Movie Review : Son of Sardaar Only on BOllywood Insider

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjay Dutt

Direction: Ashwni Dhir

Rating: *1/2

Ajay Devgn's Diwali gamble didn't quite pay off this time. A film like 'Son of Sardar' can work on two accounts, either on the merit of star power or on the quantity/quality of amusing gimmicks that the makers can pack in. However, with a flimsy plot and inadequate humour, the story fails to take off.

Simply put, it is a bloody revenge saga where Jassi (Ajay Devgn) and Billu (Sanjay Dutt) belong to the opposite camps. Jassi comes to India to sell off an ancestral property and wants nothing to do with the existing family hostility but the Sandhus are still waiting to settle the score. Predictably he falls in love with Sukh (Sonakshi), the girl from the enemy camp and he must now, not only fight for his life but also his love.

Jassi discovers that the only way to save himself is to remain a guest in the Sandhu household and thus, follows tedious hide-and-seek sequences where the Sardar tries to pull off one daft trick after the other to avoid the talwar. The action sequences and the gags don't pack in enough punch to lift the sagging narrative.

Sanjay Dutt's angry/soft flip-flop and his incomplete love story with Pammi (Juhi Chawla) make for the few moments of genuine laughter. Rest of the humour and the funny one-liners are either oft repeated or annoyingly slapstick. Sonakshi is spot on as the perky Punjabi kudi.

I don't care if the film is a remake or if it's inspired from elsewhere, as long as it is well done. Every once in a while, I love nothing better than a mindless comedy where you can put logic and sensibilities aside and just enjoy the film. However, the film needs to entertain, some good music, witty antics, well-directed action sequences peppered with some Bollywood masala'; sadly 'Son of Sardar' has none of these elements.

Box Office Report: 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' earns Rs 35 cr, 'Son of Sardaar' gathers Rs 27 cr in two days

New Delhi: Now, when the box office figures have started to pour in, both 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' and 'Son of Sardaar' are emerging as the winners. Ajay Devgn starrer 'Son of Sardaar' might have earned less than 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' but that is due to the lesser number of screens made available to the film, however the total amount gathered by 'SOS' matches up to the expectations.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweets, "#JTHJ [India] Tue 15.23 cr, Wed 19.54 cr. Total: 34.77 cr nett. FANTASTIC."

He also tweets about the money fetched by 'Son of Sardaar' at the ticket window, "#SOS [India] Tue 10.72 cr, Wed 16.21 cr. Total: 26.93 cr nett. SUPERB."

Both the films opened to mixed reviews and Diwali fetched them initial footfalls but now the content will decide the fate of these films at the box office.

These highly publicized films may cross the Rs 100 crore mark but they would probably not find a place in the list of the best films of 2012 as they are not equally acceptable in all quarters of India.

Movie Trailer: Son Of Sardar

The makers have released the first promo teaser of Son Of Sardar.  The film features Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha and Juhi Chawla.

Watch the Trailer Here: 

Bollywood's dark horse - Ajay Devgn

In all the hype and hoopla over the suzerainty of the Khans in BTown, one is often blindsided over the presence of another big star. His name is Ajay Devgn and he has proved to be a phenomenon in recent years.

Does Devgn get the credit that he deserves? Perhaps not. But the box-office respects his work and talent. Like another one of my favourite actors in Hollywood - Steve McQueen - Devgn has developed the ability to emote through his brooding eyes. I remember walking into his father, fight master Veeru Devgan's office long years ago. The tiny office near ISKCON in Juhu was virtually empty with a couple of people hanging out.

As luck would have it, one of the young guys hanging out turned out to be Ajay Devgn. Phool Aur Kaante featuring a gawky young man had prised open the box-office. Ajay Devgn had arrived doing a split on two motorcycles. My boss Pritish Nandy, always one to spot a trend, asked me to track the callow youth. That is how I landed in the Juhu lane.

I found Devgn charming and simple. His father Veeru sat in on the interview. There was an unmistakable intensity about Devgn. An intensity which was to light up celluloid many years later. Devgn did many forgettable but successful films thereafter. Some that I remember were Vijaypath, Diljale, Jigar, Suhaag and Naajayaaz, where he showed a spark or two.

Beginning of the winning streak

He also did fun riot Ishq with Aamir Khan - it was a runaway hit. But it was Mahesh Bhatt's Zakhm that became a defining moment in Devgn's career in 1999; his ability to emote was established here. It also won him the National Award. This was followed by a characterisation that became a true watershed in his oeuvre - Malik in Company - where he played Dawood. Virtually with no dialogues, with a mere tilt of his head he acted through his eyes, a la McQueen.

His unconventional looks may have actually helped his cause in playing characters with shades of grey - as Michael Mukherjee in Yuva, where he was upstaged by Abhishek Bachchan; as Yashwant Angre in Khakee, where he was pitted against Amitabh Bachchan; as Omkara in Omkara, where 'Langda Tyagi' Saif Ali Khan walked away with all the accolades; and of course, Sultan Mirza in Once Upon A Time in Mumbai, where Emran Hashmi held his own.

