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July 21, 2006
Bollywood vixens with the sexiest belly buttons!



Navel show has been a virtue of Bollywood? most famous actresses since the black and white era. Then with the onset of the bikini generation, body piercing came through as a rage. With sex appeal being spoken about more than ever before, it? a good time to tell who knocks whom when it comes to the belly show. In this episode, we present the sexiest belly buttons among the current crop of leading ladies. Sit back and tube through our list of Bollywood? sexiest belly buttons.


Esha Deol


It all began with producer Aditya Chopra? insistence that Antara must look authentic and get into the skin of the character she played in ?hoom?. Esha lost all that baby fat and what came through was a perfectly athletic belly. Self-confessedly among her most prized assets, Esha is undoubtedly the queen belly-babe of Bollywood. Cheers our no.1 belly babe.

Antara Mali


Of late if there has been one actress that has struck the audience eye for her perfect physique, it? gotta be Antara Mali. It? a pity, we are only talking belly buttons in this episode, coz we are sure Antara would make it to any list of sexy features. Considering her debut directorial bombed at the box office, it? a good time to let her know that we still fancy her with her power belly show.

Amrita Arora


This one generally has hairs let down, and her sensational navel left open for viewers. And though she may not have made it very big in Bollywood yet, we?e sure she?l give most lead actresses a complex with her softened belly look. Keep the show on Amu. We?e given you a coveted no.3.

Tanushree Dutta


Don? know if its part of her brief to her costume designer, but when Tanushree does a skin show on screen, the first thing you notice is her unusually sinuous belly dotted by a perfectly circular navel. Keep it going Tanushree.

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Simi to grill Jackie Chan on Rendezvous
Subhash K. Jha (Indo-Asian News Service)

Mumbai, July 22, 2006



Simi Garewal is off to Hong Kong to interview Jackie Chan for her popular talk show Rendezvous With Simi Garewal. It would be the Hong Kong star's first such television appearance with an Indian host.

"But I have repeatedly gone and got international guests on their home turf," said Simi who has conducted interviews abroad with Rupert Murdoch, Imran Khan and most recently steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal on her show.

Simi is looking forward to interviewing Jackie.      

"He is extremely popular in India. Our endeavour on Rendezvous is to always bring on guests who are a popular enigma in this part of the world.

"What's the point of talking to people who have come on every channel and have said everything about themselves?

"For this season of Rendezvous I have lined up Esha and her sister Aahana Deol, Aishwarya Rai, Lara Dutta and of course Jackie. Salman Khan will be my last guest this season."

With a film directed by Revathy on the anvil Simi is poised for a large-screen comeback. Her good friend Anil Kapoor, who has been on Rendezvous... with his wife for a rare together tete-a-tete, has asked Simi to do a guest appearance in his home-production Welcome directed by Anees Bazmi.

"I'm thinking seriously about it. He is not just a dear friend and also a very funny man. Anil has me in splits. I can't say no to friends like Anil who aren't just interviewees for me.

"Anil-Sunita, Suniel-Mana, Hrithik-Suzanne, Shah Rukh-Gauri these are couples I have known closely for years. They came on Rendezvous because they trusted me."

Any couple that has been hard to get?

"Boney Kapoor and Sridevi," said Simi promptly.

"Boney has been promising to bring his wife on my show for years. Maybe one of these days he'll actually keep his word."

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A Pervez beats Indian hearts bleating for Mumbai
- Bachchan? appeal for aid to blast victims yields only ?26,000 with a Pakistani topping the list  
AMIT ROY



Keith Vaz, the MP from Leicester East, and Bachchan on the House of Commons terrace. Telegraph picture

London, July 22: Rich Indian businessmen with their wives dolled up came to see Amitabh Bachchan last night at a House of Commons dinner which raised a paltry ?26,000 for the victims of the Mumbai train massacre.

They were shamed by Pakistani businessman Sir Anwar Pervez, whose cheque for ?5,000 was the highest individual donation.

But no one should have been surprised ? Indian fat cats in the UK are notoriously mean except when donating to charities which add to their personal glory. This is perhaps one of those occasions when the entire guest list should be published.

The idea of using the dinner to raise funds for the Mumbai victims was that of Bachchan? himself.

But he was courtesy itself when he told the assembled representatives of well-known business houses and Indian banks: ?t is the most memorable day of my life. I am extremely happy for all of your presence for a noble cause. While there can? be a value for human life, whatever little we can do to express sympathy to the bereaved families of the Mumbai bomb blasts will go a long way.?

Bachchan was presented with a sketch, depicting the Houses of Parliament in 1839, by Lord Goldsmith, QC, the attorney-general.

It had been signed by Tony Blair, the Prime Minister.

Over the last few days, Blair appears to have been one of the few senior politicians who did not find time to meet Bachchan, who was given appointments, at their request, by Jack Straw, the former foreign secretary and now leader of the House of Commons, and Alan Johnson, the education secretary.

He also dropped in at the foreign and Commonwealth office to see Margaret Beckett, the first woman to be foreign secretary.

Bachchan? visit, which was primarily to receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Arts from De Montfort University, Leicester, on Wednesday, has resembled more that of a Prime Minister than an actor.

When Bachchan came to see Straw at the Commons on Thursday, the 63-year-old actor was spotted by the Daily Mail? parliamentary sketch writer, Quentin Letts, whose job is to report proceedings as though they are theatre.

It is worth quoting his piece, headlined ?ven to touch his coat-tails might win votes?, for it is the view of someone who had never previously heard of the Big B.

It went: ?wo flashing tiger eyes, a long face, a grey-flecked beard. We had a striking visitor yesterday: the Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan. He is, I am told, the Charlton Heston, Kevin Costner and the Harrison Ford of Indian cinema rolled into one.

?all Mr Bachchan cut a magnificent dash in the VIP gallery. He arrived with a long-thighed stride and took his seat with a spine that could have been stiffened with stair rods. He stared down on the Chamber of the House of Commons and inhaled a cavern of imperious breath through his nostrils.

?he great Amitabh! East of Srinagar they quiver at his mere name. Large parts of Leicestershire are pretty keen on him, too. No wonder Keith Vaz (Lab, Leicester East) had an early day motion down praising him. Even to touch his coat-tails might win votes.?

Letts added: ?lot conventions of Bollywood include dramatic reversals of fortune, courtesans with ?earts of gold?, corrupt politicians (whatever they might be), starry-eyed innocents and love triangles. It doesn? sound so very different from Westminster, really.?

It is a miracle that Bachchan did not drown in treacle after reading the early day Commons motion which said: ?his House congratulates Amitabh Bachchan on being awarded an honorary degree from De Montfort University, Leicester; notes his towering contribution to Indian cinema, having received 10 Filmfare awards and being named BBC Star of the Millennium; recognises his work as a goodwill ambassador for Unicef and as former member of the Lok Sabha, lower House of the Indian Parliament and hopes the award will continue to strengthen ties between the UK and India.?

Just when it seemed he would escape without being asked the most important question of all ? no, not his views on terrorism or Lebanon but what? going on between his son, Abhishek, and Aishwarya Rai ? he was tossed a doosra at his news conference in Committee Room 10 in the Commons.

He was asked by a brave woman representing Movie Magazine: ?r Bachchan, I hope you don? mind if I asked a slightly personal question and I ask your forgiveness for it. My mother would like to know when is Abhishek going to bring a bride home??

