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N' again, Salman is Govinda's Partner

Putting an end to all speculation about his legal status and his alleged inability to attend court because of his visit abroad for a hair transplant (as reported on Star News) Salman Khan reported for the first day's shooting of David Dhawan's brand new film Partner, being produced by Salman's brother Sohail.
And Salman's partner in the parody is none other than Govinda. Wonder of wonders匞ovinda too arrived on the dot at 8 a.m just like Salman!

David was jubilant, "Both Salman and Govinda are my buddies. And they're playing buddies in Partner. Naturally, there has to be a great bonding between them. I'm happy to say Salman and Govinda are like brothers. No ego hassles at all匱hey both arrived at Mehboob studios in Bandra on the dot in the morning for the shoot. That's quite an achievement."

Neither star is particularly known for punctuality. "I guess it has to do with their faith in this project, and in me匧et's not forget, Salman's brother Sohail is known to be a fab producer

R Madhavan quits gameshow Deal Ya No Deal  
  
It had almost begun to look like actor R Madhavan was enjoying the small tube, but he surprised us by saying 揘o deal

'Should Amitabh only play Buddha?'

Raj Kumar Santoshi is known as the man who can get big names to co-star in a film. His latest, Family, has opened to disappointing numbers despite the presence of Amitabh Bachchan, on whom the film rests. The film also ran into trouble because of its posters, which showed a cigar-smoking Bachchan.

In conversation with Subhash K Jha, Santoshi says this kind of moral police is taking cinema back to the middle ages. Excerpts:

Your new film Family has opened to unenthusiastic response.

Normally, once I finish post-production work, I move on to my next. In fact I've been out of the country hunting locations for my next film, a comedy.

I don't see it as an action film. I see  it as emotional family film. When Shaktiman [who wrote Gadar] came  to me with the idea, I really liked it. My co-writer Sridhar Raghavan and I re-worked more than 80 per cent of the original story. We didn't want it to be a normal vendetta film. At the core, the theme is almost mythological. Mr Bachchan's downfall is like that of Karna in the Mahabharat who died of his own karma. That's what we tried  to show in Family -- if you don't have a family to fall back on, you have nothing.

How was it directing Mr Bachchan for the second time after Khakee?

I have been a very big fan of Mr Bachchan right from my college days. I wrote both Khakee and Family with Sridhar only to showcase his [Bachchan's] talents. After Khakee I wanted to bring out another dimension in Mr Bachchan's acting. The first thing we did was to place him on the opposite side of the law.

When I arrived at the script of Family, I knew this would give me a chance to present him in a totally different light. Mr Bachchan plays a man that the audience simply hates. Look at how he gets Akshay Kumar's character killed with such arrogance, ruthlessness and indifference. But finally, we cry for the gangster. That graph -- from loathsome to sympathetic -- could have only been carried off by Amitji.

Do you think audiences want to see Mr Bachchan in a negative role? Especially after his illness?

Why not? I never thought of this when casting him. He is an actor, and an outstanding one at that. I don't think we filmmakers should mix up his personal life with what he does on screen. If we do, we will end up like waiters at a hotel, taking orders from the box office on which section of the audience likes what. In any case, Mr Bachchan isn't all black in Family.

How did his illness affect your film?

Only to the extent that we were supposed to release the film on December 23. We had to postpone that by a couple of  weeks. That apart, Family showcases his calibre to the optimum. The plot rests completely on his shoulder -- right from the start to the end.

Do you think  you have evolved as a director?

Nowadays I get very angry when I pick up the newspaper and see what's happening around us. I would say my cinema has become more aware of our surroundings. The battles are more socio-politically widened now than in my earlier films.

Your next is the politically charged Saamna.

I'm no longer doing Saamna now. That was a very controversial subject on the marriage of religion and politics. Now I'm doing a comedy called Ladies & Gentlemen. After that I'm doing a musical set in London called London Dreams with Salman [Khan] and Ajay Devgan.   

Who will star in Ladies & Gentlemen?

We haven't decided. The comedy is an intimate one, with not too many characters. It's my first comedy after Andaz Apna  Apna. It was on the anvil for some time. I was wondering when would be the right time for it. The film is very modern and glamorous and almost futuristic in terms of content and mood. It's almost like a 2009 film.

So why now?

When Saamna was put aside, I needed another project to replace it immediately.

Will Saamna be made?

It will be made at some point. But I'll first have to wait and watch the situation. I don't want it to become  a victim of any controversy. Look at what's happening to Rakeysh Mehra's Rang De Basanti. And Family was pulled up because Amitji smokes a cigar in the film -- I strongly feel such censorship is harmful to cinema and our right to expression.