Somewhere along the way, despite many turkeys, Devgn cannily understood the 'formula'. The formula to make Devgn a boxoffice A-lister. It has not been easy for Devgn to break in and then ensconce himself as a top drawer at the box-office. But he has managed it with sheer dint of hard work and an unerring understanding of what the viewers want.

The road has been long and arduous for Devgn - from the standout performance as Bhagat Singh to Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam to Deewangee, for which he got the Filmfare best villain award to SP Amit Kumar in Gangajaal to Ajay Shastri in Apaharan to Bajirao Singham in Singham. Equally there have been disasters, none bigger than Raju Chacha, Main Aisa Hi Hoon, Shikar, Cash, Tezz, U Me Aur Hum and London Dreams.

His alliances with childhood buddy Rohit Shetty and Prakash Jha have worked very well for him; rather they have paid in spades for him. Some of his bravura performances in Gangajal, Apaharan, Rajneeti and Singham have turned him into one of the most bankable stars. The Golmaal franchise has contributed to his rise and rise. Interestingly, of the Rs.100-crore films, Devgn features in as many as three - Golmaal 3, Singham and Bol Bachchan. All three films have been directed by Rohit Shetty.

Ultra-exclusive Rs.100 crore club

It must be mentioned that the Rs.100-crore club is based on net domestic box-office revenues, which is the money that accrues to the distributor and/or producer. This club is the exclusive preserve of a handful of B-Town biggies - Aamir Khan with 3 Idiots and Ghajini, Salman Khan with Bodyguard, Ready and Dabaang, Hrithik Roshan with Agneepath, Shah Rukh Khan with Don 2 and Ra One, and latest entrant Akshay Kumar with Housefull 2 and Rowdy Rathore.

Increasingly as much as 40 per cent of all movie revenues now come from non-theatrical legs of the stool. The four-legged stool breaks down like this - domestic box-office, overseas territories, satellite rights, music and home video. Devgn has found his métier with a combination of action and comedy. In Bol Bachchan, he decided to combine the two, and though most people thought it was hare-brained, the movie has rocked at the box-office.

Many in the film industry liken Devgn to Dharmendra, who ploughed his furrow ceaselessly irrespective of who was the reigning superstar. From Rajendra Kumar to Shammi Kapoor to Rajesh Khanna to Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra was cock of the walk; he had his own audience that religiously watched his films.

He probably never got his due as an actor. I for one can never forget him in Satyakam. Between tomfoolery and action, Garam Dharam was a luminescent star, as big as they come, with a glorious run at the box-office; maybe he didn't know how to market himself effectively. Incidentally, he never won an award despite many great performances.

Devgn is like that, he creeps up on you, smoothly, you can run from him, but cannot hide. He has that ability with his screen presence, head tilted, blazing eyes, rasping voice to make you watch him. His relationship with Shetty for instance is one such thing, as symbiotic a relationship as two successful talented artistes should have.

In all this clutter of big films which bust box-office records, Devgn is ready with his next. Son of Sardar once again looks as if it will strike jackpot at the ticket counters. Again, as I said, Devgn seems to have worked out a formula - inane but zany comedy and action lifted from 'Madras cut' (southside cinema). Also remember that both Shetty and Devgn themselves are sons of two top fight masters and in their childhood, they must have seen their fathers perform.

Hungrily eyeing the mighty box-office

A number of big films are coming up on the marquee to tempt you into the theatres. The theatre of dreams has Salman's next offering, the much-anticipated Ek Tha Tiger, followed by Yash Chopra's as-yet-untitled remake of Daag featuring SRK, Katrina and Anushka, Aamir Khan's Talaash, Son of Sardar, and then of course Salman bhaijan's Dabaang 2 in December.

Prima facie, it will be safe to say that all five look like sure-shot winners. Actually the very contours of box-office as we knew it have changed dramatically. The onset of cineplexes and multiplexes and their concentration in two cities have altered the boxoffice balance once and for all. Fifty per cent of all domestic boxoffice revenues come from the National Capital Region and Greater Mumbai. And 60 per cent of this comes from multiplexes in these two regions.

Central Provinces Central India (CPCI) and Rajasthan contribute 10 per cent; East India comprising Bihar and Bengal predominantly contributes a similar 10 per cent. Nizam and Punjab share another 10 per cent, while the rest of the country accounts for the rest. The race to Rs.100 crore is a function of this new cinema paradigm in India and the arrival of the opening weekend phenomenon.

Raju as Devgn is known, though his real name is Vishal, has understood the mechanics of this new market order. In conjunction with Rohit Shetty, he is making films suited for the consumption patterns of this new multiplex generation. And it is working like clockwork.

