh Mariwala and Louise Sams. The ceremony was followed by keynote addresses by Shah Rukh Khan and James Nicholas Gianopulos (Chairman and CEO, Fox Filmed Entertainment Ltd). While James shed light on the emerging scope of 3D technology and the importance of Fox's expertise in film distribution, Shahrukh stressed that Bollywood has a lot to learn from its 'experienced cousin - Hollywood' in order to bloom as a film industry.
- Â The inaugural session was also the platform for two book launches, The FICCI-KPMG Industry Report and the other on Entertainment Law.
- Â Issues raised on the dias by other dignitaries included the need to curb piracy and to gear up to celebrate the hundred years of Indian cinema in 2013.
The inaugural session was followed by the following seminars, panel discussions and master class. Here's a list of the highlights:
A keynote by Sir Martin Sorell (Chief Executive, WPP Group) on the changing trends of the advertising industry. Followed by a keynote by Nikesh Arora (President of Global Sales Operations and Business Development, Google Inc., USA), who spoke about the impact Google's Android and Nexus One will have on consumer behavior, tele communication and mobile content.
A panel discussion on 'How real is Reality TV? How can one create winning content?' was moderated by Sidhharth Basu. The panel, consisting of television programming heads, managing directors and CEO's, shed light on the emerging trends in reality shows. The discussion drew comparisons between fiction and non-fiction content that lead to a debate whether soap operas are going to be a thing of past.
The panel discussion 'Indian films going global: Can our films really crossover?' was thronged by a lot of delegates and lead to interesting discussions and revelations. Moderated by Karan Johar, the panel consisted of noted actors Rahul Bose, Nandita Das, Irrfan Khan, Vijay Singh (CEO, Fox Star Studios India Pvt Ltd.) and Franck Priot (Deputy Director, Film France, The French Film Commission). While Rahul Bose was believed "Indian films will never crossover as the decision was always dictated by the producer's interests", Vijay was more optimistic, citing the success of My Name is Khan. Franck shared the tactics used by the French film industry to get their films noticed and also stressed on the importance of support from the government to get films to crossover.
A highly specialized and rather serious discussion on the 'Innovations & growth in M&E sector: Digital and others' took place within a panel comprising of leaders of the digital media. The discussion was moderated by Marco Vernocchi (Global Managing Director, Media & Entertainment Practice, Accenture). The discussion brought forth the latest strategies being employed to generate content for the changing digital media platforms - particularly mobile devices and also efforts to contain piracy. The experts shared examples of recent success stories to paint an optimistic picture of the digital platform.
A screenplay writing master class was conducted by renowned Hollywood screenwriter Stephen de Souza who shared a few tips that would help a writer refine his script. The session lead to a fairly long and interesting Q&A session, which many attendees found to be one of the most satisfactory sessions throughout the day.
The evening concluded with a Networking Cocktails & Dinner event accompanied by entertainment that included a couple of fashion shows and dance performances.
People, not critics, decide my film's fate: Sajid Khan (07:30 PM March 16th)
Mumbai, March 17 (IANS) Funny man-turned-director Sajid Khan doesn't mind the 'big mouth' tag. He is ready with his second film 'Housefull' and isn't really bothered...
IPL Charm Lures Dutt, Devgn, Kajol'¦ (11:43 AM March 16th)
Cricket beckons'¦ and few can resist the lure. Shah Rukh Khan's 'Kolkata Knight Riders'; Preity Zinta's 'Kings XI Punjab' and Shilpa Shetty's 'Rajasthan...
Sunny Snip: Shahid's Crucial Cut (11:43 AM March 16th)
Tch, tch, the stories around troublesome Shahid Kapoor never seem to abate. Reportedly, this time around, it's Sunny Singh, a small time star of Ahmed Khan's 'Paathshaala'...
Salman supporting Preity Zinta's IPL team (10:55 AM March 16th)
Mumbai, March 16 (IANS) Bollywood actor Salman Khan says he is supporting actress Preity Zinta's Kings XI Indian Premier League team, though he admits he hasn't watched any of the...
Bid for IPL players autographed memorabilia (09:00 AM March 16th)
New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) Cricket lovers can start bidding online and own season-3 Indian Premiere League's memorabilia autographed by Indian cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra...
Shah Rukh Khan urges Bollywood to learn from Hollywood (06:40 AM March 16th)
Mumbai, March 16 (IANS) Superstar Shah Rukh Khan Tuesday urged Indian filmmakers 'to learn from Hollywood' and offered a three-point prescription which could help the globalization of...
Aishwarya breaks into Tamil at audio release (06:40 AM March 16th)
Chennai, March 16 (IANS) Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai made a rare appearance at an audio launch here and took many by surprise when she broke into fluent Tamil...
I have grown up in awe of Sushmita Sen: Amrita Rao (05:55 AM March 16th)
New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) She has completely revamped her looks and broken out of her shy and coy image, but for actress Amrita Rao, her 'Main Hoon Na' co-star Sushmita Sen is the...
Ashok Chavan assures Bollywood of 'only one censor' (04:40 AM March 16th)
Mumbai, March 16 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan Tuesday said his government would 'ensure that there is only one censor, the Censor Board' for the film and entertainment...
Khan's Vrooming Curiosity (03:52 AM March 16th)
She rode pillion on his bike and earned a hundred glances! Spotted more often with son Junaid, Aamir Khan garnered curious glances as daughter Ira zipped around suburban Mumbai with her celeb...