Are you in favour of smoking ?

Not at all! I don't smoke. I  don't want my children or anyone's children to smoke. But the cigar gave a certain attitude of style and arrogance to Amitji's character. If cigarettes can be sold in the market with a statutory warning, then I don't mind putting a similar warning on my hoardings. Unfortunately, they put that photograph of Amitji -- with a cigar -- on the hoardings. I wasn't aware of the repercussions. The marketing people should have been more cautious.

But people have objections to Mr Bachchan smoking.

That is really disturbing. He's an actor, yaar! Should he only play characters like Gautam Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi? The moralists must change their attitude. Otherwise we'll take our cinema back by so many years. If he is playing a gangster he will have to carry a pistol. That doesn't mean Amitabh Bachchan is carrying a weapon.

Does this moral censorship daunt you?

Absolutely. Every filmmaker feels suffocated. We're heading towards a cinema of prudery. Let the audience decide what it wants to do. You can't do this. Don't underestimate the audience.

I'll continue to make the films I believe in.

But you did postpone Saamna.

Well

Sanjay Dutt sexy says star

Indian film star Celina Jaitley, best known for her scantily clad Bollywood dance sequences, says all actors are attracted to their co-stars and it's silly to deny it - but it's also wrong to take such attractions home, a newspaper said. "Being attracted to your co-star is human. How else can we perform and show chemistry?" Jaitley said. "I had a crush on Sanjay Dutt when I was in my teens. And every woman finds a hunk like Sanju sexy," she was quoted as saying.

Actress Sushmita Sen turns 30

Sushmita Sen, former beauty queen and one of Bollywood's most admired actresses, turned 30 in November and has a wish list for the next decade - but not necessarily marriage. "At 30, every aspect of my life is equally important. I will focus on my acting career, business, personal life for the next decade and hope everything will be okay, and I will retire at 40, I hope, to the French Riviera."

Bipasha is the most desirable

As she is voted the hottest, Bipasha holds forth on her drool quotient.

It's official. The queen of fantasy for the year has been crowned. Chosen by hectic voting on Indiatimes.com and deliberation by a secret celeb jury for Zoom. Unarguably, the Most Desirable Indian Woman alive is Bipasha Basu.

A hard fought crown in which beauties from all fields (such as Aishwarya, Sushmita, Priyanka, Sania Mirza, Mallika, etc) vied for the coveted position. But Bips won on pure desirability and drool quotient (and not just BO and Page3 popularity alone).

But the actress remained as firmly rooted as always when we quizzed her on making it to the top of the hottest. "It's a huge compliment to me," she laughed, evidently touched by the response. "It's thanks to my loyal fans and I want them to know that I appreciate their love."

Bips beat the likes of Ash (who's topped this list on Indiatimes.com several times in the past), Kareena and Sush, not to mention a bevy of beauties from various other fields - from socialites to sports personalities, to become hottest Indian female alive in a list of 50 selected by Zoom - India's premier glamour and lifestyle TV channel.

"I still think Aishwarya is the one of the most beautiful women I have seen," insists Bipasha. "Although Rani Mukherjee is my favourite actress because she is really good when it comes to performing on-screen, I've seen Black - Ash beats everyone when it comes to looks.

However, the desirability factor also encompasses various other elements such as your overall personality and intelligence, not to mention your screen image, and that is the reason I am really touched by this decision."

How did she feel about this decision being made by millions of online voters, added to a selection by a celebrity panel? That must've elevated the stunner to a completely different level truly making her an international Indian sex-symbol?

"The vast reach of both Zoom and Indiatimes put together confirms what I feel. My looks are not Indianized - I can fit into any role be it Indian or international," she says. With such phenomenal sensual appeal attached to her, we wonder if beau John is sometimes jealous of all the hungry male gazers around.

"Initially, when John entered the industry, I think he may have been susceptible to that emotion, but since he's learnt how it works, he's realised that there is nothing to be worried about.

And his growing popularity, and the attention he draws from female fans, too have taught him not to attach too great an importance to the drool factor."

And what about Bipasha herself? Has she ever felt jealous that her boyfriend was one of the most desired males in the industry today? She laughs, "Of course, not. I think by now I know the ropes of the industry too well to be affected by all the attention that John gets and he has a tremendous fan following, believe me!"

