GURU - Movie Preview

Mani Ratnam is a master filmmaker, in fact one of the best in India. He has that unusual story-telling ability, a first-rate command over the medium and to top it all the zest to go for remarkable and gallant subjects. With some of the premium international and national awards to his credit Mani Ratnam is one of the most talented and enterprising directors in the business today.

His previous two Hindi movies DIL SE and YUVA didn’t go well at the box-office. The business was bleak and the acclaim too was more of a mixed bag. This time the soft-spoken director offers his latest Hindi venture GURU starring Abhishek Bachchan in the title role. The movie is rumored to have been based upon the life of one of India’s leading business tycoons. GURU is more of a period film set in the 1950’s onwards.

The promos of the film are fat catching up and so is the music. This time again is the trio of Mani Ratnam, Gulzar and A R Rahman who had previously teamed up for DIL SE. The music of DIL SE is everybody’s knowledge and it was a rage in those days. The song ‘Chaiiya Chaiiya’ remains simply unforgettable and so is the picturisation. The music for GURU also looks promising and might catch up as well.

GURU stars Abhishek Bachchan in the title role. This would be his second film with the ace director. It was Mani Ratnam’s YUVA that had in true sense brought Abhishek Bachchan in the reckoning. This would also be his second title role after his debut REFUGEE that was a box-office disaster. Aishwarya Rai, R.Madhavan, Mithun Chakraborty, Vidya Balan and Mallika Sherawat round off the rest of the cast.





GURU is the story of a simple but ambitious villager Gurukant Desai. He dreams big and to fulfill his dreams he arrives in the then Bombay (1958). He is married to Sujata (Aishwarya Rai) and has a brother-in-law. He also has something else; two shirts and Rs.15,000 to start his business. But soon he realizes that the business world is ruled by a handful of rich and influential people and for him to make his foray in to this globe he has to “force” his way into it.

So it’s both black and white sides to him now. His fair side wins him admirers, at the same time as his grey side earns him a few detractors. Nanaji (Mithun) who runs a newspaper Swatantra and Shyam Saxena are two of them who stand up to fight Guru’s unjust ways.

So does Guru emerge as the winner, forms the rest of the story.

The cinematography for the film has been done by the eminent photographer Rajiv Menon. The film is produced by Mani Ratnam and G.Srinivasan. The dialogues been penned by Vijay Krishna Acharya and the audiography is by H.Sridhar.

Mani’s previous two Hindi ventures could not scoop up success at the box-office. Will GURU write a different story for him this time around?

Kabul Express - Movie Review

Let’s clear the myth pertaining to KABUL EXPRESS within the film industry!

Nasty naysayers have been text-messaging that KABUL EXPRESS is a documentary, a dry film that talks of post-Taliban days in the battered Afghanistan. Also, those looking for some cheap naach-gaana kind of entertainment in this Yashraj enterprise are bound to be disappointed since KABUL EXPRESS may star known names in its cast, but debutante director Kabir Khan, a known documentary maker, believes in enlightenment, not entertainment!

After having watched KABUL EXPRESS, all you want to do is hit the blokes hard for spreading malicious stories about the film. Agreed, KABUL EXPRESS traverses a different path and Kabir Khan is a documentary maker, but KABUL EXPRESS is not a documentary at all. It’s a ‘proper’ Hindi film -- a thriller to be precise -- that dares to tackle a difficult and different theme.

Besides the subject matter that’s its USP, the film takes you to Afghanistan -- a country most of us haven’t visited, as tourists or as moviegoers. Yes, DHARMATMA and KHUDA GAWAH did visit Afghanistan, but the post-Taliban Afghanistan hasn’t been witnessed on the Hindi screen. That makes KABUL EXPRESS a novel experience indeed!

Now to the pertinent question: Does the story hold your attention for the next 1.45 hours/12 reels?

KABUL EXPRESS is a film with different sensibilities. It’s not one of those films that depict two Indians taking on the Taliban and bashing them to pulp. It narrates the story of two Indians, one American, one Afghani and one Pakistani and what transpires in the next 48 hours. It’s straight out of life and certain moments do make you get into an introspective mood.

A film like KABUL EXPRESS is more for the elite and the thinking viewer than the aam junta. While the theme of the film is anything but stereotype, the sequence of events that lead to the climax as also the liberal usage of English and Afghani languages will restrict its appeal to multiplexes mainly. In the single screens, KABUL EXPRESS will find few takers!

Another factor that goes against the film -- in Overseas territory at least -- is the conflict between the Afghanis and Pakistanis in the film. Although director Kabir Khan may argue that he’s tried to be authentic, you cannot overlook the fact that Pakistanis -- who form a major chunk of movie-going audience in U.K. and U.S.A. -- may not give KABUL EXPRESS their mandate or whole-hearted approval because of the anti-Pak flavor.

KABUL EXPRESS is set in post 9/11 Afghanistan where the American bombing has destroyed the Taliban regime and the Taliban soldiers are trying to escape to Pakistan to avoid the wrath of the Afghans. Against this turbulent backdrop, Jai [Arshad Warsi] and Suhel [John Abraham] -- two Indian television reporters -- have entered Afghanistan and their aim is to somehow get a rare interview with a Talibani. Helping them in their pursuit of a Talibani is their Afghan guide, translator and driver Khyber [Hanif Hum Ghum] in his Toyota Jeep called Kabul Express.

The trio is having their share of adventure as they go from being blindfolded and taken to secret hideouts in the mountains to interview Taliban prisoners to nearly getting trampled by horses while shooting a game of Buzkashi. They are saved from getting trampled by an American photo-journalist, Jessica [Linda Arsenio]. Despite all their attempts, the Taliban remains elusive. But unknown to them, these hunters are being hunted down themselves...

One cold winter morning in Kabul, they get kidnapped at gunpoint by a Taliban fugitive who wants to escape to the Pakistani border. The kidnapper, Imran [Salman Shahid], is a Pakistani army soldier who was part of the Taliban. He knows that as journalists, Jai and Suhel’s movements in the country will not be questioned and posing as their local guide, he can reach the safety of his country.

From here on begins the two-day journey from Kabul to the volatile Afghan-Pakistan border. Jai and Suhel’s mission becomes a nightmare as they are taken hostage aboard the Kabul Express and made to drive across the most dangerous country in the world. Jessica sees their car driving away from Kabul and mistakenly thinks that they are onto a big story. She begins to chase them. Before she knows it Jessica gets stuck in a bizarre situation and inadvertently, also gets taken hostage by Imran.

By the end of the journey, Jai, Suhel and Jessica actually help Imran reach the border of Pakistan -- his country that he is very proud and patriotic about. But the turbulent political situation at that time has a surprise in store for all of them.

KABUL EXPRESS is director Kabir Khan’s first foray into feature films and you have to acknowledge the fact that the director knows what he’s talking. A storyteller is only successful if he’s able to narrate a story with utmost conviction and the listener/viewer listens to every word with rapt attention. Kabir succeeds in his mission of not just narrating an unadulterated story, but also making you travel to a country that’s hit headlines for all the wrong reasons.

The film has several poignant moments, but Kabir reserves them for the penultimate reels. The relationship between the kidnapper and the hostages, which changes from mistrust to trust, is carefully handled. As also the banter involving Indian and Pakistani cricketers. The highpoint of the film is the Pakistani’s reunion with his daughter and his subsequent killing by the Pakistani soldiers. Kabir deserves full marks for taking the film to an appropriate finale.

Kabir also gets ample help from the locations and the cinematographer, Anshuman Mahaley, takes full advantage of it. Not only are the locales of Afghanistan breath-taking, the lensman also captures them with dexterity. Without doubt, this ranks amongst the finest works [cinematography] of this year!

You walk out of KABUL EXPRESS with two actors in mind -- Arshad Warsi and Salman Shahid, the Pakistani. Arshad has an amazing sense of timing and it’s very difficult to compete with him. The actor is lovable yet again and in fact, contributes to the light moments in the thriller. Salman Shahid is excellent. He enacts his role with precision and his sequences, more towards the concluding reels, will win him ample fans in India.

John Abraham doesn’t really get a chance to exhibit histrionics, but gets two major scenes -- one, when he talks to the Pakistani about his daughter and the other, when the Pakistani is offering prayers. John handles them with supreme confidence. Hanif, the Afghani, is first-rate, while Linda, the American journalist, does an okay job.

On the whole, KABUL EXPRESS is aimed at the elite and the thinking audience. A well crafted thriller, the film has better chances at multiplexes mainly. However, the liberal usage of English and Afghani languages will restrict its appeal to urban centres in India. At the single screens, the film will find the going very, very tough since there’s nothing for the aam junta.

Also, its ride in the Overseas territory will be bumpy thanks to the depiction of the conflict between Afghanis and Pakistanis in the film. The Pakistanis form a major chunk of movie-going audience in U.K. and U.S.A. and they might not give KABUL EXPRESS their whole-hearted mandate due to the anti-Pak flavor in the narrative.

Aryan Unbreakable - Movie Review

More than a decade ago, Sohail Khan was planning to turn director with a script that would star Jeetendra’s nephew Abhishek Kapoor in the lead. The project didn’t materialize; Sohail made his directorial debut with AUZAAR [Salman Khan, Sanjay Kapoor], Abhishek too got launched as an actor by someone else. Now, Sohail and Abhishek team up in different roles: Sohail is the actor, Abhishek the director.

Let’s face it! On face value, ARYAN doesn’t generate curiosity, like one of those biggies around the corner. But the film, starring Sohail Khan in the lead and directed by actor turned director Abhishek Kapoor, takes you by complete surprise as the reels unfold.

If the promos of ARYAN give an impression that the film is all about boxing, you’re partly right. Boxing is an integral part of the storyline, but the film has much more to offer. It’s also about the relationship between a husband-wife and the ups and downs in their relationship.