NRI Struggle, Bachchan Outsider (03:52 AM March 16th)
Come June, and it'll be an August start for Raj Kumar Santoshi. Thwarting all attempts to greenlight a sequel to 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani', director Santoshi is returning to...
Cameron's Kapoor Connexion (03:52 AM March 16th)
His directorial efforts have whipped up US $4.6 billion worldwide, ranking him among the highest grossing directors of all time. James Cameron, credited with the phenomenal wins of...
Rahman's 10 Crores World Deal! (03:52 AM March 16th)
Three finale shows of his world tour. Rs 10 crore. Reportedly, that's the stunning fee that A R Rahman will romp home with! The deal clincher: 'Veer' producer Vijay Galani. The...
Sound Effect: Tusshar's High Note (03:52 AM March 16th)
He's making the right sounds. Over 'Shor,' that is. The new ALT Entertainment flick showcases Tusshar Kapoor in an altogether new avatar. Sporting a buzz cut, stubble and non...
Kat's Ranbir Loss! Anushka's Gain? (03:52 AM March 16th)
Ranbir Kapoor has been sending B town girls into a tizzy. The latest entity on the smitten list is Anushka Sharma! Director Imtiaz Ali is frantically scouting for a leading lady to enact a...
Boman Irani on his experience of working with Shyam Benegal (11:43 PM March 15th)
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If you enjoy working in a film, the experience lingers in your memory for years and years. Boman Irani cherishes every moment he spent on the sets of WELL DONE ABBA, so much so that when Shyam Benegal concluded the shooting and threw a farewell party for the cast and technicians on the sets of the film, Boman couldn't help but get moist-eyed.
Boman says, he doesn't prefer outdoor shoots, since he misses his family the most. "But I thoroughly enjoyed working on this film. It's a dream to work with Shyam Babu [Benegal] at least once and I was genuinely awaiting that opportunity. And one fine day he called and said something very nice. He said, 'Boman, I have finally found something befitting your calibre'," Boman recalls.
Before working with the veteran film-maker, Boman was under the impression that Shyam Babu was a strict disciplinarian. "But he was from being a dictator on the sets. On the contrary, he kept us smiling all through the making of the film. It was like one big picnic," Boman states.
Arshad Warsi throws light on differences with director Kabeer Kaushik (11:38 PM March 15th)
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Arshad Warsi is ready to face the biggest examination of his professional life. His debut film as producer, HUM TUM AUR GHOST, is scheduled for release next Friday. "I am excited and confident. I've made this film with a lot of passion and I sincerely hope the audience likes the effort," Arshad informs me.
Meanwhile, the industry is abuzz with the speculation that Arshad had problems with the director of the film, Kabeer Kaushik. That explains why Arshad decided to take matters in his hand. "Well, we never got into fights. I am not the violent kind," Arshad states on record, "But it's true that Kabeer and I had differences."
The differences stemmed from the fact that Kabeer wanted to make HUM TUM AUR GHOST into a serious film, while Arshad wanted it to be a light entertainer. "That's true," Arshad doesn't deny the industry talk, "Kabeer's interpretation was tilting more towards serious, while I wanted it to be a light entertainer. So we decided that let the editor [Steven] decide what's best for the film. We decided to step out of the editing suite and let him take the decision."
So, whose interpretation is HUM TUM AUR GHOST eventually? "It's Arshad Warsi's vision. It has its serious moments, but you'd come out smiling in the end," Arshad smiles.
LSD gets Censored, sex scene to be toned down, caste reference removed (11:30 PM March 15th)
Dibakar Banerjee's much talked-about Love Sex Aur Dhokha went before the censor board on Monday. The controversial love scene showing a bare-backed girl on top of a man making love has been told to be blurred on screen. In other words, Dibakar's couple will be seen by the audience making love as two blurred figures. The director already miffed and mired in what he sees as unnecessary controversy refuses to be enraged even if so many recent Hindi films have had graphic love- making scenes.
As for the female bare back during a love-making scene the censors liberally allowed that in Rensil D'Silva's Kurbaan lately. Says Dibakar, "We had submitted a dvd of the film to the censorboard so they'd recommend cuts in advance and avoid delays. The censor preview recommendation suggests that we blur the sex scene. We were told this scene was too graphic and needed tempering. There's no way the censors could allow the love-making scene. We've clearly been told that even before the film is submitted for censoring. "When asked how bare-backed love-making scenes have been allowed passed the censors recently and how the one in Love Sex Aur Dhokha has been recommended toning down even before the film is submitted to the censors the director chooses to smile mysteriously. "Ive been in principle against the film being perceived as a voyeur's delight. Love Sex Aur Dhokha is not about sex sex and sex. Those who expect that will turn away disappointed."
However, in another more radical cut all reference to caste in a love story between a low-caste boy and a high-caste girl has been removed by the censorboard. This has infuriated Dibakar.Says the director, "This completely changes the perspective of my story since now the caste-challenged love story is turned into a poor-boy-rich-girl romance. This not what I intended." Also, the song 'Tu Nangi Achi Lagti Hai' which was modified on the audio cd to 'Tu Gandi Achi Lagti Hai' has now been similarly modified in the film also. Says Dibakar, "But no complaints. Considering the controversial content my film got away easily with little cuts and an 'Adults' certificate."?
