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‘Jaan-E-Mann- My Best Work Ever’: Akshay Kumar

The age-old proverb ‘Slow and steady wins the race’ proved to a perfect match to describe the latest released film Jaan-E-Mann. Though the film was a slow starter like the ‘tortoise’, but in the long run it seems to leave the ‘hare’ far behind and win the slot by a great margin.
Apart from Salman Khan and Preity Zinta, Akshay Kumar has become a crowd puller. The post-Eid phase has given Jaan-E-Mann maximum viewership. The part played by Akshay Kumar is being praised by all for his characteristic smile in the film. None can deny the emotional scenes played by Salman Khan or the fashionable attire and looks worn by Preity Zinta or the light comedy performed by Anupam Kher. However, the unique laughter of Akshay has taken the public in his grip.

Sajid Nadiadwala was found to be in a relaxing mood with Jaan-E-Mann attracting a huge crowd in the theatres across the country. He feels that the movie was successful in targeting the family audience. The music of Jaan-E-Mann, inspite of the Anu Malik controversy was a great hit.

Even Akshay Kumar was very happy with the progress of the film and was satisfied with the part played by him. Akshay feels that the festive season of Diwali and Eid happens to be very lucky for him. He said, ‘Since the past few years whichever of my films have released during this period have done well. So it is lucky for me in a way’. Well, the second week craze for Jaan-E-Mann will certainly earn for it, the tag of a hit film.

Hrithik: Bollywood's highest paid?

Syed Firdaus Ashraf in Mumbai
Hrithik Roshan in Dhoom 2.

"Krrish is my eleventh film. Where do the 'dozen flops' come from?" the star asked me.

Okay then, 9, I suggested. He lightened up. "I have never given nine flops in a row. I had three big hits: Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, Koi Mil Gaya and -- if you can count my contribution alongside big co-stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan -- Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham." Mission Kashmir and Fiza, he explained, weren't flops.

Things have changed, massively.

Once almost written-off by show business, Hrithik now doesn't need to justify anything. His Krrish is a tremendous success. And it is said he is close to signing an unbelievable deal with the Anil Ambani-controlled Adlabs group -- Rs 35 crores (Rs 350 million) for three films, which would make him the highest paid actor in Bollywood.

That tag has so-far rested on Aamir Khan's shoulders, the rarely-appearing superstar said to be commanding Rs 7 crores (Rs 70 million) per film.

Hrithik's new deal would mean he will earn close to Rs 12 crore (Rs 120 million) a film, and enjoy all decision-making rights: he can space the films as he wants over the next three years, pick the scripts and the directors. It's a deal to kill for.

No one from Adlabs was willing to speak on the record, but sources confirmed that negotiations were on and that the deal will indeed be inked in a day or two.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh thinks it is a sound strategy. "Adlabs know the business and the market. No one in the film industry does charity, and they aren't doing it either. They know the Bollywood theory, 'Hit hai toh fit hai' (all that matters is a hit)," Adarsh said. "I am not surprised if this deal is happening."

While huge, the move doesn't seem sproradic. Adlabs has entered the film industry in a big way, and its multiplexes are spreading across the country.

A few months ago Adlabs was said to be entering into a Rs 25 crore (Rs 250 million) deal with Akshay Kumar to make four films.

Aamir is the beneficiary of a Rs 20 crore (Rs 200 million) co-production deal with PVR Cinemas -- the actor is making two films for the joint venture, Zaamen Pe Taare directed by Amol Gupte, and a youthful comedy marking (Main Hoon Na, Maqbool) scriptwriter Abbas Tyrewala's directorial debut.

So how come the stakes have suddenly gotten so high? Apparently, over the last year, Bollywood has gotten much bigger. 2006 itself has seen four films make close to Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) each -- Rang De Basanti, Fanaa, Krrish and Lage Raho Munna Bhai have upped the financial equations in a huge way.

Various corporate firms are keen to invest in production but are tentative about a project's feasibility. The money is there, but big projects need big stars, a 'saleable face' to bring in the audience.

And now it suddenly seems there are only seven real superstars in Bollywood -- Aamir, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan and Saif Ali Khan -- and this shortage means they are obviously worth their weight in gold.

Trying to get these A-list stars for a project is nearly impossible, given their currently overbooked schedules. Perhaps this is why the 3-film and 4-film contracts are being drawn up, ensuring stars will be committed to corporate banners over the next few years.

The paycheck is still staggering. "Adlabs will have to choose the right kind of subject to justify this price -- for example, they will have to make a film like Krrish," explained trade analyst Vinod Mirani. "Today, Rs 12 crore per film may sound like a big amount, but next year that amount may sound less because of inflation. I feel the Adlabs group can afford this kind of risk, because they are going to distribute the films as well."

Then again, it is a fallout of our films getting more expensive. Most blockbusters today have budgets spilling well over the Rs 30 crore (Rs 300 million) mark, in which case it's obvious stars would get a bigger cut. "It is a known fact in the film industry that stars take 55% of the film's total budget," reveals Adarsh. "This was true in the time of Rajesh Khanna in the early 1970s, and then for Amitabh Bachchan's time in the later 1970s and 1980s, and so it holds good now."

Music Top 10 - Last Week

"Ek toote huye dil ki", the sad number from J.P. Dutta's "Umrao Jaan", is holding the number one position among Hindi film songs this week too.

The top 10 Hindi film songs of the week are:

1. "Ek toote huye dil ki" - Film: "Umrao Jaan"; Music: Anu Malik; Singer: Alka Yagnik. A short and sad track that has appealed to listeners is enjoying the top position this week as well.

2. "Main hoon don" - Film: "Don - The Chase Begins Again"; Singer: Shaan; Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The film opened this week and failed to impress the critics. However, this stylishly shot song is still holding the second position.

3. "Tere bin" - Film: "Bas Ek Pal"; Singer: Atif Aslam; Music: Mithoon. For the last two weeks this blues' number is holding on to the third position.

4. "Chak de phatte"- "Khosla Ka Ghosla"; Singer: Kailash Kher; Music: Bapi-Tutul, Dhruv. A typical Punjabi fun song from the hit flick "Khosla Ka Ghosla" is enthralling music lovers.

5. "Pyaar kar ke pachhtaye" - Film: "Pyaar Ke Side Effects"; Singer: Labh Janjua; Music: Pritam. The film has received rave reviews, which has boosted the popularity of the song.

6. "Hum ko maaloom hai" - Film: "Jan-e-Mann"; Music: Anu Malik; Singers: Sonu Nigam and Sadhana Sargam. The film has released and critics have appreciated the endeavours of Shirish Kunder's directorial debut. It was a visual treat to watch this conversational song on screen.

7. "Kya mujhe pyaar hai" - Film: "Woh Lamhe"; Singer: K.K.; Music: Pritam. The success of the film and the music has surprised trade watchers. This is certainly the best song in the album.

8. "Aap ki khatir" - Film: "Aap Ki Khatir"; Singer: Himesh Reshammiya; Music: Himesh Reshammiya. The film didn't receive encouraging reviews and new entrants ousted the song last week. However, its popularity brings it back to the list this week.

9. "Lage raho Munna bhai" - Film: "Lage Raho Munna Bhai"; Singer: Vinod Rathod; Music: Shantanu Moitra. The film is a super duper hit and the popularity of the title song is increasing which has entered the list after a couple of weeks.

10. "Mujhe haq hai"- Film: "Vivah"; Music: Ravindra Jain; Singers: Udit Narayan and Shreya Ghoshal. The love song has hit the right chord with young listeners.

(Source - The Music Shop, Khan Market)

yatra - Music Review

Music Directors: Khayyam, Goutam Ghose Music Label: Times Music Rating: **1/2 Veteran music composer Khayyam, whose dulcet melodies in films like "Kabhi Kabhi", "Razia Sultan", "Bazaar", "Noorie" and "Umrao Jaan" have won him hordes of fans, is back after a long gap in "Yatra". Assisted by the film's director Gautam Ghose in the score, the Khayyam touch is evident in this latest album. The effort, tilted towards the classical, is quite remarkable. And one cannot help wonder why J.P. Dutta preferred Anu Malik for his "Umrao Jaan". "Jaam-e-mohabbat", a lovely mujra by Asha Bhosle, sets the tone for the album. The combination of Khayyam, Bhosle and lyricist Ahmed Wasi work wonders in this number that has a brief prelude by Rekha. Then comes "Aap to mere hi khwabon mein", a love song by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. This number gives one a feel of yesteryears, particularly Khayyam's beautiful track "Ye mulaqat ek bahana hai" from "Khandan". Certainly one of the high points of the album. Ghazal exponent Talat Aziz returns to Bollywood with "Saaz-e-dil nagma-e-jaan". Aziz's voice fits perfectly into this well-crafted song with lyrics by Naqsh Lyalpuri. At times, he even sounds like the great Ghulam Ali. "Madhur madhur" by Bhonsle has a folk element attached to it with heavy doses of flute. A very listenable song. Now what comes next has a surprise element - a remixed version of the O.P. Nayyar classic "Kabhi aar kabhi paar". Sung by Jojo, the remix is done by Goutam Ghose. The second side of the album is devoted to pure classical music - seven dadras, thumris and taranas, all composed by Ghose. Shuvra Guha sings the dadra "Tadpe bin baalam", the bhairon thumri "Dareja dareja", pilu thumri "More ankhiyan bhool gayi" and the mishra khamaj "Jaoji karo na" (with Aditi Bhattacharya). Ustad Rashid Khan croons two songs - "Garaje ghata" and the tarana "Biya biya". There is another classical number,"Panchhi pinjre se" by Keya Acharya. One thing is sure - classical buffs will really cherish this album. The songs by Khayyam relive the magic of yesteryears and are quite appealing. "Yatra" proves Khayyam is for all generations.

Ash-Abhishek to marry next year

Who's up for a little gossip!!!

According to Kannada newspaper ‘Vijayakarnataka’, Aishwarya and Abhishek will tie the knot sometime in February, 2007 and Aishwarya will officially announce the news on her birthday, November 1. The story was revealed to the newspaper by Bachchan family's astrologer Chandrashekhara Swamiji. According to him the year 2006 will be unlucky for the married couple and so he advised Aishwarya and Abhishek to marry in 2007. There is, however, no official confirmation of the reported wedding. The two stars, who have been romantically linked since over an year now, have consistently refused to confirm media speculation on the issue. Past media reports have suggested that the couple have kept their wedding plans in abeyance pending a nod from the Bachchan family, something that has so far not been forthcoming. In the recent past Ash has made great efforts to assuage any misgivings that the Bachchan family may have harbored about her abilities as a homemaker. Her efforts at winning the hearts of the Bachchan family include a hospital visit to Abhishek's grandmother Teji Bachchan and frequent visits to the Bachchan home. Recently she and her family spent their Diwali with the Bachchans. According to the report, Aishwarya (born in Dhanu Rashi) and Abhishek (born in Kumbha Rashi) marriage was likely to face roadblocks in 2006 problems but, from October 27, when the planetary positions change, both Ash and Abhi will have the support of Jupiter (Guru-bruhaspathi). A horoscope match was confirmed in Nov 2005 when Amitabh's brother, Ajitabh, visited a priest in Bangalore in the company of Abhishek, at the behest of Teji Bachchan. It is reported that the ailing Teji Bachchan is very keen to see her grandson wed. However it still remains to be seen how much truth lies behind all these rumours. Aishwarya has always been tightlipped about the relationship while Abhishek has managed to evade the topic whenever he has confronted the issue. Is it another publicity gimmick ahead of the release of Aishwarya and Abhishek starrer movies - Dhoom 2 & Umrao Jaan?

Salaam-e-Ishq

Directed by : Nikhil Advani

Tehzeeb (Vidya Balan) wakes up in the morning to find a small diamond pendant by her bedside. An anniversary gift from her very romantic husband Ashutosh (John Abraham). They had eloped and got married two years ago.

Struggling like all young married couples in Bombay they work in media – at a news channel. She is a field reporter and he is a film editor. Completely crazy about each other they find it quite difficult to keep their hands off each other.

But things are going to change… Because Tehzeeb is going to be involved in a tragic accident that will change everything… That will put Ashu’s love and devotion to the ultimate test.

Raju taxiwala (Govinda) wakes up in the morning and gets into his colourful Delhi taxi. He drives from his home in Chandni Chowk to the New Delhi International Airport. Like he has for the last 15 years. He joins the long queue at the airport. Like has for the last 15 years.

Unlike the other taxi drivers he does not complain about the ever-increasing queue. He hasn’t… even once for the last 15 years. Because he enjoys watching the doors of the New Delhi International Airport. Opening and closing.

He enjoys watching the passengers coming out. Hoping that among them will be HER… His blonde dream girl (Stephanie) … The girl that he has waited for the last 15 years…

But things are going to change… Because his dream girl does come. From those very doors… The only problem is that Stephanie has come looking for Rohit Chaddha – her boyfriend…

Vinay Malhotra (Anil Kapoor) wakes up in his picture perfect suburban London home every morning. He is cared for by his picture perfect wife Seema (Juhi Chawla), and he is kissed goodbye by his picture perfect daughters. He goes to his picture perfect London PR job and returns to his picture perfect wife, daughters and home.

But things are going to change… Because Vinay Malhotra meets the not so perfect Anjali (Anjana). Unconventional, over-confident and extremely determined, Anjali comes from a world that Vinay only dreams off. A world where the very modern single girl living in London gets what she wants… And Anjali wants Vinay Malhotra…

Kkamini (spelt with 2 K’s) (Priyanka Chopra) wakes up to another scandal in the morning newspapers. The most sought after item girl in Bollywood cannot help, but get involved with all sorts of problems with the media.

Problems that she attributes as the cause for not landing the coveted heroine roles. The roles that she came to the big bad world of Bollywood for…

But things are going to change…. Because she has devised a plot to change her image in the media, the public eye and most importantly the big producers of Bollywood. A plot that will propel her from item girl to number one heroine… The only thing that she has not anticipated is RAHUL (Salman Khan)…

Shiven (Akshaye Khanna) wakes up to a nightmare. The most consummate bachelor in New Delhi is engaged to get married in the next 10 days. The most consummate bachelor in New Delhi has suddenly realized what is in store for him.

The most consummate Bachelor in New Delhi wants to break off the engagement. And he does hurting his fiancé Gia (Ayesha Takia) in the bargain, but retrieving his coveted freedom…

But things are going to change… Because with each passing day, with every agonizing hour he begins to realize that without Gia he is suddenly and completely incomplete…

Rustom Dastoor (Sohail Khan) are a simple lower middle class Parsi couple. He wants to spend the rest of his life with his newly married wife Dolly Dastoor (Perizaad Zorabian). He wants to spend every hour fulfilling the lust that has been building up within him all these years…

But things are going to change… Because no matter how and where Rustom Dastoor tries to fulfill that burning desire something goes wrong and Rustom Dastoor and Dolly Dastoor are thrown into a series of events that become tragically and comically almost fatal…

Salaam-e-ishq is the story of 6 groups of people. From different parts of the world. From different walks of life. Ignorant about each other’s existence, but who end up being brought together by destiny, fate and LOVE…

Is Mallika really 35 years old??

Nice gossip found in one of the website, Read on to find what it says.

Yet another controversy has surfaced regarding Mallika Sherawat and this one concerns her age. The tabloids insist that she cannot be 25 years old as claimed by her mother. Instead, she could well be 35 years old.

A private TV channel even aired Sherawat's group photo taken in way back 1995 when she was working as an airhostess. Records show her age then to be 24 years old!

Mallika, who celebrated a birthday earlier this week, is however amused by all the speculation.

Talking to a leading news channel, she joked, "You know something. I'm 45 and I have two grandkids. “ It's just that about me there's more misinformation than information. And surprisingly, they inflate all my positives and negatives. They inflate my ego, my success, my failure -- and now they've inflated my age!"

Having earned rave reviews for her performance in Pyaar Ke Side Effects, Sherawat will be now seen as an ex-CIA agent in a movie ‘Dasavatharam’ with Kamal Hassan, where the actor himself plays a record-breaking ten roles!

Reveals Ravi Kumar, director of the movie, "Mallika agreed to do the movie even before she saw the script. She plays a bold, modern girl. It was a pleasure working with her as she would report every morning at seven on the dot."

"But one had to be professional since Kamal himself would reach the sets around 2.30 -3 am everyday!

He would do his make-up for about five hours and by the time Mallika arrived he would be ready for the shot,” he adds.

So while her kitty is full of work why is she keeping a low profile these days?

"I really haven't been keeping a low profile. I just think and believe that it is time for me to shut up and do some good work. I've blabbed enough," she gushes.

