Usha Uthup crooning in Don 2

After singing the groovy "Darling, aankon se aankhein chaar karne do' in Vishal Bhardwaj's '7 Khoon Maaf' and also portraying the role of the maid in the movie, the cult singer, Usha Uthap, will soon be heard in Farhan Akhtar directorial venture 'Don 2'. 

The director of the movie informs, "Recorded a song with Usha Uthup for Don 2. What a voice and what amazig energy and attitude a rockstar in a kanjivaram saree!."

Sorry, the box office is reserved

Almost 12 months before the release of his next, "Don 2", on January 5, Farhan Akhtar announced on the internet that the movie will arrive in cinemas on December 23, 2011.

The announcement was probably made not just for the benefit of his fans, but also for his Bollywood contemporaries. After all, if he's considering optimising the most revenue generating weekend of the year, he might as well give a heads-up to those considering a release date around that time.

But Farhan's not the only one. Shah Rukh Khan is reportedly contemplating a Diwali weekend release for his ambitious sci-fi production "RA.One", while Salman Khan is looking at the Eid weekend for the release of "Bodyguard", starring Kareena Kapoor. And director Madhur Bhandarkar did quite the flip-flop while deciding on a date for the release of "Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji". He shifted the date from January 28 to January 26 to capitalise on the holiday's advantage, but then shifted it again to the 28th.

Where big ticket movies are concerned, filmmakers try to 'book' one of the five most profitable weekends of the year for their movie's release almost four-five months in advance. Says Tanuj Garg, CEO of Balaji Motion Pictures, "When producers come with big-budget movies, they like to take advantage of one of the five most important weekends of the year - Republic Day, Independence Day, Eid, Diwali and Christmas. And once they tentatively decide on the dates, they make announcements, at least in the trade, for a heads-up to the others. The truth is that everyone, especially the big stars, are always battling for these dates as soon as their movies are decided."

Malamaal weekly
The math is simple, say directors. These weekends mean an additional holiday, which means more people heading to theatres. Says director Vipul Shah, whose "Action Replayy" released on the Diwali weekend in 2010, "These days are helpful, even though one doesn't particularly finish work to ensure a release on one of these four-five big days. But yes, if your movie does finish around this time, the dates give you a 20-25% increase in revenue." Those in the trade agree. Says Anant Varma of DT Cinemas, "The revenue depends on whether these dates fall on a weekday or weekend, but they are always more important than others. Of all the dates, Christmas is the biggest week, and Aamir Khan has always done something special for it, and almost has a monopoly over it."

Santa clause?
But those in the industry do not acknowledge any such monopoly. Director Farah Khan, who released her "Tees Maar Khan" on Christmas weekend last year, says she never checked with Aamir if she could release the film on that date, contrary to stories. Even Vikas Bahl of UTV, who produced the movie, says, "It's no one's weekend but Santa's. Perhaps Santa goes to Aamir's chimney more often around that time, but it's always open to others too. "TMK" did good business."

Irrespective of the superstar, the Christmas weekend has great potential, says Kamal Gyanchandnani of PVR Pictures. He explains, "Yes, the numbers speak louder in Aamir's case, but the weekend is such that it generates more revenue. Christmas is a pure holiday and you don't have any social obligations. During Diwali, people are busy distributing gifts and don't have so much time for entertainment. In terms of pecking order, Christmas is the most important and January 26 the least."

The release date for Prakash Jha's " Aarakshan" was decided months in advance, and the director has been quoted as saying, "One has to do deep thinking for tapping the film business. I had decided on Aug 12 as the release date of "Aarakshan" even before I started shooting it. By releasing it that day, we are getting Rakhi, Independence Day (August 15) and a week or so later, Janmashtami (August 22) too. With so many holidays and festivals, we hope to get a lot of footfall in cinema halls."

War of the weekends
Republic Day week (January 28):
Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji
Eid week (August 30): Bodyguard
Diwali (Mid October): RA.One
Christmas (December 23): Don 2

Don’t miss Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra's chemistry in Don 2 | Wallpapers of Don 2

Don’t miss Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra's chemistry in Don 2

 Stylish SRK as Don. SRK enjoys being stylish.

 Beautiful Priyanka looks stunning here.

 Fierce and strong,The deadly Don is back.

 Priyanka's action avatar; She can kill with her looks; why does she need a gun?