Akon rescues Aadesh at Aqeel's club (09:50 AM March 15th)
It isn't often that we see two entertainers stand up for one another in public.
At DJ Aqeel's club Hype on Wednesday night, Akon attended to wave to the crowds. A rather ugly situation was averted when the personnel at the Club tried to stop composer Aadesh Shrivastav from accompanying Akon to the podium.
Akon had to intervene and remind the Club's staff that Aadesh was like his brother. Says Aadesh, "Yes that was a rather embarrassing situation, I'd have lost my temper if it wasn't for Akon. Akon did persuade me to come on stage with him. He has treated me like a brother from the time I got to know him five years ago. When the idea of a Punjabi track came to me, I was hesitant to put it forward to Akon, considering his packed schedule in Mumbai. But he immediately agreed."
The Punjabi recording with Akon on Thursday was a riot with the singer savouring the words to the fullest. Says Aadesh, "I wrote the lyrics myself. Akon sang the track about the kudi who took away his kaleja like true Punjabi munda. I have given him a rhythm section consisting of violins, the daff, a matka, dholak and table. Akon freaked out."
The singer left Mumbai on Thursday night. Aadesh Shrivastav said, "The craze for Akon singing in any language is phenomenal. You've to judge how popular Akon is among youngsters in Mumbai by the crowds that gathered for him."
MNIK Vfx: Creating Georgia in Mumbai (09:36 AM March 15th)
Shah Rukh Khan won over our hearts and minds with the Good Samaritan Rizwan Khan in MNIK by helping poor American villagers in their time of need. But who would have guessed that Karan Johar shot the whole flood sequence in Mumbai and made it seem like a quaint, rural village in Georgia? A far cry from yesteryear's films that used cardboard cut-outs for the sun and the moon, the art and carft of visual effects (vfx) has progressed by leaps and bounds enabling filmmakers to use computer technology to save on crucial time and money.
Directed by Karan Johar, the Shah Rukh - Kajol starrer My Name is Khan had some path breaking vfx executed by redchillies.vfx. The Mumbai based vfx house had a team of 100 artists working rigorously for three months to make the 380 vfx shots, and thus the film, a creative success.
Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Haresh Hingorani (Harry), Production Director at redchillies.vfx shared, "For us, creating the flood sequence was the biggest challenge. Since we had to play with computer generated (CG) water and simulations, the sequence became even more complicated. Apart from flood sequence, there were several other chroma background shots, CG elements and background creation, which took time to complete."
In this exclusive case study, we bring you some of the exciting shots executed by redchillies.vfx, courtesy Fox Searchlight, Dharma Productions. Special thanks to the redchillies.vfx team - Haresh Hingorani, Arjun Mitra and Keitan Yadav.
Click on the thumbnails below to check out the shot breakdown:
Shilpa and Raj Kundra launch their nightclub called Royalty in Mumbai (09:09 AM March 15th)
Shilpa Shetty and hubby Raj Kundra may be busy touring with their IPL team- Rajasthan Royals but that hasn't stopped them from expanding their other business interests. Shilpa and Raj recently announced the opening of their new nightclub called 'Royalty' in Mumbai. The high end club is located at the same place where popular hotspot 'Poison' was earlier situated.
After their closely fought match against the Mumbai Indians on Saturday, Shilpa and Raj threw a lavish bash at their new club Royalty. The bash saw some bigwigs in attendance including Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Harman Baweja, Ameesha, Kabir Bedi, Shamita Shetty and Jackie Shroff.
One will have to wait and watch if this nightclub turns out to be a hotspot for Bollywood's party animals in the days to come.
Vidya Balan creates sleep awareness (08:25 AM March 15th)
Ever wondered why Vidya Balan looks as fresh like a Lilly. It's probably because of good sleeping habits. Therefore, naturally, Indian Sleep Disorders Association (ISDA) has appointed her as the brand ambassador of sleep awareness month that runs through all of March.
The drive is to sensitise people about sleep disorders, the symptoms of which are often ignored but can cause serious health issues. It's Miss Balan's belief which is validated by doctors as well that getting a good night's sleep is as important as having daily vitamins and in case you're facing irregular sleeping patterns, it's important to see a doctor.
According to experts one in every three Indian suffers from insomnia or some other form of sleep disorder but having Vidya working on creating awareness, there is bound to be a lot of people having sweet dreams.
Kareena and Shahid won't be promoting Milenge Milenge together (03:25 AM March 15th)
Plans for bringing Kareena and Shahid Kapoor together to promote their pending project Milenge Milenge have been called off. It has now been decided by producer Boney Kapoor that the pair will promote the film individually. This, to avoid Kareena who's in a committed relationship, any embarrassment and awkwardness, although Shahid who had no objections to collaborating with Kareena on the promotion seems unaware of these developments.
When asked if he'd be willing to promote the film jointly with Kareena, Shahid says enthusiastically, "Yes, I'll do everything I can to promote it. Of course I'll do everything in my power to see the film gets properly released. It's my film."
Shahid says he has no problems whatsoever promoting the film with Kareena. However, producer Boney Kapoor feels it's wiser and more discreet to let Shahid and Kareena do separate promotional work.
Says Boney, "We're getting Shahid and Kareena to do separate promotional activities. That way we give them space to be comfortable with the situation and also we get twice the amount of publicity for Milenge Milenge that we would if the pair promoted the film jointly."