Dhoom 2

Bollywood has scored a hat trick this year with the success of three sequels - "Phir Hera Pheri", "Krrish" and "Lage Raho Munna Bhai". Will "Dhoom 2", the latest to join the bandwagon, be equally lucky? "Dhoom-2", a sequel to the hugely successful movie "Dhoom", is all set to woo the audiences in November. The original had Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra, John Abraham, Esha Deol and Rimi Sen. The sequel has Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai playing thieves. Hrithik replaces John from the earlier flick. Aishwarya and Bipasha Basu pitch in for Esha Deol and Rimi Sen. The story of the movie goes like this: Ali's (Uday Chopra) dream of becoming a police officer finally turns into reality. He is Assistant Commissioner of Police Jai Dixit's (Abhishek Bachchan) right hand man. They try to keep a tight leash on crime together, but fate has something else in store for them. Aryan (Hrithik Roshan), a hi-tech international thief, after pulling off a series of near-impossible heists all over the world, decides to move to Mumbai. That's when Ali and Jai's lives turn upside down. Aryan succeeds in dodging Jai and Ali, who are working on his case round the clock. Then comes Shonali Bose, Jai's college mate, now a police officer. She helps put pieces of the puzzle together as she has been closely tracking these thefts and is now considered an expert on Aryan, whom no one has seen - not even Shonali. Aryan finds his match in Sunehri (Aishwarya Rai), a petty yet clever thief. They decide to work together and thus the game begins. Does ACP Jai Dixit manage to nab Aryan? Or does Aryan give him the slip? From the desert of Namibia to the backwaters of Goa, the mean streets of Mumbai and the ancient forts of Rajasthan, and finally to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - the film promises to take the audiences on a ride through some of the most exotic locations in the world. Apart from that, director Sanjay Gadhavi has laced it with the best of technology to turn it into a hi-tech thriller. The music score of "Dhoom" played an important part in its success, but the music of part two is not as appealing as the original. The promos, however, have aroused a good amount of curiosity among movie buffs and in the trade circle.

Check this out!!

CLASSIFIED

Reality TV shows under the scanner

It is a high stakes battle for all participants of reality shows, which gives instant fame and fortune at the end and even future prospects.

But how far do people, even celebrities, participating in the show go to ensure that the outcome is tilted in their favour. And how real are reality TV shows?

The Thane police in Maharashtra stumbled upon a startling fact about how a TV star couple participating in a celebrity reality dance show tried to influence the outcome in their favour.

This is a reality dance show where two of its actors seem to have made the wrong moves. TV actors Shweta Kawatra and Manav Gohil, who the Thane Police say, bought and distributed 200 SIM cards to friends and acquaintances.

Cards were not bought in their name but in the names of two other people; possibly in the hope of boosting the votes polled in their favour.

The actors are competing in "Star One's" reality dance show Nach Baliye, where they are locked in a high stakes battle with three other celebrity couples.

Reality check

The competition is poised at a crucial stage.

The matter came to light when the Thane Police was investigating another complaint.

"We had received a complaint from a housewife that she was getting obscene SMSes. We traced the number and found out that her husband was the one sending her the messages. When we called the woman and told her it was her husband she said she didn't want to proceed with the case," said Sanjay Shintre, DCP, Thane police.

Shweta, Manav and "Star One" have all refused to comment on the issue. But this isn't the first time the show has found itself in the news.

In its last season, a Mumbai newspaper had reported rumors of other contestants using similar means to garner votes.

"Sony's" Indian Idol too was hit by accusations of result fixing when one of the contestants was voted out through audience SMSes.

Instances like these have repeatedly raised the issue of just how real are India's reality shows?

Increasing votes

Channels like "Star" and "Sony" insist that contestants cannot really influence the outcome of shows by getting a few thousand votes because their normal voting volume is in lakhs. A number, they say, is only increasing.

"In the past few years broadcasters have looked at it as a means of creating stickiness but now it's gone beyond that. Now we can carry a revenue stream out of it," said Kaushal Modi, VP Licensing, Sony.

Also channels claim they employ data verification agencies that look closely at SMSes. They also have rules on the number of SMSes allowed from a particular number.

These rules change with the show format and the channel it's shown on. For instance "Star One's" Nach Baliye allows 20 SMSes per number while "Sony's" Jhalak Dikhla Ja will allow 500 SMSs a week from a particular number.

Channels claim that if there are too many SMS coming from a certain number they call the service provider and the user to check if the number is being used by a bonafide user.

Umrao, unforgettable

FILMMAKER OP Dutta said, cinema is like a woman, beautiful and desirable. No wonder he was always fascinated with a greater enchantress - Umrao Jaan Ada. Very few know that he penned the script, and had finalised the sensuous actress of yesteryears, Nimmi, as his Umrao in 1952. The project shelved after a week. Another attempt was made, but it buckled under financial constraints. Forty four years later, his son, a master of mega movies, is all set to unveil his father's dream. JP Dutta will see his Umrao Jaan come of yet another age, and re-captivate hearts on November 3. "And this time, Umrao chose Aishwarya," the award-winning director who works on the big, bigger and biggest funda, for a change waited with his star, Aishwarya Rai on the other end while scribes across the country connected through video conferencing at the Reliance Webworld, today. With a truckload of journos all set to scribble juicy bites, the obvious question for the umpteenth time was, like we said, obvious - the remake bug. "I'd like to clear this," Dutta gets a little stern. "There are three versions of Umrao Jaan. Zindagi Aur Toofan, Nadiadwala's Mehndi and Muzaffar Ali's Umrao Jaan. The USP of my film is history for it's based on the book, Umrao Jaan Ada by Mirza Mohammad Haadi Ruswa, and it focuses on Ameeran more than Umrao," Dutta stresses on his journey to Lucknow, re-inventing the glorious Awadh of 1857, keeping the original title "for he didn't want to ruswa Ruswa" and cutting out the Ada in the name for "Ash is ada". "There are filmmakers who have made films on Ramayan, Mahabharat, Bible, Shakespear's plays for zillion times, so why can't I," Dutta sure has a temper and point. As for Ash, she doesn't "relate to this line of questioning." "The perspective is not whether the film has been made before. The perspective is to go and watch the film with a fresh approach," says the diva who went to the sets as a "clean slate".

To be compared to Rekha, who will always be the perfect courtesan, is of course flattering. "But to believe in references that lead to emulation is unwarranted for. An actor always waits for interesting characters to come by. This was one. And I seriously don't believe in comparisons for we work on the director's vision and creation," feels Ash for whom the "film has been an enriching journey, especially while exploring the fantastic details of a character called Umrao Jaan." While she'll soon be seen in seen in Dhoom II and later in, Jodha Akbar, Dutta might pick up on his Aakhri Mughal with Abhishek (yes, we asked her, and she enjoys her on screen chemistry with Junior Bachchan. Off screen too). Meanwhile, Ash's glamourous costumes will be auctioned, "and it will be done through Reliance mobiles too," Dutta adds, taking this time to quickly run over some politically correct quotes. A director who has always made male-dominated films, "Umrao Jaan is by far the most serious subject he has dealt with. "The film is not about Umrao alone. As Sahir Ludhianvi said, aurat ne janam diya mardon ko, aur mardon ne use bazaar diya...Armed conflict has been going on for centuries, but there is something much older - flesh trade. Despite the economic growth and all the world power, feel good we harp about, we are still killing the girl child. We are a big zero when it comes to respecting the woman who is the giver of life," an emotional Dutta makes full use of his platform. Another point he makes is the neglected heritage in UP. "That's why we shot in Jaipur. It's unfortunate that a state that has given the maximum PMs to the country has its heritage in ruins."
Back to film, whether it will be able to match Khayyam's timeless music, Sahir's words and Rekha's magic is a big question. It has the new madam in Shaukat's daughter, Shabana, the indulgent rebellious nawab in Abhishek, and perhaps the passionate dacoit in Puru Rajkumar. That was 26 years ago. "A film does not work because of actors. It works because it will work, it is a team effort. And this a J P Dutta film. The onus is on me." We shall see.

Subhash Ghai launches seven new films

Keeping with his tradition of making new project announcements to mark each anniversary of his Mukta Arts banner, veteran showman Subhash Ghai today announced seven new films - three films under Mukta Searchlight and four under Mukta Arts Entertainment.

This includes one film which will be directed by him and will star Salman Khan. The directors of all these films have been finalised, while the cast and crew are under finalisation.

The four films under Mukta Entertainment are slated to commence production by March-April 2007 and completed by January 2008, while the three films under Mukta Searchlight banner will commence production by November 21 this year and be completed by April 2007, a press release issued by Mr Ghai said here today.

Subhash Ghai today announced seven new projects under the Mukta Arts Banner.

The four films under Mukta Entertainment include an untitled film to be directed by Subhash Ghai himself, starring Salman Khan, a film by Anees Bazmi being written by Pattoo Parekh and other two films directed by Anurag Basu and Abbas Mastan respectively. The cast and crew of these films is under finalisation and will be announced at a later date, the release informed.

The three films under the Mukta Searchlight banner include a film by Subhash Ghai titled Black n White, which will be shot in one schedule, starting from November 21 this year. It will introduce a new hero Anurag Sinha. Anil Kapoor will play a stellar role in the film.

The other one to be directed by him will star Salman Khan and two star heroines being short listed in this Rs 30 crore budget film under Mukta Arts Entertainment. The other two films, one by Nagesh Kukunoor's Bombay 2 Bangkok and the other by his chief assistant Shashi Sudigala titled Cycle Kick will go on floors on November 1 under the banner of Mukta Searchlight Films which produced Iqbal.

"It's high time that we focus on good stories and scripts than mere proposal making. All the projects and stories with its relative team and genre of the film have been very carefully chosen and I predict three new stars shinning and making it big in 2007", said Subhash Ghai.

Mukta Searchlight films was launched in 2004 to encourage independent cinema and debut film-makers with low cost productions, while Mukta Arts Entertainment was launched to cater to mainstream popular cinema like last release 36 China Town and this year's release Sangeeth Sivan's Apna Sapna Money Money which is slated for a November 10 release.

Dhoom 2

Dhoom 2 is a forthcoming Hindi film to be directed by Sanjay Gadhvi. It stars Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Uday Chopra and Bipasha Basu in pivotal roles. The movie is the sequel to the 2004 blockbuster, Dhoom.

The film will be Gadhvi's fourth directorial venture after Tere Liye (2000), Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002), and Dhoom (2004), and his third with Yash Raj Films. The film's score and soundtrack is composed by Pritam and lyrics are penned by Sameer. Cinematography for the movie is handled by Vikas Sivaraman and Nirav Shah whilst editing is handled by Rameshwar S. Bhagat. Shooting for the film began at various locations in India including sets erected at the Yash Raj Films studios and has now shifted to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. An action sequence in the film was recently shot in Durban, South Africa. The film is slated for release on November 24.


THE PLOT
The world's oldest desert, the Namib A solitary railway line... A royal family on a royal journey... From the sky, like lightning... a FLASH! The centuries old Royal Crown is stolen!

Ali's (Uday Chopra) dream of becoming a police officer has come true. He is now ACP Jai Dixit's (Abhishek Bachchan) 'right hand man'. Together, they are trying to keep a tight leash on the crime in India. Little do they know what they are going to be up against.

Enter Aryan - Mr. A (Hrithik Roshan) - A hi-tech international thief. After pulling off a series of impossible heists all over the world, his next target is Mumbai, India. The case is given to Jai and Ali. Helping them put the pieces of the puzzle together is ACP Shonali Bose (Bipasha Basu), Jai's college mate, now a police officer in her own right. For the last two years Shonali has been tracking these amazing thefts and is now an expert on this thief, who no one has seen.

Once in Mumbai, Aryan finds his match in Sunehri (Aishwarya Rai), a petty yet clever thief. She makes him an offer he finds very hard to refuse. A partnership! Aryan accepts.

And so the game begins - a game of cat and mouse.

From the desert of Namibia to the backwaters of Goa, the mean streets of Mumbai and the ancient forts of Rajasthan, and finally to wild and exotic Rio De Janeiro.

Does Jai Dixit manage to nab Aryan? OR does he prove to be too much for him?

CAST AND CREW
* Hrithik Roshan ... Aryan / Mr. A
* Abhishek Bachchan ... ACP Jai Dixit
* Aishwarya Rai ... Sunehri
* Uday Chopra ... Ali
* Bipasha Basu ... ACP Shonali Bose
* Rimii ... Sweety Dixit (Guest Appearance)
* John Abraham ... Kabir (Guest Appearance)
* Director: Sanjay Gadhvi
* Screenplay: Vijay Krishna Acharya
* Story: Aditya Chopra
* Dialogue: Vijay Krishna Acharya
* Producers: Yash Chopra & Aditya Chopra
* Music: Pritam
* Lyrics: Sameer
* Background Music: Salim Merchant & Sulaiman Merchant
* Cinematography: Vikas Sivaraman & Nirav Shah
* Editing: Rameshwar S. Bhagat
* Art Director: Pramod Guruji, Vinod Guruji & K.K. Muralitharan
* Costume Designer: Anaita Shroff Adjania
* Sound Designer: Dwarak Warrier
* Stunts: Allan Amin
* Choreography: Vaibhavi Merchant & Shiamak Davar

TRIVIA

* Hrithik Roshan will be seen doing roller-blading, sky diving, sand boarding and various other extreme sports in this movie.

* This is the first time Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai will work together, after many unsuccessful attempts. Aishwarya Rai was supposed to act in the sequel to Koi... Mil Gaya (2003) and Krrish (2006) opposite Roshan but couldn't commit due to date problems. They were also supposed to be in a movie directed by Tanuja Chandra but that did not work out either. Both of them are playing villains in this movie.

* There had been much speculation in the media that both the lead actresses, Aishwarya Rai and Bipasha Basu, have been convinced to wear bikinis in the movie. Though director Sanjay Gadhvi had categorically stated that Aishwarya Rai is not sporting any bikini in the movie and its only Bipasha Basu.

* Shooting was disrupted when the studio the Yash Raj staff erected was destroyed in the floods that hit Mumbai on July 26, 2005. Shooting is currently taking place at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

* The high-speed highway chases for the film were shot in Durban, South Africa, where many Indian immigrants gathered to watch the shooting of the film.

* A theatrical trailer of the film was released with Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna which released worldwide on August 11, 2006.

* There is a rumor that John Abraham will make a guest appearance in the film.

how to beat rapidshare and megaupload download barriers

1. Browse the RapidShare download link.
2. Click on the Free button to initiate the download when prompted to choose either Premium or Free.
3. Once the Download-Ticket reserved, the download countdown counter will start.
RapidShare Download Ticket
4. Skip the countdown process by copy and paste the following javascript into the web browser address bar:

java script:alert(c=0)

or

java script:var c=0;

Then press Enter, or click on Go.
5. RapidShare download link to the file will appear immediately.
6. To speed up the bypass process, above hack javascript can be bookmarked.
* Right-click on the javascript.
* Select “Add to Favorites” (in Internet Explorer) or “Bookmark This Link” (in Mozilla Firefox).
* In Internet Explorer, select “Yes” to the warning that the bookmark may be unsafe.
* Name the favorite/bookmark whatever name you want (i.e. RapidShare No Wait).
* Create the favorite/bookmark in location you prefer. In IE, for convenient, you can create it under Links folder, which allows you to access it directly from IE toolbar.
* When you come to RapidShare download time countdown delay page, just click on the favorite/bookmark.

Note: The following JavaScript URL can be used if the above hacking method not working properly:

java script:var%20counta=0;var%20countb=0;var%20countc=0;var%20countd=0;var%20counte=0;var%20countf=0;var%20countg=0;var%20counth=0;var%20counti=0;var%20countj=0;var%20countk=0;var%20countl=0;var%20countm=0;var%20countn=0;var%20counto=0;var%20countp=0;var%20countq=0;var%20countr=0;var%20counts=0;var%20countt=0;var%20countu=0;var%20countv=0;var%20countw=0;var%20countx=0;var%20county=0;var%20countz=0;

As above, just copy and paste the JavaScript into the address bar and press Enter or click Go.

RapidShare Hack: Crack and Disable RapidShare download limit

RapidShare also limit free users, based on their IP address, to certain download limit, and after reaching the limit, RapidShare will block your IP address. To overcome RapidShare download limit, since it’s based on IP address, the techniques to change or mask the IP address will come in useful to hack the RapidShare.

There are several ways to change your IP address (or at least showing different IP address to RapidShare). Whatever ways, you need to clear your web browser’s cookies first.

1. Request new IP address from ISP (for dynamic IP address Internet users only)

1. Click Start -> Run
2. Type cmd in the Open box, then click OK.
3. At the command prompt, run the following commands one by one:

ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
exit
4. Try to download from RapidShare again.
5. Note: It’s possible to put all the commands above into a batch file and simply run the batch file to complete the IP changing process. To create the batch file, use Edit in command prompt or Notepad, copy and paste the above commands into the editor, and save the file with extension of .bat or .cmd (for Notepad, change the File Type to All File too).