Sadly, Bachchan spotted the doosra from the moment it was bowled and replied with the utmost gravity: ?eah, ah. As soon as I get to know, I will tell her.?

He could have left it at that but then, very, very curiously, added: ?ven I am not aware of what is happening.

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How film star date suspects were bust

Sunday Times staffers accompany police in sting operation that netted duo selling bogus events and fake tickets
23 July 2006

SASHNI PATHER


THERE is nothing suspicious about the white BMW driving past the entrance to the five-star Michelangelo Hotel in Sandton.

That? until I see a long-haired man peering out the open passenger-side window.

Sunday Times photographer Antony Kaminju and I are on the scene because we?e been told by a Johannesburg businessman, Geetesh Kuber, that a sting operation involving him and the Sandton SAPS to bust an alleged fraudster is underway.

Kuber alleges he was scammed out of a substantial amount of money by a man named ?usuf?, who pretended to be an agent selling dates with Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan and tickets for a concert featuring former Miss World Aishwarya Rai.

The bust is said to be going down at 3pm, when Kuber? mother, Shakuntla, will act as bait and meet Yusuf at the hotel? business centre.

Kuber is holed up with the police in the hotel? control room, while his mother, dressed in a maroon-and-gold sari, waits in the reception, her every move monitored by an undercover police team.

The woman? only contact with Yusuf has been telephonically, when she convinced him that she was willing to pay any price to see Rai in concert.

Yusuf has booked an office at the business centre and paid R208 cash for the use of the office between 3pm and 4pm.

We?e told to wait. At 3.15pm, Kuber calls us. ?ome to the business centre ... we?e got him,? he yells.

I run to the centre, expecting to find a middle-aged suspect trying to convince the police that they have the wrong man. Instead I see the occupants of the white BMW I had noticed earlier.

Mohammed Saleh, allegedly a.k.a. ?usuf?, is a gangly youngster, dressed in baggy white pants and a black-and-white shirt. He? unshaven and his hair is unkempt.

His friend, Shaheen Ebrahim, looks around wildly as police start firing questions at them.

Photographer Kaminju starts clicking away at the two suspects, but Kuber says we are from the Sunday Times. Saleh and Ebrahim hide their faces, Ebrahim with his jacket and Saleh with his hands.

The police, meanwhile, waste no time; the two are handcuffed and led through the foyer amid curious looks from hotel staff and visitors.

Outside, taxi drivers waiting for passengers have gathered to see what all the fuss is about.

A police officer explains to them that the two were allegedly ?unning a scam?.

Shakuntla tells us what allegedly happened. She says Saleh had asked her to pay him R20000 for tickets.

At this stage, Ebrahim starts shaking and hiding from the camera. Saleh looks frightened.

The pair are put into an unmarked police vehicle and taken to the Sandton SAPS.

When we get there, Saleh and Ebrahim are in an office. On the table is Saleh? silver attache case. Inside it are ?ickets? for the so-called Rai concert and a desk name plate with ?smail Tar? emblazoned across it.

Ebrahim denies having anything to do with the alleged scam, saying Saleh had asked him to drive him to Laudium earlier in the day and then to the Michelangelo.

??e been telling him for the past four years to get a proper job.?

Police tell us later that Saleh is unemployed and lives with his granny and aunt in Fordsburg. They say his father is a businessman who is in Dubai.

His aunt was apparently under the impression that Saleh had a legitimate job at an IT company. He got dressed every day to go to ?ork?.

While he is being questioned, Saleh lifts up his lowered head, his bottom lip starts to quiver and he starts to cry.

I then walked out of the office thinking that this pathetic image was a far cry from the glitzy, confident world of Bollywood, the very world that Saleh allegedly pretended he was in.

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Bollywood Press

July 23, 2006
Shahrukh Is a Cripple



The eternal loverboy Shahrukh Khan has been crippled. Don? get me wrong, and please control your heart if it is shattered, but the news is true. If only fictitiously. Gotcha! Right?ell, the rumour has now been confirmed. SRK has a slight cripple in one of his legs in KJ? ?abhi Alvida Na Kehna?.

It? not as if he always had the ailment. He went through this trough in life after having played his share of football and basketball, a la ?uch Kuch Hota Hai?. An accident gives him a limp-in-the-leg. And he gets crippled in the mind owing to this setback.

It would be interesting to watch SRK in a role where he is made out to be a bit of a weakling. With due respect to all the critics (Me included) one should stop pestering Shahrukh with this allegation that ?ey he does the same thing again and again. There? no variety. He can? go out of his comfort level of a Raj or Rahul.? What no one should forget is that each time SRK gets on the screen; he is a dynamite of energy.

There? something that is magnetic about him that pulls people to the big screen and spend millions to watch him woo his heroines. I guess it? a seasonal thing where as people say good things about one and not so good things about others. But I am not guessing when I say that SRK season is about to begin. And it will last the year end for sure.

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Telegraph India

Fans duped in SRK? name




Durban, July 23 (PTI): A teenager and his accomplice have allegedly duped South African fans of thousands of rands promising them a date with superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai in Johannesburg.

Nineteen-year-old Mohammed Saleh, who uses the aliases Yusuf Ebrahim and Ismail Tar, and his 20-year-old accomplice were arrested at a five-star hotel in Johannesburg in a sting operation. They have appeared in court and have been released on bail.

Saleh has been accused of fleecing his victims of up to 60,000 rands (Rs 3,60,000) in exchange for false promises of a day spent with Shah Rukh and tickets to see Aishwarya live in a concert.

Police said Saleh had placed advertisements in several community newspapers in April in which he said Shah Rukh was for hire in South Africa from June 2006 to January 2007 for weddings, birthday parties and social events.

He placed another advertisement last month for a one-night-only concert with Aishwarya in Johannesburg in September. He also printed fake tickets for the concert, the Sunday Times reported.

Aishwarya is in Durban, shooting with Hrithik Roshan for the film Dhoom 2.

Saleh was arrested by the Johannesburg fraud squad last week after he attempted to elicit 25,000 rands (Rs 1,50,000) from a businessman at a five-star hotel.

The businessman who worked with the police to arrest the two ?gents? told the paper he was duped of 25,000 rands.

?e had made arrangements to meet at an office suite in Parktown (Johannesburg). I am getting married next year and wanted to give my future wife a surprise by having Khan there. He (Saleh) introduced himself as Yusuf and asked me to pay him 5,000 rands to secure a meeting with Khan, who he said, was in the country shooting a movie,? the businessman told the paper.

?n a second meeting, he told me that Khan was on his way and I could meet him right there. I paid him 20,000 rands to secure the deal. He then left to call Khan and I never saw him again.

?ive minutes later, I received an SMS saying: sorry for taking your money. I will pay you back in December,? he said.

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Times of India

Itsy-bitsy's in for Ash?
25 Jul, 2006 2103hrs  

Bollywood grapevine reveals that Ash and Priyanka are all set to sport bikinis in their forthcoming releases.

Come winter and our silver screen goddesses are going to set the mercury soaring. Former Miss Worlds Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra are reportedly going to sport bikinis in their forthcoming films. According to reports, Ash recently lost a lot of weight in the span of 10 days to fit the bill, we mean bikini. This is the first time Ash will be seen in a bikini. "We wanted her to look hot in the movie and the extra flab had to go," says Sanjay Gadhvi, director of Dhoom 2.