In most cases, you do notice some raw edges when you watch a film directed by a first-timer. But Abhishek Kapoor seems to have done his homework pretty well and the deft handling of the subject matter deserves highest praise. In fact, his handling of the emotional, tense and thrilling moments in the film will leave you spellbound.

Without doubt, ARYAN is one of the most stylish films, with content to match!

Aryan [Sohail Khan] was born to fight. He is the college champ and under the tough training of Coach Ranveer Singh [Puneet Issar], he dreams of winning the nationals. His love, Neha [Sneha Ullal], is more than just his better half. She is his support system, his strength. He needs her to be around every time.

Life takes a turn and Aryan chooses to give up his dreams and marry his love instead. They have a kid and start living a common man’s life. Life moves on and so does Aryan. He takes up a job as a sports commentator, but life is never the same for him. He hits a low professionally, as well in his married life.

One day, his ex-coach asks him to get back into the ring and gives him the courage to face the world head on. Aryan decides to follow his dreams again, but he isn’t the man he used to be. His support system, his wife, has left him. Will Aryan be able to achieve his dreams?

The Sylvester Stallone starrer ROCKY has had its share of admirers in Bollywood. Years ago, Raj Sippy captured the sport on celluloid in BOXER and now, Abhishek Kapoor does so in ARYAN. While Sippy’s version of BOXER was well shot too, the film lacked a strong emotional side that would balance the combat in the penultimate reels. That’s where ARYAN really scores!

ARYAN starts off as a routine love story, of a rich girl and a poor guy, but the emotions come to the fore as the husband and wife go separate ways. And the rift in the relationship is very well depicted here.

Another highpoint of the film is its penultimate 30-minute climax fight, where the protagonist not only has to crush his opponent in the boxing ring, but by winning the match also earn respect in the eyes of his wife and son. The fight-to-finish boxing sequences are outstanding and a never-seen-before experience on the Hindi screen.

Anand Raaj Anand’s music is soulful. ‘Jaaneman’ and ‘Chhuna Hai Aasman Ko’ are two tracks that stand out; the former for melody and the latter for the overpowering spirit. Ranjit Barot’s background score is electrifying. Cinematography [Neelabh Kaul] is topnotch. In fact, the cinematographer along with action co-ordinators Chris Anderson and Mahendra Verma and editors Renjit B. Vattakattu and Shakti Hasija deserve distinction marks for the penultimate fight. Something like this has rarely been seen on Bollywood screen before!

ARYAN gives ample scope to Sohail Khan to portray the gamut of emotions and Salman’s youngest brother proves that given an opportunity, he can rise to the occasion. He gets to portray three diverse shades in the film -- lover boy, husband and frustrated man -- and his performance stands out all through.

Sneha Ullal, who made her debut in LUCKY, shows improvement over her debut performance. However, she looks too young to carry off a mature role. Puneet Issar [excellent], Satish Shah [effective], Supriya Karnik [vicious to the core] and Inder Kumar [menacing to the hilt] compliment the lead characters. Farida Jalal is okay. Suved Lohia has the trappings of a natural actor. Fardeen Khan, in a special role, is first-rate.

On the whole, ARYAN is a well-made film that combines style and substance beautifully. Unfortunately, the box-office will sing a different tune altogether! Reasons: [i] Not-too-attractive face-value, [ii] Delayed release and [iii] Oppositions in KABUL EXPRESS this week and BHAGAM BHAG next week. To sum up, despite strong merits, ARYAN will be knocked down in the box-office ring!

Baabul - Movie Review

Films depicting social themes were extremely popular in the 1960s and later, in the 1980s. But, of late, paarivarik themes are relegated to the small screen and even if a film-maker dares to tackle such a theme for the big screen in this era of urbane themes and multiplex films, a section of moviegoers [read critics] are quick to label the efforts as 'outdated' and 'regressive'.

But VIVAH, four weeks ago, and BAABUL, this week, prove the detractors wrong!

BAABUL tackles the issue of widow re-marriage, an issue the late Raj Kapoor successfully raised in PREM ROG [Rishi Kapoor, Padmini Kolhapure]. But comparisons between PREM ROG and BAABUL wouldn't be right, except that both talk about the rehabilitation of a young widow.

In terms of genre, BAABUL tackles a purely Hindustani issue, like the recent VIVAH. But let's quickly add that Sooraj R. Barjatya and Ravi Chopra's storytelling techniques are as diverse as chalk and cheese. While Barjatya adopts a desi approach for just about everything, Chopra takes a desi theme and gives the film an urbane feel. But the commonality is that both Barjatya and Chopra cater to the same set of viewers: Families.

In terms of content, BAABUL has its share of uppers and downers. Fortunately, the highs outnumber the lows in BAABUL and what really takes the film to another level is its climax. It wouldn't be erroneous to state that the graph of the film takes a big jump in the last half-an-hour thanks to the apt culmination to the story. The penultimate reels are truly outstanding!

Also, any film that raises a pertinent issue ought to rest on a solid foundation -- its writing. While Achala Nagar's writing isn't tight, it isn't trite either. Agreed, the writing could've been far more convincing and cohesive, but you cannot deny that there are ample moments in the film that make you moist-eyed.

To sum up, BAABUL is a competent follow up to BAGHBAN. After attempting diverse genres from ZAMEER onwards, Ravi Chopra gets it right with BAGHBAN first and BAABUL now.

Balraj [Amitabh Bachchan] is a rich businessman with progressive modern outlook towards life. For him, family, culture and values are of utmost importance. Shobhna [Hema Malini], his wife, is more than his better half. Together, they dote on their only child Avinash [Salman Khan]. For Balraj, Avinash is more of a friend than just his son. After spending many years in the U.S., Avinash returns home to his parents. Their lives light up!

Avinash meets the pretty Millie [Rani Mukerji], a painter. They fall in love and get married. They are blessed with a lovely child named Ansh. Rajat [John Abraham], a young musician and Millie's friend, has feelings for Millie, but never reveals it to her. He is now happy for Millie and Avi. He decides to settle in Europe, pursuing his musical career.

Fate plays a cruel game and on Ansh's birthday, Avinash meets with a fatal accident. Life without Avinash is unbearable for Millie. Meanwhile, Balraj and Shobhna try to find the love of Avinash in Ansh.

Balraj cannot bear to see Millie's colorless life. He decides to find Rajat and asks him to marry Millie and help him bring the colors back into her life. But Balwant [Om Puri], Balraj's elder brother, objects to Balraj's plans. Even Shobhna is not with Balraj this time.

Will Balraj be able to fulfill his plans? Will he prove to be a father [Baabul] rather than being a father-in-law?

An issue-based film has to be tackled with kid gloves, with utmost care, efficiency and sensitivity. And Ravi Chopra does just that! Although there are several emotional moments in the film, at least three sequences strike a chord…
Hema requesting Rani to wear colorful clothes, after Salman's demise.

Salman and Rani's son feeling the presence of his father by sitting in the closet.

Rani dancing with Salman's pullover amidst heavy rains.

Any shortcomings? Oh yes! The pace drops in the second hour. While the first half focuses on light moments, songs and romance, the emotional track in the post-interval portions unfolds at a lethargic pace. In fact, the film can easily do with a 15-minute trimming to spruce up the goings-on.

Aadesh's music stresses on melody and the score is quite pleasant. 'Come On Come On Chalo Jashn Manaye' is peppy, while 'Baawri Piya Ki' is soft and soothing. 'Bebasi' [rendered with feeling by Kunal Ganjawala] is melancholic. Barun Mukherji's cinematography is appropriate. The frames are vibrant with colors. Dialogues [Achala Nagar] deserve special mention. They are fantastic!

BAABUL rests on two actors mainly -- Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji -- and both emerge trumps. Bachchan is in top form yet again and proves for the nth time that he's the 'Big Boss' as far as histrionics are concerned. He is simply superb in the climax! Rani takes her character to a new level altogether. HUM TUM, VEER-ZAARA, BLACK, K.A.N.K. and now BAABUL, you can well imagine how impressive she is if one clubs her work in BAABUL with her earlier accomplishments.

Hema Malini looks gorgeous and acts her part with amazing grace. Salman is natural and provides ample light moments. He's cute when courting Rani. John is perfect, although the dashing guy is looking pale and tired at times. What happened, John? Om Puri is loud, but that's the demand of the character. BAABUL stars a host of characters and those who stand out in brief roles are Sarika [tremendous], Sharat Saxena [very good] and Smita Jaykar [competent]. Rajpal Yadav doesn't get much scope. Aman Verma and Parmeet Sethi are forced characters.

On the whole, BAABUL makes a statement in a convincing manner. The film rests on three aces -- emotions, performances and execution -- which will attract the family audiences in large numbers. At the box-office, the strong theme has all it takes to make its target audience [families] cry with joy and its distributors laugh all the way to the bank!

DON was a completely different film, Salman Khan

Shah Rukh and Salman, the two big Khans of Bollywood are friends or foes, god knows. But whenever one is asked to say about other, the reply as comes is very pricking for fans, still very funny and interesting.
As recently, Salman said, when asked whether he's upset with the fact that in spite of all efforts his 'Jaanemann' didn't fare well as Shah Rukh's 'Don' did, "Arre, Kya Karen! Shah Rukh saab promoted his film so much. He didn't give us a chance!"
He was among the attendees too at the premiere of 'Don', in spite of his film releasing the same day. "Yeah, since the original film was written by my dad. But after watching, I realized it was a completely different film. They should have called it Bond," he laughed.
Like Shah Rukh's 'Don', does Salman also have a dream role he'd like to reprise?
"The answer is quick, "Ganga Jamuna'. I have always wanted to do that. But I know I won't be able to carry it. I'll probably mess it up. In fact I keep telling Shah Rukh he should do it."