2. Use a proxy server, or a different proxy server

You can get a list of available public proxy server easily by searching “proxy server” in search engine such as Google or Yahoo!. Choose a proxy server and note down its IP address and port number.

In Internet Explorer, go to Tools -> Internet Options -> Connections -> LAN Settings. Select (check) the option of Use a proxy server for your LAN. Then key in the proxy server IP address and port in respective box. Click OK to continue.

In Mozilla Firefox, go to Tools -> Options -> Connection Settings. Then select (click) Manual proxy configuration and key in proxy server information. Click OK to continue.

Obviously, once you hit the download limit, you will need to change the proxy server again. There are tools that help you to switch the proxy server automatically. In Internet Explorer, try Steganos Internet Anonym 2006 from Steganos or Hide IP from V7soft. In Firefox, use the SwitchProxy extension. Both software allow you to change the proxy server easily, with just few clicks.

Alternatively you can do what I do... get a premium Account!!!! Well, people like you come anc click on my websites and i make the money. that is used to buy me a Premium account all the file sharing sites!! Cool Huh??

Rapidshare Hacks, Downloads, Tools and Searches

Rapidshare hacks, downloaders for rapidshare, no timelimit, unlimited downloads, free premium accounts. Those are some of the keywords that users are looking for. I thought it would be nice to write a definite guide about rapidshare. Which rapidshare hacks, tools and tricks are working, which are not. Rapidshare imposes a download and timelimit on non premium users of their service. Downloading from Rapidshare is only possible with one connection at a time and rapidshare limits the size of the files that you download to 30 megabytes every hour.
Rapidshare Hacks:

Speaking of Rapidshare Hacks: There is one little rapidshare hack available which sets the timelimit you have to wait to 0. Clear your address bar and add the following line to it “javascript:alert(c=0)”. This sets the rapidshare timelimit to 0 but does not change the download limit. The only way to reset the rapidshare download limit is to make rapidshare.de believe you are a new user. This can be done by either reconnecting to your ISP or by using proxys.
Reconnecting to your ISP is only working if they give out dynamic (changing) IPs to their users, if you have a static IP you will have to use proxies. You can check your ip here. Rapidshare sets a cookie which you will have to delete as well. (In Firefox go to Tools, Options. Select Privacy, Cookies, View Cookies and delete all rapidshare cookies.)

You can try the following commands instead of reconnecting. Open the windows command line (Start, Run, enter cmd, hit enter). Type the following commands, hit enter after each line:
Windows Mac Linux
ipconfig /flushdns let me know restart nscd daemon
ipconfig /release let me know sudo ifconfig en0 down
ipconfig /renew let me know sudo ifconfig en0 down;sudo ifconfig en0 up

If your IP remains the same you probably have a static IP that does not change at all. Your only option to avoid the rapidshare download limit is to use proxies and still clear the cookies in the browser that you are using. Do a search on google for “proxy lists” and you will find heaps of websites that offer proxies. Not all of them are working and you will have to verify that the proxy is a) fast enough and b) does not spill your real IP.

To do that you can simply add the proxy to your connections menu and try it out. Lookup your ip and see if the page loads fast. If you recieve errors or you see your real IP you have to find another proxy.

Rapidshare Tools:

Tools provide some additional features like managing the downloads, changing proxies, simultanious downloads by using more than one proxy and much more. Let us take a look at some of the rapidshare tools:

Rapidshare Link Grab Helper, the password for the rar file is “webxposed.de”. A pretty basic rapidshare tool. Add a rapidshare link, add a proxy, click grab, enter the image verification code, sent the rapidhare direct link to flashget.

Rapget, supports not only rapidshare.de but many other file hosting services like megaupload.com for example. The program has more options, it allows you to select a proxy list that it uses automatically while downloading from rapidshare or the other services. It offers simultanious rapidshare downloads, you can set timeouts, schedule downloads and paste links from files or the clipboard.

Grabber, looks similar to the rapidshare link grab helper with some additional options such as proxy and link checking.

Rapidleecher, offers basic functionality. Copy links, use proxies, enter image verification, get real download link and download the file.

Rapidshare Searches:

You need links to download files from rapidshare. One common method is to use google to search rapidshare.de by using googles site search command.

site:rapidshare.de RAR

This would search rapidshare.de for every link / page that includes the word rar.

You can also search google for sites that index rapidshare downloads, I won´t get into detail about those sites because they mostly link to illegal downloads. Try the search string “rapidshare links” for example.

Rapidshare Free Premium Accounts:

Rapidshare sometimes promotes free premium accounts. Head over to this rapidshare link to check if they currently offer free premium accounts.

The Chase begins for DON

A sleek, stylish, suave, racy James Bond kind of thriller, Don is fairly entertaining. The film being a remake is bound to draw comparisons with the original version which was a hit. Nonetheless Farhan Akhtar’s Don is much more contemporary and stylish in look as compared to the original Don. There are a few added twists and turns in the remake and the screenplay has been executed with extreme finesse. The special effects, action sequences and Shahrukh Khan as Don in a negative avatar as well as in a double role adds its own personal appeal for the new smartly packaged Don.

The film has been produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and directed by Farhan Akhtar. With creative inputs from the original story writer Javed Akhtar, Farhan manages to give certain new dimensions to the film while retaining the basic essence of the original Don. The music of the film has been composed by Shankhar, Ehsaan and Loy and the film stars Shahrukh as Don and Vijay, Priyanka as Roma, Arjun Rampal as Jasjeet, Kareena Kapoor as Kamini, Isha Koppikar as Anita, Om Puri as Mallik, Chunkey Pandey as Ramesh, Pawan Malhotra as Narang, Boman Irani as D Silva, Sushma Reddy and Diwakar Pundit.

Drug trafficking business is flourishing and the hub of the trade has just shifted to Malaysia. The drug mafia is headed by leader Singhania (Rajesh Khattar) who co ordinates everything, but it is Don who is responsible for the day to day operations and success of the drug trade by and large. An Interpol officer D Silva has been working on making inroads to crack the drug trade since quite a while, he knows everything there is to know about the inside workings of the drug business which is at its peak. However now all he needs is hardcore evidence and hence he comes up with a plan to infiltrate the dreaded drug mafia by placing one of his own men on the insides. D Silva trains a man named Vijay for this secret mission where even his own department is kept in the dark about his plans. Vijay bears a striking resemblance to one of the most wanted men on Interpol’s list i.e. Don.

Somehow Don is captured and D Silva sets up Vijay in his place. Vijay provides D Silva with a lot of vital information and hardcore evidence about the workings of the drug Mafiosi. Unfortunately the twist in the tale arises when D Silva is killed during a raid and now the secret about Vijay’s true identity is buried with him. Vijay tries his best to convince the cops of his true identity but alas no one is ready to believe him, except those who have worked side by side with Don, the members of his gang are convinced that this young, bumbling and unsure man cannot be their boss. So now they want revenge and are ought to get Vijay and at the same time Vijay also has to clear his name and prove his identity to the cops. Vijay manages to escape the mafia’s cronies and the cops and sets out in search of evidence to clear his name, in his mission he is helped by Roma and Jasjeet who have their own personal scores to settle with Don.

Farhan Akhtar has managed to come up with a technically proficient film which has loads of style, the special effects are really good and visually the film is first class. Farhan adds more twist and turns in his script which manage to keep the audiences engrossed and his screenplay comes across as spontaneous and energetic. Farhan has maintained the basic essence of the film but has changed the flavour making it more polished and sophisticated. The action sequences and the chase sequences are brilliantly executed and make for great visual display. Farhan has interwoven suspense and the adventurous thrills quite well in the remake. The climax is refreshing and interesting and makes way for perhaps another sequel.

Nonetheless there are certain flaws that come to the fore, the characters are not detailed and drawn out as seen in the original where each character had their own shades. A few twists and turns do leave the viewer a bit confused, such as how did Kamini actually die and other loopholes. Also the length of the film again seems to exceed and even the events could have unfolded at a racier pace making the film even more exciting. Also the intensity and emotional content of the characters seems a bit lacking in the remake.

Music by Shankhar Ehsaan Loy is situational to the film, the tracks which have been retained from the original like ‘Ye Mera Dil’ and ‘Khaike Paan Banaraswala’ even though they have different beats manage to create a nostalgic effect and their picturisations too are appealing. The Don Theme sound track is impactful. Cinematography by Mohanan which depict locales of Malaysia and Paris are simply a class apart and breadth taking. The special effects by Red Chilies SFX are top notch. Some of the old catchy dialogues along with a few new ones delivered in SRK’s inimitable style make an impression. Action sequences are note worthy.

SRK as Don gives the character his own personal style and does well in both his roles. His charm and charisma come across in his demeanor and attitude. SRK in a negative role after a long time definitely excels. There cannot be any comparisons with the original don Amitabh Bachchan as each has their own individualistic style. Priyanka Chopra delivers an adequate performance in her role, Kareena too is fare in her bit role, and Arjun Rampal is strictly average in his portrayal as Jasjeet. Isha Koppikar looks good but does not have much to do. Boman Irani slips into his role with extreme comfort and is extremely good as D Silva. Om Puri has limited scope, Pawan Malhotra is a first rate actor.

Overall Don is a super stylish flick that has suspense, thrills and a great visual appeal; the film will be appealing to the younger generation especially for those who have not seen the original version. The festival season will only enhance its appeal at the box-office and those looking for something apart from the family drama will not be disappointed at all. Moreover Shahrukh fans are in for a treat with his double role. A thorough entertainer and thriller.

Umrao Jaan - Pictures

First Look at Babul

Now a Bhojpuri remake of Sholay – 'Gabbar Singh'

It’s the age of remakes and Sholay seems to be the muse of every filmmaker. So while Ram Gopal Varma has already started work on his version of Sholay with Amitabh Bachchan, another filmmaker is also soon set to remake the all time classic blockbuster. However this time the film will not be remade in Hindi but in Bhojpuri. And the producer isn’t a small name but the queen of the small screen – Ekta Kapoor.

Tapping the vast potential of Bhojpuri film market, Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor have announced a Bhojpuri version of Sholay to be produced under their banner of Balaji Films. And like Ram Gopal Varma, the prime inspiration behind this Sholay again is the bad man – Gabbar Singh. So much so that the film is titled ‘Gabbar Singh’. The film will have all the legendary characters of Jai, Veeru, Basanti, Radha, Thakur, Sambha, etc and will be a multi-starrer in every sense in the Bhojpuri film industry.

So who’s the man wielding the director’s chair? He is Mahesh Pandey. The name might sound new but he had written the screenplay of the last Balaji Films’ release ‘Koi Aap Sa’. In fact this first time director claims that Gabbar Singh might perhaps be his last film. Not because he isn’t confident about his skills. But perhaps because he is over-confident. “I don’t think I will be able to make anything bigger than this film. So Gabbar Singh might be my last film”.

Pandey has been co-scripting the film since the last 6 months with Sandeep Shikhar and Rajesh Tripathi. “We intend to start shooting in February and will be using 5 cameras for the film”. Satish-Ajay will be composing the music while Vinay Bihari has written the lyrics. The film is being co-produced under the banner of Ashtavinayak Films with Mukesh Pande as the executive producer.

Ask him about the RGV version of Sholay and Pandey retorts, “I am not interested in any comparison between his film. My Gabbar Singh is big enough”.

Madhuri to make comeback in Yashraj Films

The cat is out of the bag. Madhuri is finally making a comeback in films. And come back in a grand style. She is doing a film with India’s premier film production house, Yashraj Films. The film is to be directed to by ace cinematographer Anil Mehta.

Apparently, Madhuri loved the script so much that she could not resist the offer to the film. Rumors of her doing Rikku Rakeshnath’s film first have been put to rest by her signing Yashraj’s film. The lead actor of the film is yet to be decided but going by Yashraj’s track record, we can expect a superstar to be signed very soon. The film promises to be an out and out entertainer.

The shooting of the film commences in January 2007. Madhuri is expected to come to India very soon. Even though being offered so many films, Madhuri cannot do so many films as she has to take care of here babies who are still very young. Welcome back Madhuri.

Amitabh watches SRK's DON??

According to sources, a quiet industry trial of 'Don' was held on Monday in Mumbai, attended by the Bachchan family, Shah Rukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar and many other personalities. We are told that the initial reactions have been extremely heartening and that the twists will take the audience by storm. "Shah Rukh is looking sinfully good," remarked our source.

Meanwhile, the excitement around 'Don' in the UK is unimaginably enormous, with several channels and radio stations actually (and amusingly) receiving complaints from patrons on account of an overhype of the film by the UK distributor. Reactions to a recent trial in London have been positive. "It's a commercial entertaining thriller, which holds you till the end credits," said our source.

We are also informed that a leading multinational bank's high net-worth customers have actually flown in to London from various parts of Europe especially to watch 'Don' on Wednesday evening.

The film previews in the UK on Thursday 19th October

Dhoom 2 Wallpapers.

Click to get the Full Picture.

Mr khujli

Raj (Himanshu Malhotra) is happily married to Natasha (Loveleena Tetarbe) who is very beautiful but has only one problem; she is very suspicious by nature. On the work front Raj runs a successful Ad Agency. His staff comprises of a lot of people including his very sexy secretary Sheela. Natasha keeps nagging Raj about Sheela & his relationship with her.

One day because of unavoidable circumstance Raj is forced to stay away from home for the whole night. Next morning when he is questioned by his wife, who is raving mad, Raj lies to her, that he was with his long lost friend P.P.K. Khujlikar (Rajpal Yadav). Raj feels the matter is solved but Natasha starts probing to find out about this person called P.P.K. Khujlikar.

Does Natasha get to know who is P.P.K. Khujlikar? Does P.P.K. Khujlikar exist? If he does than who is he? Is Raj a faithful husband? What kind of relationship does he have with his sexy secretary? Does Raj manage to solve the problem?

Answer to all these questions sums up the making of Mr. Khujli, a comedy film...

'Soldier 2'

Sequels are fast gathering momentum in Bollywood…

Continuing with the fad, Ramesh and Kumar Taurani of Tips have registered a series of titles that give a clear indication that Tips too is planning sequels. Among the titles registered by the Tauranis are BADSHAH 2, HUMRAAZ 2 and SOLDIER 2, 3 4 and 5. Interestingly, the original films -- BADSHAH, HUMRAAZ and SOLDIER -- were directed by ‘Men in White’, Abbas-Mustan, who, incidentally, are directing a multi-starrer for Tips.

Ramesh Taurani confirms the development, “These titles suit the subjects we are working on presently. That’s the reason why we decided to register them, before someone else does it.” So which sequel would roll first? “Nothing is finalized. Let’s see how things shape up first,” he states.

Look’s like the sequels are definitely on the cards. Will it be HUMRAAZ, BADSHAH or SOLDIER? What’s your guess?

t's Don vs. Jaan-e-mann this week in Bollywood!

Releasing October 20th, it's Salman Khan vs. Shahrukh Khan this Diwali weekend! Which movie will win in the box office? Comment below ...

Music Review: Umrao Jaan ...

If there is an acid test for Anu Malik this season or in fact this decade, it has to be with 'Umrao Jaan'. The man has seen enough highs and lows in his decades old career so far but the music of 'Umrao Jaan' is something that would be scrutinized by one and all. And why not? After all the tracks from Khayyam's 'Umrao Jaan' are still being appreciated by the connoisseurs of classical Indian music and it is certainly no mean feat to match. Hence when J.P. Dutta picks up the baton to narrate the story while roping in Anu Malik and Javed Akhtar saab, one can't help but look at each and every track with keen interest. Also with Aishwarya Rai being the central protagonist along with Abhishek Bachchan, Shabana Azmi and Suneil Shetty, one can't help but have mammoth expectations from the film and its music.

So does the team deliver? Does it come close to the classic score from the yesteryears or at least form an identity of its own without worrying about the past? Will Anu Malik have another successful score after 'Jaan-E-Mann'? The answer to each of the questions is yes!

Before one starts hearing the tracks, first thing that strikes on looking at the CD cover is the name of Alka Yagnik. She is practically there for each of the tracks except for a couple and bags a biggie as the voice of legendary Umrao Jaan.

First and foremost she greets you with 'Salaam' and hooks your attention at the very onset. Is it Anu Malik's music, Alka Yagnik's rendition or Javed saab lyrics that make the song special? In fact it's the combination of each of the veterans as they come together to create a mesmerizing 'mujra' track that is in word - flawless. Whether it is a common man or the followers of classical music, the song is going to mesmerize one and all as it hooks on to you in a big way. The setting is just perfect; sets are impeccable, choreography and costumes as per the song's mood while the instruments (ghunghroo, tabla, sitar etc.) create the right ambience to keep you glued to the screen while it is on. A brilliant start to the album!