However, Sanjay is tightlipped when it comes to the itsy-bitsy question. "No comments," is all he will say to whether Ash will be seen in a bikini or not.

Meanwhile, following close on Ash's footsteps is Priyanka. She will be clad in the two-piece clothing while enacting the scene in Don that Zeenat Aman did in the original, way back in 1978. Priyanka's oomph factor is sure to be seen onscreen. However, this is not the first time Priyanka will be wearing the sexy attire.

She earlier sizzled in a bikini in movies like Andaaz and Aitraaz. "Yes, she is going to be sporting the Zeenat Aman look," confirmed Priyanka's secretary Chand Mishra. While the sources confirm that the lady is all set to raise the temperature, officially the answer remains 'no comments'. The only thing we can do now is wait to see whether Priyanka Chopra can match up to standards set by Zeenie baby!

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Naachgaana

I can't be complacent about 'Rang De Basanti': A.R. Rahman

Mumbai, July 26 (IANS) Music genius A.R. Rahman has gone into a fresh stratosphere after the success of "Rang De Basanti" and is looking to scale new heights with his upcoming national and international projects.

"I am doing the background score for Shekhar Kapoor's 'Elizabeth 2' - my first full-length score in a mainstream Hollywood production. There'll also be original songs from that era, the 15th century," said the composer who has also done the background music in Jagmohan Mundhra's "Provoked" featuring Aishwarya Rai.

However, Rahman doesn't allow success to overshadow his creativity.

"When I go abroad I find there's still such a big following for 'Roja', 'Bombay' and 'Lagaan'. I was never complacent about those. I can't be complacent about 'Rang De Basanti'. Otherwise I'll become a has-been," Rahman told IANS in an interview.

On the home front, he has Sanjay Gupta's "Chamki Chameli", Rajkumar Santoshi's "London Dreams" and Mani Ratnam's "Guru".

Excerpts:

How did... ... the "Rang De Basanti" soundtrack turn out so special?

Very rarely does one come across filmmakers who excite and enthuse you as much as Mani Ratnam, Ram Gopal Varma and Rakeysh Mehra. Just before shooting we did a workshop with all the music I had composed for my film. I discovered there was a slow song just before interval, which was a no-no according to trade pundits. They were wrong.

Earlier, I had thought people would walk out in "Tu hi re" in "Roja", "O paalan hare" in "Lagaan" and now "Lukka chuppi" in "Rang De Basanti". I was wrong. It all depends on how the director treats the music.

How did the music of "Rang De Basanti" evolve?

First of all, it was conceived four years back when I was doing "The Legend Of Bhagat Singh". And since "Rang De Basanti" was also partly about Bhagat Singh I was reluctant to do it. Fortunately, "Rang De..." got delayed. And because of the overdose of patriotism within the 'period' format, we reconsidered the entire structure of "Rang De...". In the first meeting we had with Rakeysh and lyricist Prasoon Joshi we decided we are going to make all the songs superhits.

There's always something special from you for Aamir.

Like "Mangal Pandey"? (laughs). Jokes aside, people did like the music. But my favourite "Maula", which was supposed to be in the whole climax, was chopped off after one stanza. There are so many factors that a composer can't control.

At that point of time it seemed Hindi cinema had nothing more to offer you.
No, that's not true. Some films, like Abbas Tyrewallah's I was banking on, got stalled. At that time my life was too complicated. I was doing a lot of travelling to outside India. I had "Bombay Dreams" then the stage version of "Lord Of The Rings". I was quite excited about doing new kind of work. I saw these as a natural progression in my international career.

And now I am doing the background score for Shekhar Kapoor's "Elizabeth 2". My first full-length score in a mainstream Hollywood production. There'll also be original songs from that era, the 15th century. Earlier I had done the background score for a Chinese music. I have also done the background music in Jagmohan Mundhra's "Provoked".

Your music has achieved that crossover which our cinema hasn't.

I hope so. Doing music for Deepa Mehta's trilogy "Fire", "Earth" and "Water" was also very satisfying. Though doing songs for these films was a kind of sacrifice for me. They were put in the background. Most of my fans hate that. They say, don't do that.

During our last conversation you had said Chennai would always be your home.

You never know. I am trying to cut down drastically on my travelling. The kids are growing up. I need to be with the family more often. A year back I didn't allow my kids to be anywhere me. Now they're all over the place while I compose. I think it's very important for them to absorb the ambience.

Are your children musically inclined?

They have just started learning classical music from Ghulam Mustafa Khan Saab. Just last week he came and took over their training.

Is doing the background score as satisfying as doing songs?

Unfortunately, that era when a composer could create something as durable and enduring as "Lara's Theme" (Dr. Zhivago) is almost over. But I'm sure great themes will come back.

Internationally my career did take off after "Bombay Dreams". Now, of course, I can compose for international projects from my home in Chennai.

Your slow pace used to be a problem for Bollywood filmmakers.

How can my working methods be a problem to anyone? Every person has his own rhythm of work. I believe Naushad saab did just only 47 films in his lifetime. And he never regretted it. And look at what he did to film music.

I've my own way of working. It's a matter of priority. When I'm not in control then the quality of work might suffer. I'm at my best when I'm in control of my work. Change, of course, is inevitable. That's why I keep renovating and innovating.

What are you doing in Hindi? Mehra has given you to do an entirely Indian classical score in "Bhairavi"?

This was one of the scripts we wanted to do earlier. Most of the work that I'm doing is for musicals. And yes, a period film too - Ashutosh Gowariker's "Jodha-Akbar".

I also have "Chamki Chameli", which Sanjay Gupta is producing and Shyam Benegal is directing. It's a full-on musical. I also have Rajkumar Santoshi's "London Dreams".

There I've to recreate British underground music-Punjab meets Southhall. I'm collaborating with music producers from Birmingham to get the London underground feel to the score. Right now I am doing Mani Ratnam's "Guru" where I'm again working with Gulzar saab.

"Guru" is again a period film.

"Guru" is partly period partly contemporary. No one wants to watch patriotic period films anywhere but on DVDs.

Do you feel "Rang De Basanti" is a new beginning for you in Bollywood?

When I go abroad I find there's still such a big following for "Roja", "Bombay" and "Lagaan". I was never complacent about those. I can't be complacent about "Rang De Basanti". Otherwise I'll become a has-been.

Do you think international success has eluded you?

It can't happen overnight. But I won't let my career in Hindi and Tamil films (suffer) for projects abroad.

What do you think of Himesh Reshammiya's music?

He fills a lacuna in Hindi film music, just like Nadeem earlier on. He's trying to mix a lot of genres. People like his music. It's good. There're audiences for large genres of films. And he's doing a good job.

Reshammiya says he won't sing for any outside composer except you.

I'm flattered.

Do you think you've achieved what you had set out to?

I didn't set out to achieve anything. It all happened on its own. I always go with the flow.

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Movie Reviews

Mistress of Spices
By mark harris

Publish Date: 27-Jul-2006

Starring Aishwarya Rai and Dylan McDermott. Rated PG.

This would be the best date movie of the summer except for one thing: Dylan McDermott. Despite his black-Irish good looks, the former star of The Practice generates the emotional heat of a dressmaker? dummy. So when he? asked to win an Indian woman away from a very demanding tradition, it? hard to believe that he could be the pretext for making this difficult leap of faith.