Shahid has not only decided to go all-out for Milenge Milenge, he has also been taking interest in the release date to ensure that it releases at a time when it is likely to get the best audience.
He recently had a meeting with producer Boney Kapoor and they mutually agreed to postpone the release from April to later during the year.
Says Shahid, "We met and took a joint decision. Boneyji was co-operative. Otherwise I'd have had three releases-Milenge Milenge, Paathshala and Badmaash Company-in one month."
Boney says he's getting Milenge Milenge ready for release in the last week of June or the first week of July. "Milenge Milenge would be Shahid's last release until his father's film Mausam. Kareena and he look gorgeous together."
In fact Shahid is enormously enthusiastic about Milene Milenge. Last week he met the film's director Satish Kaushik. Says Satish emotionally, "Though we live in the same building Shahid and I never meet! I know him from the time he was a child. On Saturday night, we bumped into each other in our high-rise compound after a party. We spoke for nearly an hour about Milenge Milenge. Shahid told me the project is very dear to him and that he would go all out to promote the film however my producer Boney Kapoor and I wanted. Shahid is at our disposal. He also asked me to update him on music video shoot."
Minissha Lamba to be seen in a non-glamorous role (11:39 PM March 14th)
After appearing in an ultra-glamorous avatar in 'Kidnap', Minissha Lamba will now be seen in a non-glamorous role in Benegal’s forthcoming film, “Well Done Abba” which is a political satire. The film, produced by Reliance Big Pictures, is inspired by two short stories - “Narsaiyyan Ki Bavdi” by Jeelani Bano and “Phulwa Ka Pul” by [...]
Neil Nitin Mukesh breaks off with his fiancee (11:38 PM March 14th)
Amidst much glam, glitter and hype, Neil Nitin Mukesh had exchanged engagement rings with his designer girlfriend Priyanka Bhatia last year and the couple seemed very much in love since they had been dating each other for almost two years. Neil had also hinted that he would go for the wedding bells in 2010, but [...]
Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor stop 'tweeting' (11:37 PM March 14th)
Upset and worried with the unrestricted flow of his forthcoming flick 'Anjaana Anjaani' being leaked out in 'Twitter', Sajid Nadiawala has banned his cast and crew from using the social networking site for the time being. As such, both the leading stars of the film, Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor, have been asked to stop [...]
A baby boy for Karisma Kapoor A baby boy for Karisma Kapoor (10:26 PM March 14th)
Karisma Kapoor said goodbye to Bollywood and settled with her family quite a few years back. She has a five-year-old daughter Samaira and now, she delivered a baby boy at a private hospital in Mumbai around noon making her family complete. Both mother and daughter are fine at present. Karisma married Delhi-based industrialist Sanjay Kapoor and [...]
Nana Patekar blasts off at Deepika Padukone (09:44 PM March 11th)
The short-tempered Nana Patekar comes in form once again and this time at the receiving end is the gorgeous and ever so beautiful Deepika Padukone. It so happened that Nana Patekar is set to direct a film for Prakash Jha and Patekar approached Deepika for a casting. However, when Deepika tried to suggest some changes in [...]
Marriage makes Esha Koppikar worried about her hot scenes in 'Right Yaaa Worng' (09:43 PM March 11th)
Eesha Koppikar has given quite a few sizzling hot scenes in her forthcoming 'Right Yaaa Wrong' and the actress was quite worried about the scenes before her marriage. After all she is now the bahu of a traditional family. The film has Eesha playing the role of Anshita, Sunny Deol's wife. Deol plays a cop and [...]
Deepika Padukone and Bipasha Basu on the ramp for LFW 2010 (09:41 PM March 11th)
Lakme Fashion Week kicked off the Summer/Resort 2010 Collections with Rocky S who came up in a palette of pastel hues like pink, peach, nude and turquoise and then moved to luxurious shaded tones which finally ended with ivory and black'¦.and lots of gold trim and embellishment. All of it accessorized with diamonds from a [...]
Will 'Right Ya Wrong' revive Sunny Deol's sinking career? (09:35 PM March 11th)
Releasing this Friday is a crime thriller 'Right Ya Wrong' produced by Subhash Ghai and Written and directed by debutant Neeraj Pathak. The movie marks the comeback of Sunny Deol who seemed to have disappeared from limelight post his disasters in movies like “Heroes” and “Fox”. The flick which tells the tale of two friends [...]
SRK welcomes Akon, but forgets old friend Farah Khan (09:26 PM March 11th)
The 'Smack That' singer Akon is on a three-day visit to Mumbai to compose and record a song for SRK's 'Ra 1' and Shahrukh is leaving no stones unturned to give the singer a very warm welcome. Akon got a traditional Indian welcome from Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor during a press meet in [...]
Akshay Kumar handcuffed for 4 hours (10:04 PM March 9th)
It all happened at the sets of the forthcoming directorial venture from Farah Khan, 'Tees Maar Khan' where Khiladi Kumar was handcuffed for not one or two but long four hours. However, this was not for some crime done by Akshay but it was an accident. Akshay had to shoot for a sequence with handcuffs [...]
Click above for event stills
Touted as Asia's largest global convention on the business of entertainment for the past decade, FICCI FRAMES has returned in its 11th edition this year. It is being held over three days, from March 16 - 18. Here is an overview of the turn of events on Day 1.