Sound of 'ghunghroo' begins 'Pehle Pehel' that lives up the class of 'Salaam' and has that lyrical beauty around it that creates such a nice rhythm that it requires a lot of persuasion to move on the next song. Alka Yagnik is extremely controlled in her rendition and at this very moment one starts wishing that 'Umrao Jaan' may just be a befitting follow-up to the National Award winning score of 'Refugee' by Anu Malik, which was again for J.P. Dutta. A love song set in a tantalizing manner (again as a mujra), it is a worthy follow-up to 'Salaam' and turns out to be a beautiful composition.

Anu Malik shows his prowess as a composer with good classical base in the way he creates the arrangements for the opening of 'Behka Diya Humein'. First (and the only) duet in the album, it is poetry all the way as Sonu Nigam pairs up with Alka Yagnik. Though the song's beginning is a trifle close to Jaidev composed and Suresh Wadekar sung 'Seene Mein Jalan' from the film 'Gaman' (which was incidentally made by Muzaffar Ali himself), it restricts itself to being an inspiration rather than a copy. The setting is changed completely for this love song that is dreamy all the way, courtesy the sound of the song that has a slight echo effect imparted to the vocals of the lead singers. Sheer poetry coupled with some honest music sans any unwanted ingredients, the album so far is for those who wish to be traversed to a different world altogether.

Alka Yagnik returns to croon a solo in the form of 'Jhute Ilzaam'. The first thing that captivates you about the song is its opening line that sets the pace for rest of the song. 'Jhute Ilzaam Meri Jaan Lagaya Naa Karo, Dil Hai Nazuk Isse Tum Aise Dukhaya Naa Karo' - once you have heard this you know that it is going to be one touching song about Umrao Jaan's feelings for her love. Appropriate for the film's setting, it does have a slight deja vu feel but one doesn't mind that at all since it is just apt for a song like this in a film that tells the story of a courtesan. In all the songs heard so far, 'Jhute Ilzaam' is undoubtedly the best penned by Javed Akhtar saab as it maintains its lyrical quality from beginning to the end.

"If I am unable to meet you again in the future, do not think about me" - that's the message that Umrao Jaan tries to convey in 'Main Na Mil Saku Jo Tumse', a song that boasts of being seamlessly integrated into the mood of the album. Never once in the entire album does a song look out of place as Anu Malik maintains a consistent tempo throughout while still managing to bring in something new in each of the compositions. 'Main Na Mil Saku Jo Tumse' also transitions well from the songs preceding it and one looks forward to check out what's next in store from this album that has impressed all this while.

'Pooch Rahe Hai' follows next which is about a woman who has found love but is apprehensive about letting it be known to others. A story is being told by means of this 'mujra' that should be making an appearance at an important point of the film. Conveying a lot through lyrics in which Alka Yagnik immerses herself completely while her rendition, 'Pooch Rahe Hai' has the usual arrangements as per the setting of the music so far and helps take the story forward.

For the first time in the album, someone other than Alka Yagnik is heard rendering a solo with Richa Sharma holding the mike for 'Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya'. Pain is exuded in the right amount with this sensitive track which is about a woman praying to God not to give her a girl child in her next birth. Anu Malik spends more than a couple of minutes to set context for the song before handing it over completely to Richa Sharma to croon the situational track that should form a part of the background score. A seven-minute track, one can expect it to be played at numerous juntures in the film.

Anu Malik's daughter Anmol Malik makes her debut as a playback singer for the same song [Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya] with a different setting as this time around the daughter herself prays not to be born again as a girl. Rawness in her voice clearly shows in this song sung in a low pitch as there are a couple of moments where her lack of experience is apparent. For the situation this shorter version may work well since in all probability this seems to be for the younger Umrao Jaan.

Another short number (just around 2 minutes) follows in the form of 'Ek Toote Huye Dil Ki' which is a slow paced sad track about the lead protagonist who is heartbroken. With lyrics and rendition holding the center stage, Anu Malik goes easy on the orchestra and keeps it just bare minimum to let the words do the talking - literally! Seeming to be a prelude for some other track to follow in the film, it is for the situation and should keep you interested in the narrative. There is a 40 seconds 'Foreword' by Javed Akhtar to come in the end that introduces the heritage of Lucknow, Umrao Jaan and her ghazals through a brief narration.

'Umrao Jaan's in undoubtedly a superlative effort by Anu Malik as he goes all out in creating a score when the world was waiting to lynch upon him if he made the slightest of errors. But to his credit, his effort shows as he immerses himself completely in the era of 'Umrao Jaan' and creates an ambience that takes one to a world of the past. In today's music scenario when a couple of albums release every week and at least one big soundtrack arrives every month, one can't claim if 'Umrao Jaan' may have enough retention to go down as a classic. But if one has to analyze some of the best albums of the year 2006, 'Umrao Jaan' would indeed go find a place in the top bracket.

A must buy for those who appreciate quality music.

Movie Preview: Apna Sapna Money Money ...

Character Sketch

Ritiesh Deshmukh as Kishan Devsaxena Common extraordinaire who listens to his heart and is ruled by his desires. He can’t be trapped, he can’t be stopped and he is a master of disguise.

Celina Jaitley as Sania Badnam Young and sexy, one who exploits her sexuality to entrap men, the only thing that matters to her is power and money.

Shreyas Talpade as Arjun Fernandez Pride & substance are in his veins. His world revolves around his garage, his dog and his love interest.

Jackie Shroff as Danny Carlos A ruthless underworld don based in Bangkok. In India, he operates through Sania, his most trusted aid.

Chunky Pandey as Ranaji Furious that he and his group have been conned, he is on a mad hunt to find the man who conned him.

Koena Mitra as Julie Ramiyaa Gorgeous club dancer with a heart full of compassion and dreams. Famous in her locality, her life takes twists and turns because of her helpful nature.

Ria Sen as Shivani Pandit A Beautiful and simple girl, her paradox in life is that she loves the man her father hates.

Suniel Shetty as Namdev Mane An honest and courageous cop who has one single motive in life; to put criminals behind bars.

Anupam Kher as Pt. Saiyabol Shastri A complexed and stubborn old man obsessed with his daughter, he goes beyond his limits to protect her.

Rajpal Yadav as Mata Prasad Cocky and funny, he worships the character “Sarkar” from the Bollywood film and nobody dares to stop him from becoming like Sarkar.

Storyline

Apna Sapna Money Money revolves around a bunch of madcap characters that eat, drink, sleep and worship money.

A fast-paced situational comedy, it is glorified by an ensemble of assorted and interesting characters. The story revolves around a mechanic, a conman, a club dancer, an upright cop, an obsessed father and his homely daughter, a tabela owner, a ruthless gangster, a deadly don and his moll and an unpredictable dog. A journey filled with rib-tickling moments throughout.

If one runs after money, the other runs after love and the one who runs after love eventually runs after money. A hilarious journey of 11, a limitless quest for money, and a twisting and turning tale of love; the money swings around them and creates amusing and maddening circumstances. A dramatic turn evolves when all the characters start looking for a hidden diamonds that are worth lump-sum!

Greed, craze, obsession, fun takes over. And a madcap comedy of crime, love and complete zaniness continue…don’t be too surprised if by the end it turns into your own SAPNA! Money Money!

Movie Preview: Mr. Hot Mr. Kool ...

Character Sketch

Zulfi Syed as Lucky Lucky a very smart and kool guy wants to have a girl whom he can love and keep for life, tries various things to get a girl but unsuccessful untill he meets his ladylove Dolly.

Yash Pandit as Pat Aka Prem Amar Tripathi PAT smart and hot but liar. He also wants to have girls but does not want to keep them for life just wants to have fun but unsuccessful untill he meets his ladylove Puja.

Samiksha as Dolly Dolly a kool girl with kool attitude very emotional wants a boy who is kool like her and respect her.

Priya as Pooja Puja a hot girl with a hot attitude and carefree girl of the new generation yet very loving and strong.

Storyline

This is a story of two friends, Lucky Aka Laxman Prasad (Zulfi Syed) and Pat Aka Prem Amar Tripathi (Yash Pandit), living an aimless life, absolutely haywire and disillusioned. You can call their life, a railway engine without a driver and fuel! Jobless and loveless, lonely and forlorn!

But as luck would have it, they both lands in the city of London, where happiness and joy are waiting with open arms for these two! Not only do they get a plum job at LE LE undergarments company, but also a brand new car!

But hold on guys, the million dollar question here is.. Who will DRIVE this vehicle? One needs a driver and for Lucky and Pat, that driver is a girl, whom they have been looking for, since years.

Pat keeps dreaming about girls all the time, so much so, that he even designs his bedsheets with half-nude girls printed on them. He prays to lord Hanumanji to bless him with a beautiful girlfriend. Lucky advises his friend to switch gods .He has a reason. Well, pretty justified too! He tells Pat that since Hanumanji himself is a bachelor, he wouldn’t quite pay heed to such prayers, so the right choice would be lord Krishna, who had several Gopis dancing around him all the time.

Pat agrees and rushes to the doors of Lord Krishna’s temple where he sees Dolly (Samiksha)! He tries to woo Dolly, hoping she would respond positively, but that pretty lass slaps him on his face and walks off, breaking his heart to the point of no repair. To simply boast high about himself, he lies to Lucky that now he has a girl in his life.

Later, one day, Lucky meets Dolly at Millennium Wheel where they both fall in love. Pat is unaware of this. Both friends go to a temple to show their love to each other. They both see Dolly and on seeing Dolly, PAT again lies to Lucky that the girl in front is his girlfriend. Lucky feels absolutely heart broken and from this point starts all the confusion between both the friends.

CONFUSION OF LOVE……

Meanwhile, Pat and Pooja (Priya) come closer and fall in love. Pooja works in the same office of Lucky and Pat. Whenever Pat talks about his love with Lucky he thinks he is talking about Dolly. Misunderstanding keep growing and so does misery in the life of Lucky.

Misunderstanding increases when Lucky who is in confusion tells Pat that they both have the same girl in their life. Things get more complicated between two of them that lead to more confusion and more laughter.

Now, how these misunderstandings and confusions are sorted out and they live happily forever is what the story of Mr. Hot Mr Kool

Top 10 Bollywood Songs ...

"Main hoon Don" holds the number one position on the music charts this week with several songs like "Ek toote huye dil ki" from "Umrao Jaan" also entering the list.

The top 10 Hindi film songs of the week are:

1. "Main hoon Don" - Film: "Don - The Chase Begins Again"; Singer: Shaan; Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The stylishly shot song, which has lyrics by Javed Akhtar, has moved one notch up from its second position.

2. "Ek toote huye dil ki" - Film: "Umrao Jaan"; Music: Anu Malik; Singer: Alka Yagnik. A short and sad track with good lyrics that has appealed to listeners.

3. "Tere bin" - Film: "Bas Ek Pal"; Singer: Atif Aslam; Music: Mithoon. The film didn't get much of a response at the box office and the blues song has slid from top position to third this week.

4. "Pyaar kar ke pachtaye" - Film: "Pyaar Ke Side Effects"; Singer: Labh Janjua; Music: Pritam. The film has received rave reviews, which has boosted the popularity of the song.

5. "Pal pal" - Film: "Lage Raho Munna Bhai"; Singer: Vinod Rathod; Music: Shantanu Moitra. It is a treat to watch this well-choreographed song, which is slowly but steadily climbing up the list.

6. "Hum ko maaloom hai" - Film: "Jan-e-Mann"; Music: Anu Malik; Singers: Sonu Nigam and Sadhana Sargam. The number with conversational lyrics is an instant hit with music lovers.

7. "Mitwa" - Film: "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna"; Singers: Alka Yagnik and Sonu Nigam; Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Both the film and the song failed to enthral the audience.

8. "Mujhe haq hai"- Film: "Vivah"; Muisc: Ravindra Jain; Singers: Udit Narayan and Shreya Ghoshal. The love song by Udit Narayan and Shreya Ghoshal has hit the right chord with young lovers.

9. "Kya mujhe pyaar hai" - Film: "Woh Lamhe"; Singer: K.K; Music: Pritam. The success of the film and the music has surprised trade watchers. This is the best song in the album.

10. "Bidee" - Film: "Omkara"; Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan, Sukhwinder Singh; Music: Vishal Bharadwaj. "Bidee" seems to have become a permanent fixture on the charts.

(Source - The Music Shop, Khan Market)

John and Aishwarya get together in upcoming movie ...

Mumbai, (IANS) Producer Gaurang Doshi has roped in John Abraham and Aishwarya Rai for his mystical romantic musical "Happy Birthday" and says "they look like Adonis and Venus together".

They have not been paired before. "But if you close your eyes you can see how good John and Aishwarya look together," Doshi told IANS.

To be directed by Sriram Raghavan, who earlier did Ram Gopal Varma's "Ek Hasina Thi", "Happy Birthday" starts shooting in January.

"We had signed John about a year back. But we needed a strong charismatic and popular leading lady because 'Happy Birthday' isn't about just the male protagonist. When Ash said yes, everything fell into place. She has never been seen with John before," said Doshi.

John is on the lookout for new leading ladies. In "Water" he's paired with Lisa Ray, in "Baabul" with Rani Mukerji and in "Salaam-e- Ishq" with Vidya Balan for the first time.

"The catch-line for 'Happy Birthday' will be, 'Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.' We needed a magical pair. John and Ash have the quality."

"I think Aishwarya and I will make a good team. It's a great script. Sriram is a super-director, and we're excited," said John.

The music score is by Vishal-Shekhar.

Movies to Watch out for in 2007

If you thought 2006 was the year of biggies, think again! 2007 promises to be equally big…

Although a clearer picture of 2007 releases will appear only when we step into the new year, a few producers have finalized the release date of their films already. January will begin with three biggies: TARA RUM PUM [Yash Raj], SALAAM-E-ISHQ [Nikhil Advani] and FOOL AND FINAL [Firoz A. Nadiadwala].

February is hectic too, what with EKLAVYA – THE ROYAL GUARD [Vidhu Vinod Chopra], METRO [UTV-Anurag Basu] and HAT TRICK [UTV-Milan Luthria] hitting the marquee. UTV will also release Mira Nair’s THE NAMESAKE in March.

Shree Ashtavinayak will release their first production with Abbas-Mustan, MR. FRAUD, in April. While Sony has officially announced SAAWARIYA [Sanjay Leela Bhansali] in Diwali 2007 [9th November], there’s one more biggie that’s slated for release in October: Ashutosh Gowariker’s AKBAR JODHA.

Yes, Gowariker’s multi-crore historical AKBAR JODHA, starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai, will begin shooting in November this year and is slated for release on 12th October next year. There’s another biggie in December too: UTV’s GOAL, directed by Vivek.

First Look: RGV's Sholay poster

The Sholay buzz just keeps on going.

Ram Gopal Varma's remake with Amitabh Bachchan as Gabbar Singh continues to inspire much debate.

The latest update is that RGV's project is facing another injunction from the producer of the film GP Sippy's grandson Sascha, and will have to be named Ram Gopal Varma Ke Sholay, instead of using the original title.

Meanwhile, Himesh Reshammiya might be opting out as the composer. Ganesh Hegde (yes, the choreographer) has composed the new Mehbooba O Mehbooba track, and Sunidhi Chauhan has taken over vocal duties from Asha Bhosle -- with Bachchan himself apparently chipping in from time to time.

Hema Malini has gone on record telling a television channel that there should not be a Sholay remake. "Sholay has to be seen many times," the actress said. "Not made many times."

Almost as if in response, Varma has said his film doesn't revolve around Basanti, the character Hema played in the original.

All we can say for now is that the debate is far from over. And that this is a pretty cool poster.

Fool and Final

Topnotch choreographer Ahmed Khan's directorial debut LAKEER may have missed the target at the box-office, but the child artist turned choreographer turned director is all geared up to start his second film.

Titled FOOL and FINAL, the film will be produced by Firoz A. Nadiadwala and star Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty and Shahid Kapoor in the lead. While Bipasha Basu has been teamed opposite Sunny, a leading lady opposite Shahid and one more lead man are currently under finalization.

FOOL and FINAL also has an impressive supporting cast, which includes Jackie Shroff, Javed Jaffrey, Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav, Vijay Raaz and Razzaq Khan.