He is the real kala ghoda or dark horse in the joust between the Khans, the one who sneaks ahead blindsiding one and all. Twenty years ago, Pritish Nandy had said to me, "Watch out for this boy, there is something about him." He called it right.

Bol Bachchan collects Rs 12.10 cr at Box Office on first day

Director Rohit Shetty's latest movie Bol Bachchan has opened to a very good response at the Box Office in India. The Ajay Devgn and Abhishek Bachchan starrer film has raked in Rs 12.10 crores nett at the collection centres across the country on the first day. Its business is expected to grow up in the following days.

Bol Bachchan registered 60% to 70% occupancy in the morning shows in the cinema halls across the country. The movie received very good response in Mumbai circuit, where it had occupancy ranging between 70% and 85%. But its business was affected by the wide release of multilingual movie Eega in the South India.

Meanwhile, it should be said that Punjabi movie Jatt and Juliet, which was released last week, has been still running strong at the Box Office in the North India. Trade analysts opine that this movie has also affected the collection of Bol Bachchan. This movie has turned out to be a big blow on the latter film.

The movie got positive reviews from film critics. In addition to this, the positive feedback from the film goers boosted the collection in the noon shows. Its occupancy grew further in the evening shows. Trade analysts feel that the word of mouth would play a magic in its collection on Saturday and Sunday.

However, Bol Bachchan has got good opening at the International Box Office. The movie, which hit the screens in UAE on Thursday, has collected Rs 1.86 cr (AED1,230,000) in the country in two days. The film, which released on Thursday in Australia, has grossed Rs 30.52 lakhs (A$53,950) in two days. It has collected Rs 8.21 lakhs (NZ$18,578) at the New Zealand Box Office. It has collected Rs 33.68 lakhs (£39,251) from 50 screens at the UK Box Office.

Bol Bachchan in trouble on eve of release?

According to reports Ashtvinayak Films, the producers of Bol Bachchan, have been declared as defaulters by the Bombay High Court over the non-payment of dues to a well-known film financier Raju Shah. It is reported that after the cheques issued by the Corporate production house bounced, the financier had moved the High Court for relief. Shah has reportedly claimed dues of Rs.41 crores.


The Court has also directed the company to come clean about its business dealings and various rights related to its latest film Bol Bachchan, scheduled for release on 6th July 2012. The film is directed by Rohit Shetty and stars Ajay Devgn, Abhishek Bachchan (in double role), Asin, and Prachi Desai. Even Big B has performed a song and dance number in the film. BOL BACHCHAN has been acquired by Fox Star Studios for a whopping price of 72 crores according to trade buzz.

The sources suggest that the release of the film may not be affected at this juncture since on record the film has already been 'delivered' by the processing lab Reliance MediaWorks Ltd. It is a common film industry practice whereby an aggrieved creditor may approach the concerned film lab to block the delivery of the film until his dues are paid. Hectic negotiations are on to settle the matter between the financier and Ashtvinayak Films and work out a compromise formula.

BY glamsham

Bollywood success bashes are just for effect: Ajay Devgn

Ajay Devgn says that celebrations are being held for flop films too now 

 

For your latest, Bol Bachchan, how did Ajay Devgn, the actor-producer of the film, agree to the title which is so quintessentially about another person? No insecurities here?

 
None at all; once you see the film you'll understand what I mean. The characters are very well defined and everyone has their place. Bol Bachchan is apt since it is about this one guy who is trying to con everyone and he keeps giving these bol bachchans. That's where it comes from. As part of the movie's team, when we were discussing the name, I agreed that it was perfect.

What kind of movies do you believe in producing?

 
I feel instinctively about the films I should produce, like Son of Sardar. The film has to be commercial and when I say commercial, I just don't mean masala. Even parallel cinema can be commercial. The point is to make the film run in theatres. We are not in the business of teaching art to the world. We have to entertain the audience.

Last year you'd said in an interview that you want to be a commercial hero. Since the first Golmaal (and all its sequels) Singham and now BB, Rohit Shetty and you seem to have hit upon some kind of winning formula. What is making you two click at the box office?

 
It's repetitive, but it's the understanding that we should make entertaining, commercial films. Both Rohit and I believe in commercial cinema. He just wants to entertain his audience and right now I am also in that mode. I'd rather do films that I don't have to worry about. I have done films like Zakhm which have won National Awards, but nobody comes with a script that great anymore.

Even an acclaimed actor like you worries about the box office success of a film?
Of course, you have to worry about the box office numbers. Otherwise, people are ready to run you down at the slightest chance. When you experiment with roles or genre; you have also to worry about its box office fate.

But doesn't your place in the top six actors of the country justify your choices (of roles) lately?
What you are calling success and wise choices comes with experience. I keep telling some of the younger kids, I wouldn't name them, that they should also attempt the kind of cinema we're doing. This cinema, which comprises out-and-out entertainers, has mostly got 1 or 1.5 stars from critics. But, it's the audience that likes these movies. You have to show your art and talent to them.