An illustrious inaugural session was held in the presence of high-profile dignitaries like - Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Bollywood filmmaker Yash Chopra, Shahrukh Khan, Karan Johar, Katrina Kaif, Harsh Mariwala and Louise Sams. The ceremony was followed by keynote addresses by Shah Rukh Khan and James Nicholas Gianopulos (Chairman and CEO, Fox Filmed Entertainment Ltd). While James shed light on the emerging scope of 3D technology and the importance of Fox's expertise in film distribution, Shahrukh stressed that Bollywood has a lot to learn from its 'experienced cousin - Hollywood' in order to bloom as a film industry.
- Â The inaugural session was also the platform for two book launches, The FICCI-KPMG Industry Report and the other on Entertainment Law.
- Â Issues raised on the dias by other dignitaries included the need to curb piracy and to gear up to celebrate the hundred years of Indian cinema in 2013.
The inaugural session was followed by the following seminars, panel discussions and master class. Here's a list of the highlights:
A keynote by Sir Martin Sorell (Chief Executive, WPP Group) on the changing trends of the advertising industry. Followed by a keynote by Nikesh Arora (President of Global Sales Operations and Business Development, Google Inc., USA), who spoke about the impact Google's Android and Nexus One will have on consumer behavior, tele communication and mobile content.
A panel discussion on 'How real is Reality TV? How can one create winning content?' was moderated by Sidhharth Basu. The panel, consisting of television programming heads, managing directors and CEO's, shed light on the emerging trends in reality shows. The discussion drew comparisons between fiction and non-fiction content that lead to a debate whether soap operas are going to be a thing of past.
The panel discussion 'Indian films going global: Can our films really crossover?' was thronged by a lot of delegates and lead to interesting discussions and revelations. Moderated by Karan Johar, the panel consisted of noted actors Rahul Bose, Nandita Das, Irrfan Khan, Vijay Singh (CEO, Fox Star Studios India Pvt Ltd.) and Franck Priot (Deputy Director, Film France, The French Film Commission). While Rahul Bose was believed "Indian films will never crossover as the decision was always dictated by the producer's interests", Vijay was more optimistic, citing the success of My Name is Khan. Franck shared the tactics used by the French film industry to get their films noticed and also stressed on the importance of support from the government to get films to crossover.
A highly specialized and rather serious discussion on the 'Innovations & growth in M&E sector: Digital and others' took place within a panel comprising of leaders of the digital media. The discussion was moderated by Marco Vernocchi (Global Managing Director, Media & Entertainment Practice, Accenture). The discussion brought forth the latest strategies being employed to generate content for the changing digital media platforms - particularly mobile devices and also efforts to contain piracy. The experts shared examples of recent success stories to paint an optimistic picture of the digital platform.
A screenplay writing master class was conducted by renowned Hollywood screenwriter Stephen de Souza who shared a few tips that would help a writer refine his script. The session lead to a fairly long and interesting Q&A session, which many attendees found to be one of the most satisfactory sessions throughout the day.
The evening concluded with a Networking Cocktails & Dinner event accompanied by entertainment that included a couple of fashion shows and dance performances.People, not critics, decide my film's fate: Sajid Khan (07:30 PM March 16th)
Mumbai, March 17 (IANS) Funny man-turned-director Sajid Khan doesn't mind the 'big mouth' tag. He is ready with his second film 'Housefull' and isn't really bothered...
IPL Charm Lures Dutt, Devgn, Kajol'¦ (11:43 AM March 16th)
Cricket beckons'¦ and few can resist the lure. Shah Rukh Khan's 'Kolkata Knight Riders'; Preity Zinta's 'Kings XI Punjab' and Shilpa Shetty's 'Rajasthan...
Sunny Snip: Shahid's Crucial Cut (11:43 AM March 16th)
Tch, tch, the stories around troublesome Shahid Kapoor never seem to abate. Reportedly, this time around, it's Sunny Singh, a small time star of Ahmed Khan's 'Paathshaala'...
Salman supporting Preity Zinta's IPL team (10:55 AM March 16th)
Mumbai, March 16 (IANS) Bollywood actor Salman Khan says he is supporting actress Preity Zinta's Kings XI Indian Premier League team, though he admits he hasn't watched any of the...
Bid for IPL players autographed memorabilia (09:00 AM March 16th)
New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) Cricket lovers can start bidding online and own season-3 Indian Premiere League's memorabilia autographed by Indian cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra...
Shah Rukh Khan urges Bollywood to learn from Hollywood (06:40 AM March 16th)
Mumbai, March 16 (IANS) Superstar Shah Rukh Khan Tuesday urged Indian filmmakers 'to learn from Hollywood' and offered a three-point prescription which could help the globalization of...
Aishwarya breaks into Tamil at audio release (06:40 AM March 16th)
Chennai, March 16 (IANS) Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai made a rare appearance at an audio launch here and took many by surprise when she broke into fluent Tamil...
I have grown up in awe of Sushmita Sen: Amrita Rao (05:55 AM March 16th)
New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) She has completely revamped her looks and broken out of her shy and coy image, but for actress Amrita Rao, her 'Main Hoon Na' co-star Sushmita Sen is the...
Ashok Chavan assures Bollywood of 'only one censor' (04:40 AM March 16th)
Mumbai, March 16 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan Tuesday said his government would 'ensure that there is only one censor, the Censor Board' for the film and entertainment...
