Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Kareena: Bridesmaid at Amrita Arora's shaadi?

Speculations are rife... that Amrita Arora is all set to 'I do' at the altar soon. Close friends of the actor's claim that love is in the air, and that this time it's for real. After having bowled over Usman Afzal, love seemed to have 'run out' after a few years of courtship. And the sexy Amu has stumped Hyderabadi businessman Shakeel Ladak this time round.

The wedding bells are expected to ring in the March of 2009, the actor however is not willing to confirm or deny the news. "I'll tell you when I'm ready," she has been telling one and all. But for the time being, we for sure know that wedding and banquet halls are being scouted for. Friends say this is for a grand reception in Mumbai, while the shaadi will be a beautiful church wedding in Goa – something that Amrita has always wanted.

And whisperers have gone a step further, claiming that best friend Kareena is excited to wear the bridesmaid gown at this Goan do. Looks like bahut kuch set hai, bhai!

SRK's wife Gauri admitted to hospital

King Khan's wife Gauri Khan admitted to Lilavati Hospital following stomachache on yesterday afternoon. On Friday night, she was spotted at Farah Khan's Triumph lingerie show and was looking fine but following next morning, her condition detoriated and complained stomach pain and even vomited.

Says a source close to Shahrukh, "Though Gauri was fine till Farah's show on Friday night, on Sunday afternoon she started vomitting and feeling sick. Apparently, she had eaten something the night before which didn't suit her resulting in a bout of severe food poisoning. She was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Bandra yesterday late afternoon. The doctors are saying it was something she ate but it could also be a gastro-intestinal infection."

On receiving the news of Gauri’s sickness, SRK cancelled his shooting of Rab Ne Bana Di jodi and right away rushed to the hospital to attend her. According to a close source, Shahrukh remained close to Gauri till he got assurance from the doctor that her condition is improving.

Gauri will be discharged in a day or two. However, both SRK and Gauri remained unavailable for their comments.

Financial crunch hits Bollywood, cost cutting begins

Source: IBN Live

Bollywood is also feeling the pinch of the global economic meltdown. Though, initially, it tried to wish away the phenomenon, hoping it would not be affected by the economic slowdown, domestically at least the reality began to stare it in the face soon enough.

Director Pooja Bhatt has been asked by T-Series CEO Bhushan Kumar to reduce the budget of new film Kajra Re as production houses that signed on Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan for huge amounts are having second thoughts about the deals.

Cost-cutting has become the buzzword of the world's biggest film factory now.

"The slowdown has been felt in the industry rather slowly, but it has now caught up with it," trade analyst Komal Nahata tells IANS.

"However, it is difficult to say whether this has happened as a result of the global impact or due to the box-office disasters of recent big-budget movies, like Drona, Kidnap and Karzzz. But a sense of insecurity now pervades all production concerns, more so in Bollywood's corporates houses,” she adds.

Komal stressed that with a feeling of uncertainty ahead, the first priority in Bollywood is to cut costs wherever possible.

Referring to some Bollywood corporate houses that were acquiring movies at exorbitant prices without looking into their merits, a director of Percept Picture Company, Ashok Ahuja says that they should now stop this practice and instead take up production themselves.

"Recently, two Bollywood corporate houses incurred losses to the tune of Rs 160 crore and Rs 60 crore, respectively. Naturally both have now put on hold their planned acquisitions. This was bound to happen. But it has happened sooner than we expected," Ahuja tells IANS.

An example of how the fear is taking hold can be gauged from the fact that T-Series CEO, Bhushan Kumar, recently told director Pooja Bhatt to reduce the budget of Kajra Re, the movie she is to direct for the music company, even before it has gone on the floors.

Though Kumar cited no reason for the cost cutting, it is easy to understand that, after the indifferent box-office performance of its Himesh Reshammiya starrer Karzzz, the T-Series boss did not want to take an expensive risk in a second Reshammiya film - Kajra Re.

By suggesting trimming of the movie's budget, Kumar was just being realistic. He guessed that Kajra Re might not fetch the price Reliance BIG Entertainment paid for Karzzz for its marketing and distribution rights, and so it would be better not to splurge on another film.