Don 2 | First Look

Director: Farhan Akhtar
Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Boman Irani, Om Puri, Kunal Kapoor, Nawab Shah, Adi Putra, Hrithik Roshan (special appearance)
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Cinematography: Jason West
Release Date: December 23, 2011

Synopsis

One of the most awaited sequels, Don 2 marks the return of Farhan Akhtar as a director after his stint as an actor since Rock On . Though all lead actors from the original cast have been retained, Arjun Rampal is no more a part of the film. Kunal Kapoor and Lara Dutta have entered the picture. The film promises some very dangerous stunts including one where Shah Rukh has jumped from a 300 feet building. Buzz is that while the first part had police from 11 nations hunting for Don, the sequel will have police from as many as 132 nations in pursuit of the international crook. Don 2 is being extensively shot in Berlin and will also have Hrithik Roshan play a cameo. 

 

Bollywood cancels big events following Mumbai blasts

Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani were ready with the first look of " Don 2: The Chase Continues" and Mahesh Bhatt was set to celebrate the success of " Murder 2" Wednesday evening, but the filmmakers cancelled their plans following three bomb blasts in Mumbai, which killed over 20 people.

The launch of the first look of the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "Don 2" was to be held 7.45 p.m. onwards at Cinemax, Andheri West, while the success party for Mohit Suri's directorial "Murder 2" was scheduled for 9 p.m. at the J.W. Marriot hotel in Juhu.

The first blast took place at Zaveri Bazar at 6.59 p.m, followed by a second blast at Opera House at 7.05 p.m, and the final explosion took place at Dadar West at 7.17 p.m., causing panic and chaos in the city.

The incessant rains added to the dilemma of city dwellers.

However, a few print and electronic journalists had already gathered at Cinemax, Andheri West to catch a glimpse of "Don 2", one of the most awaited movies this year.

Producer Ritesh Sidhwani was there too, but he approached the mediapersons, and said: "Due to the blast, we have decided to call off the event."

No further date for the event has been issued as yet.

The "Murder 2" success party, which was expected to be attended by lead pair Emraan Hashmi and Jacqueline Fernandes, apart from director Mohit Suri, other crew members and celebrities from the film industry, was also cancelled as the news of the blasts flashed everywhere, and a high alert was issued.

In New Delhi, Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai requested officials of the French government to postpone an award ceremony where she was supposed to be honoured with a "Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters".

However, Aishwarya appeared before the media along with her actor-husband Abhishek Bachchan and observed a minute-long silence mourning the death of the people in the blasts.

Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) too busy for Yash Chopra

Shah Rukh Khan fans have to wait for his next romantic flick which will be directed by Yash Chopra.

It is believed that the film has been postponed to December, thanks to his involvement in the ongoing IPL and his home production Ra.One. After IPL, Shah Rukh will be busy in the aggressive marketing and promotions of Ra.One, which releases in October. His Don 2 will be releasing in December too thus he will need time for its promotions as well.

According to a source, Yash Chopra who is back to direction after 7 years wants SRK to focus only on one project dedicatedly. Thus the film will commence on December 15 th . Very few know that YRF considers 6 as their lucky number thus the date 15 (1 + 5 = 6) has been chosen to kickstart the project.

This untitled romantic flick will bring Shah Rukh and Katrina Kaif together for the first time.

SRK is inexhaustible, Aamir's passionate

Don 2 is slated to release by the end of this year in December 2011 but that did not stop us from asking the hunky Kunal Kapoor what's in store of us in this Don flick.
  

"It's too early to talk anything but Lara, Priyanka, SRK and I are having a blast on the sets. The styling done for each character is so unique. Farhan's wife Adhuna has played a crucial role in making us look totally different. It is one of the most awaited films of the year and the wait will be worth it" said Kunal who walked as a showstopper for men's brand Energie on day 2 of the Lakme Fashion Week.
 
"Shah Rukh is inexhaustible. He is so energetic all the time" said Kunal of his Don 2 co-star.
 
Also a great admirer of Aamir and having worked with him in Rang De Basanti, Kunal adds, "Aamir is extremely passionate about the work he does and that is the common things between these two Khans."

2011 - the year of action films

Everyone from SRK, Salman, Aamir, Hrithik and Ajay Devgn are doing action films in 2011. 

 Shah Rukh Khan who has always been popular as the eternal romantic in Bollywood will be seen as an action hero or rather superhero in 2011. Both his releases in this year – Ra.One and Don 2 are action-packed entertainers. Aamir Khan might have done a Ghajini in between but he has always been more popular for his chocolate boy image. However even he has beefed up his body for the suspense-thriller to be directed by Reema Kagti. Salman Khan has reason enough to celebrate his topless appeal after the success of his actioners like Wanted and Dabangg which he will take forward with their sequels and films like Bodyguard .

So how come this sudden upsurge in action films in Bollywood in recent times? Action has always been a common genre in Hindi films but off late they have become very popular. While on one side we say that Hindi cinema is evolving with more sense and sensibility coming in storytelling, on the other hand masala entertainers and blatant hardcore action films are still a big hit amongst masses. So for every Taare Zameen Par , Aamir Khan attempts a Ghajini and Ajay Devgn alternates every Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji with Aakrosh . Even his comic legacy of Golmaal is spiced up with generous dose of action. In fact his next film with Rohit Shetty is a hardcore action film – the remake of South hit Singham starring Suriya.