When you hear a title like FOOL and FINAL, you assume that it's a laugh riot on the lines of David Dhawan and Anees Bazmee entertainers. "FOOL and FINAL is on the lines of M.I. 2 and SNATCH, while the humor is of the DIL CHAHTA HAI and ANDAZ APNA APNA variety. I enjoy David and Anees' films, but I cannot think like them when it comes to humor," Ahmed informs me.
To be shot in Dubai and Brazil, FOOL and FINAL will take off on January 15, 2006 with the picturization of the climax first. "I want to ensure that I have a mind-blowing climax when the enthusiasm levels of the stars and technical team are very much high," he jokes, but gets serious soon thereafter, "I don't want to go wrong this time. The start, the middle and the end should be equally spell-binding."Ahmed hopes to wrap up the shooting by June 2006.

While ace composers Vishal-Shekhar are likely to compose the music [six songs], action expert Allan Amin and A-list writers Neeraj Vora [associated with Priyadarshan] and Anurag Kashyap [associated with Mani Ratnam] have been confirmed for the project in question.

What took Ahmed so long to start his next directorial venture, after LAKEER? "Three factors! One, I had six assignments to honor as a choreographer [SALAAM | NAMASTE, MILENGE MILENGE, VAAH! LIFE HO TOH AISI, Anil Sharma's film with the Deols and Subhash Ghai's two films]. Two, I didn't want to hurry up on the script till it was complete. Three, procuring bulk dates from an extremely busy cast takes time. Now that everything has fallen into place, I am ready to go ahead with it," he tells me.

So, what's the USP of FOOL and FINAL? "It'll have great music and terrific stunts. With Shahid, Vishal-Shekhar and Ahmed Khan in a film, expect a spell-binding musical score and great choreography. And with Sunny, Allan Amin and producer Firoz A. Nadiadwala [known for stylish action fares] teaming up for the first time, expect pulse-pounding action sequences as well," Ahmed retorts.

Meanwhile, Ahmed has bagged yet another prestigious assignment [as a director], besides FOOL and FINAL. He has been signed by none other than Subhash Ghai to direct a film for Mukta Arts Ltd. Way to go!

Ram Gopal Varma’s Sholay causes a flutter in bollywood

Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay in 1975 is remembered as one of the finest movies to originate from

Indian Cinema. This multi starrer had several characters and each and every character has made an indelible impression in the film and even today the characters and their traits are remembered and appreciated by the younger generation of movie lovers. However this time period in bollywood is a period of remakes and hence a brilliant film Sholay is once again being re-done. The film to be directed by Ram Gopal is titled Ram Gopal Varma Ki Sholay. However almost a third of bollywood people feel that Sholay cannot be remade as it is already a perfect film. However Varma has one of the biggest bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan backing him in his project and playing one of the lead characters Gabbar Singh in the film. In fact Amitabh was a part of the original Sholay and played the role of ‘Jai’.



However in spite of negative responses from bollywood, Varma who likes to swim against the tide is going ahead and making his version of Sholay. Most of the cast has already been finalized for the various roles in the film. One of the most infamous characters in the film was Gabbar Singh played by the late Amjad Khan. He immortalized the character with his character’s quirky traits. In the original Sholay, Amitabh had wanted to play the role of Gabbar after hearing the script, but Sippy and writers Javed and Salim felt that he would not suit the character. Danny Dengzogpa was considered for the role too, but ultimately after much deliberation the role went to Amjad Khan.

Amitabh Bachchan played the role of ‘Jai’ in the original Sholay. Earlier actor Shatrughan Sinha was also considered to play the character. In Varma’s version the role will be played by Mohit Ahlawat who has acted in two of Varma’s films James and Shiva both of which were flops. In the original version of Sholay the character of ‘Veeru’ was played by Dharmendra who actually wanted to play the role of Thakur Baldev Singh in the film. However when he heard that ‘Veeru’ gets to be with Basanti, his ladylove offscreen Hema Malini he relented and agreed to play ‘Veeru’. The character of Thakur Baldev Singh was played by Sanjeev Kapoor in the original and in the remake the role will be done by Mohanlal who was also seen in Company. The role of the sassy village belle Basanti played by Hema Malini in the original has not yet been finalized in Varma’s version.

The role of Radha was played by Jaya Bachchan who was paired opposite real life husband Amitabh in the film. Varma was earlier considering Katrina as his Radha, unfortunately though there were rumours that Varma was not too happy with Katrina’s diction and has now approached Sushmita Sen to play the role of this character. Helen gyrated to the famous number ‘Mehbooba’ and was sensational in the original, now Varma has roped in his once famous protégé Urmila Matondkar to gyrate on this dance number. Also other characters like the role of Gabbar Singh’s chief Sambha will be played by Sushant Singh and Soorma Bhopali who provided the comic relief will be played by Rajpal Yadav.

The shooting for Varma’s film has already begun and Gabbar Singh’s new look conceptualized by Varma has also been revealed. Bachchan wears a military jacket with cargo like pants. His look is unkempt with a bit of stubble. He wears a bandana like cloth around his forehead and there is a noticeable scar on his nose. His object of affection will be a scorpion headed stick. However it is not known whether Varma is making a modern day Sholay or just rehashing the original in a new format. Varma has turned out some good films in the past; however this one definitely is a test for the director’s skills. Let’s wait and watch whether his remake of the hit film Sholay lives up to expectations.

The Clash of the Khan(Don)s

Director Farhan Akhtar’s film 'Don' - originally written by Javed Akhtar, the film starring Amitabh Bachchan had created quite a rage. And this time too, Farhan's version boasts of an ensemble cast.

Starring Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal, the film is mostly shot in foreign locales and has a sleek look. But this time, there are many comparisons to be made; especially as both superstars have played the same character.

Jaan-e-mann is another offering. From the Nadiadwala camp, the film starring Salman Khan, Preity Zinta and Akshay Kumar is a fresh attempt - a love triangle directed by choreographer Farah Khan's husband Shirish Kunder. As always, even though the movie has been mostly shot outside the country, the budget has been kept low.

As both these films starring the two Khans hit theaters on October 20th, the trade analysts as well audience will wait with baited breath to witness their fate.

Diwali sparklers from Bollywood

The Diwali/Id week is all set to witness the clash of some of the biggest stars in the industry: SRK, Kareena, Priyanka in "Don"; Salman, Akshay, and Preity in "Jaan-e-Mann" and Abhishek, Aishwarya in "Umrao Jaan".

But it’s going to be the battle of the two Khan’s-with Salman Khan taking Shah Rukh Khan head on next Friday (October 20) in theatres across the country.

The Salman Khan starrer Jaan-e-Mann and SRK’s Don may be releasing together and while the industry expects both movies to compete with each other at the box office, the cast and crew of Jann-e-Maan only wishes the best for their competition.

While earlier, post-release film parties were the norm, the trend has obviously changed as Bollywood now celebrates pre-releases with the same enthusiasm as well.

This time I was at the pre-release of the much awaited film Jaan-e-Mann, starring Salman Khan, Preity Zinta and Akshay Kumar. And although the musical extravaganza releases on the same date as Farhan Akhtar's Don, the cast of Jaan-e-Mann, doesn’t feel threatened from the re-loaded and remade version of the blockbuster.

Speaking on the competition, actor Preity Zinta says, “Both films will do well since the audience is very large these days and there are many theatres. Our film is a family entertainer, while Don is an action film. I wish Don all the very best."

But isn’t anyone afraid that both movies will encroach on each other’s target audience. “I think there is enough space for both the films to do well,” says actor Akshay Kumar.

For some members of the cast it’s a question of family pride. "Shahrukh is a good friend, and Don was written by my dad. So I really hope that Don does well,” says actor Salman Khan.

Well, with such good wishes, it sure seems that everybody's a good friend and there are no enemies in Bollywood!

Gossip Time: Dharmendra to Direct!!

He has been toying with this idea for so many years but now it is confirmed. The original he-man of Indian cinema is turning to direction very soon, reveals an insider. If sources are to be believed, then the film will roll early next year. Will Dharamji direct his Sunny and Bobby together? Let's wait and watch! Koi bachao paaji se!!

Vivah - Music Review

Director : Music : Lyrics : Starring : Sooraj R. Barjatya Ravindra Jain Ravindra Jain Shahid Kapur, Amrita Rao, Anupam Kher, Alok Nath, Seema Biswas

Think of Ravindra Jain and one is reminded of his classic compositions - "Chitchor", "Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se", "Geet Gaata Chal". His new venture "Vivah", however, fails to create that old magic.

"Vivah" has a number of melodious songs but somehow Rajshri Productions' old time favourite Jain, could not add much variety. This is Jain's 17th film with Rajshri.

All the tracks are related to situations arising out of the romance between Shahid Kapur and Amrita Rao.

The opening song "Mujhe haq hai" by Udit Narayan and Shreya Ghoshal is a slow melody. The next two numbers - the soft "Do anjaane ajnabi" and "Milan abhi aadha adhura hai" - are also rendered by Narayan and Ghoshal.

"Tere dwar pe aayi baraat" is a lively marriage number sung by Sudesh Bhonsle and Ravindra Jain.

The next number "Jai gauri maa" is a devotional song by Pamela Jain.

The second side of the album starts with the situational number "Kal jisne janam yahan paaya" sung by Kumar Sanu and Suresh Wadekar that talks about the actors upbringing.

Then comes the mischievous pre-marriage number "O jiji" sung by Jain and Ghoshal.

Wadekar and Aparna Bhagwat croon the sentimental "Chhota sa saajan (savaiyaa)" - a song about father-daughter affection.

"Radhey krishan ki jyoti (savaiyaa)" is another devotional number by Ghoshal.

The album ends with the marriage celebration song "Hamari shaadi mein" sung by Babul Supriyo and Ghoshal.

An all-out Indian album, the music of "Vivah" fails to emerge as successful as other Rajshri family potboilers - "Maine Pyar Kiya", "Hum Aapke Hain Kaun" and "Hum Saath Saath Hain".

Though all the numbers are quite listen-able and melodious, there are hardly any differentiating elements. Listen through the whole album and it seems that one song has been repeated on and on.

Must get Tracks for this Week:

		This week's Film Chartbuster # Songs Film 1 Humko Maloom Hai Jaanemann 2 Kya Pan Banar... Don 3 Tere Bin Bas Ek Pal 4 Kya Mujhe Pyar Woh Lamhe 5 Jaane Ke Jaane Na Jaanemann 6 Main Hoon Don Don 7 Mujhe Haq Hai Vivah 8 Meri Dhoop Hai Tu Zindaggi Rocks 9 Pal Pal... Har Pal Lage Raho... 10 Laagi Chhute Na Rocky
This week's Intl Chartbuster # Song/Album Artist 1 Hips Don't Lie Shakira 2 Lonely No More... Bigger 3 It's Like That Various Artists 4 Wild Rose... Vibes 3 5 Goodbye Milky... Enigma 6 Lets Get It Start... Hip Hop Hustle 7 Wild 2 Nite Wild 2 Nite 8 Axel F Crazy Hits 9 Beep The Pussy... 10 Fergalicious Fergie		This week's Indipop Chartbuster # Songs Artist/Album 1 Dilruba Kailaasa 2 Wada Tainu Aap Ka Surroor 3 Aa Jaane Jaa Wild 10 4 Bolo Na Sona 5 Bhula Do Reeth 6 Bhangra Pauna Vibes 3 7 More Glassy Asian Flava 2 8 Sab Bhula Jilawatan 9 Let The Music... Vibes 3 10 Mehfuz Mehfuz

Incase you want these songs here is what you have to do:
Click one of the ads on this webpage and copy the final url of the page that opens and mail it to ubantheblogger@gmail.com. also dont forget to mention the name of the song you want. I'll reply with in one day!! Enjoy

Bas ek Pal

Director : Music : Lyrics : Starring : Onir Vivek Philip, Mithoon Amitabh Varma, Sayeed Quadri Urmila Matondkar, Sanjay Suri, Juhi Chawla, Rehaan Engineer, Jimmy Shergill

---

Funny, this thing called life. It never fails to take you by surprise. Onir's chamber piece, telescoping five intertwined lives in a lethal yet lyrical passion-play is an original slice of art.

The voice of Onir's reason is not incumbent on conventions of Indian cinema. Rather, this courageous filmmaker forges ahead with much the same convictions that maneuvered his vision in that elegiac post-card from the edge of the conscience called MY BROTHER NIKHIL.

The film opens and closes in a pub where the first of the many passionate encounters between the restless violent and doomed characters looking for a place to rest their uncertain hearts, occur.

When after years abroad Nikhil (Suri) walks into the crowded place of pleasure his life changes. He meets the mercurial Anamika (Matondkar) who teases flirts and reduces Nikhil to a lifetime of slavery.

The passion underlining Nikhil's undying love for Anamika also purports to underline the theme's spectral content. But the swelling emotions don't always make it into the frames. We often feel rather than see the acutely pained quintet of characters reaching out to one another across an immense gulf of pride and hurt.

All the characters are in one way or another linked with one another. Even the men Nikhil and Rahul (Shergill) share complex, ambiguous relationships.

In one notable moment of tormented confession Nikhil tears off his shirt in front of the paraplegic Rahul and confesses he was raped in jail.

But the crime for which Nikhil went to jail is deflected to another even darker character, the spouse-beating Steve (Rehaan Engineer) whose heartbreakingly fragile wife Ira (Chawla) wants to leave him but can only be liberated in death. ("Till Death Do Us Part").

Guilt runs through the criss-cross of wounded relationships in this film of unstated recriminations.

Even the ostensibly free-willed Anamika opts for compassion (the crippled Rahul) over passion (the incarcerated Nikhil). She silently suffers Rahul's bitter taunts, just like Preity Zinta in Karan Johar's KABHIE ALVIDAA NA KEHNA, though the relationship here is done in far darker tones.

One of the more absorbing sideshows in this drama of muted feelings is the dark undertones that are applied to every character's conscience. None of the five protagonists is a happy person. None of them finds solace comfort, let alone love, in his or partner. They all seem to be driven more by desire per se than its fruition.

We often wonder what these characters would do if they actually found love! So driven are they by the search for love that they've forgotten where they're heading.

The tone gets a shade darker with every sequence. In the later scenes Nikhil becomes a stalker in Anamika's life (even doing a kind of bizarre pantomime of a 'b' grade Hollywood slasher movie by describing every move of his object of desire on the phone).

The distinctly Shakespearean finale leaves three of the five protagonists dead.

We finally see Anamika and Rahul looking pensively into the great wide open. The contrast between human desire and nature is quaintly created in the end. But we never see the characters from close-up. In their arching self-pity they all seem to be replicas of modern martyrs rather than those pragmatic metro-centric creatures who treat the man-woman relationship as a means of keeping tabs on their heats and libidos rather than the conscience.

The swelling of a Shakespearean passion for Anamika in Nikhil's soul needed to be mapped more meticulously. Tragically the narrative is as restless as the characters. The quiet more thoughtful moments mostly emanated from Juhi. You suspect the tranquility around this battered character comes more from the actress than the editor (Irene Dhar Malik) who cuts across these disembodied lives with ruthless celerity.

Sachin Krishn's camera captures the conflicts of the characters in striking silhouettes and dark contours. The hints and whispers created through the lens go a long way in detailing the inner world of the pain-lashed characters.

All five actors penetrate the heart of their characters. Urmila has never looked more tranquil in her torment, and Juhi uses her ability to portray hurt and guilt with minimum effort. Among the male actor Sanjay Suri's eyes follow the course of his character's destiny with pained transparency.

But finally we know little about them… or their motivations. Conceptualized completely from outside the people who house Onir's second film are driven down to damnation by their own desire. Their voyage into disillusionment has some wonderful interludes of introspection. Check out Suri's reunion with Urmila in the pub called Anti-Clockwork where they first met… or the sequence where Jimmy tells Urmila he can't make love to her.

To make love and to love, the physical and spiritual aspects of human passion propel the people in BAS EK PAL to a rather macabre nemesis.

Starting off as an authentic take on urbane mores (the pub shoot-out where Rahul loses his legs and Nikhil his everything, echoes the Jessica Lal incident) the narrative gets progressively Shakespearean in tone.

The film is shot mostly in the night and towards the end, in the lashing rains to create an aura of doom and pain.

BAS EK PAL is an interesting though flawed study of gender equations in a competitive society where feelings are casualties of ambitions.

…And ambition not only at work places. The rivalry in the bedroom can be even more cutthroat. Onir knows.

UNNS - Preview

Today when live-in relationships, divorces, broken families are applauded. In this world, where marriage happen and break like instant coffee, instant food, instant photo, instant one-day cricket matches. Is institution of marriage still relevant? Are marriages still pious and constitute fabric of the society? Does a child need love of both the parents to grow naturally? In short, is love pertinent? Or for that matter UNNS pertinent?