Khan's Vrooming Curiosity (03:52 AM March 16th)
She rode pillion on his bike and earned a hundred glances! Spotted more often with son Junaid, Aamir Khan garnered curious glances as daughter Ira zipped around suburban Mumbai with her celeb...
NRI Struggle, Bachchan Outsider (03:52 AM March 16th)
Come June, and it'll be an August start for Raj Kumar Santoshi. Thwarting all attempts to greenlight a sequel to 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani', director Santoshi is returning to...
Cameron's Kapoor Connexion (03:52 AM March 16th)
His directorial efforts have whipped up US $4.6 billion worldwide, ranking him among the highest grossing directors of all time. James Cameron, credited with the phenomenal wins of...
Rahman's 10 Crores World Deal! (03:52 AM March 16th)
Three finale shows of his world tour. Rs 10 crore. Reportedly, that's the stunning fee that A R Rahman will romp home with! The deal clincher: 'Veer' producer Vijay Galani. The...
Sound Effect: Tusshar's High Note (03:52 AM March 16th)
He's making the right sounds. Over 'Shor,' that is. The new ALT Entertainment flick showcases Tusshar Kapoor in an altogether new avatar. Sporting a buzz cut, stubble and non...
Kat's Ranbir Loss! Anushka's Gain? (03:52 AM March 16th)
Ranbir Kapoor has been sending B town girls into a tizzy. The latest entity on the smitten list is Anushka Sharma! Director Imtiaz Ali is frantically scouting for a leading lady to enact a...
Boman Irani on his experience of working with Shyam Benegal (11:43 PM March 15th)
Download W.D.A wallpapers
If you enjoy working in a film, the experience lingers in your memory for years and years. Boman Irani cherishes every moment he spent on the sets of WELL DONE ABBA, so much so that when Shyam Benegal concluded the shooting and threw a farewell party for the cast and technicians on the sets of the film, Boman couldn't help but get moist-eyed.
Boman says, he doesn't prefer outdoor shoots, since he misses his family the most. "But I thoroughly enjoyed working on this film. It's a dream to work with Shyam Babu [Benegal] at least once and I was genuinely awaiting that opportunity. And one fine day he called and said something very nice. He said, 'Boman, I have finally found something befitting your calibre'," Boman recalls.
Before working with the veteran film-maker, Boman was under the impression that Shyam Babu was a strict disciplinarian. "But he was from being a dictator on the sets. On the contrary, he kept us smiling all through the making of the film. It was like one big picnic," Boman states.Arshad Warsi throws light on differences with director Kabeer Kaushik (11:38 PM March 15th)
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Arshad Warsi is ready to face the biggest examination of his professional life. His debut film as producer, HUM TUM AUR GHOST, is scheduled for release next Friday. "I am excited and confident. I've made this film with a lot of passion and I sincerely hope the audience likes the effort," Arshad informs me.
Meanwhile, the industry is abuzz with the speculation that Arshad had problems with the director of the film, Kabeer Kaushik. That explains why Arshad decided to take matters in his hand. "Well, we never got into fights. I am not the violent kind," Arshad states on record, "But it's true that Kabeer and I had differences."
The differences stemmed from the fact that Kabeer wanted to make HUM TUM AUR GHOST into a serious film, while Arshad wanted it to be a light entertainer. "That's true," Arshad doesn't deny the industry talk, "Kabeer's interpretation was tilting more towards serious, while I wanted it to be a light entertainer. So we decided that let the editor [Steven] decide what's best for the film. We decided to step out of the editing suite and let him take the decision."
So, whose interpretation is HUM TUM AUR GHOST eventually? "It's Arshad Warsi's vision. It has its serious moments, but you'd come out smiling in the end," Arshad smiles.LSD gets Censored, sex scene to be toned down, caste reference removed (11:30 PM March 15th)
Dibakar Banerjee's much talked-about Love Sex Aur Dhokha went before the censor board on Monday. The controversial love scene showing a bare-backed girl on top of a man making love has been told to be blurred on screen. In other words, Dibakar's couple will be seen by the audience making love as two blurred figures. The director already miffed and mired in what he sees as unnecessary controversy refuses to be enraged even if so many recent Hindi films have had graphic love- making scenes.
As for the female bare back during a love-making scene the censors liberally allowed that in Rensil D'Silva's Kurbaan lately. Says Dibakar, "We had submitted a dvd of the film to the censorboard so they'd recommend cuts in advance and avoid delays. The censor preview recommendation suggests that we blur the sex scene. We were told this scene was too graphic and needed tempering. There's no way the censors could allow the love-making scene. We've clearly been told that even before the film is submitted for censoring. "When asked how bare-backed love-making scenes have been allowed passed the censors recently and how the one in Love Sex Aur Dhokha has been recommended toning down even before the film is submitted to the censors the director chooses to smile mysteriously. "Ive been in principle against the film being perceived as a voyeur's delight. Love Sex Aur Dhokha is not about sex sex and sex. Those who expect that will turn away disappointed."