Salman's response to Hema's poetry

Hema Malini has always been complimented for her aankhen, those limpid pools of emotion. But the dream gal herself swoons over Salman Khan's eyes. "They are so beautiful and sexy….crystal-clear like water," she rhapsodizes. "He only has to look directly into the camera and you can hear his speaking, without words." Guess, what's Salman's response to Hema's poetry?
"Hemaji, my face is sexy too."

Abhishek on Mumbai road

It's not everyday, even in Film City that you casually glance out of your car window when it stops at the traffic lights to find Abhishek Bachchan parked in his white BMW, just inches away.
Despite his beard and the dark glasses, Abhishek was easily recognizable. But this being Mumbai, Bunty wasn't mobbed or even tapped for an autograph. Some curious glances were slanted in his direction by passers-by before they hurry off to work. A few tracked his progress in their rear mirror as the BMW sped down the road before swerving into a narrow by-lane.

Priyanka never home until 8 p.m.

Priyanka Chopra is dead beat. She's up by 8 a.m. most days at the studio an hour-and-a half later and never home till 8 p.m.
"By then I'm so drained that I only want to crash," she reveals. So what about love? "What about it?" the star echoes. "I know this round like a cliché, but well, there just isn't time for romance." Sigh!

Salman cracking jokes

When Salman makes a friend it's for life. Whether it's Sajid Nadiadwala or Rumi Jaffery, he revels in the company of his dosts and even invents a new lingo so the conversations remain very private.
On the sets of Rumi's new film 'God Tussi Great Ho', Salman and his director buddy had a lot to laugh about. Using code language they would guffaw over jokes that only then understood till it was time for "Action".
Then, Salman would sober up in a jiffy, and so also Rumi. But as soon as the shot was canned the duo would back to cracking their jokes and playing their pranks. Ha, ha, hee, hee!

DON ko Theif banna mushkil nehi hei

'Dhoom 2' is hit. Now Yash Raj has started working on the third installment of the series, 'Dhoom 3'. This time, however, Sanjay Gadhvi, who directed 'Dhoom' and 'Dhoom 2', will not be directing the third part. New director will be roped in. However the director has not been fixed yet. Also in the place of Hrithik Roshan, who played the smart thief in 'Dhoom 2' (John Abraham played the role in first part) Bollywood king Shah Rukh Khan will be seen opposite Aishwarya Rai. It's official. There's buzz, Aamir Khan will be played an important role in 'Dhoom 3'. However Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra will continue to play the cops, as in 'Dhoom 2'. But whether Bipasha will continue or not, it's not known yet.

Hrithik & Zayed proved their daredevilry at the premiere of ‘Dhoom 2’

If you thought that Hrithik Roshan and Zayed Khan are just onscreen heroes, think again. The duo recently proved their daredevilry at the premiere of ‘Dhoom 2’ at Yashraj Studios. A source reveals, “After the show got over the guests got into the elevator. The lift was filled to capacity. So it got stuck.” But Hrithik, Zayed and VJ Ranvijay came to the rescue of those trapped. The trio actually broke the elevator door and got them all out safely!

Casting for historical figures

Hrithik Roshan-Aishwarya Rai get their chance at history when they play Akbar and Jodha in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s film. Last year, Aamir Khan played Mangal Pandey, and reports say Ajay Devgan is all set to play Prithviraj. A wish list of 10 historicals and one epic, in which we’d like to see our stars….

1) Razia Sultan: The story of the legendary female ruler was not given its due in the earlier film, and a remake is in order, and who else but Preity Zinta to play the strong-headed princess who was better than any man.

2) Bahadurshah Zafar: The intrigue and drama of the last days of the Mughal rule, with Amitabh Bachchan playing the doomed poet-emperor.

3) Jhansi Ki Rani: Apparently Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen are battling over the role, but Rani Mukherji with compact built and warrior eyes is made for the part.

4) Chanakya: The master strategist and patriot of the Maurya age, can anyone but Aamir Khan play him?

5) Noorjehan: The role of the imperious Mughal queen, who ruled while husband Jehangir stepped back, suits Aishwarya Rai to perfection.

6) Roopmati-Baaz Bahadur: The beauteous and young Kareena Kapoor could be paired with Shahid Kapoor for this musical romance of Mandu.

7) Sikander: The film about Alexander the Great and the brave King Porus is begging to be remade-Hrithik Roshan as Alexander and Shah Rukh Khan as Porus and the screen will sizzle.

8) Tipu Sultan: The ruler of Mysore who fought the British, a role meant for ‘fighter’ Salman Khan.

9) Karna: The bravest and noblest character in the Mahabharat, the sad-eyed Hrithik Roshan would be just right for the part.

10) Bajirao Mastani: Whoever Sanjay Leela Bhansali casts, and hope he makes it quickly-this great love story between a Peshwa and a dancer.

Rekha talks about playing a contemporary courtesan in ‘Yatra’

Director Goutam Ghose’s ‘Yatra’, starring Rekha in a pivotal role, has just won accolades at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa. It will also be the opening film at the Trivandrum Film Festival on December 9. The songs composed by veteran Khayyam are climbing up the popularity charts.

Incidentally, Rekha plays Lajwanti a modern day courtesan in the film opposite Nana Patekar. Rekha says, “Lajwanti has no similarities to ‘Umrao Jaan’. It is a contemporary character whilst the latter belonged to the medieval era. I have a role that perfectly suits my age and acting abilities. Goutamda worked on me and drew out a subtle performance, the kind I have not done in recent years.”

What about her chemistry with Nana Patekar? Rekha smiles and says, “We are starring together for the first time. Nana as an actor needs control. Then he performs well. His acting style is very different from that of Amitabh Bachchan or Naseeruddin Shah. We shared good vibes on the sets.”

A highlight of ‘Yatra’ is the dance number choreographed by Saswati Sen. What does the diva have to say? Rekha answers, “There are two kathak numbers. I rehearsed many times before giving the final shots. Saswati took great care in training me for my mudras and steps. She has true mastery over kathak.”

Were there any conflicts with her and Ghose ? Rekha rubbishes the rumours saying, “If there were any conflicts would the film have been completed smoothly and within time? I felt very comfortable working with Goutamda. You will notice how he has made me underplay my emotions. He and producer Bipin Kumar Vohra have even incorporated some of my suggestions in the film.”

Sallu's comments about john too insignificant

John Abraham has had enough of his Baabul co-star's seemingly inexplicable bouts of snideness in print and on television where Salman has made it amply clear that there's no love lost between the two actors, despite John trying to extend the olive branch by saying good things about Sallu. In a television interview, Salman dismissed John as someone who only makes politically correct statements, and even made a sarcastic remark about John's much-lauded physique. When asked if he had stopped talking to John, he asked, "But when did we start talking?"
John, in his turn, now makes it clear that this issue has become too petty, and Sallu's comments too insignificant, for him to give too much importance to, now. His nonchalance comes through when he says with a shrug, "I'm just not bothered. All I can do is brush it all off with a smile. In fact, the comments and this entire issue have no relevance in my life. I've so much happening to my career…my films, my clothes line, my motorbike endorsement, my own calendar. I really don't have time for all this. And I'm not being arrogant. I'm just being practical."

John admits he shot with Salman for about five days in Baabul. "Technically we come in mutually exclusive halves in the film. I come in only after his character dies. But our characters do meet. So we did have to shoot together before we went on the world tour. And then we shot for a day after it. And everything was exactly the same between us before and after," says John, obviously hinting at the war between the two.

So what about rumours of a squabble between them during the Rockstars tour? He says, "Well, I had no issues with him any time during the concerts. I didn't know what was happening until I returned to Mumbai and read reports in the papers about our hostility."

John adds, "As far as I'm concerned I'm very comfortable with everyone around me. I don't like to work under any kind of stress and avoid it as much as possible. I am comfortable in my space, and that's what matters to me."

But what happens when Salman enters that space? As another member of the Rockstars team says, "The problem between the two was definitely there…and a lot of it was in Salman's head. You see, he had appointed himself the unofficial rock star of the concerts. But John kept getting as much hysterical ovation on stage as Salman did, if not more. This hurt Salman's ego. Also the fact that John kept in his own space, hung around with his best friend whom he had taken along on the tour, instead of joining Salman's coterie, really hurt Salman. He's basically like a child who wants and needs constant attention. If you don't give it to him he'll extract it out of you. And if you still don't give him attention he'll turn childishly nasty on you. That happened with both John and Shaahid Kapoor during the Rockstars concerts. While John was busy being on his own, Shahid stayed aloof with Kareena. Both situations were unacceptable to Salman. He's a people's person, likes to have friends around. If you go to the Khans' residence you'll see Salman surrounded by family and friends cracking jokes at everyone's expense including his own. During the concerts he felt that John and Shaahid were distancing themselves from him. And Salman's ego couldn't take that. Hence, the manifestation of resentment."

Priyanka's new pet talking robot

Priyanka Chopra is busy shooting for her film Love Story 2050 in Australia. The film is the launch pad for Harman Baweja and his father Harry Baweja is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that his son gets a deserving launch as an actor in the film industry.

Love Story is rumoured to be a sci-fi futuristic film and in the film Priyanka is constantly accompanied by her friend Boo. However Boo is not Harman but a two and a half feet hig robot. The price for making the robot is around 500,000. Boo, the robot talks, walks and is human like. Harry says “It is an interactive toy and keeps Priyanka company in the film.”

The film has a big budget and hence Oscar award winner John Cox has created the robot which is extremely expensive and is seen throughout the film. The film is being produced by Adlabs Films. Harry Baweja states “Love Story 2050 is a futuristic film and has a lot of special effects, therefore John Cox was signed on to do the visual effects in the film.”

to be not just an on-screen experience, but also a complete family event

Patna's poshest theatre Regent, has turned into a quasi-marriage venue. Ever since the release of Sooraj Barjatya's Vivah the wedding spirit has caught on with such vigour in and around Bihar that the theatre management has converted the cinema hall into an impromptu marriage venue.