Mistress of Spices is the tale of a vegetarian sorceress who can only hear the chilies speak if she is willing to sacrifice all chance of personal happiness. Tilo (Bollywood superstar Aishwarya Rai) is not permitted to touch another human being, or even to leave her Oakland spice shop, lest the herbs and seasonings that she sells turn against her. To make matters worse, the spices will not wreak vengeance on her directly, but rather on the customers to whose emotional and physical needs she so attentively caters.

So when Doug (McDermott), a rootless architect who believes her to be the answer to all his prayers, starts relentlessly paying Tilo court, she is torn in more directions than just two.

Working from a novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, director- cowriter Paul Mayeda Berges (Bend It Like Beckham) manages to strike a nice balance between the story? naturalism and its magic-realist elements. The pace is never rushed, and most of the actors deliver entirely believable performances, a form of perfection that paradoxically underscores McDermott? inadequacies all the more.

Because the esoteric commitment is shown to be both efficacious and admirably selfless, shuffling it off is more complicated than simply cutting through the threads of a net of fundamentally stupid superstitions. It? actually a gift worth dying for, but then again, so is love.

So I guess that, even with McDermott gucking up the emotional gears, Mistress of Spices is still a pretty good date movie, especially for anyone struggling against tradition. They?l probably forgive the film anything (including you know who).

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Vue Weekly

FILM
HOW ABOUT CHEESE WITH THAT SPICE?
JOSEF BRAUN



Indian-American spice shop proprietor Tilo (Aishwarya Rai) possesses some unusual gifts; not only has she been psychic since she could walk, she seems able to virtually solve people? domestic, romantic or business troubles by merely giving them a few spice-based treatments.

She actually converses out loud with spices, roots and raw chillies. And she cooks a mean korma.

Alas, expert telepathic spice whisperer she may be, but Tilo? great powers come with great responsibilities. The rules of the spice mistress strictly forbid the use of the spices for fulfilling personal desires?ilo? not even to touch another person? skin. It? a tough racket for a Bay Area superbabe with enormous pale green eyes and a thousand variations on the longing gaze, and an even tougher premise for a movie that hopes to come within a mile of rising above the level of art house trash that Mistress of Spices is hopelessly mired in.

Spice markets I?e been to are usually enjoyably messy, crowded, fluorescent-lit havens for sensory overload, but Tilo? Spice Bazaar, in keeping with the film? New Age pretensions, is immaculately ordered, expensively furnished and tastefully arranged, with every ground spice formed into a perfect pyramid. That is until Doug (Dylan McDermott), a motorbike-riding architect hunk with designer stubble, begins to haunt Tilo? workplace (which she apparently never leaves) and causes arguments between Tilo and the chillies that insist she? on the verge of breaching her contract with whatever vague mystical overlord rules her destiny.
Though no chemistry is to be found between the two perfectly manicured stars, it? love at first sight, and surely Tilo is someone? idea of a perfect female love interest: she? beautiful, demure, totally sheltered, devoted to being servile and a virgin to boot. Her fantasies of love with Doug reflect her naivet?: she imagines them, their naughty parts tastefully covered with silk sheets, stretched across a bed of red chillies (trust me, not a great idea for one? tenderest orifices).

Made by the couple behind previous East/West themed crowd-pleasers Bend It like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice, Mistress of Spices shamelessly exoticizes ?he mysteries of the East? with complete disregard to crude clich? and is so dopily dependent on the charms of magic realism as to make Like Water for Chocolate look tough and complex.

It? definitely not sexy, its resolution makes no sense at all and its supporting performances (their characters once again rolling in the same old cross-cultural tensions) tend to be very stiff, while even McDermott seems unable to keep a straight face (which is totally understandable).

In short, more cheesy than spicy

Opens Fri, Jul 28
Mistress of Spices
Directed by Paul Mayeda Berges
Written by Gurinder Chadha, Berges
Starring Aishwarya Rai, Dylan McDermott, Nitin Chandra Ganatra

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another review for The Mistress of Spices

The Mistress of Spices **?
The scent of a Mistress
JASON ANDERSON

From Friday's Globe and Mail

The Mistress of Spices

Directed by Paul Mayeda Berges

Written by Paul Mayeda Berges and Gurinder Chadha

Starring Aishwarya Rai, Dylan McDermott and Nitin Chandra Ganatra

Classification: PG

Rating: **?

It's unfortunate that the film industry didn't embrace the vast possibilities of Odorama. That was John Waters's name for the scratch-and-sniff cards he passed out at screenings for his 1981 film Polyester. Though most viewers were relieved that no more movies came steeped in the aromas emitted by Waters's muse, Divine, they miss out on what The Mistress of Spices could have offered if it had some olfactory enhancements.

Set in a San Francisco Bay Area spice shop, this glossy romantic fantasy by the makers of Bend It Like Beckham and Bride & Prejudice emphasizes the pleasures of scent, taste and touch to a remarkably tantalizing degree. Yet these are pleasures that no film can directly convey, the quality of movie-theatre concession stands and the friendliness of fellow patrons notwithstanding.

The makers of The Mistress of Spices must use other means to intoxicate, the most effective being the beauty of Aishwarya Rai. The former Miss World and Bollywood screen siren plays Tilo, a young woman who was trained in the magical properties of spices as an orphan in India. She is sent to open a spice bazaar in Oakland ? there, she aids her clients by carefully dispensing such substances as black cumin seeds (good for protection), saffron (for relief of loneliness) and garlic (an unlikely but reputedly effective aphrodisiac).

As she is reminded by the red chili peppers with which she occasionally converses ? thankfully, we don't hear the peppers answer back ? her powers come with certain conditions. Tilo is not allowed to use the spices for her own gain, leave her shop or touch another person's skin. Her allegiance to the spices is tested when she sees Doug (Dylan McDermott), who, being a motorcycle-riding architect in need of a shave, is triply irresistible to the heroine of any modern screen romance.

Based on a novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, The Mistress of Spices aims for the same whimsical mix of magic realism, chick lit and gastronomical porn that beguiled viewers of Like Water for Chocolate and Chocolat. Clashes of culture and tradition figure as prominently as they did in the past collaborations of Gurinder Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges.

After co-writing Chadha's Bend It Like Beckham and Bride & Prejudice, Berges assumes directorial duties for the first time. (Chadha, who is also married to Berges, co-wrote the script with him and produces.) He clearly delights in the visual potential of Tilo's vibrant saris, the spices that are the tools of her trade and, most importantly, the faces of his two lead performers. Bollywood filmmakers know they can make a hit movie just by pointing a camera at Rai for an hour or two and Berges more or less uses the same strategy. Santosh Sivan's cinematography is rich with colour and movement and Craig Pruess's fine score enhances the breezy tone.

What nearly spoils the recipe is the abundance of clich? reheated from a thousand other romantic comedies. Equally unsavoury are the many overripe pieces of dialogue and the suspicion that most of the secondary characters are there merely to illustrate the movie's laboured lessons about the need to reconcile Old World traditions with New World freedoms. Such overbearing moments of triteness and earnestness mar an otherwise appealing confection. They also would have been easier to ignore had The Mistress of Spices come with a scratch-and-sniff card.