As a producer, do you feel jittery when your movies are about to release, even if they are "out-and-out" entertainers? How do you react to box office reactions?

 
Right now I am very happy with Bol Bachchan's hype and also with the response the poster of Son of Sardar has generated. Both films have shaped out well and I hope both are commercial successes. But, I am not hyper about the release. Someone asked Abhishek something similar recently, and he said that on Friday, when the movie releases, you wait for the opening collection, then you wait for the weekend collection, then the first week, the second week, etc, and by that time, you've lost all enthusiasm about it. I just move on after my film releases.

You don't believe in celebrating your movie's success?

 
I've never done that. Those bashes are more for other people. A lot of bashes are held even when a film has flopped. These are just for effect. I've heard people stand in these parties with a drink in their hand and say, 'Yaar mera toh paisa toota hai' , and yet they are celebrating.

You've had quite a busy time lately. How do you avoid getting disconnected from your friends and family?

 
It's most important for me to spend time with family. I've been tied up a bit these past couple of months. I don't shoot on Sundays, for instance. But when you shoot movies back-to-back, you do get disconnected from the outside world. When you go home you're preoccupied. And it's not a great thing. You have to reconnect with some people. My friends understand that. So does my family.

Presented by Fox Star Studios, Ajay Devgn Ffilms and Shree Aashtavinayak cinevision Ltd Bol Bachchan releases on July 6.

Garima Sharma, TNN | Jun 29, 2012, 12.00AM IST

Movie Review : Tezz

Movie Review : Tezz

(U/A; Action thriller)

Dir: Priyadarshan

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Sameera Reddy, Kangna Ranaut, Zayed Khan

For a thriller that created more buzz for an item number than for its action, you know what to expect. And you don’t even have to wait too long…. barely a few minutes into the film and Mallika Sherawat pops up to do her Laila act. Over and done with the song, as you wait for the action to unfold, there’s another coming along… Ajay Devgn and Kangna Ranaut break into a romantic number. Never mind that there’s a bomb ticking away on a train, lives of 500 passengers are at stake and time is fast running out.

In a bid to infuse the melodrama bits into Tezz, scant attention has been paid to the plot that keeps going off the track. What’s most vital in a thriller is the frenetic pace with which things have to move. There has to be that visible sense of urgency. But this is missing, as an assortment of characters get tossed around doing their own bits. And most importantly there is no one keeping tabs on the time elapsed, these guys seem to be in no tearing hurry.

The plot revolves around Akash (Devgn) who is an engineer but an illegal immigrant in London. Finding himself on the wrong side of the law, he is taken to task. But he decides to take revenge along with his accomplices Adil (Zayed Khan) and Megha (Sameera Reddy) by planting a bomb on a train. He is not a terrorist but is simply a victim of circumstances. Now how many illegal immigrants get caught and go around planting bombs to seek revenge? The premise itself is far from intriguing. Akash also wants to make some cool millions by asking for a ransom to live happily ever after with wife Nikita (Kangna Ranaut).

South star Mohan Lal may be the director’s buddy but looks out of place as a cop. There is also Boman Irani as the railway traffic in-charge and Anil Kapoor as the counter terrorism chief who is pulled back into the job moments after his retirement speech and exclaims, “Woh English filmein bahut dekhta hoga” when the perpetrator leaves him befuddled. Just in case if you thought that the makers weren’t!

What catches your attention are the sequences featuring Sameera in a raft and later speeding on a bike (yup… you read it right it is Sam, no less) with the cops tailing her. And then Zayed resorts to some parkour stunts with Anil trying to keep pace with him. These two moments apart, what you also remember are the deeply-stained teeth of Devgn and the different shades of orange that Kangna’s hairdo has.

By: Midday

Tezz first promo with Players

Abbas-Mustan’s Players will hit the silver screen this Friday, and along with it, audiences will get to watch the trailer of producer Ratan Jain’s upcoming action-thriller, Tezz. Interestingly, while Players stars Sonam Kapoor, Priyadarshan’s film will see her father Anil Kapoor in an action-oriented role alongside Ajay Devgn.

 Tezz is directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Ratan Jain. The film stars Ajay Devgn, Mohanlal, Anil Kapoor, Kangna Ranaut and Sameera Reddy. It also releases on March 23, 2012.

“It’s a happy co-incidence. What else can I say?” says Jain, adding, “It’s the right time for us to come out with the trailer. Since we always wanted to release it in 2012, and Players is the year’s first release, we are going ahead with it.”

Jain hopes the trailer will put all speculations about the film’s final release date to rest. “It is going to hit theatres on April 27,” he says, admitting that the film is running a bit late.

He adds, “We have taken an extra six months to complete the film because of the VFX work involved. Then Ajay started shooting for Son Of Sardar and had to grow his beard for that role. So, we had to wait for him to wrap that up to complete our patchwork. It’s not complete yet, but whatever I’ve seen has been satisfying. And I have two great actors,” says Jain.