South is a major inspiration when it comes to exaggeration in action. Their no-hold-barred stunt sequences, which till now seemed too overstated in Hindi films, are now common phenomena in Bollywood with remakes like Ghajini and Wanted making big money. That has made way for more South films and 2011 will see remakes of superhit south actioners like Singham, Bodyguard and Kick .

South films have always gone a step ahead whether in stunts or in SFX. The kind of action sequences that are choreographed for Rajinikanth's Robot is unmatchable and Bollywood is still making efforts to reach their standards. Shah Rukh Khan's Ra.One which has a suspiciously similar storyline like Rajinikanth's Robot also has the train action sequence similar to Robot for which apparently a two-kilometer chroma-screen was erected.

Also Shah Rukh has jumped down a 300 feet building in Don 2 and confessed that at his age it is physically taxing to do an as much demanding action film. Hrithik Roshan's road adventure flick Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara promises loads of thrills including Katrina's dirt-biking stunts, Abhay Deol's deep-sea diving and a bull-running match in Spain in the climax. Ajay Devgn's Singham and Salman Khan's Bodyguard will have raw action in the form of fist-fights and physical combats.

Priyadarshan's Tez starring Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn and Mohanlal is an action adventure film about a man holding a speeding train between London and Glasgow to ransom. While that may sound suspiciously similar to films like The Bullet Train and The Taking Of Pelham 123 , Priyadarshan claims that Tezz resembles more to Keanu Reeves' Speed . Abbas-Mustan's Players which is remake of the Hollywood hit The Italian Job is an action-packed heist thriller. Real life lovers Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor will fight each other in Agent Vinod where director Sriram Raghavan wants to revive the charm of Bollywood spy drama of 70s like Farz and Aankhen but in contemporary context.

So, for a change, take a break from the feel-good genre and get ready to kick some butt in 2011. Bollywood is back in action!

Action films in 2011

1. Ra.One
2. Don 2
3. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
4. Tezz
5. Players ( The Italian Job remake)
6. Singham remake
7. Kick remake
8. Bodyguard remake
9. Agent Vinod
10. Power
11. Department

Shah Rukh Khan in prison! | Don 2

Movie sitll From Don 2

Here's looking at the Don in a Malaysian jail

The long hands of the law have finally caught up and landed the most wanted man in prison. Here's a first look at Shah Rukh Khan in the Malaysia schedule of Don 2.


The star has been currently filming for the sequel in Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi.


Shah Rukh Khan shooting for Don 2 in Malaysia

Says a unit source, "The sequences being filmed have the cops tail him and arrest the Don. This has left his folks bewildered as they firmly believed in his dictum: "Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi namumkim hai."

Ace up his sleeve?

Adds the source, "Obviously, there is an ace up his sleeve because the Don has already masterminded a prison break."

SRK who shot with several local Malaysian artistes had to indulge in a lot of physically taxing sequences.

He had to take on the inmates of the jail those who dared to question how he landed up behind the high walls.
King Khan is joined by co-stars Priyanka Chopra and Boman Irani for the schedule.

The star, who sports a special hairdo for his jail sequence, has been getting muddy and dirty as he packs punches with the inmates.

Produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar (who is also directing the flick), the movie is slated for a December release.

Source: mid-day 

Shah Rukh sports a new hairstyle for Don 2

Shah Rukh Khan displayed his Don 2 hairstyle at the wedding reception of Venugopal Dhoot's daughter Tanushree's wedding to Vivek Biyani. The star has been sporting hair extensions for the movie's shoot, including a ponytail.

ShahRukh Khan's New Look for upcoming DON2 Movie Still

 ShahRukh Khan in  Malacca, Malaysia with his fans during the shoot, Shah Rukh Khan is wearing a wig and is sporting stubble!!

SRK has unique ‘Always…’ promotional strategy: Roshan Abbas

Mumbai, Feb 21 – Actor Roshan Abbas, who is making his directorial debut with “Always Kabhi Kabhi” under Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment banner, said the superstar has some unique promotional ideas up his sleeve.

“His involvement is there but he is also shooting for two movies. He has ‘RA.One’ on one side and ‘Don2′ on the other, but in the midst of these, his support is always there and you will get to see some unique Shah Rukh ideas as we go along,” Abbas told IANS in an interview.

Shah Rukh is in touch with his office from Malaysia, where he is shooting for “Don2″, said Abbas.

“Currently, he is in Malaysia. But he has seen the marketing plan of the film. He is continuously in contact with Red Chiiles because he wants to know what we are doing, what our ideas are to promote the film. He has also given us some ideas,” said Abbas.