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naachgaana

JULY

July's almost over but we have Omkara, Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of Othello. Ajay, Saif, Vivek, Kareena, Konkana, Bipasha, Naseer - whew! #:-s



The movie's been mentioned a couple of times on Desi Train. Key elements - Vishal's basic story telling ability, Performances and ofcourse the music. Possible bang-ur-head elements - could turn out to have a veeeeery sssssslow pace, cross your fingers over that.

AUGUST

So what does the month of Leos have for us... that reminds me that I better buy two birthday cards for my parents' upcoming birthdays if I wanna spend the rest of this year in peace.

Anthony Kaun Hai? - Sunjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi get together for this assasin chases victim thriller set in Bangkok. Echoes of AKH? being a copy of Who is Cletis Tout? can be heard over movie sites and bulletin boards. Please don't look back at me - cause I have no idea how true the rumors are. And by the way I don't remember one scene of Who is Cletis Tout? even though I do very clearly remember seeing that movie.... except that I had my face sunk between the legs of my the then cute-stage-actress date... for most part of the movie.



But the one very strong and clear memory about "Who is Cletis Tout?" that I have is - for the first time I wanted to know if there was anything that helped one build a strong tongue muscle. 2 hours of non stop using your tongue between ? you-know-where will have you walking with a dropped jaw for the next two days. - Not that it has anything to do with the movie - the connection though is very strong... with the tongue exercise, not the movie.

Coming on AKH's heels is Darwaza Bandh Rakho - and yes, it's from the Factory - Ram Gopal Varma's production house. Surprise Surprise - it's directed by Chakravarthy - the guy who played the lead in Satya. And if you can hog your memory a little bit backwards you'll realize he also acted in RGV's Shiva. Yep. He was the guy who gets a thrashing from Nagarjuna in the college campus - the scene which had the famous taking a bicycle chain to beat up the goons - nonstop voilence served on a silver plate. The interesting thing about DBR, is the story where a group of thugs (Chunky Pandey, Aftab Shivdasani, Zakhir Hussain and Snehal Dhabi) kidnap a rich lady for ransom, land up in a middle class families home and spend the rest of the movie trying to prevent unsuspecting visitors from entering the house.



And closing the month of August will be the every prolonged, ever delayed, looking trash from each angle, but could turn out to be hit because it has Salman Khan in it - Shaadi Karke Phas Gaye Yaar. I saw the trailer of this movie in the theaters when I had gone to see "Black". And by the looks of the shoddy-from-every-angle trailer, I had made up my mind to wear ear plugs when the DVD of this movie is released and during that time I have to enter my Desi Store for groceries. Heaven help the guy, when Ketan, Chetan and Tapan start their focused selling pitch, urging the customer to rent the crappiest of movies from their store, which everyone eventually does. There is just no escape.



August should as well as be called KANK month of the year. Karan Johar returns after a long time with Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. Ok I'll admit this - I watched his first Kuch Kuch Hota Hai after it was released on video, as I had no stomach to go out in the theater and watch a candy floss thingy. And there were quite a few elements that impressed me in KKH. Then comes his biggie, the one which had 3 superstars in the same frame. Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham. It split me in two. On one hand certain portions were damn irritating and on the other hand, well I hate to admit this, but? I have cried on some other scenes.



So will I watch KANK? With a star cast that boasts of Amitabh, Shah Rukh, Abhishek, Rani, Preeti - sure... uh... no, not sure... who knows... :-??

The other movie to watch out for in August, that could as well as surprise one and all is Ahista Ahista starring Soha Ali Khan and Abhay Deol. New Director Shivam Nair. There is a certain attractiveness in the previews of this one. There is just the right element of innocence in the way the movie is projected in the previews. Add to that Abhay Deol's (first movie was the could have been very good was wasn't - Socha Na Tha) - very interesting project choices - Honeymoon Travels and 1:40 Ki Last Local - they absolutely don't look like the regular run of the mill products... So what does this make Abhay Deol? Bollywood's tamed version of Johnny Depp?... Time will tell.



The Jain producers (owners of a music company) bring in August a Dharmesh Darshan direction, Akshaye Khanna - Dino Moreo - Priyanka Chopra starrer - Aap Ki Khatir. Big movie because - Dharmesh Darshan seems to be a large figure (... yes and literally) in Bollywood. This is also the movie where Darshan, as per the rumors, seemed to have (homo)sexually harassed a crew member on the set. Ah! No, that should not be the reason to watch this movie.



Govinda returns! I didn't see anyone jumping with excitement. Ok so Govinda returns to the big screen Sandwich



And RGV has another movie pumping out of his Factory. The utterly gross trailer of which was discussed on DT. Shiva starring Mohit Alawat and RGV's current breakfast jam, Nisha Kothari. Some call it Shiva Part II, some call it James Part II (James Part II???? WTF!!) - I'll simply call it factory product part number $#%x



Dare to think of this combination - Rahul Bose and Mallika Sherawat??? No... well then you'll have to watch Pyar Ke Side Effects Brains meet Boobs? I'll have to watch this one.

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naachgaana

SEPTEMBER

If you thought August was heavy, then September starts with a WAM!!!

Lage Raho Munnabhai - the sequel to the sweet and balanced Munnabhai MBBS. Though the movie is not a sequel in the real sense it's supposed to be a 3 hour round of the adventures of Munnabhai and Circuit. You can conveniently forget that the first part showed Munna and Circuit having settled down and leading a family life. Idhar family vamily nahin chalega Mamu Skeptical. Sequels so far have been fairly disappointing, but it's a Vidhu Vinod Chopra production, so anything is possible.



After some of the made-to-be-instantly-forgettable movies like Unns and Bhoot Uncle, it's the turn of Mr. Sohail Khan to step into the ring... and I'm not just speaking hypothetically... his Aryan is about his role as a boxer (or is it fighter or whatever). The tagline for this is "The Unbreakable"... good for them. But if the movie's a dud, I hope theater owners have "unbreakable" chairs. If not, then it is my humble advise - for free (as always) - to replace their chairs with unbreakable ones. Insurance for theater property would not be a bad idea either.



Presenter : Mithun Chakraborty
Banner : High-Definition Motion Pictures
And the movie? Ladies and Gentlemen, please clap for the next Mithun-da. Mithun-da's own son - Mimoh (no points for guessing how the ultra complex word - Mimoh - was formed). Mimoh's entrance into Bollywood comes with the movie Jimmy Well it's been directed by Raj N. Sippy, so there may be (a little) hope. Who's Raj Sippy, you ask?



Raj Sippy could have become one of the best story tellers, master craftsman, technically brilliant director in Bollywood. Unfortunately it did not happen. To get a better idea of the spark of his once promising brilliance, watch his first movie - the gripping - Inkaar (1977). From a more commercial lens, you may know him as the director of Satte pe Satta

Sunny pa-ji returns with Naksha, along with Vivek Oberoi, Sameera Reddy and Jackie Shroff. Watch for Sunny pa-ji's cowboy hat, that he uses to cover his... errr... wig. Confused? Me too.



Nagesh Kukunoor returns after the success of Iqbal with his next - Dor and it has the Iqbal star - Shreyas Talpade, along with Ayesha Takia and Gul Panag (where have you been?)