However, in another more radical cut all reference to caste in a love story between a low-caste boy and a high-caste girl has been removed by the censorboard. This has infuriated Dibakar.Says the director, "This completely changes the perspective of my story since now the caste-challenged love story is turned into a poor-boy-rich-girl romance. This not what I intended." Also, the song 'Tu Nangi Achi Lagti Hai' which was modified on the audio cd to 'Tu Gandi Achi Lagti Hai' has now been similarly modified in the film also. Says Dibakar, "But no complaints. Considering the controversial content my film got away easily with little cuts and an 'Adults' certificate."?Akon rescues Aadesh at Aqeel's club (09:50 AM March 15th)
It isn't often that we see two entertainers stand up for one another in public.
At DJ Aqeel's club Hype on Wednesday night, Akon attended to wave to the crowds. A rather ugly situation was averted when the personnel at the Club tried to stop composer Aadesh Shrivastav from accompanying Akon to the podium.
Akon had to intervene and remind the Club's staff that Aadesh was like his brother. Says Aadesh, "Yes that was a rather embarrassing situation, I'd have lost my temper if it wasn't for Akon. Akon did persuade me to come on stage with him. He has treated me like a brother from the time I got to know him five years ago. When the idea of a Punjabi track came to me, I was hesitant to put it forward to Akon, considering his packed schedule in Mumbai. But he immediately agreed."
The Punjabi recording with Akon on Thursday was a riot with the singer savouring the words to the fullest. Says Aadesh, "I wrote the lyrics myself. Akon sang the track about the kudi who took away his kaleja like true Punjabi munda. I have given him a rhythm section consisting of violins, the daff, a matka, dholak and table. Akon freaked out."
The singer left Mumbai on Thursday night. Aadesh Shrivastav said, "The craze for Akon singing in any language is phenomenal. You've to judge how popular Akon is among youngsters in Mumbai by the crowds that gathered for him."MNIK Vfx: Creating Georgia in Mumbai (09:36 AM March 15th)
Shah Rukh Khan won over our hearts and minds with the Good Samaritan Rizwan Khan in MNIK by helping poor American villagers in their time of need. But who would have guessed that Karan Johar shot the whole flood sequence in Mumbai and made it seem like a quaint, rural village in Georgia? A far cry from yesteryear's films that used cardboard cut-outs for the sun and the moon, the art and carft of visual effects (vfx) has progressed by leaps and bounds enabling filmmakers to use computer technology to save on crucial time and money.
Directed by Karan Johar, the Shah Rukh - Kajol starrer My Name is Khan had some path breaking vfx executed by redchillies.vfx. The Mumbai based vfx house had a team of 100 artists working rigorously for three months to make the 380 vfx shots, and thus the film, a creative success.
Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Haresh Hingorani (Harry), Production Director at redchillies.vfx shared, "For us, creating the flood sequence was the biggest challenge. Since we had to play with computer generated (CG) water and simulations, the sequence became even more complicated. Apart from flood sequence, there were several other chroma background shots, CG elements and background creation, which took time to complete."
In this exclusive case study, we bring you some of the exciting shots executed by redchillies.vfx, courtesy Fox Searchlight, Dharma Productions. Special thanks to the redchillies.vfx team - Haresh Hingorani, Arjun Mitra and Keitan Yadav.
Click on the thumbnails below to check out the shot breakdown:Shilpa and Raj Kundra launch their nightclub called Royalty in Mumbai (09:09 AM March 15th)
Shilpa Shetty and hubby Raj Kundra may be busy touring with their IPL team- Rajasthan Royals but that hasn't stopped them from expanding their other business interests. Shilpa and Raj recently announced the opening of their new nightclub called 'Royalty' in Mumbai. The high end club is located at the same place where popular hotspot 'Poison' was earlier situated.
After their closely fought match against the Mumbai Indians on Saturday, Shilpa and Raj threw a lavish bash at their new club Royalty. The bash saw some bigwigs in attendance including Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Harman Baweja, Ameesha, Kabir Bedi, Shamita Shetty and Jackie Shroff.
One will have to wait and watch if this nightclub turns out to be a hotspot for Bollywood's party animals in the days to come.Vidya Balan creates sleep awareness (08:25 AM March 15th)
Ever wondered why Vidya Balan looks as fresh like a Lilly. It's probably because of good sleeping habits. Therefore, naturally, Indian Sleep Disorders Association (ISDA) has appointed her as the brand ambassador of sleep awareness month that runs through all of March.
The drive is to sensitise people about sleep disorders, the symptoms of which are often ignored but can cause serious health issues. It's Miss Balan's belief which is validated by doctors as well that getting a good night's sleep is as important as having daily vitamins and in case you're facing irregular sleeping patterns, it's important to see a doctor.
According to experts one in every three Indian suffers from insomnia or some other form of sleep disorder but having Vidya working on creating awareness, there is bound to be a lot of people having sweet dreams.Kareena and Shahid won't be promoting Milenge Milenge together (03:25 AM March 15th)
Plans for bringing Kareena and Shahid Kapoor together to promote their pending project Milenge Milenge have been called off. It has now been decided by producer Boney Kapoor that the pair will promote the film individually. This, to avoid Kareena who's in a committed relationship, any embarrassment and awkwardness, although Shahid who had no objections to collaborating with Kareena on the promotion seems unaware of these developments.
When asked if he'd be willing to promote the film jointly with Kareena, Shahid says enthusiastically, "Yes, I'll do everything I can to promote it. Of course I'll do everything in my power to see the film gets properly released. It's my film."
Shahid says he has no problems whatsoever promoting the film with Kareena. However, producer Boney Kapoor feels it's wiser and more discreet to let Shahid and Kareena do separate promotional work.