Saif can relax!

For some time now, talks were rife about Tezz clashing with Saif Ali Khan’s long-delayed home production Agent Vinod, which is now scheduled to release on March 23. But both sides can heave sigh of relief.

“Agent Vinod was set to release in February 2012. Later, they shifted it to March. But now, there is no clash because Tezz is coming in April,” says Jain.

RASCALS collects Rs 8.63 crores on opening day!

Sanjay Dutt Productions and Rupali Aum Entertainment's Dussehra bonanza RASCALS has hit the right cord with the audiences. The comic flick, starring Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgn, Kangana Ranaut, Lisa Haydon and Arjun Rampal, directed by David Dhawan has done stupendous business on its opening day.

A Movie Still From Rascals

The movie released on Thursday 6th October, and has garnered an outstanding collection of Rs. 8.63 crores on the first day itself, making it the fourth highest for 2011, after READY, Ajay Devgn's own SINGHAM and BODYGUARD. This was despite a limited release & low ticket prices compared to the weekends. Trade pundits even go to say that if the tickets were priced at the regular rates, then the movie could have grossed higher and maybe even crossed Rs. 11 crores on the opening day. 

Packed with hilarious performances from the film's cast and some chartbusting music, the movie has won a lot of appreciation form audiences all over. With a strong, positive word of mouth and a long weekend ahead, the industry is expecting a bumper opening for the film!

'Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgn get along well'

David Dhawan on casting Dutt and Devgn together in his next!

You have repeatedly said that Rascals will remind us of Govinda-David Dhawan combination of the 90's. What change do you notice between then and now in handling the genre of comedy?
Earlier, in the 90's when I made comedies with Govinda, it was a rare genre. Audience was more into emotional dramas and film makers were not very confident about making comedies. They were scared. But today the scenario is different. Comedies are not necessarily small budget films. Audience is also lapping it up, there are many film makers taking that genre seriously and so are the actors. These days many A-grade stars are doing comedies. And if we bring in emotion along with comedy it works wonders.

Why did you decide to cast Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn?
I have directed Sanjay in many films. And then, Sanjay and Ajay get along very well, they are very good friends off-screen. I think it is the best combination. As a pair they are super. When doing a comedy, it is very important that two people are good friends, it becomes easier for a director while shooting. And one very special thing about them is that both of them are very secure actors. Otherwise actors feel very insecure and worried about what clothes the other has got, whether they have got a better line, dialogues, etc. Sanjay and Ajay are my obedient students. They would never worry about these little things.

But you must be missing those days when you had the monopoly of making some wonderful comedies with Govinda who cannot be beaten in this genre because of his unmatched comic timing..
This film will remind you of Govinda and my combination. But yes, I certainly miss those days. I used to have a great time working with him and we would make films at very short intervals. Govinda will always be remembered for his great talent and comic timing, nobody can take that away from him. We have done lot of work together and he can still do it. But then I want to work with everybody, not just Govinda.

Ajay Devgn, the real Macho man

Ajay Devgn is one actor who has always let his work do all the talking.

The man with his simple looks yet intense screen presence, has time and again proved that box office success is not just about good looks and brawn but about smart thinking, understanding the pulse of the audience and at the end of the day believing in yourself! No wonder the man is respected and remembered for his memorable bike stunt in his debut film to intense dramas, comic timing to childlike innocence and romance to action-packed thrills!

Back-to-back movies, a successful run in the box office through the whole of last year, production and endorsements have kept the national award winning actor on his toes for a while now.

The actor was recently seen shooting for an inner wear commercial and looked absolutely comfortable in the skin of the character, a quality that can be seen across his work.

With this endorsement, Ajay Devgn joins the legendary list of tinsel town's macho men like Dharamendra, Sunny Deol etc, who have been synonymous with street smart attitude, style, sophistication, romance all encompassed into one.

With Bol Bachchan, Rascals and Golmaal 4 lined up for release, Ajay's fans simply can't stop asking for more!

Ajay Devgn's the highest paid actor?

With 'Singham' being announced a hit, actor Ajay Devgn is an actor to reckon with. Ajay's 'Golmaal 3' was successful at the BO, too, and Ajay Devgn has become one of the most dependable actors around.

The actor, it is said, has raised his fees post 'Singham' and has become one of the most expensive actors in the film industry. "He is in the A-League," says a trade source, "it's no wonder he has increased his price; he is dependable and is one of the few actors on a success trail."

His versatality has made him an all-rounder of sorts, and now we hear that Devgn, who is not only an actor but also a producer and has tried his hands at direction, has entered into a business deal with Vashu Bhagnani.

Ajay, apparently, has signed a few films contract with Bhagnani, and will also indulge in profit sharing. The first movie to be made under this deal is a film to be directed by Sajid Khan. Sajid is currently busy with 'Housefull 2', and will begin the project only once he has completed the sequel to 'Housefull'.