Next in the line is Jaane Hoga Kya. So why is it on the list? Cause it's supposed to be a sci-fi thriller where Aftab Shivdasani plays a scientist (so utterly believable) and clones himself (mind boggling concept) and the clone goes missing (should we thank God or run for cover?)



And then follows the Jimmy Shergill starrer - Rehguzar. No reason to list it except that Jimmy and I were born on the same day (and I mean the "exact" same day? so he does share the same unlucky streak as oz) and I kind of like the down and out guys who keep fighting back with one good performance after another. Plus the beautiful title song is on the oz Drive Raaga list (bottom right sidebar).



September turns out to be the baap of August in terms of releases.

There's the much delayed (over 10 years?) Amitabh Bachchan starrer Zamanat followed by the Konkana Sen Sharma, Irrfan Khan starrer Deadline - Sirf 24 Ghante



Tanuja Chandra returns after a long time and no, she isn't coming out with a product produced at the Mahesh Bhatt camp. This time she comes out with a catchy title and an interesting cast of Sushmita Sen, Shiny Ahuja and perhaps for the first time in a double role - Moushami Chatterjee. Zindagi Rocks could have the zing, so badly missed in Bollywood movies.

There's another comedy whose title makes you stop. Amar Joshi Shahid Ho Gaya has been in the making for quite sometime. Hopefully it will retain its freshness. It stars Sunil Shetty and Om Puri in the lead roles.

An finally its the turn of Vishal Bhardwaj's completed but never released The Blue Umbrella... being released under the title of Chatri Chor Watch out for a stupendous performance from the one and only Pankaj Kapoor (which we kind of expect from him).

No it doesn't end here for there's a movie where Anupam Kher and Boman Irani come face to face, playing the lead characters in the movie. Yummy. Yep. And that's why Khosla Ka Ghosla makes its way on this groovy list.



Bollywood sure is catching on the concept of getting some eye popping, making you pause and look - titles. Risk. That's the name of this Vinod Khanna, Randeep Hooda movie. Directed by Vishram Sawant who made D-Underworld

[ Last edited by  ldg at 1-8-2006 01:49 PM ]

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OCTOBER

And just like September, October starts with a bang.

One of the first remakes to hit the Bollywood screens. Farhan "DCH" Akhtar's DON



Can the Don of 2006 better the Don of 1978? The movie is supposed to have elements of its own and there is talk that it isn't a blind remake of the original. For whatever negativities may be floating around on Don's uninspiring posters etc. etc... you know... Farhan Akhtar could spring a surprise. Especially, with the support of the original screenwriter of Don... his dad... Javed Akhtar.

This time it's her husband. I'm talking of Shirish Kunder, the husband of Farah Khan, choreographer and the director of SRK's last biggest hit - Main Hoon Na. So Kunder, who's been an editor so far, turns director with Jaaneman starring Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar. There's Priety Zinta too. And if this is some sort of a triangle love story, I'm gonna give it a thumbs down right now. Triangles have been beaten to death by Bollywood. It would take a genius to pull us into the theater with a story so triangle. I hope Kunder isn't making that mistake.



Well, with so many biggies up for release, how far could J.P. Dutta be? Not far... that if you live close to Rajasthan. Another director who had the elements of being a genius of a craftsman but never could become one. He's back with a remake.

Yep, October gives us two remakes. Two big ones. After Don, it's the turn of JP Dutta. He comes out with the remake of Muzzafar Ali's classic, the Rekha starrer, Umrao Jaan. Playing the title role is Aishwarya Rai while Abhishek Bachchan, Sunil Shetty, Arshad Warsi form the rest of the leading cast. Somehow I don't feel excited. Especially after watching Abhishek Bachchan's wig. Why oh why? Farookh Shiekh didn't need one in the original. So what makes Abhishek have this extra long hair(y) wig?

Bollywood overdoes it. Dutta's Umrao Jaan could prove the case in point.

But Dutta's overcooked product could well be balanced by one of the first attempts at this kind of a story - one I have high hopes from - Kabir Khan's Kabul Express. The story follows the journey of journalists John Abraham and Arshad Warsi - from Kabul to Pakistan. The trailers are tight and gripping and show that Kabir Khan knows what he is doing. I do hope. I surely hope this turns out to be the way I've envisioned it to be. Aditya Chopra sure knows what he's doing and I admire him for backing this project up.



If you are still trying to catch up your breath with the releases of October, wait till you hear what's up in November.

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NOVEMBER

Ravi Chopra returns with a family tear jerker. Sorry if you don't know Ravi Chopra. Quick History. Made Baghban with Amitabh and Salman. Man behind the tele series "Mahabharata". A few movies directed by him - Zameer, The Burning Train, Aaj Ki Awaaz. Son of the late B.R. Chopra (Who is BR Chopra? Quicker History: Made socially relevant movies right from the 50s to the 80s. Elder brother of Yash Chopra)

So Chopra after lamenting all over the press on the imprisonment of Salman Khan, will finally be able to release his next. Babul. The movie stars Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Salman Khan, Rani Mukherjee and John Abraham.

And he's back. Isn't 2006 turning out to be the year where a lot many are returning back after a hiatus? This one is - Vidhu Vinod Chopra - who returns after a looong time as a director again. Eklavya stars Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan, Sharmila Tagore, Boman Irani, Jimmy Shergill, Raima Sen... WOW... this time it looks like Chopra is hell bent on delivering a hit. His last loved movie was Parinda, released almost 20 years ago. Can you believe it? The genius has not been witnessed again in the last 20 long years!



When everybody is "coming back", it's time to turn our view towards Rajshri Productions who have made out and out good to worse family entertainers. Sooraj Barjatya this time makes a movie not far from his comfort zone. Sorry. The subject looks like it "is" his only comfort zone. Vivaah stars Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao.



And November ends with a big bang. Tighten your seat belts, brace yourself for a Dhoom 2. Perhaps this would be the first time Bollywood introduces "2" in a sequel (if you tend to cast aside the title "Waisa Bhi Hota Hai - Part 2" which necessarily wasn't a sequel to anything). So we have the Yash Raj banner bringing in a sequel to Part 2 and by the looks of the initial publicity it's supposed to have double the fun and excitement. If you found the first movie a bore, then perhaps this one is not for you. Cast includes Hritik Roshan - as the bad guy, Abhishek, Uday Chopra (Family making movie, so he is in it), Aishwarya, Bipasha, Rimi... Dhoom Machale or Dhoom Dubale? November will tell.

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continued

Films Slated for Release in 2006: Bollywood's Big Cook Fest?

July 29, 2006
Desi Train

DECEMBER

This seems to be the lightest after a spate of heavy release months. So chill, take a walk, do some Christmas shopping, take your love out for a few nice evening dinners, learn Tantric sex, barrage oz with a chunk of emails - all on learning the art of Pickup, and take your gold-cover-hidden-from-all-diary out, wipe the dust off and open the pages to see the goals you had written in it for 2006. Scratch 2006 on the top of the goal list and rewrite in its place... "2007".

In the meantime, drop in your nearest Cineplex, if you think a Subhash Ghai production still holds a bit of an importance in your life. Good Boy Bad Boy starring E-me-ran Hashmi and Tushar Kapoor opens in December. Portrayed as an out and out comedy, it would not come as a surprise if it turns out to have each shot, frame, scene and angle that reminds you of the 136 comedies seen in the last two years.