UNNS is a musical love story narrated by 1st time novelist Natasha Patel (Juhi Babbar). Natasha, an idealist by nature and legal advisor by profession writes this narrative in her personal diary mentioning the turbulence caused in the life of her close and dear friend Ria (Rituparna Sengupta). Ria, who unfortunately marries a Company Executive Rahul Malhotra (Sanjay Kapoor) on a rebound unaware of the consequences.

Rahul, himself a product of a broken family understands and values fine marital relationship. On the wedding day itself, he impresses everyone present including Ria's parents as well as Natasha. Having himself suffered the ill effects of a broken marriage, Rahul vows to care for his marital relationship with utmost sincerity and sanctity. This brings in Rahul a personality of an extremely loving and heartfelt husband.

An extremely romantic Rahul encounters with a relatively frigid Ria during honeymoon.

Rishi Rampal (Sudhanshu Pandde), a CEO of an Advertising Company, was Ria's first love. Their relationship soured when Ria came to know of the fact that Rishi was already married. Ria confronts Rishi, a scene that forms one of the many highlights of the story. Though Rishi tries his best to convince and justify but Ria would not listen. Ria's need to forget and overcome her past puts her in the process of marriage... She marries Rahul but...Rahul's official trip abroad and Ria's chance meeting with Rishi compounds her guilt and shakes her confidence to reconcile and fulfill the obligations attached with marriage. To top it up, undesired pregnancy increases her predicament resulting in start-up fights and finally purposefully telling her husband that she would like to end their marriage. Surprised, shocked and shattered Rahul stands in disbelief. Even Natasha and Rishi's strong advice against her move has little effect on Ria. Ria is adamant.

On the other hand surprisingly, Sameer (Aman Varma), a leading advocate, Natasha's fiancée and also Rishi's good friend agrees to help Ria in order to get rid of her relationship with Rahul.

Rahul seems helpless. Sympathetic Natasha decides to stand by Rahul. She prepares for a battle Royal against experienced and formidable Sameer and unyielding Ria. Sameer's agenda to see through the separation meets with stiff resistance from Natasha, a quarter least expected by both Sameer and Ria.

Seeing herself cornered and facing a possible defeat, emotionally charged Ria confronts Rahul with a deliberate intention to hurt and force him to concede separation. One more charged scene where Rahul explains in vain the significance of marriage. Predetermined Ria brings forth another unexpected angle to the story, impossible to be ignored by any of the protagonist. Rahul's dilemma is more evident.

This dilemma is extended to the courtroom legal battle between the Malhotras. Conflict of ideologies, principles, emotions, needs. Victims of compulsions, circumstances, desires, and destiny form the basis of arguments for both the lawyers. Natasha Patel and Sameer heighten the emotional and legal aspect of matrimonial relationship.

Is marriage a starting point of a soured relationship? Has selfish interests overpowered and clouded commitment and responsibility in matrimony? What is more important for a family court Judge? Union or Separation? Does emotions take over legal battle or is it the other way round? Who wins?

The film stars Sanjay Kapoor, Rituparna Sen Gupta, Juhi Babbar, Sudhanshu Pandde, Aman Varma and Vivek Shaq (in a triple role). The film is written and directed by Bhupender.S.Gupta with dialogues corralled by Farooque Braelvi and Bhupendra.S.Gupta. Sujit Shetty has tuned the music for the film and lyrics penned by Shaeen Iqbal. Bhavdeep Jaipurwale has designed the background score.

Kaafila - Preview

After the controversial HAWAYEIN depicting the truth behind the 1984 riots, director Ammtoje Mann is back with KAAFILA.

KAAFILA stars Sunny Deol, Polina Stoynova, Sudesh Berry, Sandeep Kang, Sana Nawaz, Ashish Duggal, Chandan Anand, Girish Jain, and Sachin Parekh. Presented by Mannerism Films, it has music by Sukhwinder Singh.

KAAFILA is the story of a group of people who are traveling illegally to UK. As it always happens they fall prey to an unscrupulous agent who creates circumstances that send them into hiding, somewhere in Eastern Europe for nearly six months. Left to fend for themselves, they discover each other and themselves. After many hardships their journey resumes but this time at every step, death stares them in their face.

Be it through the jagged jungles near Russia or the ship that hundreds like them are huddled into; the close-knit group finds itself shrinking after each tragedy. Be it in the sinister snow or the sinking ship.

Now only 12 men out of this group have survived. They are from different communities and different countries. But the trauma of tragedies has created a strong bond between them. In their effort to forge ahead closer to their dream, the innocent dozen finds itself trapped sometimes by the Russian mafia involved in the plutonium smuggling racket and sometimes by the militancy on the Afghan borders. Here they meet an Afghani girl who introduces them to the mysterious man of the mountains- Sameer (Sunny Deol).

Sameer saves them from all attacks from friends and foes. The KAAFILA now believes that only he can be their deliverer.

But as the story unfolds, taking the contingent, which started off from India, through Tajikistan, Russia and soon back to Afghanistan and Pakistan, doubts about the daring Sameer are raised.

Can they trust him any further?

As the KAAFILA look for answers about the man whom they looked up to, the story unravels the most spellbinding climax on the borders of India and Pakistan.

Bollywood’s box office battlels

Bollywood’s box office battlelines have been drawn and on October 20, Sajid Nadiadwala and Shirish Kunder’s Jaan-e-Mann will take on Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar’s Don.

Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Preity Zinta will take the red corner and Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Arjun Rampal will take the blue corner. And each team has a taut game plan to win the fight.

It began as way back as Ganpati when producers Sidhwani and Akhtar released the music of Don a day before the 11-day festival. Not to be underestimated, Nadiadwala began his promotions overseas, “in places like New York and London with Preity Zinta,” says Nadiadwala.

Shahrukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor in a still from Don.

The producer has also tied up with the MTV Lycra Style Awards where the film’s stars will walk the ramp. “That’s one way of reaching the audience, besides advertising campaigns in print, television, radio and outdoors.”

In another first, booking for Don began on October 1 via mobile and internet, almost three weeks before the film’s release. “That was the suggestion from Fame multiplexes — to try it with Don. They felt if it worked, they would use it for other films too,” says Sidhwani. “

The box office booking at Fame cinemas started on October 10, and so far the response has been encouraging.” Now it’s Nadiadwala’s move and he has scheduled “booking across all multiplexes from October 12,” he says. Revealing his other plans he says, “We also have a contest inviting you to ‘Meet your Jaan-e-Mann’ where the winner gets to have lunch with Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar.”

Sidhwani’s move: “We have lined up various programmes for Don in print, television and radio. We have also tied-up with a news channel and an FM station for the purpose. It’s early to reveal the concept.You have to see and hear it to know it better.” He too has a host of contests planned with high-end merchandising as prizes.

Besides more events, Nadiadwala has also tied up with UFO Movies. “It’s a new technique of digitally beaming content through satellite, which minimises the risk of piracy.” At the end of round two, it seems the result of this bout will only be known on October 20.

The show goes on with Salman Khan

That the show must go on is an oft-repeated cliche in the Hindi film industry. And so the music of Apna Sapna Money Money, Mukta Arts Entertainment’s was launched on Wednesday afternoon at a suburban hotel despite the absence of the producer, Subhash Ghai.

The showman who is down with viral fever was represented by his wife Mukta and daughter Meghna. The event was hosted by Lallan Singh of Filmy (Ghai has tied up with the channel for this film) whose antics brought smiles to many a face. The film’s stars Suneil Shetty and Riteish Deshmukh couldn’t make it to the launch as they are out of the country.

But Salman Khan, who is doing Ghai’s next film, more than made up for the absentees as he launched the music with the rest of the cast and crew comprising director Sangeeth Sivan, Jackie Shroff, Celina Jaitley, Koena Mitra, Shreyas Talpade and Riya Sen, music composer Pritam and Ramesh Taurani of Tips.

Second coming - Anu Malik's Back

Anu Malik’s back in business with two big-ticket films

“In 2006, I had to strive hard to make my way back to success. But I am happy and content,” says music director Anu Malik, prior to the release of Jaan-e-mann, for which he has scored the tunes.

“It was a huge boost for my morale to know that people have appreciated the melody which I believe in,” he says.

Competition has never been more stiff for the veteran composer. Over the past year, Himesh Reshammiya’s nasal voice has taken the music scene by storm. But Malik tries puts up a brave front.

“Competition is something that I always look forward to. It makes me stronger. I have raised the bar for myself. I think it’s a big thing to be noticed among 5,000 music directors,” he says.

With two big releases -Jaan-e-mann and Umrao Jaan coming up, the veteran composer keeps his fingers crossed.

“Jaan-e-mann retains the spirit of a Broadway musical. It’s as if the characters are breaking into song spontaneously. The producers told me that they didn’t want the usual melody for this film. The script was the most important guideline for me,” says Malik as he hums the tunes of the films track, Jaan-e-mann.

For obvious reasons, the spotlight is currently on JP Dutta’s version of the classic Umrao Jaan, starring Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan. But Malik chooses to be his diplomatic best.

“A newspaper had written that I was visibly excited about Umrao Jaan. I’m upbeat about all my films,” says the music director who has scored successful tracks of Kalyug and Murder in recent times.

Malik earlier has composed the tracks in Dutta’s Border and Loc: Kargil.

“It was important to understand the culture of the backdrop of the film. I had to read about it. I have used raagas like maru bihag, kaushiki and jogeshwari extensively for the songs in Umrao Jaan. It’s as if the songs have come from my heart,” he says.

Interestingly, one of the songs in the film, Agle janam mohe betiyan nahijo has been rendered by Malik’s daughter Anmol. She has lip synched the track for the young Umrao.

“Anmol sings and writes lyrics in English. But she is studying and we would want her to finish her education before she considers a career in music,” says papa.

Sholay Kabab!!!

..Well, that’s the only major casting that remains to be done on Ram Gopal Varma’s much-touted remake of Sholay. Here, we update you with the roster of stars who will be featuring in the film and how they stand up to the original

• Gabbar Singh
Say Gabbar and the only name that comes to mind is Amjad Khan. Casting against type Ramu may have signed on Amitabh Bachchan for one of the most memorable characters in Indian film history , but the Big B has very large shoes to fill.

DID YOU KNOW: That Danny Dengzogpa was the first choice for the original Gabbar but declined.

• JAI
Ramu sure has a sense of humour.
Why else would he be casting Mohit Ahlawat as Jai?

DID YOU KNOW: Shatrughan Sinha was initially slated to play the role. Amitabh Bachchan was almost killed at the end of the movie when a stray bullet from Dharmendra (Veeru) missed him by inches.


• Basanti
This one remains a mystery. Various names from Nisha Harale to Kajol are doing the rounds.

DID YOU KNOW: Sanjeev Kumar wanted to marry Hema Malini and also eyeing her was garam Dharam.


• Veeru
Just one bit of advice to Ajay Devgan whom we like otherwise: Open you mouth wide and try saying mausiji in 25 different ways. Can you imagine Devagan delivering those killer lines in his monotonous mumble.

DID YOU KNOW: Dharmendra wanted to play the role of Thakur Baldev Singh but relented when the director informed him that Sanjeev Kumar would play Veeru otherwise and get the girl. Sanjeev Kumar had just then proposed marriage to Hema Malini.



• Thakur
In a career full of brilliant portrayals Thakur Baldev Singh will remain one of Sanjeev Kumar’s finest performances. Old Ramu favourite once again gets a meaty role to sink his teeth into.

DID YOU KNOW: In the original Sanjeev Kumar wanted to play Gabbar



• Sambha
After Manoj Bajpai turned down the role of Gabbar’s chief henchman, Sushant Singh stepped in.

DID YOU KNOW: Sambha is the only comerade that Gabbar refers by name


• Radha
If Ramu was trying to shock with his casting calls then he has succeeded. No two actresses could be more different.

DID YOU KNOW: Amitabh married Jaya Bhaduri, who played the widowed daughter-in-law, in 1973, during the shooting of the film.


• Mehbooba
Urmi doing a Helen, we’d like to see.

DID YOU KNOW: The music for the song "Mehbooba" was "inspired" by a Western tune, "Say You Love Me" by Demis Roussos, a singer-songwriter of Greek origin.


• Soorma Bhopali
Short and sharp, Rajpal Yadav is the closest that we could have got to a modern-day Soorma Bhopali. Lwet’s just hope he get the accet right.

DID YOU KNOW: Jagdeep attempted to capitalize on his Sholay success. He directed and played the lead role in the 1988 film Soorma Bhopali

Mujra Re!! Aishwarya

Talk about Umrao Jaan and a picture of Rekha performing impeccable mujras springs to mind. So, when J P Dutta decided to remake the 1976 classic with Aishwarya Rai, he was very worried about the choreography.


"Umrao Jaan is the kind of film that I have been waiting for. Although I have worked with Ash in Bunty Aur Babli, working with Ash in Umrao Jaan was a completely different experience. The film's music has such a broad canvas. To do justice to the grandeur, I had to go back and dig out all that I have learnt through my career. In this film, I have used the mudras and tudkas I have seen and assimilated from the performances of maestros like Pandit Birju Maharaj.

"I have used kathak as the main dance form in the film. However, I have introduced some deviations to make it more accessible to the audiences. There have been improvisations on the sets too. One day, on the sets director J P Dutta suddenly said that he wanted to emphasise a particular thought and that I should bring out this thought through the steps. So I had to compose steps on-the-spot for the actors, who were flummoxed initially but got the hang of it later.

"Ash is a thorough professional and she wanted everything to be organised and rehearsed before she entered the set to give the final shot.

"Incidentally, like Madhuri Dixit in Devdas, Ash (in Umrao Jaan) too faced a problem in dancing with such heavy costumes on. To make her feel comfortable, I had to alter some kathak steps. For instance, if a dance had five pirouettes we would cut it down to three. At times, steps were altered to ensure that the grandeur of the costume was highlighted.

"Umrao Jaan's dance movements are required to be delicate and feminine. However, J P Dutta wanted the dance sequences to reflect vigour. He was very clear about one thing. He didn't want the dances to look sleazy. He said the courtesan has to express a lot through her eyes. Her audience has to feel that she is looking into their hearts. This meant leaving out suggestive gestures."

Reshammiya set to reinvent himself

ALL SET FOR A MAKEOVER: "There is a lot of talk about my change of look," Reshammiya said.

Mumbai: If you are sick, bored and tired of Himesh Reshammiya's repetitive music and just cannot escape him, there's some good news. Reshammiya is cutting down on his music and singing assignments.

In the past month itself, he has declined more than 15 big films offers.

"I have now decided that I will restrict myself to four films a year because I want my work to be exclusive. Job satisfaction is very important for me. In the last one month I have refused 15-16 films," Reshammiya said.

And if you are one of these who think he is a real rockstar in whose footsteps you would like to follow, the good news is that he's opening the Himesh Reshammiya School of Music.

The school which will teach all the popular genres of music will start in the four metros and expects to enroll 10,000 students next year.

And there is more to Reshammiya, he is also set for a new look.

"There is a lot of talk about my change of look. Definitely there will be some kind of change, which Roopa is designing at the moment but it won’t be very drastic. I will essentially remain who I am," Reshammiya said.

Reshammiya recently came back after a super successful 18-city tour in the US and Canada and will soon be flying to London where he will also unveil his future plans. Till then, it's Reshammiya ka suroor all the way.

Zindagi on ROCKS!!! :-(

With its ‘trendy’ title (double ‘g’ and all) and characters wearing designer outfits, the film is supposed to be contemporary, but underneath it beats the heart of an ancient woman-is-mother-first-and-last melodrama. If a man had made it, he would have been accused of chauvinism, but since it comes from a female director (Tanuja Chandra) and female producer (Anuradha Prasad), it leaves you rather foxed.
Anyway, had it been well-made and engaging, the archaic plot of Zindaggi Rocks would still not offend so much. But after a fairly entertaining beginning, when an over-the-top singer Kria (Sushmita Sen) almost sandbags a reticent doctor Suraj (Shiney Ahuja) into falling in love with her, the film then pulls out all the disaster stops. Suraj’s wife is in a coma, Kria’s adopted son (the incredibly cute Julian Burkhardt) has a hole in his heart and, well, you don’t even want to know the rest.
Worse, Kria’s family—supposed to be madcap—is made up of a group of totally deranged women and one lunatic driver. The doc is infinitely tolerant, after all what does he have to go home to but an old male cook? But pity yourself for having to watch such idiotic antics as a burping contest in a restaurant; and having to listen to pseudo profound lines (the good doc compares Kria to the Bermuda Triangle—and no, it’s not what you think!)
Then thank the Lord for Shiney Ahuja’s sunny presence and the aforementioned cute kid, because Sushmita Sen’s overacting, magnified by close-ups that show all her facial flaws, has you begging for mercy. Anu Malik’s music (too many songs) is no balm and the length of the film, criminal.