Ajay, too, is busy shooting for 'Tezz' while the shooting for his movie 'Rascals' has come to an end.

PICS - Catch the moustache brigade - Salman Khan, Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan, Aamir Khan, Abhay Deol, Sanjay Dutt and Shahrukh Khan

Mooch Ado About Something!

What is common between Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan) from Dabangg and Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgan) from Singham; and what will be common among Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Abhay Deol and Sanjay Dutt?

Well, yes, doubtlessly all of them are male actors (this is the lamest commonality one could have thought of, and if you haven’t, then this is perhaps the lamest discussion we are having); and they are sporting moustaches for their movies.

It is said that “A man without a mustache is like a cup of tea without sugar”, and it looks like the Bollywood actors have taken this quote too seriously and moustache is the new success charm.

After Salman Khan’s moustached Chulbul Pandey created waves, this time it’s Ajay Devgan’s Bajirao Singham who is breaking box office records! However, this is not the first time that a moustached character has tasted success at the marquee. Shahrukh Khan’s Surinder Sahni in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi has witnessed the same fate!

Though Aamir Khan’s Mangal Pandey and Saif Ali Khan’s Tashan were duds at the box office, it looks like they have decided to try their luck again by growing moustaches for their upcoming movies.

Abhay Deol, who is hardly seen experimenting with his looks (no six packs and no jazzy hairstyles), too has joined the moustache brigade with Dibakar Banarjee’s film Shanghai.

Though Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan have won applause and raked in collections, will Saif Ali Khan, Abhay Deol and Aamir Khan, too, hit the jackpot? What do you think? Will growing a moustache help them or is it mooch ado about nothing?

 Shahid Kapoor sheds his cute boy tag by growing a moustache in dad’s upcoming film Mausam.

 Sanjay has always sported different styles of beards. From his cop role in Mission Kashmir to Mussa Bhai in Luck, Sanjay has carried off all his diverse looks pretty well! Chatur Singh Two Star looks no different!

 Be it his stylish moustache in Tashan or his desi moustache in Aarakshan, Saif believes in experimenting.

 A rock solid police officer in Singham. Jiski moustache mein hai dum, woh fakht Ajay Devgan.

His Dabangg moustached look has earned him loads of compliments and other stars have started following suit.

 Shahrukh Khan:Though he sported a cooler look as Raj in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, his moustached Surinder Sahni look was what girls found to be ‘swe

    

Ajay, Sonakshi team up for ‘SOS-Son Of Sardar’

The ‘Singham’ star Ajay Devgan, who is currently riding high on the success of his recently released cop saga, has reportedly teamed up with the ‘Dabangg’ girl Sonakshi Sinha for Ashwini Dheer’s ‘SOS-Son Of Sardar’.

As per tabloids, Ashwini Dheer’s imminent project ‘SOS-Son Of Sardar’, starring Ajay and Sonakshi as the lead pair, is a remake of the Telugu slapstick ‘Maryada Ramanna’.

The film is basically a romantic drama with a high dose of action and thus, besides romancing Sonakshi, the macho hunk Ajay will also be seen delivering some outstanding action-feats in it.

The forthcoming flick ‘SOS-Son Of Sardar’, helmed by Ashwini Dheer, will be produced by actor Ajay Devgan and filmmaker NR Pachisia. 

Talking about the lead stars of his next, NR Pachisia told Mumbai Mirror, "It is a fresh pairing. Both Ajay and Sonakshi are intense actors and they will surely create magic on screen.

"Considering it is an action packed love story, we decided to cast a fresh face opposite Ajay. We try to do different things with our projects every time in terms of casting. I am now looking forward to start the film early next year."

Sonakshi was not the first choice for ‘SOS-Son Of Sardar’
As Ajay and Sonakshi will be pairing-up for the first time, fans might be eagerly awaiting to catch the duo’s chemistry on-screen.

However, it’s learnt that Sonakshi was not the first choice for SOS. At the outset, Ajay’s ‘Golmaal 3’ co-star Kareena Kapoor was approached for Ashwini Dheer’s venture.

But, as Bebo had a packed date-dairy, she had no other option but to turn down the Ajay-starrer SOS.

Kareena’s hectic to-do list includes Ekta Kapoor’s ‘Once Upon A Time In Mumbai’ sequel, which is to go on floors from Jan. 2012, and her plans to walk down the aisle with beau Saif in Feb next year.

Title ‘SOS-Son Of Sardar’ registered under Akshay’s banner

Buzz has it that ‘SOS-Son Of Sardar’, the title of the Ajay-Sonakshi starrer imminent movie, has already been registered under Akshay Kumar’s banner Hari Om Entertainment.

While Ajay has already announced the title of his film, Akshay has also finalized the script for his film with the same title.

Well, who will be giving up the title of their film or in other words who will be changing the title of their film, is a much-talked about affair in the B-town these days.