But then, you can't tell if it will turn out that way. There is hope. The captain of this ship is Ashwini Choudhary - the director of the commendable Dhoop. So there is still hope. Hopefully.

Madhur Bhandarkar may just throw in another of his products at you this year. Looks like his Signal may be ready for release in December. Starring Neetu Chandra, Kunal Khemu, Konkona Sen Sharma - this Corporate moves to the cross streets of Bombay with Signal.

Nikhil Advani may just manage to squeeze in his next Salaam-E-Ishq in December. His second product, after Kal Ho Na Ho, he is already in the midst of a controversy where the story seems to be the exact copy of a script given to him by writer Reema Katgi (search Desi Train for a post on this controversy). Katgi herself is making a movie on the same script.

Advani's movie boasts of a huge starcast - Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Akshaye Khanna, Ayesha Takia, John Abraham, Vidya Balan, Govinda, Sohail Khan, Perizaad Zorabian, Shannon Esra, Aroon Bakshi, Anjana Sukhani and last but not the least Karan Johar!

Another movie with a list that has the who's who of Bollywood, may make its way in December. Ahmed Khan directed Fool and Final. The movie boasts of a cast that includes Sunny Deol, Shahid Kapoor, Sunil Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Javed Jaffrey, Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav, Vijay Raaz, Razzak Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Bipasha Basu, Arbaaz Khan... WOW!!! Did we leave anyone in Bollywood out of it?



Somewhere all along, it does seem that Bollywood is seriously taking the Zero Unemployment policy. Everyone seems to be in every movie.

To end the year, K Sera Sera comes out with Bhagam Bhag. The good: It's directed by Priyadarshan. The bad: It's directed by Priyadarshan. The Ugly: It has a starcast that is no different from many of the movies you read above.





Akshay Kumar, Govinda (is he hell bent of doing 125 movies this year?), Lara Dutta, Tanushree Datta, Jackie Shroff (so should we take 2006 as the official year where Jackie dada comes out of his retirement?), Shakti Kapoor (scandal alert - stay away), Rajpal Yadav (Bollywood unofficially declared foundation for a movie. No. Not the script. It's Rajpal Yadav), Manoj Bajpai (TV to Movies back to TV and now back in Movies), Sharat Saxena, Sanjay Dutt (yes he's in a special appearance, meaning, the producers plan to finance some of his forthcoming movies), Paresh Rawal (The other unofficially declared foundation of a Bollywood movie), Sunil Shetty (Sidelined to Sidekick, Side effect: acting just go worse), Arbaaz Khan (Who you?), Manoj Joshi (Now I really mean it: Who you?)

And........ It's a wrap. I'm not sure if I have seen so many ambitious products lined up in 5 months ever in the history of Bollywood. That also means there's more money on the line here. It will either cripple or cut through and make its way to the mountains of Moolah. The journey begins today with the release of Omkara... so sit back, relax, grab a drink, get your feet up and enjoy the best of times a Bollywood fanatic may have had in a long time...

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Bihar Times

Bollywood on adulterous path?

New Delhi, July 30 (IANS) The times sure are changing. Gone are the days when most Hindi films would end with a snapshot of a gleeful bride and groom tying the knot in the presence of an extended doting family.

The Mumbai studio-based Hindi film trade is rewriting its script. Movies now begin with what happens the day after a boy meets a girl and they fall in love. In Bollywood of today, mistrust and infidelity are the reigning themes.

So much so that even a 400-years-old tale, "Othello", penned by William Shakespeare, has found relevance in this week's release "Omkara" by composer-cum-filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj.

The film has bowled over critics and has all the makings of raking in big bucks, given its backdrop in India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh.

Power performances by Ajay Devgan as a man besieged with mistrust, Kareena Kapoor who essays the role of his wife and Saif Ali Khan who spins a web of lies and deceit along with Naseerudin Shah, Konkana SenSharma and Viveik Oberoi have set Mumbai talking.

The bedroom politics that ensue in this flesh and blood drama in the backdrop of India's cow-belt have brought mainstream Hindi cinema closest to real life than ever before.

For some time now, Bollywood has been trying desperately to crack the code for a commercially successful though critically sound film. As if on cue, most filmmakers have latched on to films with betrayal and infidelity as the themes that save the day.

What began as plots that pivot on lust and libido in films like "Jism," "Hawas" or "Murder" where brave new heroines break conventions and shed clothes, are now more realistic depiction of human relations and modern Indian marriages.

Not so long ago, dream merchants had found promiscuity as the favourite excuse to unleash skin show. For some time it seemed audiences were showing remarkable maturity of thought, flexibility of morals and an eagerness to cater to the Satan within.

"Body knows no love, it only respects desire," screamed the taglines of the skin shows and crowd of cinegoers nodded in affirmation. Then came a slew of sex comedies where men would sow wild oats in Bollywood, as in "Masti" and "No Entry".

Now the skin shows and brazen sex comedies are giving way to mass entertainers that are nearly a reflection of today's society - a society that no longer identifies with glossy family dramas in which the united Hindu family is unabashedly celebrated and propagated.

Recently, a $370,000-budget film by Rajat Kapoor about a couple swinging in Mumbai titled "Mixed Doubles" that was expected to fade out grossed $730,000.

Even the most commercially successful filmmaker of our times, Karan Johar, has swayed away and with "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" ("Never Say Goodbye"), he enters alien, high-risk territory - the modern Indian marriage.

After making "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham" with a tagline of "It's all about loving your parents," he has gone to "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna", which is being sold as "a love that broke all relationships".

The success or failure of "Kabhi Alvida..." will test how much audiences are willing to let go of the favourite family fantasy.

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In "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" for the first time Indian cinema's favourite romantic idol Shah Rukh Khan is depicted as the faltering husband of Preity Zinta. Set for release worldwide on Aug 11, with a budget of more than $10 million, it is one of Bollywood's big budget expensive and awaited films this year.

"Kabhi Alvida..." also stars leading screen goddess Rani Mukerji as a married woman who falls in love with Shah Rukh in spite of a doting husband Abhishek Bachchan.

A scene in the film has Amitabh Bachchan asking his daughter-in-law (Rani) to leave his son. Aishwarya Rai, similarly, almost committed infidelity in "Shabd" with a much younger Zayed Khan.

Clearly, realistic portrayals of marriage -- happy and otherwise -- are very much on the mind of Bollywood these days. Love is no more depicted as childlike in its innocence and na?ely disconnected from complications, emotional or sexual, says author of Bollywood-based books Anupama Chopra.

She adds that there are no national records available, but experts agree that divorce rates have risen significantly.

Over the years much media coverage has been devoted to urban stress, the new empowered Indian woman, the phenomena known as DINK (double income no kids) and DINS (double income no sex), the emergence of marriage counselling and, of course, high-profile celebrity break-ups.

Marriage is very much on the minds of Bollywood dream merchants. Likely to release next week is a Salman Khan-starrer "Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar". The star-crossed popular actor was also part of "No Entry", in which several husbands try to cheat on their wives and "Shaadi No.1", a blockbuster comedy, in which he betrays his wife and children.

-*-

"Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar" will be superstar Salman Khan's first release after he was found guilty of killing an endangered deer species. In the past, the actor's popularity has gone up every time he has faced turmoil in personal life.