According to a source, T-Series, which had signed a Rs 50 crore deal with Salman Khan recently told the star that it would not be able to see through the deal in its present form. This means Salman will have to cut down his per movie price.

A similar message is said to have been conveyed to Akshay Kumar by UTV, which had signed a Rs 60 crore deal with him. Waiting for Akshay's response, UTV has put the deal on hold for the time being.

There is also a buzz in Bollywood trade circles that after Karzzz turned out to be a damp squib, Studio 18 has shelved Hhey Gujju, starring Himesh Reshammiya, which it had announced in June.

All the changes were made after the three companies realised that in the present uncertain entertainment market, the less money spent on the stars the better.

But not all in Bollywood are panic-stricken. UTV top boss Ronnie Screwvala, for one, is definitely not. He sees the current uncertain phase as a blessing in disguise as it has set the "cleaning process in the corporate clutter in motion".

"Cheap equities will soon disappear. Only the best and strongest will be able to stand high now," he says.

In keeping with the need of the hour, Screwvala says, UTV would now be prudent in selecting movies. The box-office successes of movies like Aamir, A Wednesday and Welcome to Sajjanpur have encouraged him to opt for small-budget movies, which are well-made and based on good content.

"We will continue to make big-budget movies with dependable partners, but the projects will be evaluated judiciously," Screwvala tells IANS.

Kishore Lulla of Eros International explains succinctly how the chain reaction of slowdown would grip the industry, saying, "Look, with the liquidity crunch in the market, people now have less disposable income and so they will now spend less on luxury and entertainment - which means the movie-going clientele will decrease and so will the box-office collections.

"This will first affect the exhibition and distribution sector and consequently the production sector as it will have less money coming in from the two main sources - film exhibition and distribution. With less money on hand, producers will be forced to cut cost before the system gets corrected."

This, Lulla says, is a correction phase for the entertainment industry as well. "This is no time for any kind of bravado," he adds.

There is also no denying the fact that if star prices have hit the roof lately, the blame should lie with the Bollywood corporates themselves who tried to play the game of one-upmanship among themselves by piggy-riding on the willing stars.

Abhishek replaces Aamir

Source: ZoomTV
Perfectionist Aamir Khan was in dilemma whether to say yes or say no when he was approached to play the life of legendry singer Kishore Kumar. When the maker of the film failed to get any fruitful answer from Aamir, they changed their choice from Aamir to the talented actor Abhishek Bachchan who has shown his acting charisma in films like Guru, Dhoom 2, Sarkar Raj.

After considering some of the biggies of Bollywood like Salman Khan, Govinda and Aamir Khan, the production house has finally zeroed upon the versatile actor, Abhishek Bachchan. Ram Mirchandani, COO, UTV Rampage Motion Pictures said “As a production house we are always excited about all our projects but this film is based on a legend called Kishore, so it’s super special. As a subject, Kishore Kumar’s life is very colorful. His love life, his career, his music, his marriages and above all his eccentricities, he was a complete entertainer."

The director of the film Sujit Sarkar is quite happy with the choice as Abhi’s comic and intense timing is in creditable and will suit to the character of Kishore Kumar to the utmost.

katrina is back with salman in "Yuvraaj"

Katrina Kaif, the golden bird of Bollywood at present has really turned the fortunes of many filmmakers and producers. And now the lady is yet again ready with her upcoming release ‘Yuvraaj’ which is a Subhash Ghai directorial venture.

Apparently, Katrina is playing a cello player in this romantic musical saga. She defines her experiences as a cello player to be very ingenious and interesting, different from her regular roles. She is paired opposite Salman Khan in the movie with whom she shares a special relationship off screen too. Upon her expectations about the movie she revealed that the movie is very special for her.

The movie also stars Anil Kapoor and Zayed Khan. The music is given by maestro A.R.Rehmaan. Katrina Kaif has now delivered six hits in a row starting from ‘Namaste London’. She is hoping to belt out yet another hit, adorning a new feather into her already glossy cap. All the people involved with this movie are also hoping for the same.