Raveena Tandon is 'dogged' by ransom calls

Ever since Raveena Tandon's pet pomerian 'Rambo' was stolen from Juhu Beach on Sunday, the actress has been getting fake ransom calls from pranksters, who have read about the missing dog.

She has, however, asked Juhu police to check on their authenticity.

"We have been advertising about Rambo through papers and cable TV, but my family has been getting dubious ransom calls from unknown people demanding money for his return," she told TOI.

One of the calls was by a person with a thick foreign accent. "It could be one of those drug addicts who must have read about our missing Rambo and decided to play a prank," said Tandon.

Rambo was stolen by two youths pretending to play with the dog at Juhu beach, when it was brought there for an evening stroll.

Tandon has promised to reward anyone providing information on her pet on the following numbers: 9324022862 or 26111026. Rambo is a black-and-white pomeranian, about one-foot in height.   

Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan gets religion

Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan says he has become religious after lifelong medical problems, including a crippling neuromuscular disease and a filming accident that mangled a hand, a newspaper reported today.

Bachchan, a Hindu, is the most recognisable face in India抯 Bollywood, the world抯 biggest movie industry by viewership and the number of films it churns out. He has appeared in more than 150 movies over three decades.

揟he amount of things I have been through and the remarkable ways in which the body has reacted is just phenomenal,

I want to pen a lawyer's role for Amitabh, says Javed Akhtar

He is the man behind the persona of Amitabh Bachchan's 'Angry Young Man' but if lyricist-scriptwriter Javed Akhtar, were to pen a role for Big B, it would be that of a lawyer.

"I think Amitabh Bachchan has a perfect voice modulation and tremendous presence. This is one role that has not been written for him," says Akhtar in an interview to PTI.

For someone who has scripted super hits like, 'Zanjeer', 'Deewar',' Sholay', 'Seeta Aur Geeta', 'Don', 'Trishul 'Sagar' and 'Mr. India' , it seems difficult to digest that Javed Akhtar is petrified, each time he sees a blank sheet of paper.

"When I get a new project, I feel like running away to a small town, growing a beard and changing my appearance so that no one recognises me. The period before a script comes to mind is one of humiliation - where false confidence and ego goes out of the window," Akhtar says rather modestly.

He says that despite having a considerable body of work behind him, he hasn't arrived at a formula for success. But I can tell you the sure-shot formula to writing flops, he quips. "One is to write for the audience as opposed to what you like and the second is to try and attempt something 'great'.

Javed explains that in both cases the writer will fail because in the first case the author is attempting something below his standard and in the latter above his capability.

Bipasha: 揗y looks are not Indianized

Salman Khan case: Court warrant against witness

A local court on Thursday issued bailable warrant against a prime witness who failed to appear in the in the Salman Khan hit-and-run case.

Bollywood actor Salman Khan is charged with killing one person and injuring four in 2002 by ramming his car into a shop.

Ravindra Patil, an eye witness, who had earlier supported the prosecution's case, did not appear on Thursday for cross-examination failing which defence lawyer Dipesh Mehta pressed for the warrant.

Taking a serious note of his absence, the court issued bailable warrant of Rs 5,000 against Patil and asked him to appear on February 2.

This is for the second time the witness has failed to appear. Earlier, the court had issued non-bailable warrant against him.

Patil had deposed before the court saying that the actor drove rashly on September 28, 2002, killing one and injuring four when his car rammed into a shop.

The witness, Ravindra Patil, who was accompanying Salman as police bodyguard in the same car which met with the mishap, had told the suburban Bandra magistrate that he had warned the actor not to drive rashly or else he would meet with an accident but he did not pay heed to his advice.

Salman's lawyer Dipesh Mehta was all set to cross-examine him on Thursday but the witness did not appear.

"We shall grill Patil on February 2 during cross- examination and seek to demolish his claim about cautioning Salman," Mehta said.

The lonely world of Shah Rukh Khan

Shah Rukh Khan is lying on his bed as his physiotherapist pummels his Rs 1-crore-a-movie muscles.
He smiles shyly for the camera and wishes that his mother was there to see him today. "She always said I looked like Dilip Kumar".

This from a man whose face sells everything from cars to chocolates, whose name spells superhit from Mumbai to Moradabad, who as Nasreen Munni Kabir's documentary declares, is a bigger star than Brad Pitt and Jim Carey put together.

And Nasreen Munni Kabir should know

Shimit Amin teams up with Shah Rukh

Ab Tak Chhappan director Shimit Amin is all set to direct his second film for Yash Raj Films, and that too starring Shah Rukh Khan.

Ab Tak Chhappan meets Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge? Not quite.