His fans dig his image as a rebellious man who wears his heart on his sleeve. It remains to be seen whether this time around they come out in droves to watch his latest release for signalling their support for him. The film is not yet certain for release on Aug 4, given the increase in the actor's trips to courts and jails.

The film also stars Shilpa Shetty and is directed by K.S. Adhiyaman, who had made multi-starrer "Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam" that brought together Shah Rukh Khan, Salman and Madhuri Dixit.

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Rediff News

Images: Latest Bollywood posters

On Bollywood's walls
July 31, 2006

Bollywood hype never dies down.
Even as Karan Johar's larger-than-the-industry Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna prepares to release next week, here's a look at some exciting posters for other upcoming films.

Dhoom 2



Expected for Diwali, this mega sequel brings back Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra from the first film, adds Bipasha Basu and bad guys Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai.

Fireworks are obvious, as we can expect from this interesting multiple-torso poster.

Marigold



You might remember Ali Larter from movies like Legally Blonde and Final Destination? Here the hot actress stars opposite Salman Khan in his Hollywood debut.

Director Willard Carrol has attempted a breezy English romance in typical Bollywood style, and judging from the poster, he's got the look down pat.

Dus Kahaaniyan



When Sanjay Gupta hit upon the word Portmanteau (a film consisting of features directed by different directors), he would likely have cursed Ram Gopal Varma for beating him to the punch with Darna Zaroori Hai.

Gupta's Dus Kahaaniyan has a mixed lineup, featuring the legendary Shyam Benegal and critical rage Sudhir Mishra, Gupta himself, Apoorva Lakhia, Meghna Gulzar, Hansal Mehta and Jasmeet Dhonde. It's a varied collective indeed, especially in terms of experience.

And while it stars an equally eclectic set of proven actors and relative rookies, the truly curious question is -- how do seven directors make 10 films?

Deodhar Gandhi



Not much is known about Guddu Dhanoa's next Sunny Deol starrer, but we just couldn't resist bringing you this clutterbreaking poster for Deodhar Gandhi.

The film, incidentally the first Priyanka Chopra had signed, has been long delayed but apparently will be out soon enough. Let's hope it is as intriguing as the words scribbled on Sunny's face.

Eklavya



Paging William Shakespeare...

Even as Vishal Bhardwaj's Othello adaptation Omkara wows critics and shocks audiences around the world, Bollywood rumour mills are abuzz that Vidhu Vinod Chopra's closely guarded film might just be a take on the Bard's Hamlet.

Either way, this return to the helm for Chopra -- in a film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt -- will definitely arouse audience curiousity.

Here's a first draft of the poster, when the film was tentatively titled Yagna.

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Rediff News

Who's better -- Ash or Sush?
Merril Diniz

July 31, 2006 17:25 IST



The subject has been, and still is, a hot topic of discussion ever since 1994. Sushmita Sen was declared winner at the Miss India contest and Ash (Aishwarya Rai), the runner-up. During these discussions, I have found myself furiously defending Sush, despite never having met her or being a Bollywood buff.

Still, at times, I would wonder. Was it true? Or was I paying lip service to an image created and further hyped by the media? I received my answers when I met Ms Sen at the recent launch of What Would You Do To Save The World? by Ira Trivedi, a former contestant at the Miss India Pageant 2003.

The venue was packed to the brim with the press and customers. Sush looked chic in a long black dress, black belt sporting a big silver buckle, denim jacket and subtle make-up. She was seated next to Trivedi and ad man Prahlad Kakkar. Cameramen were vying for a strategic view, customers were jostling for space and an elderly lady in a reserved seat was demanding that the media be shown the door immediately. The emcee tried her best to quieten the din, while enthralled fans kept shouting out 'Sushmita'.

Suddenly, a deep, husky voice rose above the noise: "When we go Sush, we go shooooo..." Silence. Sush had spoken.

She went on to welcome 'my little sweetie pies' (referring to a row of children sitting upfront) and the rest of the audience. This spontaneous reaction seemed to enthral the audience. I was impressed at her ability and, more importantly, her inclination to take complete control of a chaotic situation. During the course of the event, a garrulous old man jumped up and launched into a diatribe, something to the effect of "Don't you think beauty pageants contribute to the destruction of the universe...blah...blah...blah".

Sen stayed cool as a cucumber, applauding him for his concern for the environment and saying she wished there were more people like him. This was following by a gem that seemed to go very well with the audience: "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything." Applause.

Trivedi's book is an autobiographical account of the author's experiences at the Miss India pageant. In a nutshell, they weren't good. She suggests the contest may be rigged to favour certain contestants. Sushmita described the book as 'humourous' and an 'honest account of the author's truth'. But, in the same breath, she mentioned that her own truth was very different. "Nothing is pre-decided," she said. "Aishwariya Rai was at the same pageant as me, and the nation expected her to win. But she didn't."

Would she advise young women to participate? "100 per cent," she vouched. "But it's not about wearing high heels and lipstick. Once you are on that platform, it's who you are that matters. Once you get the crown, so many people listen to you. You have a huge responsibility because you are loved by a billion people. I highly recommend it," she added, before going on to read a few extracts.

Next, Prahlad Kakkar read a chapter featuring a character known as 'Promod Kakre, India's mad 'ad-man'. His pupils dilated when he came to the bit that describes Promod as having a 'fetish for beautiful young things'.

As the event drew to a close, the weather outside grew temperamental. Still, the winds couldn't quite compete with the storm brewing within. As Sush started to leave the venue, cameramen made a beeline for her. A brawl broke out between them and security personnel. The actress made a quick exit, and we suddenly heard a crash -- the front door of glass was knocked down. There was a lot of shouting and some people were hurt.

Coming back to pageants, one thing is for sure. Many Miss Indias have come and vanished into oblivion since Sushmita won her crown. There can be just one Sushmita Sen. Her confidence, simplicity and charm made her the centre of the universe for many that evening.

Obviously, some things cannot be taught by experts. They have to come from within.

Photographs: Arun Patil

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Bollywood Press

August 1, 2006
Bollywood Sex, Beauty and Talents This is Called Deepshikha



This gal is swathed with whopping sex appeal and beauty. Her body curves, shiny eyes and heart-hitting smile are what cease the breath flow of the men. She leaves the men to yearn for her. Apart from her sexy image and beauty, Deepshikha is who talents are made. Yes, that? true. The actress - who has generated big waves on Gujrati, Marathi and Hindi cinemas ? is always rated as an actress of worth.

Deepshikha will now be seen in a film directed by Niraj Sahay. The makers have already started the shooting for the film but the title is yet to be finalized. Just one schedule is left behind for the shoot of the film. The gorgeous lass is playing a leading role in the flick and looks excited about the film.

On the movie, she feeds the kitty, ?t? a very substantial role. I cannot reveal much at the moment but I am one of the main characters in the film?.

This untitled venture also features Rajat Bedi, Aryan Vaid and Meera in pivotal roles. Deepshikha? another film, which is due to release, is ?ara? that is directed by Deepak Bari and stars Arbaz Khan and Hrishitta Bhatt along with her. This movie has been shot in Malaysia.

She has also been on every top show of TV and is currently doing many soaps on small screen. Deepshikha has gone global as well since she is anchoring a show on Bollywood Gupshup for a renowned Pakistani satellite channel ?eo TV?.

?ell done? Deepshikha, you have proved that you have all to hit the hearts from beauty, sex appeal to marvelous acting.