The front gate of Regent theatre has been adorned with an elobrorate pandaal (festive banner) announcing, 'Punam Weds Prem'. That's Shahid and Amrita in the film. Go forward, and auspicious Shehnai music greets you in full glory. The foyer of the festive theatre is scattered with floral decorations.

Says the theatre owner Suman Sinha, "People have been inquiring if we've shut down our theatre and gone into the wedding business In the coming weeks when the films grows bigger and bigger we intend to diversify into more wedding-related paraphernalia in the theatre. We want Vivah to be not just an on-screen experience, but also a complete family event."

Sinha compares the audiences' enthusiasm for Vivah to the gusto he had experienced first-hand when his theatre had released Sooraj Barjatya's Hum Aapke Hain Koun ten years ago. " Vivah is going to be as big, if not bigger than Hum Aapke Hain Koun in Bihar. The hysterical response to Vivah is not restricted to Patna. In neighbouring cities of and towns of Bihar Vivah is equally successful.

The last time a film had gone beyond an on-screen experience to this extent was when Jai Santoshi Maa had been released in Bihar in 1975. Female audiences did aarti in the theatres, threw flowers at the Goddess on screen. A Santoshi Maa charity fund was started in by the theatre owners.

Says Sinha, "I see the same shared spirit of excitement for Vivah. We had though that level of excitement had ended in the movie theatres. Vivah is an eye-opener."

Sinha attributes the film's unprecedented success in Bihar to the small-town values pertaining to courtship and marriage. "Audiences in Bihar and UP see a bit of themselves in Vivah. Not so in the metropolises where weddings are now arranged on a contract basis and the bride is more concerned with getting her outfit rather than values right," says Sinha.

Vivah isn't the first film to have gripped Bihar more strongly than other parts of the country. The Salman –starrer Kurbaan, the Bachchan -starrer Sooryavansham, the Govinda-comedy Dulhe Raja and the Akshay Kumar –starrer Jaanwar were all mega-hits in Bihar and comparatively less successful elsewhere.

So huge is the impact of Vivah in the state that the marriage market has suddenly gone into over-drive. Many eager marriageable couples are now looking at the possibility of discovering love after engagement.

"They see Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao as their biggest role models ever. If after Bobby couples wanted to elope like Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia after Vivah they want to get married like Shahid and Amrita," observes Suman Sinha happily, as he prepares to add more of the wedding spirit to his bustling theatre.

This is the first time I’ve met Nicole Kidman, Abhishek

Abhishek Bachchan endorses several products and Omega watches is one of the prestigious brands that he endorses. Recently Omega watches invited all its global brand ambassadors’ to Geneva for a high profile party and Abhishek was seen charming the beautiful Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman.

And he seemed definitely impressed by the ravishing Hollywood star too.

On his experience with meeting Nicole, Abhishek says “This is the first time that I have met Nicole Kidman actually. She is a wonderful lady and it feels great to meet another fellow actor from a different industry, exchange tips and get some pointers.”

"This is the first time I’ve met Nicole Kidman actually. She is a wonderful lady and it feels great to meet another fellow actor from a different industry, exchange tips and get some pointers," said Bachchan.

Riding high on the international success of Dhoom 2, Bachchan denies any marriage plans.

"I’m not getting married contrary to popular belief. I’m very busy working. As and when there will be any plans on marriage everybody will be told," said Bachchan.

He said that coming to Geneva is like coming home for him since he has spent eight years of his life in the city.

"I have studied in Switzerland. So, Geneva is like homecoming to me. I have spent eight years of my life here. Just down the road there’s this city near Geneva where I used to spend time as a kid. It feels wonderful to be back," said Bachchan.

Amitabh - The Making of a Superstar

A number of books have been written on Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan but Susmita Dasgupta's "Amitabh - The Making of a Superstar" is probably the first to analyse the sociological impact of his popularity.

"It's a work that investigates the sociological causes of Amitabh Bachchan's popular appeal - how Bachchan is related to the history of the period of his times and what the sociological dynamics were behind the growth of his image," Susmita told IANS.

Susmita is a deputy chief economist with the economic research unit of the ministry of steel. The author spent almost 16 years researching on Bachchan but she is not happy with the actor's current image.

Said Susmita: "I find Amitabh Bachchan very disappointing because he is now compromising on his image. Amitabh seems to be very eager to disassociate himself with his previous image. He makes statements that are self-destroying."

She is also upset with her favourite star for not acknowledging her invite.

"He knows about the book and I sent him an invite. I am very unhappy he didn't acknowledge it."

Susmita's book, formally introduced Thursday, has been on the shelf for two months and has sold about 2,200 copies without any publicity.

"I wrote this book because of two reasons. First, I was a huge fan of Amitabh Bachchan and this was the subject in my command. The other was that while I was doing my Ph.D in sociology, I wanted to do work on living realities.

"I was familiar with Amitabh as a cine-goer, so I chose him. Had I been a cricket fan, I would probably have done something on Sunil Gavaskar. The idea was to do a work on living history."

Susmita started research on this book in 1977.

"I was writing notes on the subject since 1977 - the year I watched 'Sholay' and became an Amitabh fan. But formally I started writing it in 1991."

Susmita is one of the lucky ones to have enjoyed Bachchan's hospitality.

"After I finished my M. Phil, he invited me to his house and hosted me for seven days. During that time he introduced me to the film world, the inside of the film world and that is how I got inputs for my Ph.D."

Sharing one of the anecdotes, Susmita said: "One day Amitabh Bachchan told me, 'Do you know why these youngsters can't beat me? Because they don't have command over language! In films, command over language is not about delivering dialogues. Even when you sit still, command over the language should show'."

According to Susmita, there's a clever trick behind his popularity.

"The trick is that he played the roles of huge individuals. If you see, Anil Kapoor is equally suited in his times but he appears as an insignificant actor because he played insignificant roles in his films."

Sushmita feels that another notable quality in Bachchan is that he is a big star but hugely interested in common people.

"When I stayed with him I realised he was as much a fan of me as I was of him. When he used to sit in the 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' chair and when a common man would come and sit across him ... the way he interacted with them showed that he was extremely intrigued by them. That is his USP. He is our fan in a greater manner than we are of him. It's a reciprocal relationship.

"When I met him in Pratiksha, I found that he is a grand person because his house was so simple, so sparse in décor and he was so simple. He was grand in his simplicity. That huge sparseness, the huge economy of his lifestyle was absolutely grand in its own way.

"But today his spectacles are worth Rs.200,000 and he flashes Reid & Taylor, which he never used to wear in those days - he wore khadi (hand spun cotton). I think these are important changes, which can be a foundation for the future research into a man who just decided to survive. It is very disappointing."

Celina's forthcoming fun genre movies

Celina Jaitley will do all it takes to enhance her 'package' as an actress. And she is doing that by taking jazz ballet lessons from Terence Lewis. For the past few months she has been a regular at his Bandra studio sweating it out to improve her skills as a dancer. Her trainer says that though she lacks in skill a little bit, she makes up for it with her enthu. It's her enthu that has so far got her so many comedy films - so that we could laugh at her? - from 'No Entry' to 'Jawani Diwani', from 'Tom Dick and Harry' to her latest 'Apna Sapna Money Money'? Even her forthcoming 'Red', 'Shakalaka Boom Boom' and 'Hello' are of the fun genre. But putting on her dancing shoes indicates that she's not finding her career position too funny.

Salman Khan will play a cameo in Sajid Nadiadwala's next 'Hey Baby'

If the rumourmongers to be believed, Salman Khan will play a cameo in Sajid Nadiadwala's next 'Hey Baby'. Salman and Sajid are very good friends. And Salman cannot say 'no' to his friends. 'Hey Baby', directed by Sajid Khan, stars Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Fardeen Khan and Ritesh Deshmukh in the leads. As per source, Salman will not play a blink-n-miss kind of cameo in the film. He will be seen in an interesting part in the film. When contacted, Sajid Nadiadwala however didn't confirm the rumour, but at the same time he didn't rule out it also. "Just wait and watch. I'm not revealing much at this point of time," said Nadiadwala.

I rode an elephant for a scene, Aishwarya

Now that her problems with the customs department have ended , there are joyful tidings for Aishwarya Rai. She's back in Jaipur shooting with Hrithik Roshan for Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodha-Akbar.

"It's going great!" Ash exults from Jaipur as she prepares for the day's shoot . So has she done any horse riding and sword-fighting as yet? "None of the above. But I rode an elephant for a scene . And his name was Lakhi. After Dhoom 2 and its hi-tech ambience and accessories , entering a world of elephants and Mughal grandeur is a true culture shock. And a real challenge for both Hrithik and me after Dhoom. But what's the life of an actor without challenges? I’m at a stage in my career where I need to constantly re-invent myself."

About the elephant ride, Ash explains with a giggle, “It wasn't exactly a unique experience. I've ridden an elephant before for Gurinder Chaddha's Bride & Prejudice, though very briefly. In Jodha-Akbar everything is far more elaborate. I guess I must be the only actress of my generation to have taken two elephant rides."

Salaam-E-Ishq - Music Review

Think Shankar Ehsaan Loy and the name Javed Akhtar comes to mind immediately. After all the four of them have scripted some of the best music together in their association over the years. But the credit details of 'Salaam-E-Ishq' catch you by surprise since Sameer has been roped in as a lyricist to pen the words for SEL to compose their tunes. Another surprise (a good one again) comes from the fact that in an age where each and every album comes with a remix version of 2-3-4 songs, SEL has 7 tunes with none of them being repeated as a remix.

Together, director Nikhil Advani and Shankar Ehsaan Loy had a chartbuster score in the form of 'Kal Ho Na Ho'. With a mammoth starcast in hand and the trio of Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy enjoying the best phase of their career, it is pretty much given thought that 'Salaam-E-Ishq' too would be a winner in the making. It truly is the case as album succeeds in sticking to the genre of the film i.e. 'a tribute to love' and actually conveys the emotions through the 7 songs.