John Abraham was the first choice for 'Blue'

Source: TheHindu
John Abraham was the first choice of director Anthony D'Souza for the big budget underwater action adventure "Blue". But he had to settle for Zayed Khan instead after John could'nt give the dates.

"I'm very fond of John and he was my first choice for the role that Zayed is playing now," D'Souza, who is debuting as a director with "Blue", told IANS.

"John could not do the film because of personal reasons and prior commitments. After John I had Zayed in mind and I am glad that things worked out with him. But I hope to work with John in future," he added.

Zayed plays a flamboyant youngster who lives in Bangkok. He gets into trouble and escapes from there to the Bahamas to meet the other two lead characters played by Sanjay Dutt and Akshay Kumar. The film also stars Lara Dutta, Kartina Kaif and Rahul Dev.

Commenting on Sanjay and Akshay's presence in the film, D'Souza said: "I feel extremely fortunate to have them in the film. I had both the actors in mind while scripting the film. When the producer asked me, I told him and I am glad we have them."

D'Souza says he hadn't signed on the two because of their star value. "More than stars, I think Akshay and Sanjay are great actors. In spite of being a big star, Akshay puts in tremendous hard work and dedication to his work. He often would reach the sets before me. And Sanjay's experience helped me a lot. I have learnt so much from him."

"Blue" is said to be the costliest Bollywood film till date - it is being made at a whopping Rs.1,290 million, but the director wants it to be called a good film than a big-budget film.

According to the director, "Blue" is the first Indian film to have been extensively shot underwater with real sharks.

Imraan Khan and Mughda at PVR

Source: NowRunning
Imraan Khan and Mughdha weer among the celebrities who made it to the 'Quantum of Solace' premiere that was held at PVR, Juhu.

'Quantum of Solace' is the 22nd James Bond film by EON Productions, released in India on the 7th of November, 2008 a week prior to its US release. The sequel to the 2006 film Casino Royale, it is directed by Marc Forster, and features Daniel Craig's second performance as James Bond.

Ayesha Takia ia all set to play babysitter

Source: ZOOM TV
When we arrived on the sets of Ahmed Khan’s Paathshala recently, we saw Ayesha Takia and a bunch of kids having a ball. It was only later that we realised the cameras were rolling and the freewheeling group were shooting. The sets resemble a huge boarding school and from the looks of it, academia was never this much fun.

“It’s lovely to be around children. They can shoot for twenty hours together and not run out of energy,” she says admiringly. Ayesha’s role had to be snipped to accommodate the kids. But she’s taken it with a pinch of salt for the film, the great script and of course Ahmed and his wife, Shaira who are family friends.

The child actors on the sets are apparently full of zest and have plenty of queries and compliments for Ayesha. “They compliment me on my hair. One of them asked me if my cheeks are real,” she laughs. Despite of all the masti, there are rules to be followed on the sets. Ahmed Sir after all has a film to complete and makes sure the fun is organised and controlled. “There’s no smoking on the sets, no shouting and no yelling on the mike,” he says. The mood was still upbeat when the shoot wrapped up, but Ayesha got a little emotional. Find out why.

Chunky Panday back in bollywood to become Don

If you can't tolerate one Chunky Pandey, two would be double trouble. And that's going to be the case in Anubhav Sinha's 'Sankat City' directed by Pankaj Advani. Chunky, for the first time in his career, is playing a double role. And guess what! It's a take off on 'Don' (do we see Bachchan and SRK raising eyebrows already). The film co stars Kay Kay Menon and Rimii Sen.

The role is a lot like what SRK and Big B had played in their respective versions of 'Don'. Chunky plays a gangster who is bumped off and later replaced by a similar looking man. Though it isn't a spoof, it's still a funny role, because the serious North Indian don is eventually replaced by a dark, funny looking, South Indian Don who speaks with a major twang," informs his publicist Dale Bhagwagar.

It is also said that Chunky is very interested in a full fledged negative role now. The publicist reveals that the actor feels that after Amjad Khan and Amrish Puri, the concept of the villain is dying, and is keen someone would write a great negative role for him.