Says Boney, "We're getting Shahid and Kareena to do separate promotional activities. That way we give them space to be comfortable with the situation and also we get twice the amount of publicity for Milenge Milenge that we would if the pair promoted the film jointly."
Shahid has not only decided to go all-out for Milenge Milenge, he has also been taking interest in the release date to ensure that it releases at a time when it is likely to get the best audience.
He recently had a meeting with producer Boney Kapoor and they mutually agreed to postpone the release from April to later during the year.
Says Shahid, "We met and took a joint decision. Boneyji was co-operative. Otherwise I'd have had three releases-Milenge Milenge, Paathshala and Badmaash Company-in one month."
Boney says he's getting Milenge Milenge ready for release in the last week of June or the first week of July. "Milenge Milenge would be Shahid's last release until his father's film Mausam. Kareena and he look gorgeous together."
In fact Shahid is enormously enthusiastic about Milene Milenge. Last week he met the film's director Satish Kaushik. Says Satish emotionally, "Though we live in the same building Shahid and I never meet! I know him from the time he was a child. On Saturday night, we bumped into each other in our high-rise compound after a party. We spoke for nearly an hour about Milenge Milenge. Shahid told me the project is very dear to him and that he would go all out to promote the film however my producer Boney Kapoor and I wanted. Shahid is at our disposal. He also asked me to update him on music video shoot."Minissha Lamba to be seen in a non-glamorous role (11:39 PM March 14th)
After appearing in an ultra-glamorous avatar in 'Kidnap', Minissha Lamba will now be seen in a non-glamorous role in Benegal’s forthcoming film, “Well Done Abba” which is a political satire. The film, produced by Reliance Big Pictures, is inspired by two short stories - “Narsaiyyan Ki Bavdi” by Jeelani Bano and “Phulwa Ka Pul” by [...]
Neil Nitin Mukesh breaks off with his fiancee (11:38 PM March 14th)
Amidst much glam, glitter and hype, Neil Nitin Mukesh had exchanged engagement rings with his designer girlfriend Priyanka Bhatia last year and the couple seemed very much in love since they had been dating each other for almost two years. Neil had also hinted that he would go for the wedding bells in 2010, but [...]
Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor stop 'tweeting' (11:37 PM March 14th)
Upset and worried with the unrestricted flow of his forthcoming flick 'Anjaana Anjaani' being leaked out in 'Twitter', Sajid Nadiawala has banned his cast and crew from using the social networking site for the time being. As such, both the leading stars of the film, Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor, have been asked to stop [...]
A baby boy for Karisma Kapoor A baby boy for Karisma Kapoor (10:26 PM March 14th)
Karisma Kapoor said goodbye to Bollywood and settled with her family quite a few years back. She has a five-year-old daughter Samaira and now, she delivered a baby boy at a private hospital in Mumbai around noon making her family complete. Both mother and daughter are fine at present. Karisma married Delhi-based industrialist Sanjay Kapoor and [...]
Nana Patekar blasts off at Deepika Padukone (09:44 PM March 11th)
The short-tempered Nana Patekar comes in form once again and this time at the receiving end is the gorgeous and ever so beautiful Deepika Padukone. It so happened that Nana Patekar is set to direct a film for Prakash Jha and Patekar approached Deepika for a casting. However, when Deepika tried to suggest some changes in [...]
Marriage makes Esha Koppikar worried about her hot scenes in 'Right Yaaa Worng' (09:43 PM March 11th)
Eesha Koppikar has given quite a few sizzling hot scenes in her forthcoming 'Right Yaaa Wrong' and the actress was quite worried about the scenes before her marriage. After all she is now the bahu of a traditional family. The film has Eesha playing the role of Anshita, Sunny Deol's wife. Deol plays a cop and [...]
Deepika Padukone and Bipasha Basu on the ramp for LFW 2010 (09:41 PM March 11th)
Lakme Fashion Week kicked off the Summer/Resort 2010 Collections with Rocky S who came up in a palette of pastel hues like pink, peach, nude and turquoise and then moved to luxurious shaded tones which finally ended with ivory and black'¦.and lots of gold trim and embellishment. All of it accessorized with diamonds from a [...]
Will 'Right Ya Wrong' revive Sunny Deol's sinking career? (09:35 PM March 11th)
Releasing this Friday is a crime thriller 'Right Ya Wrong' produced by Subhash Ghai and Written and directed by debutant Neeraj Pathak. The movie marks the comeback of Sunny Deol who seemed to have disappeared from limelight post his disasters in movies like “Heroes” and “Fox”. The flick which tells the tale of two friends [...]
SRK welcomes Akon, but forgets old friend Farah Khan (09:26 PM March 11th)
The 'Smack That' singer Akon is on a three-day visit to Mumbai to compose and record a song for SRK's 'Ra 1' and Shahrukh is leaving no stones unturned to give the singer a very warm welcome. Akon got a traditional Indian welcome from Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor during a press meet in [...]
Akshay Kumar handcuffed for 4 hours (10:04 PM March 9th)
It all happened at the sets of the forthcoming directorial venture from Farah Khan, 'Tees Maar Khan' where Khiladi Kumar was handcuffed for not one or two but long four hours. However, this was not for some crime done by Akshay but it was an accident. Akshay had to shoot for a sequence with handcuffs [...]