Is it country music that you are hearing? Or are there Caribbean elements to it? 'Dil Kya Kare' is a combination of both (an amazing one at that) and a lot more as it marks the return of Adnan Sami to the big stage yet again as he goes extremely mellow in this smooth-n-silky love song. Sameer's poetry goes quite well for the song of this genre that mainly has a guitar playing throughout with very minimal dose of other instruments in the background. As one hears on the song for long, the classy touch of SEL start becoming quite apparent. A few seconds later, you are truly moved to a different world altogether as Caribbean/African flavor in the song becomes much more visible. A beautiful song that has a brief element of full blown title song 'Salaam-E-Ishq' which comes later in the album.

After a Western/Caribbean flavor, the album takes a twist with a 'qawalli' that begins with a prelude followed by new entrant Shilpa taking over the proceedings. With Sameer around, there is always a high probability of 'saiyaan', 'choodi', 'kangana' and 'jhumka' around and he delivers as expected with the song 'Saiyaan Re'. What takes the cake is the fact that there is a western fusion element to the qawalli that makes it stand out in the crowd. A 'jugalbandi' of sorts with Shankar Mahadevan pairing up with Shilpa and Loy Mendonca doing the supporting act; it is a guaranteed winner in the making due to its beautiful rhythm that hooks you on in the first listening itself. With Govinda in the film, 'Saiyaan Re' seems to be tailor-made for him and if that indeed is the case then it is good news for his fans!

After two (well done) experimental numbers, listener gets to hear a kind of composition that has Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy stamp all over it. Titled 'Mera Dil', it is a sugar coated love song with fantasy ingredients to it which makes it a feel-good number to croon around. Sung by Shaan, the song is also special for Nihira, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa finalist, who had earlier played a supporting role to Sunidhi Chauhan in 'Dhadak Dhadak' [Bunty Aur Babli]. With 'Mera Dil' she makes a confident entry to the big arena and gives a good account of herself as someone who can croon for a girl in her teens or someone just out if it. Is this melodious track the one which has been composed for Ayesha Takia and Akshaye Khanna?

SEL's stint with experimentation continues as they follow up the sound of Bagpiper with Indian 'dholaki' beats. Now that's being innovative! A song that would have made a Yash Chopra or a Karan Johar proud, title song 'Salaam-E-Ishq' is an instant winner due to its overtly catchy and easy to croon appeal! Shot on a grand scale coming across as an ensemble piece with singers like Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Kunal Ganjawala, Sadhana Sargam and Shankar Mahadevan behind the mike, it brings together the majority of starcast together in the song which is truly a celebration of love! Fourth successive winning number in a row!

If one thought that 'Dil Kya Kare’ was the first and last song where SEL experimented with Caribbean sound then you need to hear 'Tenu Leke'. It is quite interesting to hear the sound of 'dhol along with 'band baaja' that actually is played on a Caribbean theme. Hear it to believe it. A marriage song about a guy coming to the girl's place with a 'baraat' and promising to take her away with him, 'Tenu Leke' is a song with an unconventional 'mukhda' which sets the pace for the rest of the song to follow. A dance number that is bound to look good on screen!

Nihira is the only female singer in the entire album who gets to sing two songs as she croons the re-arranged [not remixed] version of the classic 'Babuji Dheere Chalna' [Aar Paar] originally sung by Geeta Dutt. She does a good job in crooning this track which in all probability seems to be one designed for Priyanka Chopra who is shown as an item girl in the film. Good part about the song is that it's soft feel is kept intact without making it as yet another 'beat one-beat two' number and the slight techno arrangements given to create a true 'retro'-spective number makes it an eminently enjoyable number all over again.

With Kailash Kher's name on the credits, one expects a full throated number that is high on spirits. What instead comes a surprise (yet again) is to actually hear him sing on a medium pitch as he goes about rendering 'Ya Rabba', a thoughtful number about 'a problem called love'! A sad song that moves at a slow pace while creating the much required impact, it doesn't drag for a single moment and should be quite engrossing when appearing (expectedly) at different points in the film.

Each of the songs of 'Salaam-E-Ishq' boasts of high quality music. There are some new sounds interspersed with the kind of music that goes well with the Bollywood scheme of things and the final result is something that is going to stay with you for many more months to come. Music of 'Salaam-E-Ishq' is yet another winner before an eminently successful 2006 comes to a close. Also SEL can assure themselves a hat-trick after two back to back successes in the form of 'vKabhi Alvida Na Kehna' and 'Don'.

Zakir Hussein got slapped by co-star Esha Deol!

Zakir Hussein considers himself to be a sensitive villain. Owing to his personality, he believes that he does not even get beaten up as a villain ideally should. However, when he tried to do comedy in an upcoming project “Darling” he got slapped by co-star Esha Deol!

Apparently, Hussein was relating the spite of his broken leg to Fardeen Khan in a hospital scene for the movie. Esha Deol was dodging in and out of the frame as she is playing the role of a ghost in the movie. When director Ram Gopal Varma shouted “Slap him”- Esha spontaneously slapped Zakir Hussein, although it was not a part of the script. The slap was unforeseen and it left everybody speechless.

An apologetic Esha requested Hussein to slap her back, fearing that the poor actor will report this incident to her brother Sunny Deol – with whom he is working in Fool N Final, or maybe papa dearest Dharmendra – with whom Zakir is working in Johnny Gaddar.

Kunal Khemu met with an unfortunate accident

Recently Kunal Khemu met with an unfortunate accident when he was traveling in Pune to shoot for Percept Picture Company’s Dhol.

When he left his hotel Sun N Sand on the first day of the shoot, a big bus banged into his blue Skoda Octavia. The bus caused a big jerk to the car from behind, as a result of which the accident took place.

Dhol is being directed by Priyadarshan. Besides Kunal Khemu, it also features Tusshar Kapoor, Sharman Joshi and Tanushree Dutta in the lead.

Mohit Out, newcomer in

Actor Mohit Ahlawat, once mentored by Ram Gopal Varma, has walked out of RGV’s Sholay. Being Ramu’s favourite partisan, Ahlawat was one of the first actors to be cast as protagonist “Jai”- played by Amitabh Bachchan in Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay.

Ramu asserts that it was a cordial call and nothing “went wrong”. He explains that the project was initiated 2 years ago. As and when the character of Jai was morphed by him, Ramu thought that Mohit would not fit the slot. Brushing away rumours of having had a “fight” with Mohit, he assured that there is no cold war between the duo, and that he would definitely consider working with Mohit on other projects. However, Ahlawat has a different story to relate. He claimed that he himself gave up the role of Jai as he was not convinced with Ramu’s film.

Ramu was attempting to focus on the character of Gabbar at the time, which is going to be played by ex-Jai, Amitabh Bachchan. The torch of Veeru was also passed on to Ajay Devgan instead of Abhishek Bachchan. And recently, Ramu has frozen on a ramp model to play the much sought-after role of Jai.

As sources have it, Prashant Raj, a model and a wannabe actor, often used to drop in at RGV’s production company “The Factory” through a reference. After several disappointing auditions, a crew member noticed Raj and called him in for a screen test. Ramu discovered potential spark in the model, which would very much suit the character. Without giving it much afterthought, he finalized Prashant Raj to play the role. Indeed, this is one golden opportunity at the struggling actor’s footsteps.

Aishwarya is “fit” to marry Abhishek

Ok, someone did say the path of true love is not easy…but obviously Aishwarya might not have foreseen the troubles she’ll have to go through to get the man of her dreams. After having to stay awake an entire night for a series of poojas, the buzz is that she just might have to get married to a peepal tree in Varanasi before she is “fit” to marry Abhishek.

It’s a common practice amongst traditional minded Indians who believe that marrying a ‘manglik’ girl could be dangerous for the life of her spouse. So to ward off the evil, the girl is made to marry a tree, which is said to take on the bad effects of Mars.

Says Mumbai-based strologer Pt Ravi Krishna, “A ‘manglik’ girl has to go through all the wedding rituals with the tree before she gets married to her actual husband. She has to get a ‘mangalsutra’ (black thread tied around the neck of a bride by the bridegroom during the wedding) tied and also has to do ‘pheras’ around the tree.”

Well, what can we say? The most beautiful woman in the world getting married to a tree to ward off the ‘manglik’ (Mars) effect on her? Well, it happens only in India.

ICI has roped in Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor to endorse its 'Colour Futures' campaign

With an eye on further fuelling growth in the Indian market, leading global paints company ICI has roped in Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor to endorse its 'Colour Futures' campaign. Karan Johar will direct the actor in the advertisement to be produced by Shah Rukh Khan's production house, Red Chillies Entertainment.

"India is amongst the top ten global markets which are prime growth drivers for us. We are expecting significant growth from this market and hence are increasing our investments here," ICI Paints Chief Marketing Officer Kerris Bright said.

She said the investments would be in marketing, brand building, innovation and communication, adding the parent company has asked the Indian subsidiary ICI India to scale up targets. She, however, declined to comment on the exact amount of investments.

ICI India Marketing Head (Paints Division) Hina Nagarajan said the company has roped in Kareena Kapoor to endorse its Colour Futures, a campaign predicting colour trends for the upcoming season.

"We have been spending about 9-10 per cent of our turnover on advertising campaigns. This time a big chunk will be going to the Colour Futures 2007," she said adding the advertising campaign featuring Kapoor would be directed by Karan Johar and produced by Khan's production house Red Chillies.

Nagarajan said the company, which clocked sales of Rs 675 crore last year, has been growing over 20 per cent year-on-year and expected to continue to do so.

Nagarajan said ICI's Colour Future, which was launched in 2005 has picked up significantly in terms of sales.