Producer NR Pachisia, as quoted in TOI, said, "I am not aware of this conflict. I'll have to check it out. But I don't to hurt Akshay's sentiments as we are all part of the same industry and we are all family."

Source: TOI

Singham : Movie Review

Starring Ajay Devgn, Prakash Raj, Kajal Aggarwal

Directed by Rohit Shetty

Rating: ** ½

This cop is a killer. He implements the laws applicable to the khaki-vardi with a passion that makes corruption seem like a mosquito that a human repellant can exterminate. His ways are unconventional. And he seethes and fumes when faced with diabolic corruption.

Last we saw, it was Rajeev Khandelwal playing the anti-establishment cop’s role in the brilliant Shaitaan. This time it’s a huge star getting into khakee. Meet Ajay Devgn as Bajirao Singham an honest-to-goodness cop who believes he has been given the law-enforcer’s job and he better take it seriously.

Hurling through a cavalcade of regionally-flush references Singham is the kind of rustic boorish kinetic action thriller where a cleaner social order is seen to be brought about by the power of the fist. Give or take a gun. Or a Devgn.

Devgn playing the one-man army invests the clichéd role with a kind of cultural specificity which allows him the leeway to get verbally regional without losing a pan-India flavour. That’s the magic of mass entertainment cinema that this film celebrates with panoramic verve.

We don’t need to comprehend Marathi to get the powerful subtexts of Devgan’s virulent attack on corruption. Fortunately Devgn isn’t the kind of actor who needs to scream to make himself heard. He effectually offsets Prakash Raj’s theatrical villainy bordering on bigtime hamming.

It is significant that the entire cast comprises Marathi actors, giving to the frenetic rustic proceedings a sense of arrogant chauvinism. Only the villain palayed by Prakash Raj is a South Indian actor of tremendous histrionic range. Give him anything to do. And he does with impassioned concentration.

A lot of the lines that the politician-villain is compelled to utter bordered on self-parody. Chunks of the action and drama are cannibalized from the Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘angry’ series , without the bridled indignance of the central character.

Yes, Singham is frustrated and embittered by the corruption that’s crept into the socio-political system. But he lacks the vitality to transmute the cop’s impotent rage into a potent cinematic language. e don’t feel for his concern for a clean social order. We just wonder whom he will thrash next, and how.

Partly, it is to do with the kind of shallowness that Singham’s love interest portrays. Jaya Bhaduri in Zanjeer and Smita Patil in Ardh Satya made a brief but telling impact on the way the enraged hero looked at the seedy world. Newcomer Kajal Aggarwal is a bundle of shallow take-away expressions, the cinematic equivalent of a home-delivered pizza, without the spicy toppings.

What sustains the narrative’s velocity is Devgn’s uncalculated moves as an action hero. He brings a kind of reckless inevitability into every blow that he delivers on the goons. There are some entertaining supporting performances, Sachin Khedeker as the heroin’e cellphone-fixated father is a hoot.

In all fairness the action sequences (Jai Singh Nijjar) are entertaining and humorous. The fights don’t take themselves seriously.

However the homilies on a need for integrity in the civil services seem like unwanted concessions to self-importance in a film that seems to revel in a kind of free-floating message on how to stay clean in a cesspool of corruption. Yup, Rohit Shetty packs in a punch.

You can’t but smile at the infinite pleasure which the director partakes from the age-old language of commercial Hindi cinema in all its flamboyant glory.

Singham is a cops film with balls.

Ajay Devgn gives action a break

After Singham, Ajay Degvn isn't really concentrating on high flying thrills

Ajay Devgn, who is currently in Bangkok shooting for Sanjay Dutt's Rascals wishes he could be here to see how the audiences are reacting to his film Singham.

It has been learnt that the actor, who returned to action after eight years with this movie, will continue to sport his beefcake look even for his own productions Bol Bachchan by Rohit Shetty and Ashwini Dheer's Hindi remake of Telugu hit Maryada Ramanna, besides Priyadarshan's Tezz.

Ajay plays a wrestler in BB, which he starts shooting with Abhishek Bachchan, late August. He says, "Yes, there are a couple of action sequences, but they falls more in the genre of Golmaal and All The Best as it is a comedy film."

About his remake of Maryada Ramanna, the bent towards action is less and romance is more. He says, "It's basically a romantic comedy and it's being re-scripted for the wider Hindi film audience."

As for Tezz, the actor maintains, "It's a different kind of movie, so is the treatment of action in it. I hope the audiences like the thrills in this film."

Needless to say, he's very pleased with the response his cop act is evoking from the masses. Trade experts peg the first three-day India collections of Singham, which cost Rs 42 crore to make, at Rs 31 crore.

Kajal 'Singham' Agarwal - Punjabi by birth South Indian by choice

South actress Kajal Agarwal, who makes her debut in Bollywood alongside actor Ajay Devgn in yet-to-be released film 'Singham', does not feel insecure over the fact that the male lead is hogging the limelight.