Harman Baweja is in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s next movie

Source: IndiaTimes
Harman Baweja is all set for a new look for Ashutosh Gowarikar’s next, “What’s your rashee?” Over the weekend, the actor was busy trying out various make overs at a photoshoot in Mehboob Studio.

With most actors working only on one film at a time, it is easier to carry out a look for the entire shooting duration. So until Christmas, Harman will be with Ashutosh Gowarikar.

After a whirlwind shooting schedule of Anees Bazme’s “Its My Life”, the actor is chilling out in Mumbai for a couple of days. Shooting for Gowarikar’s film is slated to start by the end of the week. Confesses Harman, “This is a big film. I am indeed lucky to work with such a big director so early in my career.”

Harman will be paired opposite Priyanka Chopra. However, she will join the unit at a later date. So romance will certainly be on the cards for this couple as they mix business with pleasure.

Golmaal Returns is copy of "Aaj Ki Taza Khabar"

Source: NDTV Movies
The comedy film Golmaal Returns is a copy of the 1973 production "Aaj Ki Taza Khabar", a complainant told a film producers' forum on Tuesday.

Shakuntala Bhatia lodged a complaint with the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) that Golmaal Returns, which released on Oct 29, was a direct copy of her husband, producer Rajendra Bhatia's "Aaj Ki Taza Khabar", starring Kiran Kumar, Radha Saluja and Asrani.

She said she came to know of the similarities of the stories between the two movies only after she read reviews of Golmaal Returns in a Bollywood trade magazine on Monday. She substantiated her claim, saying the reviewers had also noted as much in their magazines.

Bhatia claimed a compensation of Rs 50 million from Golmaal Returns producer Shree Asthavinayak Cine Vision as Kiron Production, headed by her, was in the process of re-making Aaj Ki Taza Khabar.

Golmaal Returns, starring Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor, Tushar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Arshad Warsi, Celina Jaitley and Amrita Arora and directed by Rohit Shetty, has already raked in Rs 450 million from domestic box-office with additional $10 million from the overseas market, according to Indian Films, which owns the movie's rights.

The movie's story has been credited to Yunus Sajawal and it has been advertised as a sequel to Rohit Shetty's 2006 production, Golmaal.

Farhan Akhtar as "OYE, It's Friday" on NDTV Imagine

Source: IndiaGlitz
Here comes one more talk show having a celebrity as the host and with the promise of giving the audience something entirely refreshing.

NDTV Imagine is presenting the brand new show titled as "OYE, It's Friday".

This show will be presented by none other than the versatile creative guy Farhan Akhtar.

Don't think that when the producers of this programe say that it is going to turn out to be the best talk show ever seen, they do not have enough ideas stored up in their minds.

The show will start with the youth icon Farhan as the host and gradually other famous people who the public relate to and adore will take on the responsibility in giving the show a unique style of its own.

The hosts will switch and swap over the course of the series.

"OYE it's Friday" will be a one hour programe of cutting edge humour, dazzling performances and news making guests.

Farhan says "This show is something I want to watch. It has no rules and no boundaries and its only aim is to entertain. I have done a lot of different things in my life and career and the reason I want to be a part of the show. It's this particular show that I have decided to be a part of because it is so excitingly unconventional".

These three "goodbyes" are the ones on which the entire format of the show has been constructed upon.

Let's catch it up and decide whether to say "goodbye" or to say "welcome to my life".

Salman files application in MCOCA form film due

Source:FilmNirvana
Bollywood actor Salman Khan today filed an application in special MCOCA court seeking to get the amount pending for his work in a movie in which its producer was arrested for his alleged links with the underworld.

The movie Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, released in the year 2001, was allegedly funded by the underworld. It's financer Bharat Shah and producer Nazeem Rizvi were arrested in this connection.

According to the contract, Khan is due to get Rs 25 lakh of the signing amount. He has still not got the full amount, said Khan's lawyer Renuka Laxman. The application will come up for hearing before special MCOCA judge Y D Shinde.

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