"In 2005 our Colour Futures range contributed just about 1 per cent to total sales. This year it is contributing about 15 per cent and we expect to further increase it," she added.

ICI, for which designers Varun Bahl and Poonam Bhagat endorse its products, has also tied up with the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) to conduct workshops on colour trends.

"This is the beginning of a relationship. From next year FDCI will call international expert to conduct programmes on colour exclusively for apparels," FDCI Chairperson Rathi Vinay Jha said.

The programme would be held twice a year, one around November for the Spring-Summer and another in June-July for the fall-winter season, she added.

Saif Ali Khan decided to work with the Deols' favourite filmmaker Anil Sharma

It seems to be one of the most unlikely creative team in mainstream cinema. Has Saif Ali Khan decided to work with the Deols' favourite filmmaker Anil Sharma, the guy who made savage masala films with one or the other Deol throughout the 1980s?

Talk of this unlikely combination has been gathering momentum ever since Saif's under-production film Tara Rum Pum with Rani Mukherji reached the finishing line. Saif needed to get cracking with his next assignment. And, reportedly, he has.

Saif said, "Yes Anil Sharma approached me and I'm looking at the script. Remember, this is the man who made Gadar. It would be interesting to go into this kind of cinema. If I decide to do it, I'd be fully into it."

"I've never worked with Anil, or the two actors who are going to be my co-stars. It should be fun," said Saif before he left for a holiday to Maldives with his family.

And has he refused to work with Fardeen Khan in Abbas-Mustan's project? "No. I think this kind of talk started when I had to back out of Feroz Khansaab's Qurbani which he wanted to do with me and Fardeen. I could not do that film due to genuine date problems," replied Saif.

Rani's mother, father, brother and bhabhi are with her in Varanasi

Apparently, all the recent rumours, speculation and recent trouble with the locals in Varanasi have made Rani Mukherji wary of mingling with everyone. The latest buzz is that the normally friendly and effusive Rani Mukherji has been uncharacteristically aloof in Varanasi where she has been shooting for Pradeep Sarkar's film since a month.

Rani's mother, father, brother and bhabhi are with her in Varanasi. When Rani is not working, she spends all her time with her family. In the evening when she packs up she does not hang out with the unit members. Rani has become wary of external company after all the trouble she has faced in Varanasi. She is focussing only on her family," says a source from location.

Is Pradeep Sarkar's new film actually called Choodiyan? Rani says, "No! As of now the film has no title. Earlier some Hindi newspapers mentioned that the film was Anaam, meaning it is 'untitled'. After which the newspapers started calling the film Anaam. Now they've gone ahead and named our film Choodiyan. That probably started when some people saw Konkona and me shooting for a song in which we are wearing lots of bangles! "

The month-long shooting schedule in Varanasi will end soon, after which the unit will return to Mumbai where Abhishek Bachchan will make himself a part of the plot.

Scared to think about having my own children right now, Bipasha

Bipasha Basu, whose recently released 'Dhoom 2' is making waves at the box office, is in no hurry to tie the knot with beau John Abraham and says she is too scared to think about having her own children right now.

'I love kids. But right now my nephew, whose parents are setting up house in Mumbai, is staying with me. And I'm scar-r-r-e-d to even think about having my own kids. Right now, parenthood seems like the most difficult job in the world. I've told my sister, my nephew is enough. I don't think I can have a child of my own for a long time,' Bipasha told IANS.

Tell her that John hopes to make loads of money to pay for their wedding and honeymoon and the actress smirks.

'Oh please! I don't believe in lavish weddings. It's a criminal waste of money to call so many people who are genuinely not interested in my life. Better to invite only my genuine circle of friends. However, there's loads of time before the wedding happens. And trust me, everyone will know when it happens.'

Bipasha had recently been to Toronto and returned as a richer person as she found a good woman friend.

'After ages I have made a really close friend. She's actually John's friend. But after a long time I have made truly good female friends with whom I can remain connected without a sense of rivalry. One can't do that in Bollywood.'

The actress misses her hometown Kolkata.

'I enjoy my vacations there. But I can't live there. Of course, puja in Mumbai isn't quite the same as Kolkata. So, I don't miss having my family around. But yes, I did enjoy puja in Kolkata earlier. Now it gets too crowded and my dad gets tired. The crowds are uncontrollable. So it's no longer fun.

'But now I've my entire family in Mumbai, including my elder sister whose husband has just got a job transfer from Bangalore. So, my entire family lives just a stone's throw away from where I stay.'

Bipasha grows reflective.

'As you grow older you really look for your roots. At 17, I felt great travelling alone and making my way around the world. But then family begins to catch up. I've been away from them for too long. I need my family close to me, specially since I don't allow too many people to come into my inner circle.'

A new development in Bipasha's life - she has been, in her words, rewarding herself with vacations.

'For years it was just New Year. But now I indulge myself on holidays when I feel like. Recently, I went to Toronto Film Festival with John. It was a lovely experience. Toronto is such a beautiful city. I had been there earlier for work only. Of course, I went because I got to spend quality time with John. But I got a chance to make some genuinely great friends in Toronto.'

About her rather ugly run-in with the Independence Day parade in New Jersey, Bipasha says being harassed isn't peculiar to high-profile women.

'Because we're celebrities such incidents get played up. But funny things happen to women all the time, whether we admit it or not. And those who think such things happen only to me because of the image that I have, I question their intelligence level. These things could happen to anybody, yaar. It's life.'

As far as her acting assignments are concerned, she has some good projects in her kitty.

'I've two films with Abbas-Mastan, one with Sanjay Dutt and Ajay, which is almost complete, the other with Saif, which will start soon. There're three other offers that I'm considering seriously.

'There're 20 other offers which I could've taken up at this time of my career. But I don't want to. It isn't necessary to work every single day of the year. I don't want to have 11-12 trashy releases per year.

'Whatever is offered is not what I'm always happy with. Now I'm looking forward to going beyond 'Dhoom 2', spending time with my family, my boyfriend and just relaxing.'

Karisma strongly denies comeback rumour

Rumours of actress Karisma Kapoor's return keep surfacing through one project or another. The latest was a press release, which claimed that Karisma had agreed to be in director Onir's next film "You & I".

But the actress, who quit acting after tying the knot with Delhi-based businessman Sanjay Kapoor, strongly denies the rumour.

"All these are just rumours. I haven't signed any film officially. Yes, I've been hearing a lot of scripts. But that's about it," Karisma told IANS.

Some time ago there was talk Karisma, who has showcased her versatility in films like "Raja Hindustani", "Zubeida" and "Dil To Pagal Hai", was returning to cinema with Ram Gopal Varma's "Sholay", a rumour that both the actress and the filmmaker strongly refuted.

Earlier, she was supposed to serve as a judge on the dance contest "Jhalak Dikhla Jaa". However, the price she asked for put the show's sponsors off and sent them scampering to Shilpa Shetty.

So, until her expectations from a renewed career are met by a vehicle she chooses, Karisma is happy being a wife and mother.

There's something brewing between akshay & lara

Post Rang de Basanti's selction as India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars, the makers of Lage Raho Munnabhai are now routing for the film at the Oscars as an independent entry.

Going by the global appeal of the film as it deals with non-violence, producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra has decided to send Lage Raho Munnabhai to the Oscars as an independent entry in the US.

Ken Naz of Eros International, US, is in the process of preparing the relevant documents to apply for the film's entry at the Oscars.

"The record number of fan mails that we have received worldwide have supported our belief and inspired us to go ahead and send the film to the Academy as an independent entry," Chopra said.

Sushmita Sen has shot hot sex scenes with her ex-boyfriend Randeep Hooda

Sushmita Sen has shot hot sex scenes with her ex-boyfriend Randeep Hooda in forthcoming film 'Karma Confession and Holi'.
The same Sushmita, however, recently turned down an item number for Raj Kanwar's 'Raqueeb' since it needed her to move sexily. It's now doing seductress Sherlyn (Mona) Chopra.
Earlier Sushmita shot a kiss scene in Kalpana Lajmi's 'Chingaari'. But this time, Sushmita is doing much hotter scene in 'Karma Confession and Holi'. Sushmita however denies that she has done the scene just to titillate the audience. "In the film, Randeep plays my husband. So it's natural to have sex scene with him," quipped Sushmita.

Jhansi Ki Rani Aish

If everything goes right, Aishwarya Rai can play the legendary warrior queen, Rani of Jhansi in Ayesha Shroff's next. As per latest, Ayesha, wife of actor Jackie Shroff, has set to produce the big-budget epic and wants Aishwarya in the role of Rani.
It was being buzzed that 'Mangal Pandey' director Ketan Mehta can make a movie on Rani; however at present it's under consideration only, whereas Ayesha Shroff has gone much ahead of Ketan with her project. As per reports, research work has already been complete for the movie and the pre-production work to take off soon.
Ayesha wants to hire a director from Hollywood for the film.
Actress Sushmita Sen had wanted to produce a movie on the Rani Laxmibai, so as she could play the title role. It's a dream role for Sushmita. Also actress Rani Mukherji's very keen to play the role. But it finally went to Aishwarya, which has definitely made the beautiful lady flying high.

Love Story 2050 is a futuristic film and has a lot of special effects, Harry

Harry Baweja is going the whole hog to ensure that his son's debut film Love Story 2050 turns out as good as possible. The latest is that Baweja has now roped in Oscar award-winner John Cox (of Babe fame) to execute the visuals for this film.

Work is on in full swing and Cox has even prepared a robot called Boo which will keep leading lady Priyanka Chopra company throughout the film, which is produced by Adlabs Films.


Harry says, "Love Story 2050 is a futuristic film and has a lot of special effects. Therefore, we signed on John to do the visual effects for the film. He has created a creature which is about two-and-a-half feet high. It will be Priyanka's pet in the film. It took two years of planning, and six months of sheer hard work to create it. It has been named Boo and it talks, walks and does everything else a human being can do."