The actress does not feel insecure about Ajay stealing the show in the promos of 'Singham' and says that she had a great time working with the actor.

When asked whether Ajay's presence makes her insecure about her visibility in the film, Kajal says, "Its not the amount of screen space that I have but it is the quality of work that I deliver.

Yes, its an Ajay Devgn film but I will stand out with my performance. I am sure after watching the film people won't stop loving me."

Directed by Rohit Shetty, 'Singham', is an action film. On her experience of working with Ajay, the actress says, "Its better for me to act with Ajay as acting is second nature to him. We have rehearsed together and he is very co-operative.

He does not need rehearsals he gave me very important tips." 'Singham', a remake of 2010 Tamil film of the same name, stars Ajay and Kajal in lead roles.

After having made a name for herself down South, Kajal, says though the reach of Hindi cinema is wider but the south film industry is now going beyond boundaries.

"The reach is bigger in Hindi cinema. The reach is definitely wider in Hindi cinema. But now-a-days south regional cinema is reaching lot of places. Both the industries are equally professional, very punctual, have got good technique, good artists, good stories and scripts, " Kajal said.

"For example my movie 'Magadheera' has been watched by lot of non-Telugu people. I do believe regional barriers are slowly and steadly disappearing which is a very good thing for us, " she said.

Talking about trends in the film industry, Kajal says, "I have noticed is lot of technicians like art directors, choreographers, actress are being shared pan-India. Like lot of south technicians are working for Hindi cinema and vice-versa.

Even actresses and actor are now working or doing films in different languages. I do believe that regional barriers are disappearing now and its now becoming one big Indian industry."

The Mumbai-based actress had reportedly stirred up controversy down South when in an interview she said she does not consider herself as a south Indian actress, as she is Punjabi by birth.

Following which Tamil and Telugu filmmakers issued statements saying they will ban the actress from working in south Indian films.

"I feel very proud that I am a South Indian actress. That industry has given me name, fame and love. I have never said I am not a south Indian actress...I have done 21 movies over there.

I do enjoy a certain position over there which is fabulous and why will I say that, " Kajal said. 'Singham' is all set to hit cinema houses on July 22.

Action replay in the forthcoming film Singham

Ajay Devgn and Rohit Shetty recreate fight scenes from Amar Akbar Anthony and Zanjeer, complete with the dialogues in the forthcoming film Singham. 

Rohit Shetty who paid a tribute to the 70s in his last, Golmaal 3 with Mithun Chakraborty’s character is all set to take his 70’s inspiration a step further in his next.

The Ajay Devgn—Kajal Aggarwal starrer Singham, Shetty has not just drawn inspiration but entire fight sequences from 70’s blockbusters Amar Akbar Anthony and Zanjeer.

Ajay Devgn who plays a angry young cop named Bajirao Singham in the film titled after his character, will be seen enacting the same cuts and chops and mouthing the same dialogues in the film.

A source revealed, “The famous scene from Amar Akbar Anthony between Vinod Khanna a cop and Amitabh Bachchan the goon has been re-enacted in Singham.

This scene from Singham (above) is inspired by the famous Vinod Khanna-Amitabh Bachchan fight sequence in Amar Akbar Anthony  (below)

The scene has Vinod Khanna unbuttoning his police uniform to beat up Amitabh. In Singham, Ajay Devgn who plays a cop, does the same to Ravi Beasant. In fact, the dialogue between Ajay and Ravi are similar to the ones between Vinod and Amitabh.”

And that’s not all. “There is a scene similar to a scene from the 1973 hit Zanjeer as well. The scene where Pran walks into a police station and tries to sit on a chair, which Amitabh Bachchan kicks away and says, ‘Jab tak baithne ko kahaa na jaaye, tab tak chup chaap khade raho,’ has been re-created in Singham. In this film, the scene has been picturised on Ajay Devgn and Marathi actor Ashok Samarth,” added the source.

Seems like Rohit Shetty and Ajay Devgn are all set to recreate the 70s magic on screen with Singham. “Rohit wanted to pay a tribute to the 70’s and also to the original angry young man of Indian cinema, Mr Amitabh Bachchan,” said the source.


When contacted, the official spokesperson from the film confirmed the existence of the scenes in Singham and added, “They are used as a tribute to the films of 70’s.

Rohit and Ajay have grown up watching these films. These are iconic scenes and we have tried to pay them a tribute through our film.

Salman in awe of Ajay's toned body

Bollywood heartthrob Salman Khan, who is known for his toned physique, is amazed to see Ajay Devgan's fit body in his upcoming flick "Singham".

"Oye teri !!! Baap re baap. Superb ajay's body is looking. Too good (sic)" Salman posted on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Directed by Rohit Shetty, "Singham" casts Ajay Devgn and Kajal Aggarwal in the lead roles. The film is a remake of the successful 2010 Tamil film by the same name.

Ajay plays a cop named Bajirao Singham in the film, which is scheduled for a July 22 release.