“Once you see the posters, which would be out soon, you will see how the Red Chillies’ look and feel has come into this film,” he added.

Abbas also said he regards Shah Rukh as his mentor.

“He has always been around on the sets. He is the busiest person on this planet. Even in the middle of that, he used to find time for my film. That’s what makes him really interesting. He was there as a mentor in that sense, but he has not been a tormentor,” Abbas laughed.

Set in a high school, “Always Kabhi Kabhi” captures the emotions of love, jealousy and pride that marks one’s school years.

“It’s an adaptation of my play about a high school ‘Graffiti’, which I earlier wanted to turn into a graphic novel,” Abbas said.

Shahrukh Khan Rocks New Look for 'Don 2'

Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra took off to Malaysia to shoot some more scenes for their upcoming box-office smash Don 2 - The Chase Continues the other day and now we finally get to see SRK's new look!

The star-studded team worked in Berlin for a few weeks late last year and fans have been following the cast through their tweets and pics. The Don himself, Shahrukh Khan, arrived on the set in Berlin and was soon joined by his co-stars Priyanka Chopra, Kunal Kapoor, Boman Irani and Lara Dutta.

Don 2 stars Shahrukh Khan as Don, nothing new there, Priyanka Chopra as Roma, Boman Irani as Vardhaan and Om Puri as Mallik. Arjun Rampal however won't be part of the new production and took to Twitter to announce the news. "Hey Guys, Yes it is true won't be part of Don 2. Wish the team all the success I am sure it will be a super film," he said. 

Produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, and directed by Farhan Akhtar, Don 2 is the sequel of the 2006 box-office hit Don: The Chase Begins Again, which in turn is a remake of the 1978 classic Don. When Don: The Chase Begins Again hit theaters it was love at first sight with audiences across the globe and hopefully its sequel will be another hit. 

What do you think of King Khan's new look? Hot or not?

SRK shooting for ‘Don’ sequel in Malacca

Kuala Lumpur, Feb 16 – Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is currently in Sungai Udang, Malacca, to shoot the sequel to his 2006 hit, Don.

The actor is happy to be able keep his promise to shoot a movie in Malacca, reports the Star Online.

Khan said that he would spend several more days in Malacca with the 140 actors and crewmembers.

“I play the villain but one which the women love,” he said about his role after a luncheon with Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam yesterday.

The movie is set for worldwide release on Christmas Day. (ANI)

SRK in Malaysia to shoot 'Don' sequel

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan is back in Malaysia to shoot a sequel to his blockbuster 'Don' - this time on a larger scale and with a local baddie to combat.

Immensely popular and honoured with the traditional Malaysian title Datuk, akin to knighthood, Khan arrived here Sunday morning along with co-star Priyanka Chopra.

"The `king' of Bollywood is in Malaysia to film the sequel to his 2006 blockbuster hit 'Don'," The Star announced Monday.

He flew in from Mumbai after a gruelling 58 hours of working on a set.

"Datuk Shah Rukh Khan lived up to his tough guy image by proceeding to Malacca state to continue filming," the newspaper said.

Besides Priyanka, a former Miss World, a 60-member crew accompanied Khan to Malacca.

"The Indian icon looked relaxed and up to the task of filming `Don 2', a highly-anticipated action thriller."

His arrival created a stir at the airport as passengers rushed to catch a glimpse of the actors.

"Despite their hectic schedule, the duo did not disappoint when their fans asked to take photographs."

"Don 2" will continue to portray Khan as Don, an undercover police officer masquerading as the leader of an international gang of drug smugglers.

Priyanka will play his love interest, Roma.

The sequel will promote Malaysia, just as the initial blockbuster did.

Local sensation Ady Putra, known for his bad boy roles in hit Malay movies like "Anak Halal" and "Histeria", will also star alongside Khan, with shooting to be done at Sungai Udang.

Khan's close friend of 16 years, Lorna Enan Muloon, said the Indian actor had set the trend for Bollywood to have Malaysia, especially Malacca, as a preferred location for filming.

"The state has a special place in his heart," she said.

"Don 2" will also be filmed in Kuala Lumpur, the national capital and Langkawi, a popular island resort.

Priyanka got a special invite from Lara

Priyanka Chopra will receive a personal invitation from Lara Dutta requesting her to be present at her marriage.

The two co-stars, who are working together for Don 2, have recently patched up post their long-standing tiff that had happened when they had initially started working in Tinseltown.

The former room-mates (yes, not many know that they used to stay together during their Miss India days) have buried all hatchets and Priyanka is stated to be in Goa and join Lara in her celebration. The wedding is happening in a church on Feb 19th and the sangeet and reception is on Feb 18 and 20th respectively.