"Actually, I had started a film after Ab Tak Chhappan for Ram Gopal Varma called Let's Catch Veerappan. But then Veerappan died; the project was aborted. I left India to go back home to the US. I've family in North Carolina and Los Angeles. And now I'm back to this project," US-bred Amin told IANS.

From Nana Patekar in Ab Tak Chhappan to Shah Rukh in Amin's new film - sounds like an interesting leap in style, substance, swagger and stardom.

Apparently Aditya Chopra heard the script and was bowled over.

"All I can say at this point of time is that it's gonna be very, very different in mood and texture from Ab Tak Chhappan. Will it have songs and music? I don't know. It might. I can't say at this point of time."

Knowing Yash Raj Films' penchant for secrecy, Amin seems to be walking on glass.

"No, no," he laughs uncomfortably. "Even if my producers weren't known to be secretive I'd have still been hesitant to discuss my new project. It's all so fresh and incomplete right now."

He has moved on - from the dark mood of Ram Gopal Varma's production factory to the light frothy feel-good ambience of Yash Chopra's cinema. But a leap from Varma to Chopra surely entails a whole lot of readjustment?

"Not really," Shimit corrects me shyly. "If Chhappan  reflected Ram Gopal Varma's cinema, I'm sure my film for Yash Raj Films will definitely reflect the new, what you call posh, reality in my creative vision. But it doesn't mean my own individual creativity wouldn't matter.

"Yash Raj Films is like the old studio system in Hollywood in the 1940s and 50s when every production company from Paramount to MGM to Columbia made films that reflected their individual style. And yet every director, be it George Cukor, Michael Curtiz or Vincent Minelli, brought in his own reality.

"I hope to achieve the same synthesis of patented production style and my individual talent for this project for Yash Raj Films."

Amin seems loath to admit he has moved on from Varma's factory-formed vision.

"If you say Yash Raj Films is posh, so is Varma Corporation. Their films reflect a different kind of sophistication and glamour, that's all. Ab Tak Chhappan wasn't a small art house film. It made quite an impact."

Let's see what he achieves for Yash Raj Films when the film, written by Jaideep Sahni, who wrote Ram Gopal Varma's "Company", commences in mid-2006.

Shah Rukh Khan

The baddie in John

His films may not have set the BO on fire,but that does not stop actor John Abraham from creating a dhoom among the audience.

The Godfather: I firmly believe that whatever you do,you should do it yourself. And I am proud to say that I am solely responsible for the position I have attained today.

One person though,who has been extremely crucial to my career is Mahesh Bhatt. From my very first film,he has encouraged me. But my only Godfather is my audience.

For though I don抰 have too many hits to my credit,my audience has always been my strength and kept me in the reckoning.

Script-ology: I do have a sex symbol image,but I think that is thanks to my first film,for I haven抰 been very sexy since then! However,I prefer doing intense roles and trying my hand at different characters.

simply love playing the bad guy a la Dhoom! Humbling act: I am trying to improve as an actor with every film. I may not be a great actor,but I am good.

However,I still have a long way to go and I have no qualms admitting that. I would rather say that to people than have them come and tell me the same!

Tying the knot: I definitely want to get married someday but not in the near future. I would like to settle down in another four to five years from now,for I want to give my work my best shot till then.

All for a good cause: My family does a lot of charity work but we don抰 really publicise this fact. For instance,besides campaigning for animals,my mom does a lot of work for cancer patients.

My father had come down to Gujarat during the quake for relief work. However,I only publicise my charity work if lending my name to the cause makes a difference.

Dreams unlimited: I strongly feel that if you dream of entering modelling or movies,you must must complete your education. For,your education always reflects on your personality and consequently on screen as well,in the characters you portray.

I too completed my MBA and worked with an advertising agency before I entered the industry.

Govinda stands Dilip Kumar up

For several years in his acting career,Govinda kept his producers waiting,not appearing on the sets for hours.

Having Dilip Kumar,the grand old man of Bollywood wait for three hours,should be a 'first'for the late-lateef actor-parliamentarian too. And that is what happened at a film function last week where Govinda was meant to felicitate Dilip Kumar.

Initially,the segment was delayed for Govinda,but then,the organisers asked the Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to do the honours.

When contacted,Govinda explained,"I was in Rishikesh and was driving down to Delhi when there was a road blockage. Because of that,I missed my scheduled flight and took a later one instead. I reached Mumbai sharp at 10 pm and rushed to the venue.