"Apart from the huge price we paid John, it took close to Rs 500,000 to create the robot. It is an interactive toy that keeps Priyanka company," says Harry.

The first romantic film pending

Shaahid Kapoor is despondent about the fate of Boney Kapoor's Milenge Milenge. Apparently, this was the first romantic film which was signed by Shaahid and Kareena Kapoor. Kareena was already under a contract with Boney Kapoor after Khushi and when she started dating Shaahid, director Satish Kaushik convinced Boney to produce a romantic film with them as the lead couple.

Incidentally, Boney spent a lot on the film and they shot at various fancy locations. Yet the film has been lying untouched for more than two years now.

It has been alleged that the film is complete and despite Boney's attempts to release the film, Shaahid is stalling it on the grounds that both actors look very different now.

But when we contacted Shaahid, he refuted this claim. "It's untrue. Why would I stall the film? It's my film and I want it to be released. But it has been two years since they last made contact with me. I don't know what's happening to it," he said.

After a series of flops, the actor is now in a better frame of mind after Vivah. "Success in an actor's life matters the most. Nobody had any expectation from Vivah, because it was a small-budget film," he says.

Through the highs and lows, Kareena has always stood by Shaahid. "I am glad that Kareena has always stood by me. Our relationship goes beyond hits and flops. We are friends and thankfully the equation doesn't depend on the success of our films," he says.

After a hectic last year, Shaahid has decided to take it easy now. "I am working out and spending time with my family. I don't see myself starting to work before January. I have signed Ramesh Sippy's untitled film with Nana Patekar," says Shaahid.

There have been rumours of his having bought a new apartment. "Not true, I have been staying at the same place for more than a year and it's a studio apartment. I stay with my dog, and he messes up my room every day. I clean it up whenever I get back from shooting. At the moment I am not even planning on buying a new apartment. I am just three years old in this industry. I need to do a few more films, then I will think of buying a new house," he says.

The John Abraham Collection

The John Abraham collection is being launched and the natty actor promises to wear only his brand once the clothes are out.

This was an offer from international clothes brand Wrangler. "Like the Sean John collection in New York, we'll have the John Abraham collection of clothes in Asia. The clothes are going to carry my name and signature," says John with some pride and much affection.

"They'd reflect my personality and the kind of clothes that I feel comfortable wearing. I'd see no need to wear other brands because my collection would have everything that I sartorially aspire to."

John's designers would be from Milan and London and are the same guys who design for Diesel.

"This deal is being franchised through Arvind Mills who are the biggest denim manufacturers in the world. I don't know whether you're aware, but some of the biggest jeans labels like Diesel, True Religion and Seven are manufactured in Tirupur in south India by Arvind Mills and then outsourced to various Western countries.

"The John Abraham Collection will come out of the same factory. The only difference is that the prices will be economised for the Asian market. A pair of jeans with my name will cost anything from Rs.2,500-4,000 in India."

Women need not feel left out. "There's a ladies lineup of clothes that I went to inspect myself. They're lovely. I think women are going to be very satisfied slipping into John Abraham. I do know what women want," he chuckles.

"I mean I know what I'd like to see women wear. This is the first time that Wrangler US has lent its name for a private clothes collection. And that's because their growth in India after I became their ambassador has been noticeable. That's why Wrangler decided to be gracious to me."

John has obviously swung a very lucrative deal.

"The John Abraham Collection is going to take care of a LOT of things in my life in the next five years, including paying for my marriage, and my honeymoon. Financially, I'm always in the red because I'm always trying to invest. In fact, at this very moment, I'm in the red. But that only makes me work harder all the time."

Is John sure he won't like to wear other brands once his own label comes in? "I'd be very upset with myself if I didn't find everything I want to wear within my brand. And I want my men and women audience to wear only John Abraham clothes. The line-up is very retro. This is one more way to connect with my fans."

Speaking of fan experience how do they react to John. "It's very sweet. They pull my hair, touch my abdominal muscles. But this time when I was on the red carpet in Toronto for 'Kabul Express' I got a nice pinch on my butt.

"I turned around and saw the girl smiling and boasting to her friend. 'Don't you do that again,' I told her with a smile. My security guys go through a nightmare when I'm out. But I enjoy it. Only, sometimes they scratch you. And that's painful."

Katrina & Arjun together

Katrina Kaif won ace Bengali director Rituparno Ghosh's faith. As per latest the sexy actress has been signed up by Ghosh for his next to be based on Bankimchandra Chatterjee's classic novel 'Devi Choudhrani'. Katrina will play the title role.
Besides Katrina, Ghosh has also finalized Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal for an important role in the film.
Detractors of Ghosh, however, criticizing Ghosh's move for his decision to cast Bollywood glam stars in a movie, which is based on classic novel like 'Devi Choudhrani'. When asked, Ghosh said he did nothing for publicity stunts. "Katrina and Arjun suit their roles perfectly," Ghosh quipped.

Ayesha Takia has turned down director Nagesh Kukunoor's next

Ayesha Takia has turned down director Nagesh Kukunoor's next just because it has an intense sex scene. Ayesha worked with Nagesh in 'Dor', the film which gave her lot of critical acclaims. But when Nagesh approached Ayesha for his next, Ayesha didn't think twice to refuse him as she was supposed to do a bold scene for the film. "I'm sorry. But a sex scene is out of the question. When I came into this industry I set down some dos and don'ts for myself. And I plan to stick by them," said Ayesha in a recent interview. Isn't there any way the director and the actress can work this out? "It is a problem," Ayesha conceded. "For the girl in Nagesh's next film her sexuality is a very important part of her character. Nagesh feels it won't work without the kiss. I respect that," said Ayesha.

The Rock Star

The tanned and bronzed look seems to be working PERFECTLY for the hunky, Upen Patel! This exclusive shot was taken during the shoot of Suneel Darshan's upcoming flick, Shaka Laka Boom Boom.

The film is being shot in the mesmerizing South African city of Cape Town. No wonder the Patel boy is looking like a super-stud! Shaka Laka Boom Boom is a musical, and has Upen in the role of a rock star! Well, we are sure his off-screen persona will rub off on-screen, too!

The film also stars Kangana Ranaut, Bobby Deol and Celina Jaitley. And the music is composed by none other than Himesh Reshammiya.

Catch some more exclusive shots of Upen looking his best in the film.

Let us hope that Munnabhai gets out of the mess very soon

The verdict that everyone has been waiting for is finally out. Sanjay Dutt has been found guilty under the Arms Act. Luckily for Sanjay Dutt he has not been found guilty under the TADA act for which the punishment is very severe. The maximum sentence he can get now is of 3 years.

The judge who declared the verdict also said that Sanjay Dutt is not a terrorist. Sanjay Dutt will apply for bail tomorrow. A lot of Sanjay Dutt movies are currently under production and if Sanjay is given a jail term for too long, the producers may incur heavy losses up to Rs 160 crores.

Let us hope that Munnabhai gets out of the mess very soon.

Another Big B versus SRK match

Fans of popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati are in for a big treat as the makers of the show have found a replacement for superstar host Amitabh Bachchan.


None other than Shah Rukh Khan will get into the Big B’s shoes this time around. Star TV’s money-spinner show is expected to be back on the small screen in March next year.


“I was pleasantly surprised when STAR offered me the show. I was a participant in season one of KBC and little did I know one day I would be hosting it,” Shah Rukh says.


“It is a huge act to follow, that of Mr Bachchan but it also excites me that I am getting an opportunity to reach out, talk and interact with my audience through a medium where I began my career as an actor years ago,” Shah Rukh adds.


Bachchan had recently said in an interview that the modalities for the third run of the show were being worked out with the channel. But it seems the makers had a bigger surprise in store for the audience.


"Mr Bachchan couldn't work out an early return to the programme. So, Shah Rukh is on. I think he will make a terrific host as he is witty, smart and youthful. Though, there is no denying that Mr Bachchan was par excellence. Now, Shah Rukh will be the key differentiator in the third series of KBC," producer of the show, Siddharth Basu says.


Kaun Banega Crorepati, which is loosely based on the famous UK game show Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, was first aired in 2000. The show was revived four years later as Kaun Banega Crorepati Dwitiya in which the prize money was also doubled to Rs 2 crore.


But the second run of the show was short-lived as Bachchan fell ill. Now it seems Star TV is all set to revive the show with an eye on the TRPs that the show had once managed to garner. And as far Shah Rukh’s brand value is concerned, Star has struck gold.

“We are extremely delighted to announce the Next Generation avatar of KBC and are even more pleased to present Shah Rukh Khan, as its host. We promise to engage and deliver to our audiences a whole new entertainment experience,” CEO, Star Entertainment India, Sameer Nair says.


So, post-Don, get ready for another Big B versus SRK match.

I’m a nice guy, I really am, John

Source: DNAIndia

John Abraham opens up on the life he lived, the dream he’s living and how he ‘survives’ in a 400-square feet house

I’m a nice guy, I really am. I understand that can be boring, but — maybe just to balance things out — I can be bad when I just have to. These are relative terms, though; more important are the connections you make. I believe I have this sense of connect with everybody I meet; a sense of accessibility. For instance, I don’t think twice about walking into a store. You know what the funny bit is: people come up to me only when they want my suggestions on what they might look best in.

Simplicity, for me, is this bond you establish with people, with the world. And I’m simple not because I try to be simple, but because I have spent most of my life being simple. This is not an equation that changes when you see a little money. Life does not, and should not, change that way.

Lucky me, existing in a fishbowl

I would never complain about living in a fishbowl; I love every minute of it. I’m fortunate that people love me and my work. But the truth is that my achievements, if you can call it that, are moderate. I have a long way to go.

I want John Abraham, the brand, to outlive me. I think life is about making a statement without trying too hard. It is your attitude, rather than your success, that carries you. What’s my attitude? I don’t mean to be narcissistic, but it’s very John Abraham: retro and approachable, cool and basic.