Zindaggi Rocks
At: Galaxy and other cinemas
Directed by: Tanuja Chandra
Cast: Sushmita Sen, Shiney Ahuja, Julia Burkhardt, Moushumi Chatterjee and others
Rating: 1 1/2 STAR

1 STAR Poor; 2 STAR Average; 3 STAR Good; 4 STAR Very good; 5 STAR Excellent

Mera Dil Leke Dekho

Yet another film trying to jump onto the comedy bandwagon, Mera Dil Leke Dekho, produced by Shatrughan Sinha and directed by debutant Rohit Kaushik, lacks a basic sense of humour.

The Jackie Shroff-Archana Puran Singh starrer tries to tickle the funny bone, but fails, just like Jatin-Lalit's music. The film revolves around London-born Punjabi Koel Purie, whose only aim in life is to marry the next available man. When Puneet Tejwani flirts with her, she immediately imagines him as her husband, complete with wedding attire. Not just that, she Archana believes her son and husband are having an affair with her son's friend, Joy (Karan Kapoor). For seven days, while comes all the way from London to marry him just because he once said he loved her.

Puneet is excited about her one-week holiday with him and breaks into a jig. But his dreams turn into a nightmare when he finds out about her plans to stay at his house, convince his parents and then marry him. How he tries to shoo her off is supposed to be hilarious, but simply bogs the story down. He hides her at his house for a week without his parents, Jackie and Archana, finding out. Purie doesn't slip into the loud Punjabi image easily, and the effort to mouth her dialogues is quite evident. Puneet's mother is an Art Of Living follower, and her taking deep breaths in order to maintain her cool lead to rare moments that actually make you laugh.

Jackie Shroff is depicted as a womaniser. The film takes a dig at bisexuals and homosexuals, but in extremely bad taste. Koel hides, there is complete chaos. Everybody thinks everyone else is having an affair with someone. There's so much confusion that one wonders if the director and writer even had a script to begin with.

When Puneet makes it clear he can't marry Koel, she shifts her attention to his gay friend and starts dreaming about him. Two and a half hours later, her story reaches an anti-climax. Does she finally get a guy? Don't bother trying to find out.

Original Post

Ash-Abhishek in Yash Raj's next?

The audience will perhaps have an overdose of Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan this year. They have a spate of films lined up. They will soon be seen in UMRAO JAAN, DHOOM 2, GURU and SARKAR 2. Looks like the smashing jodi is all set to rule hearts this Diwali. Well not only that, their fans are in for yet another treat! If the grapevine is to be believed, they have signed another film together. Yash Raj's next venture to be directed by an in-house debutant will see them sizzle again. However Aishwarya's Business Manager, Harii Singh said that he was not aware of any such news.

But for now keep your eyes glued to UMRAO JAAN and DHOOM 2 that has them in diametrically different looks!

Incidentally Abhishek Bachchan has been roped in as the brand ambassador for BIG FM Chennai, radio station. The ADAG Adlabs radio venture will take off in Chennai and Hyderabad next week. South starlet Asin is the female brand ambassador.

YouTube Tutorial and History

Introduction

Background

YouTube,Inc. was founded by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, who were all early employees of PayPal. Prior to PayPal, Hurley studied design at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Chen and Karim studied computer science together at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The domain name "YouTube.com" was activated on February 15, 2005, and the website was developed over the following months. The creators offered the public a preview of the site in May 2005, and six months later, YouTube made its official debut.

The company's humble beginnings in a garage and commitment to offering free services necessitated outside financial backing. In November of 2005, venture capital firm Sequoia Capital invested an initial $3.5 million; additionally, Roelof Botha, partner of the firm and former CFO of PayPal, joined the YouTube board of directors. In April 2006, Sequoia put an additional $8 million into the company, which had experienced a boom of popularity and growth in just its first few months.

Video uploads

About 65,000 videos are uploaded on the site each day. They include things such as music, video games and more. Videos can be uploaded for free, as long as they are 100MB or less and do not contain copyrighted material. A registered account is needed to add the videos.

Service

The slogan "Broadcast Yourself" reflects the basic intent of the site's creators: to provide hosting for videos. Visitors are encouraged to register an account, which allows them to upload videos as well as view them. For example, personal content like home movies can be shared with family and friends, or amateur filmmakers can hope to gain a larger audience for their work. Video as a blogging medium has especially increased in popularity because of YouTube (and led to minor celebrity for some bloggers, such as Nornna). It is also suggested that internet video be considered a legitimate choice next to more traditional media, and possibly better, given the increased potential for customized content.

Apart from original work, and in spite of site policy against copyright infringement, the site is also host to many clips from traditional media. This content ranges from works such as fan-created music videos and dubbed parodies, which have at least some degree of originality, to whole and/or unaltered scenes, commercials, music videos, short films, and so on. As with the music community's conflict over filesharing, there is debate as to whether this practice may prove beneficial to the copyright holders, or simply cause harm.

Facts and stats

Popularity

At present, YouTube is one of the fastest-growing websites on the World Wide Web, and is ranked as the 10th most popular website on Alexa, far outpacing even MySpace's growth. According to a July 16, 2006 announcement, 100 million clips are viewed daily on YouTube, with an additional 65,000 new videos uploaded per 24 hours. The site has almost 20 million visitors each month, according to Nielsen/NetRatings, where around 44% are female, 56% male, and the 12-17 year old age group is dominant.

Valuation

Although YouTube's potential market value in an acquisition is pure speculation, an article in the New York Post suggested on July 23, 2006 that YouTube may be worth anywhere from $600 million to $1 billion. On August 22, 2006 the Web 2.0 blog Techcrunch suggested that Grouper's acquisition price of $65 million implies a YouTube valuation of approximately $2 billion. On August 24 2006 an article on CNET's News.com exclaimed "YouTube could be a steal at $1 billion."

Word spreads and traditional media take notice

In its short time on the web, YouTube has grown quickly and received much attention. Online word-of-mouth has been primarily responsible for YouTube's growth since its inception, and gave the site its first surge of publicity when it hosted the popular Saturday Night Live short Lazy Sunday. However, YouTube's official policy prohibits submission of copyrighted material, and NBC Universal, owners of SNL, soon decided to take action.

In February 2006, NBC asked for the removal of some of its copyrighted content from YouTube, including Lazy Sunday and 2006 Olympics clips. The following month, in an attempt to strengthen its policy against copyright infringement, YouTube set a 10-minute maximum limit on video length (except for content submitted via its Director Program, which specifically hosts original material by amateur filmmakers). However, the real cutoff is 10:58. This restriction is often circumvented by uploaders, who instead split their original video into smaller segments, each shorter than the 10-minute limit.

TV networks see potential

Though YouTube had done its part to comply with NBC's demands, the incident made the news, giving YouTube its most prominent publicity yet. As the site continued to grow, NBC began to realize the possibilities, and in June 2006 made an unusual move. The network had reconsidered its actions and was announcing a strategic partnership with YouTube. Under the terms of the partnership, an official NBC channel will be set up on YouTube, showcasing promotional clips for the series The Office. YouTube will also promote NBC's videos throughout its site.

CBS, which had previously also asked YouTube to remove several of its clips, followed suit in July 2006. In a statement indicative of how the traditional media industry's perception of YouTube (and similar sites) has changed, Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sports noted:

Our inclination now is, the more exposure we get from clips like that, the better it is for CBS News and the CBS television network, so in retrospect we probably should have embraced the exposure, and embraced the attention it was bringing CBS, instead of being parochial and saying ‘let’s pull it down.’

In August of 2006, YouTube announced that, within 18 months, it hopes to offer every music video ever created, while still remaining free of charge. Warner Music Group and EMI have confirmed that they are among the companies in talks to implement this plan. In September Warner Music and YouTube signed a deal, in which YouTube will be allowed to host every music video Warner produced while sharing a portion of the advertisement income. Additionally, user created videos on YouTube will be allowed to use Warner songs in their soundtracks.

New problems arise

In spite of having formed productive relationships with several major media companies, YouTube's copyright controversies are still not over. TV journalist Robert Tur filed the first lawsuit against the company in summer 2006, alleging copyright infringement for hosting a number of famous news clips without permission. The case has yet to be resolved.

Accessibility

* On YouTube: Users may submit videos in several common file formats (such as .mpeg and .avi). YouTube automatically converts them to Flash Video (with extension .flv) and makes them available for online viewing. Flash Video is a popular video format among large hosting sites due to its wide compatibility.

* Outside YouTube: Each video is accompanied by the full HTML codes for linking to it and/or embedding it within another page; a small addition to the code for the latter will make the video autoplay when the page is accessed. These simple cut-and-paste options are popular particularly with users of social/networking sites. Poor experiences have however been cited by members of such sites,[21] where autoplaying embedded YouTube videos has been reported to slow down page loading time or even to cause browsers to crash.

* General Concerns: Videos can be downloaded off YouTube's website and viewed offline with various video player applications; however, this may be a violation of copyright.

* Download Quality: With the update to Flash Gui file formats, YouTube has had problems with videos loading altogether on the Internet Explorer and Firefox web browsers. No news has been given for when this will be repaired.

Copyright infringement

YouTube policy does not allow content to be uploaded by anyone not permitted by copyright law to do so, and the company frequently removes uploaded infringing content. Nonetheless, a large amount of it continues to be uploaded. Generally, unless the copyright holder reports them, YouTube only discovers these videos via indications within the YouTube community through self-policing. The primary way in which YouTube identifies the content of a video is through the search terms that uploaders associate with clips. Some users have taken to creating alternative words as search terms to be entered when uploading specific type of files (similar to the deliberate misspelling of band names on MP3 filesharing networks). For a while, members could also report one another. The service offers a flagging feature, intended as a means for reporting questionable content, including that which might constitute copyright infringement. However, the feature can be susceptible to abuse; for a time, some users were flagging other users' original content for copyright violations, purely out of spite. YouTube proceeded to remove copyright infringement from the list of offenses flaggable by members.

Revenue model

YouTube states that its business model is advertising-based. Some industry commentators have speculated that YouTube's running costs — specifically the bandwidth required — may be as high as US$1 million per-month, thereby fuelling criticisms that the company does not have a viably implemented business model. Advertisements were launched on the site beginning in March 2006. In April, YouTube started using Google AdSense.

Violence

On their 6:30 PM bulletin on June 1, 2006, ITV News in the UK reported that YouTube and sites like it were encouraging violence and bullying amongst teenagers, who were filming fights on their mobile phones (see happy slapping), and then uploading them to YouTube. While the site provides a function for reporting excessively violent videos, the news report stated that communication with the company was difficult.

Similar websites

* GoFish

* Google Video

* Metacafe

* Veoh

* Youare.tv

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Umrao Jaan - In the News

MILLION DOLLAR SMILE: Actress Aishwarya Rai at the music release of Umrao Jan.

Mumbai: The music launch of J P Dutta's much-awaited film Umrao Jaan marked a star-studded affair on Saturday night in Mumbai.

Though the leading man of the film Abhishek Bachchan was missing, his absence was more than fulfilled by his celebrity father Amitabh Bachchan.

"I am a poor substitute for my son Abhishek but here's wishing you all good wishes," said Bachchan in his usual down-to-earth fashion.

The film, an adaptation of the 150-year-old novel Umrao Jaan Ada by Mirza Hadi Ruswa is also being talked about for the inevitable comparisons being drawn with its older version. But the film promises to be different.

"Umrao Jaan is a story of songs, smiles, pains and longing," Lyricist and composer Javed Akhtar said.

And as for the film’s leading lady, the film has been an emotional journey. "This is an emotional journey which has been demanding and draining, but at the same time it's a catharsis," said Aishwarya Rai.

While there are tremendous expectations from the film, the cast and the crew of Umrao Jaan said they have put their heart and soul into it.

"I have put my blood and soul in it," said music director Anu Malik adding that Umrao Jaan has been one of the biggest projects for him.

The ultimate compliment was, of course, from the guest of honour Lata Mangeshkar. "I am convinced that the music as well as the film will do really well," she said.

Umrao Jaan is not just a story of love and longing, but is also a revival of exquisite Urdu poetry.

Now that the music of J P Dutta's most closely guarded film is out, expectations from the film continue to rise.

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Krishana - Animation

When it comes to Animation Movies, we are still no match for the western fare. Both, in terms of idea as well as execution. Animation Industry is an expensive one. And when you take the easier way out, results are bound to be average. I am not saying Krishna doesn’t have its moments. There are endearing moments especially the Makhan chor ones etc as one can relate to it. We have seen-and-heard the story of Krishna so many times before in various Television serials and yes the animation does hold a novelty value in its own cute way.

After ‘Hanuman’s success, it was natural to think of something else. ‘Hanuman’ did well at the Box Office and there’s every possibility of ‘Krishna’ going down well with the gentry as well. Who wouldn’t want to see Krishna’s childhood antics, the tempestuous flute playing to lure the gopis, breaking matkis, lying to his mom, sucking the life out of the witches and the growth of Krishna in his childhood itself. In a way, it is a fine way of teaching your children about the glory that is associated with Krishna rather than making them see pictures in story books.

So, if you believe in the catchline ‘Naughty Is Cool’ then take your children to a cinema near you. Don’t expect too much and you’d come out pleasantly surprised.

Bollywood Box Office Analysis

First weekend performance of latest release

As the day came near for the four films [Khosla Ka Ghosla, Dor, Rocky, Manoranjan] belonging to completely diverse genres to release together, the picture was clear that none of the films would be taking anything more than an average initial. Reasons were manifold. a) 4 releases in a week are bound to eat each other's business, b) Just a week prior to this, 4 films [PKSE, Bas Ek Pal, Shiva, Kachchi Sadak] were released, c) 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' is still going extraordinarily strong and d) Last but the most important reason - common man is now saving money for 'Don' and 'Jaan-E-Mann' that arrive on October 20th. Hence the only film that was expected to open best amongst the four was 'Khosla Ka Ghosla' and one has to credit the marketing strategy of UTV for this. They strategically planned the film's promotion and realized that the film would have tremendous potential from word of mouth. This is what exactly happened as the film opened on an average note but only gained in strength as days progressed. Reviews and word of mouth have been consistent too hence giving hopes of a surprise success before September end.

'Dor' opened to best reviews all over with not a single critic having a negative word to say about the film. Sadly the film was not marketed in accordance to its actual stature which resulted in a below average opening. Though the film is doing well at select multiplexes, an 'Iqbal' like scenario doesn't seem to be a possibility since there are multiple releases over next few weeks too. It's unfortunate but it seems that the film which got its lead actors [Ayesha Takia, Gul Panag] the best reviews of their career may be relegated to home viewing soon.

'Rocky' was always expected to fetch an inconsequential opening and hence it didn't come as a surprise when the first weekend reports started coming in. Consistent poor ratings all over put a seal over the fate of this film that would be forgotten in a couple of weeks time. 'Manoranjan', an 'inside' story of Bollywood, was neither patronized by those inside the industry or outside it.

Last week's movies

For a long time there hadn't been a film that worked in a big way due to very good word of mouth. 'Pyaar Ke Side Effects' has broken the resistance by exactly following the same route. It has turned into a surprise success in its first week of the release itself. The film has managed to work well amidst a heavy inflow of movies and has gone on to do over 4 crore business in its first week. This moderately priced film is already above average and the way it is being patronized by youngsters and elders like, it should be a comfortable hit in a matter of 2-3 weeks. After 'Lage Raho Munnabhai', this is the only film to have taken a good opening all over. Expectedly Mumbai was best with contribution of a little less than a crore while Delhi was decent too with around half a crore. Mallika Sherawat finally gets a success from the most unsuspecting corner!

'Shiva' has failed all over with just 2.5 crore coming in after first week and anticipation of a heavy fall in its second week. The action drama that acted as a re-launch of Mohit Ahlawat has failed to deliver hence adding on to the tally of RGV flops. Disappointing, because one may still pardon an assistant of RGV making a lukewarm film like 'Shiva'; but not the man himself. 'Bas Ek Pal' has turned out to be the biggest disappointments of all since this time around Onir had a good media backup and promotional drive for his film. Inspite of haunting score and superlative performances, the film has fetched a mere 50 lakhs to add on the tally of disasters this year. Fourth release of the week, 'Kachchi Sadak', was expectedly a non-starter and had to content itself with 10 lakhs all-India score. Disaster!

From the past

First week of 'Naksha' was less than impressive but there were still some hopes that the film may hold on to a reasonable extent to at least make it to coverage in some territories. Well, that doesn't seem to be happening now since the film fell in a big way [~75%] to add on just about 2 crores. Sitting at 9.5 crore with signs of a quick exit soon, 'Naksha' is an unfortunate flop for Sunny Deol and Vivek Oberoi. 'Dil Diya Hai' is a clear disaster with around 90% fall in its second week. With just 25 lakhs more coming in, the film's collections read 2.25 crore. It would be a surprise if the film even manages to touch 2.5 crores. One more disaster!