But I was informed that everything was over. I then went to Dilip saab抯 home where he said,'Tumhari niyat sahi lagti hai,chalo tumhe maaf kiya

Actress Shilpa Shetty is playing her parts well

Hrithik Roshan is back!

Pause. Fast forward. After a two-year eclipse, Hrithik Roshan will once again appear on 70mm screens this summer in what is being promoted as his most ambitious, biggest ever movie, Krrish.

Why this long break? And what has Bollywood's golden boy been up to in the last 24 months?

The answer to the first question is fairly predictable: he just didn't find any script he liked enough. "People think I'm taking myself too seriously. But this is the only reason." As for what he's been doing, well, he's been busy planning and working on Krrish.

It is early afternoon and the sun is streaming into Hrithik's marble-floored Juhu home, a flat at several levels, which he and wife Sussanne share with his parents. Bouquets of flowers line the staircases, spilling out into landings and corners of rooms (it was his birthday a day ago).

At the moment, he is fully focused on the photo shoot he's doing for our cover story. Designer Rocky S has arrived with a bag full of clothes. The photographer, Mahendera Soni, along with a small army of assistants, is setting up his lights. Hrithik's makeup man James and hairdresser Ritz are already there. Over the course of the afternoon, we shift locations, from his living room to the terrace, even as Hrithik changes clothes, with both James and Ritz constantly on alert to touch up the makeup or coax a straying lock of hair into place.

Hrithik's concentration is complete. I marvel at the painstaking care he takes to make sure that every shot comes out just so. He views the results of the shoot constantly, offering comments and suggestions to Mahendera. "You lost focus here, I think. Not enough texture in this shot..." To his makeup man and hairdresser: "Too much red on the face. Just give me the spray for a second

Juhi to tickle funny bone once again

Everyone knows Juhi Chawla as that rare and precious entity called the comedienne. For instance, the mad ad for Kurkure in which she plays Tulsi from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi with wicked wit.

Now Juhi will have a whole film written to exploit her comic talents. To be produced by Sa Re Ga Ma, the film titled Na Na Karte will feature Juhi in a unique tailor-made role of the kind never done by a Hindi film heroine before."

"Though the film will have two heroes and leading ladies, so far we have locked in only Juhi Chawla for the project. It is a role only she can do and a film that perhaps cannot be made without her," Sa Re Ga Ma's chief executive (movie production) Harish Dayani said.

"Juhi plays a female version of what Paresh Rawal generally does in our movies."

Director Ananth Mahadevan who has just wrapped up an amazing humanistic drama, "Staying Alive", is looking forward to doing this out-and-out frolic with the funnies.

"Though I've done comedy on TV - Ghar  Jamai - and my feature film Dil Maange More was a romantic comedy, Na Na Karte will be the first comedy with an actress. I consider Juhi the Goldie Hawn of India. Her comic potential is illimitable.

"I wrote the role with her in mind. Juhi plays a goofy do-gooder who unknowingly gets into trouble for all the wrong reasons. If it works, Juhi could become the first female comic superstar of Bollywood."
Incidentally, Rekha and Mallika Sherawat recently tried doing a full-on comedy, Bachke Rehna Re Baba, and fell flat on their faces.

Aamir: Bollywood's most patriotic star?

Aamir Khan seems to be Bollywood's most patriotic star, having featured in Sarfarosh, Lagaan, Mangal Pandey and now Rang De Basanti.

Be it fate, coincidence or intended approach, his last few releases were more or less based on patriotism, reports Bollywood Trade.

In Sarfarosh, he played a sincere police officer who tries to wipe off drug-trafficking between India and Pakistan and in Lagaan, he played a self-righteous villager in the pre-Independence era who meets British officers head-on.

And recently he featured in the most hyped patriotic film of 2005 Mangal Pandey - The Rising. He etched the role of a martyr - Mangal Pandey who triggered a revolt against the East India Company in 1857. The movie was released on Independence Day.

His latest film Rang De Basanti, slated for a Republic Day release, also has a tinge of patriotism. The film revolves around urban youth living in Delhi. After the Mangal Pandey debacle this is Aamir's first release, let's hope it hits gold at the box-office.



[ Last edited by Gadis_Venus at 22-1-2006 03:29 PM ]

Sohail dons many hats

Of the three Khan brothers Sohail is definitely the most accomplished. He has handled production, direction and acting with ease. He抯 back on screen with Vikram Chopra抯 Fight Club (co-produced by him) and Abhishek Kapoor抯 Aryan. HT City caught up with the man.

Sohail Khan, the producer, Sohail Khan, the director and Sohail Khan the actor