There’s one thing I do plenty of when I want to unplug: sit on my bike and ride. I ride when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m upset, when I’m jubilant; it’s all about me and my machine — my baby — and the soul that we share.

Spaced out in 400 square feet

I live in an area of 400 square feet: a single bare room with one sofa and two beanbags. Someone asks me where I sleep and I tell him my bed is the sofa he’s sitting on. My wardrobe is cut of similar cloth: my pillows, quilts and bed sheets on the left and my clothes on the right.

I own few clothes; it’s not a big thing for me. I have four pairs of jeans and some shirts — that’s it. I like the feeling of distress that comes with living in roughed-out clothes.

The clothing bit kind of fits in with being a Mumbai boy. I’m from a school called Bombay Scottish and my teachers there spent long hours disciplining me. My teachers, at school and later in college, are such a big part of what I am.

Johnny be good

I’ve been brought up in a certain way. My parents have instilled values in me that continue to define the way I live. When people don’t like me or that they speak badly about me, it upsets me for sure, but then I shake that off.

My father is a Malayali and my mother is an Irani, to use the Mumbai lexicon. I have been raised on my mother’s side, which is why I know Gujarati but not Malayalam.

My beginnings were very humble. My father was a basic sort of person. There was a time — I was in the sixth or seventh standard — when I pestered him to buy us a car (Scottish had an overdose of rich kids and they used to come in these big vehicles).

Nostalgia is an old friend

My growing-up years were simple and happy: home food, mom and dad… I still miss those times. I love my present life but I feel nostalgic about those days. My parents spent so much time nurturing me and now I feel so guilty that I cannot spend time with them. It hurts.

My mother works for an old-age home. She tells me there is no place there anymore because sons my age drop their parents there, saying they’ll come back soon to pick them up — and they never do. I have seen this old lady there, looking up and smiling at the sun, at life, hoping her child will come and get her.

I have made my mother cry so much over all the trouble I got into. A teacher once told her, “John means 24 grey hairs in a day.” I used to bunk school, I could be found only on the football field. They had to drag me to class.

When God is on my mind

Of course, I believe in God, especially when I’m in trouble. Since that happens quiet often, you can say I think of him quiet often.

I’m not an overtly religious person, though; I’m more of an agnostic. My father used to tell me that the most important thing is to be good; follow that principle and you don’t need to go to a religious place and prove a point.

I have taken him extremely seriously — I haven’t been to one in the past 25 years.

Hrithik & Aish Crazy kiya re

Aishwarya Rai has finally dropped her inhibitions and done a full-on kiss with co-star Hrithik Roshan for Sanjay Gadhvi's film Dhoom 2. Ever since the film released on Friday, the scene has been the talk of the town.

The entire Bachchan family were reportedly upset with the prolonged kiss between their future bahu and Hrithik. Apparently, Aishwarya was not keen on this lip-lock scene with Hrithik, it was Adi Chopra who put his foot down. He signed her on the condition that she would do the scene.

When contacted, director Sanjay Gadhvi said, "As a director it was just another scene for me. I don't see any reason to see a kissing scene separately, or differently." Yet, considering Ash doesn't do kissing scenes (the only time she did a kissing scene was with Vivek Oberoi in Kyon Ho Gaya Na, but later Ash insisted that the scene should be edited) it must have been very difficult to convince her?

"I think Adi explained each and every scene of the film to her before she signed on the dotted line. Adi makes his stars comfortable on the sets, so we had only a few people on the sets while we were shooting the kissing scene. Ash wanted the studio to be emptied," says Gadhvi.

According to audiences who have seen the scene, Aishwarya and Hrithik share good chemistry in it.


"Both are very good-looking actors and when you get to see stunning lookers kissing, it's got to be passionate. However, I see it just as another scene, while many feel that it was the most passionate scene in the film," says Sanjay.

As for Hrithik, the actor didn't have any issues with the scene, although he has also refrained from doing such scenes in the past.

"For an actor, it's very important to get into the character. In my film that scene establishes Aryan's love for Sunheri. And what could have been better than a kiss? It's a pure form of love," he explains.

Rang De Basanti turned out exactly the way it was written, Siddharth

Source: CNN-IBN

Opening the Indian Mainstream Category at IFFI, Rang De Basanti has brought its cast and crew with it to Goa, and actor Siddharth took time off to talk to our Entertainment editor Rajeev Masand.


Are you here for IFFI?


Yes, I’m watching films here.


Your film Rang De Basanti was screened here. How do you feel about the movie now after almost a year of its release?



I think the interesting thing about the film is that we were discussing with Rakeysh (Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Director) was its shelf life. We still have not had the time to look back at it because it keeps coming back and slapping us on our face and saying ‘I am still here, notice me.’ It was screened yesterday to a packed house and it felt like day one in Mumbai. The audience still laughed at the same places and got tense and had the same feelings of confusion and anger at the end of the film. So the film is still alive. So it’s difficult to look back at something that’s still in front of you.


When the film came to you, did you always expect it to find this kind of a resonance with the audience across the board like it did?


I’d like to believe that when I’m offered a film, going by the script, my conviction may not be in sync with the director’s but I have conviction in the honesty of the plot and what he wants to tell the audience. With Rang De Basanti, I feel like it was just yesterday that I was holding the script in my hand, which I incidentally turned down at first because I wasn’t quite sure of what I’d be doing in the film. The first thing that struck me was the honesty of Rakeysh Mehra and the writers and I’m very happy that at the end of the day the film is exactly the way it was written.

I think its one of the most enjoyable films that I have done, Hrithik

“I don’t think sequels work, or films of a certain kind work, I think what works is basically good films and bad films don’t,” says Hrithik Roshan in the second part of this exclusive interview. With his bravado performance in ‘Dhoom 2’ it goes without saying Hrithik is going to agree that sequels do work…

You have a very different look in the film, tell us a little about it.
I really want to say one thing about the look and that is that the true hero of this film is Anaita because what she has done for this film is truly representative of the kind of film Dhoom 2 needs to be. She has brought out the best of every character, specially with Aryan what she has done is outstanding. I think she has outdone herself and for me, its been such an exciting leap to just be that grungy relaxed easy going but reflective, very calculating, dextrous agile kind of a person, and the clothes really have helped to bring out and project those aspects of Aryan. He is very proficient in what he does and he is an expert but he’s an individual, and lives like the way he wants to live. It’s almost like he puts 2-3 things together and because its coming out of an individual space, it looks stylish, coz he’s creating his individuality out there. I think that’s what style is about, when you wear and put things together that makes you feel more of yourself, I think that’s what creates an individual outlook.

Being part of Krishh, why do you think Dhoom 2 will work as a sequel?
I don’t think sequels work, or films of a certain kind work, I think what works is basically good films and bad films don’t. So if Dhoom 2 is a good sequel, if it’s a good film, which I think it is and not resting on the laurels of Dhoom part 1, by itself it should be a film which should have been made even if there was no Dhoom part 1, and I think that was what worked with Krishh because, it was not resting on the success of Koi Mil Gaya. It took on from there but became a completely different world by itself, and should have been made a film by itself even if there was no Koi Mil Gaya. So this is what sequels should be about, they should not rest on laurels of the previous hit, and that is what Dhoom hopefully will do.

Last time you and Abhishek came together on screen you were friends, this time you are foes, which one is better and why?
We are always friends. Abhishek and I have grown up together and we wish the best for each other. Even working in this film with him, has definitely made me decide one thing, that once in every 2 years I definitely want to do a film with him, because working with him has been very fulfilling, as in he’s a good person and he radiates that, and I am a person who works without any egos and so is Abhishek. He gives his best when he is within a shot and he is all for the scene to work in its entirety and there is a lot of give and take. I love that, love working with actors who go beyond wanting to be the best, wanting to give the best so that the entirety of the scene comes out as the best. So he will think, as much for me as for himself and visa versa, so that is something that I enjoy doing, because it really creates a bond and you actually enjoy the process of putting the film together, which is what your life is actually made up of its those moments that you live for a year or two.

How was the experience of shooting in South Africa, do you have a message for your fans there?
I love South Africa, its been one of my favourite countries of the world. Also the people there I believe what makes a place beautiful is its people and that rings very true for South Africa. Whenever I went there they are very humble people and very helpful. They respect your space. I have been there on and off and always looked forward to going back to South Africa.

What according to you was the best moment during the shooting of this film?
That’s very hard to say, I don’t think its about one moment or two moments, there were so many, the point is to have a fulfilling day, everytime you come back home you should feel fulfilled and that is something that I got out of Dhoom 2 a lot of. I think its one of the most enjoyable films that I have done and I know people say this for every film, but this truly is something that I have reflected on, and have been surprised by my own attachment to this film, because it was supposed to be the joyride and something that I wanted to do for fun because I was doing all these serious cinema films, I wanted to do just something just out of the world and completely let myself out there and have some fun.

Uday and Abhishek are childhood friends so what was it like working with them?
Since I have already spoken about Abhishek, I will talk about Uday. Uday and me go back a really really long way. We have done everything together, name it, and the last thing that I thought we would be doing together is facing the camera, so we’ve had a laugh chatting about that fact. Right from the second standard he and I have been together in every single thing that we have done. If there was something that I learnt, he has learnt and if there was something that he was learning, I joined him, whether its karate, computer classes, college, school, tution, sports everything. So doing a film with him was just an extention of that and really had a great time, he’s a great guy and I wish the best for him.

What according to you can the audiences look forward to in Dhoom 2?
Its like the words of the song, ‘Dhoom again and come away with me on a rollercoaster ride, so strap yourselves up and get ready for the ride of your life, that’s what Dhoom is about, its to the point, its fast, its exhilarating, it’ll keep you at the edge of your seat, you will not know what has hit you, its one of those popcorn thrillers, so come one, come all, and expect the world!