'Lage Raho Munabhai' - now what more can one say about this film that refuses to show any drop in collections week after week. If last week fall was 30%, week 3 was even better with just about 20% fall. Tremendous! The movie has caught on in a same way as 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun' did years back followed by 'Gadar'. In both the cases, it was all around positive word of mouth that enabled the film to scale heights. Also, in such a scenario it is a common trend to overheat conversations like "Have you watched the film? No, what a pity! How could that happen?" More often than not such a conversation hypes up an individual to such an extent that he/she is left with no other alternative but to catch the film ASAP. Week 3 brought in 12 crores more to result in a 3 week tally of an astonishing 48 crores. A super-duper hit, it is on its way to be an all time blockbuster. Mumbai [2.5 crores], Delhi [1.5 crores] and places all over India are a testimony to that. 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna' has crossed 46 crores after 6th week adding on another 35 lakhs weeks but mega bucks from this point on are ruled out.

In the future

Four more films release this Friday [Woh Lamhe, Jai Santoshi Maa, Krishna and American Blend]. Out of the four, only 'Woh Lamhe' is expected to open well due to aggressive promotional campaign. Also Mahesh Bhatt has opened his heart out to let the world know about his love for Parvin Babi that adds on to the hype. The film is expected to follow the graph akin to 'Gangster' i.e. take a reasonable start [50-60%] and then grow on a gradual basis with word of mouth. With no major competition till October 20th, it should be a safe preposition for Vishesh Films. 'Jai Santoshi Maa' may work only in the interiors though the promotion leaves a lot to be desired. In comparison 'Krishna' has been promoted more aggressively but not-so-inspiring animation brings it to a dicey position at BO. None of the two devotional films may really be able to make much of a mark. 'American Blend' starring Anupam Kher in the lead is directed by an Indian [Varun Khanna] and comes straight from America but since not many are even aware about its release, it would seriously hamper its BO performance.

For the original Article Click Here!!!

Main Roni Aur Joni - Coming Soon

Comedies perhaps are the safest bet as far as the movie-making business is concerned. Audience love to watch comedies and get their funny bones tickled thereby happy of having received a 'paisa vasool' entertainment. Till sometime back the David Dhawan-Govinda duo guaranteed sure-shot box-office sweep with their whacky flicks. Today it is Priyadarshan-Paresh Rawal pair that is ruling the roost. The year 2006 has started on a positive note for comedies with MALAMAAL WEEKLY and MIXED DOUBLES have been received well by the movie-buffs.

MAIN, RONY AUR JONY is another entry into the funny zone, which could be categorized as a comedy of errors. The film is produced by Tez Entertainment Pvt Ltd. Nandita Singha has directed the film. The film has been written by Nandita Singha and Imtiaz Patel.

MAIN RONY AUR JONY is a character-driven comedy flick, with interesting conflicts and love interests. It shows us the mirror, to reveal the 'Mask' that we may put at times to be identified as someone we don't believe in, but end-up landing in deep double-trouble.

3 people - Main, Rony and Jony. Rony a con art dealer with no penny in his pocket earns his living by cheating the families of dead people; with a painting, which he claims, was ordered by the dead-man. Conflict occurs when Tej Singh; son of a don catches Rony red-handed when he lands up to his house with a painting claimed to be ordered by his dead father.

Tej Singh's life revolves around his ex-fiancee, Priya Mallik. For whom he can fight with the entire world. The situation worsens when Tej Singh finds out that the flirt con artist Rony is having an affair with his ex-fiancee Priya. He feels that Rony is taking advantage of emotionally weak Priya and remembers that she had once challenged him that she would get married to anyone in 15 days to get rid of him and now she wants to marry Rony!!! Trouble begins...

Tej Singh takes charge and matter complicates. Rony finds himself in trouble and decides to take the help of Jony to escape. But, the trouble gets double when Jony lands up falling in love with Payal, Priya's younger sister. Rony and Jony ends up landing together on a roller-coaster of errors.

The film stars Priyanshu Chatterjee, Sandali Sinha, Aditya Bal, Sayali Bhagat, Tanaaz Lal, Sharat Saxena, Rakesh Bedi, Ashish Vidhyarthi, Sanjay Sharma, Asrani and Aman Gupta. The music for the film has been scored by Jaideep Chowdhury while lyrics penned by Rahat Indori, Pravin Bharadwaj and Rahul B Seth.

The Original Post at GlamSham

DON - Coming SOON

Curiosity ran high the minute Farhan Akhtar's DON was announced. Produced by Ritesh Sidhwani, DON has an ensemble star cast - Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Arjun Rampal, Isha Kopikkar, Kareena Kapoor and Boman Irani.

That it is a remake of the classic Amitabh Bachchan starrer DON (1978) is a well-known fact. Apparently Farhan's DON is very different in terms of the look, mood and flavour though the essence is the same. Kareena will be seen gyrating to 'Yeh mera dil' (originally done by Helen) and the song 'Khaike Paan Banaras Wala' is definitely something to look out for, since Saroj Khan has remade it in a different style. The story goes like this...

A huge Indian contingent embarks on a dangerous cat-and-mouse trail of capturing DON (Shah Rukh Khan) - the ruthless drug mafia in Malaysia.

When DON gets seriously injured in a police encounter, the word that he is dead begins to do the rounds. The reality, of course, is that DON is held captive in a secret location, while his bumpkin of a look-alike, Vijay, is polished and sent to take down DON's gang.

In a bizarre twist of fate, when the man shielding the humble and streetwise Vijay, is killed, the latter comes to terms with the horrifying realization that both the police and the gang are out to nab him for different reasons.

In a desperate attempt to prove his innocence, he is aided by the glamorously staggering Roma (Priyanka Chopra), and handsomely striking, Jasjit (Arjun Rampal), who owes Vijay a favor for care-taking his son during his imprisonment. But will Vijay be successful in his mission?

Based on the successful erstwhile classic of the same name, which featured the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, the contemporary and stylishly crafted DON, features Bollywood czar Shah Rukh Khan playing a double role in one of the most defining performances of his career, teamed for the first time with former Miss World, Priyanka Chopra.

The biggest and most keenly awaited motion picture of 2006, DON is a high-octane, tension-filled, twisty roller coaster of a ride, with just the right dose of glamour, action, suspense and romance.

It releases on 20th October 2006. The promos are very stylish and exciting. The film is bound to generate comparisons and judgments. So the audience is in for lots of excitement and an exhilarating experience this Diwali.

Bhoot Uncle - Coming Soon

Horror films are designed to frighten, panic and invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying way while amazingly captivating and entertaining us at the same time though horror films designed for kids are very light and frivolous in nature. After famous children's movies like MAKDEE and HANUMAN there's yet another children's film coming up this summer titled BHOOT UNKLE, a Sumiet Sehgul presentation in association with Ikon pictures and Wam Motion pictures is produced by Aneesh Arjun Dev and Krishnan Choudhary.

For 12 year old orphan Shyam, life had been nothing but a series of tragedies and hardships, until he unexpectedly stumbled upon a haunted place which was abandoned by the inhabitants of the town he lived in.

The mystery which he accidentally solved gave way to his access to a magical power that changed his entire life and also that of his other little friends.
After getting into the frightening and mysterious secrets of the past, Shyam was burdened with the almost impossible responsibility of saving the whole town from the danger looming over it by the clutches of aggressively spreading evil plans of the villain.

Then started the fight of good and the bad... in the world of magic, adventure and fun... in the world of 'Bhoot Unkle'.

This spooky film has lots of MASTI and THRILL and shall be liked by kids and parents alike.

Jackie Shroff plays the mysterious ghost the little kids have to deal with. His character and performance in this film would definitely make him even more popular amongst the youth.

The pioneer of pop music in India, Baba Saigal makes his debut as a music director with this entertaining film.

One of the most happening children's films this summer... Strongly recommended!

Dil Diya Hain - Movie Review

And the pimp is supposed to look at his intended prey with a mixture of lust and passion. Since he's played by Ashmit Patel all he can manage is a look of aloof disdain.

And all DIL DIYA HAI can manage is a warning to parents who take their daughters on European sojourns. Beware of the London-walla Raja Hindustani tourist guide. He'll first take your daughter into confidence and then sell her to the nearest brothel-walla who will promptly fall in love with the intended flesh-seller and battle it out with Raja English-tani for the kidnapped girl's hand (and the rest of her shapely body). At the end of a bloodied shoot-out the girl opts for the tourist guide.

But can a girl ever trust a man who sells her to a bar-brothel where blondes? This is a question that could haunt you after watching this mediocre and yet brave film about a man who needs money and a girl who needs to be spanked… right here right now.

Geeta Basra as the headstrong fun-loving giggly tourist lets her nose-ring and war paint do all acting. The girl focuses all her attentions on trying to look pained and bewildered after she's kidnapped… an easy task considering what embarrassing situations the plot creates for the debutante. Still she looks more sinned against than sinned.

Somewhere in this road movie that takes DILWALE DULHANIYA LE JAYENGE to the pit of a psychedelic hell, Mithun Chakbraborty and the lovely Kittu Gidwani appear as a kind of aging Laila-Majnu in the wilderness. Mithun strums the gentle guitar and wields a mean gun to protect the young lovers from ruining their love.

But who protects poor Aaditya Datt from making a hash (albeit a well-intended hash) in this Aditya Chopra-meets-Sanjay Gupta concoction?

Hashmi in an author-backed role (he's there in almost all frames) is required to go through a gamut of expressions, from grimace to turmoil. He passes muster. But please don't expect him to pull off a story of guilt and rdemption, a la Dilip Kumar in DEVDAS or even Rajesh Khanna in AAP KI KASAM.

Yes, London and its surroundings still look fetching… more so than the actors who sometimes look like they are pretexts for the luscious locations.

As for the debutante leading lady, could she go easy on her makeup? Hearts won't melt at her predicament. But the war paint threatens to melt under the weight of overstatement.

Nasha - Movie Review

What remains are the remnants of a dreadful day. The sunny countenance seems to come out of a squeezed-out tube. And there are continuity lapses (e.g Oberoi's off-and-on stubble) that shame the film's claims to being a true adventure story. And the humour is often of the most dreadful variety. There's a particularly obnoxious queer-funny sequence where handcuffed chote-bhai Oberoi wants his brother Sunny Deol to help him pee in the wilderness. Boy's day ouch?????

Forget the ecological desecration. The absolute lack of good taste in intermittent bouts of massy pleasuring stymies the flow of adventure… e.g. the pigmy tribals making merry havoc with the adventurous trio of protagonists, or the villain's moll who stands speechlessly in semi-naked splendour only to burst into a song about Nashaa Nashaa… or was it Naksha Naksha?

Too numbed to react to the film's self-conscious paciness, you still applaud the debutant director for his enterprising spirit.

When was the last time you saw a children's adventure story told with loads of sporty chutzpah?

This isn't quite the ultimate adventure story that Spielberg would have made. But NAKSHA has an interesting look and feel to it. The feeling however isn't even skin-deep. It's just … stilted and shallow.

What remains are the remnants of a dreadful day. The sunny countenance seems to come out of a squeezed-out tube. And there are continuity lapses (e.g Oberoi's off-and-on stubble) that shame the film's claims to being a true adventure story. And the humour is often of the most dreadful variety. There's a particularly obnoxious queer-funny sequence where handcuffed chote-bhai Oberoi wants his brother Sunny Deol to help him pee in the wilderness. Boy's day ouch?????

Forget the ecological desecration. The absolute lack of good taste in intermittent bouts of massy pleasuring stymies the flow of adventure… e.g. the pigmy tribals making merry havoc with the adventurous trio of protagonists, or the villain's moll who stands speechlessly in semi-naked splendour only to burst into a song about Nashaa Nashaa… or was it Naksha Naksha?

Too numbed to react to the film's self-conscious paciness, you still applaud the debutant director for his enterprising spirit.

When was the last time you saw a children's adventure story told with loads of sporty chutzpah?

This isn't quite the ultimate adventure story that Spielberg would have made. But NAKSHA has an interesting look and feel to it. The feeling however isn't even skin-deep. It's just … stilted and shallow.

DOR - Movie Review

How far would you go for love? That's the question, which the narrative softly raises.

How far would YOU go to see this film? That's the question every movie-enthusiast should ask loudly.

Very frankly, DOR takes you by complete surprise. Of course you expect a certain aesthetic and technical finesse in a Kukunoor creation. But nothing he has done so far-not the under-rated 3 DEEWAAREIN and certainly not the hugely feted IQBAL-prepares us for the luminous spiritual depths and the exhilarating emotional heights of DOR.

The stunningly original screenplay sweeps in a caressing arc, over the separate yet bonded lives of two women, Zeenat (Gul Panag) in the snowcaps of Himachal Pradesh and Meera (Ayesha Takia) in the parched sandstorms of Rajasthan. The picaresque pilgrimage of one woman into the life of another is charted in the resplendent rhythms of a rather zingy symphony played at an octave that's at once subdued and persuasive.

DOR could any time lapse into being one of those tedious works on women's emancipation. Kukunoor controls the emotional tide with hands that know when to exercise restrain and when to let go. DOR flies high and effortlessly in an azure sky, creating elating dips and curves in the skyline without ever letting go of the thematic thrusts that take the director as far into the realm of realism as cinematically possible, without losing out on that wonderful quality of cinematic splendour that separates poetry from sermons.

Join Zeenat, then, on her bizarre impossible quest to find an achingly young newly widowed woman whom Zeenat has never seen, met or even heard of until her husband's sudden tryst with crisis.

The way Kukunoor weaves the two unconnected lives in contrasting hinterlands is not short of magical.

The eye for detail (take a bow Sudeep Chatterjee, Munish Sappal, Sanjeev Dutta and Salim-Suleiman for conferring a subtle but skilled splendour through your cinematography, art direction, editing and music) is so keen, you tend to stare not at the screen, but at feelings and emotions that aren't visible .

From the initial scenes of tender bonding between the two women and their respective spouses, to the indelible sisterhood between the two bereaved women that constitutes the endnotes of this sublime celluloid symphony… Kukunoor's world of wistful peregrinations is as fragile as it's powerful.

The quality of fire-and-ice is not just all defining, it also provides a subliminal text to the narrative's inner world where ideologies and 'isms' fade, only pain hurt and betrayal remains.

There're moments of unbearable poignancy in the film. The sequence where the child-woman gone from bright bride to wan widow in months, opens her dead husband's suitcase, is remarkable for creating a disturbing sense of spatial disharmony… The frailty of the widowed girl is weighed against the huge expanse of the crumbling room containing that one tiny accusing blue suitcase that symbolizes her shattered world.

Scenes of female bonding between Ayesha Takia and her dead husband's grand mother (Uttara Baovkar) convey a familiar yet refreshing genuineness.

But it's the Takia-Panag sisterhood that sustains the narrative. Both the actresses are huge revelations, Takia winning more sympathy votes for the sheer poignancy of her character's predicament. Scenes such as the one where she falls unconscious while hearing the news of her husband's death over the only cell phone in the village or the one where she furtively dances to ‘You're My Sonia’ stay etched beyond the frames.

Chunks of the film where Zeenat tries to locate Meera are designed as an ongoing travel-adventure. You wish Kukunoor hadn't introduced Shreyas Talpade's character… He adds nothing to the central theme of female bonding. In fact Talpade's drunken confessions of love to Panag in the wilderness, and Kukunoor's obtrusive appearance as an engineer who has designs over Takia, are somewhat embarrassing. It's not as if such things don't happen in real life. It's just that these situations don't belong to a world that Kukunoor has built out of the finest threads of humanism compassion and empathy.

Is DOR one of the most poignant films in recent times? Most probably it is. When it comes to portraying a forlorn yet undefeated sisterhood it stands tall and stately right up there with Deepa Mehta's WATER.

Amir Khan to Host TV Show!!!!

Aamir Khan is a busy man. Apart from basking in the accolades for his movie ‘Rang De Basanti’ getting a nod for the Oscars this year and spearheading his next production ‘Taare Zameen Par’ Aamir is also going to be hosting a TV show. Yes, you heard it right! The show is called ‘Rang De Basanti Salaam’ and it will go on air on Gandhi Jayanti (2^nd October) on Star Gold.

The show will recognize the individuals whose actions have affected the society in a positive manner and who symbolize the spirit of humanity. The winners have been chosen from common folks who have voted their hero in their community via sms and mail. Another interesting aspect of the show is that it is being produced by The most well known vamp of small screen Urvashi Dholakia (Komolika of ‘Kasauti Zindagi Ki’). It would be great to see Aamir spreading his charm on the small screen.