Fanning the flame

He takes on his contemporaries and the media for their comments, however Bachchan Sr chooses to ignore the digs and rants of his fans

Amitabh Bachchan is getting increasingly hard to ignore on the web. Apart from his blog, which is drawing a lot of attention due to it’s deliberately controversial content, the actor is also being discussed in other personal blogs, chat-rooms, communites and being commented upon in various websites.

A lot of the recent activity has been around the Bachchan clan’s appearance at the red carpet at the recently concluded Cannes film festival. Here we reproduce some strong comments from rediff.com on the Bachchan clan. While no one in the family has been spared, a lot of people have also questioned Amar Singh’s presence in Cannes. Read on for excerpts.

Family Circus at Cannes
by Nicky on May 20, 2008 08:15 AM

Sisters and Brothers of the world... welcome to the Great Indian Circus at Cannes. Know a great family of Bollywood... whom people idolise. Now they have a mangie, dingie, corrupted politician ass their yes-man working as a personal servant...(CH)AMAR SINGH a job-less, charismaless, chauffeur, a distressed, tired, fashion-sense-less opportunist politician. An shallow minded, beauty-only, gimmick friendly, synthetic, coquettish prude AISHWARYA headed by a megalomaniac, money-monger AMITABH...
Its really horrible to see how these people lick feet of the west to get a chance in the foreign media.....

RE:Important Abhishek
by on May 20, 2008 02:15 AM

Wrong dude, wrong!

Chota AB’s poppat is programmed to ‘rise to the occasion’ as per the wife’s wishes!
The wife is milking her last days as the beauty she used to be, before she “allows” herself to get preggies! So, like his poppat, chota AB follows the commands of his wife! As for Ch-amar singh, he tags along to find out Aishwarya’s secret!

He believes he can make use of that secret during election time!

After all, there not much difference between chota AB’s poppat and the people who vote for Ch-amar Singh’s party!!

What’s Amar Singh doing in Cannes?
by Joideep on May 21, 2008 09:20 AM

Has this guy no shame, must he be everywhere? I bet Ash and Abhi must have groaned when they heard, he is going to join them too. I bet he was there on their honeymoon too, posing in the background for a photo. This guy seems to have a strange hold on the Bachchan family. Jaya needs to go on a serious diet (drink orange juice only, like Kareena)

Not much known in the West...
by Subhramanian on May 21, 2008 06:35 AM

U seem to be the latest shikaar of Amitabh... Ha Ha... Get ur facts first right... None of the Bollywood movies in the West are watched by any gora or goris. It’s only watched by desis... And abt interviews?? Ha Ha there are scores of actresses coming from small countries like Venezuela, Guatemala, Latvia... etc who are also interviewed daily in US media... Grow up... having a picture in foreign soil in skimpy dresses doesn’t make a person as a famous Indian. Behave like a mature Indian not as traditionless, scantily clad cheergirls...

Re" The perfect brand
by Venkat on May 21, 2008 05:53 AM

Its all about LOVING IN YOUR FAMILY.... Sasur loving bahu, Chhote Bhaiyya loving saas, Biwi loving sasur aur Beta remains silent watcher... Bollywood being a big tamasha... this is the right family...

Poor Abhishek
by useless bollywood on May 20, 2008 10:53 AM

Seems Aish and Amitabh are very close. Look at her hands. She puts her hand inside Amitabh’s hand but is just holding the fingers of Abhishek. Poor Abhishek watching the cameramen without knowing all this...she is leaning only towards Amitabh...maybe becoz he is the BIG B

Yesterday there were two angry posts by Bachchan Sr. One took on a columnist from London, and the other a local writer. Everyday Bhootnath gets personal with members of the press for any and every comment on him or his parivaar. Two days ago, he ridiculed writer and columnist Shobhaa De for a casual remark on the creases on Aishwarya Rai’s clothes at Cannes. However the actor looks the other way when the criticism comes from his junta. He is not ready to react to the not-so-nice comments made by the public on other blogs and websites. He admits to have seen the posts, “I have already read them,” but he refused to comment any further. And no, he won’t be blogging about it either.

‘We bonded so well at Cannes’

Aishwarya smiles at the memory of bonding with Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives). “We bonded so well at Cannes. No one would believe we had just met. Actually, Eva, Rachida Brakni (who did the original French version of Chaos which Ash was supposed to do) and I got married recently. So we bonded over that common element,” says Aishwarya.

She then talks excitedly about another memorable moment at Cannes. “Jean Reno, the wonderful French actor, came up to me and said he has heard good things about my film, Pink Panther. These legendary actors are so hassle-free! They don't think twice about approaching you with a smile and kind words. That stays with you and is easier than making an effort to avoid people,” she says.

Aishwarya tells us about the films she saw at Cannes. She says excitedly, “I caught three-and-a-half films, including the opening movie Blindness, and the new Indiana Jones film. I could only catch half of Kung Fu Panda because I had to do some press interviews. I also saw the new Woody Allen film, Vicky Christina Barcelona. And yes, I met Woody Allen, he's wonderful!”

On her stunning sartorial grace on the red carpet, Aishwarya says, “This time around, I guess I had more time to prepare.”

While Aishwarya understands that people check out her clothes and accessories at important events, what she can't understand is why the clothes she wears at Cannes become more important than what she does at the annual event.

An exhausted and jet-lagged, Aishwarya laughs and says, “I don't even want to think about what people thought of my clothes. To me, how I conduct myself at Cannes and how people react to me is far more important than what I wear. Cannes has always been a marvelous and memorable experience. And this time too, it was no different!”

Ash attends the 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' premiere at Cannes 2008

Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan attend the Vicky Christina Barcelona's Premiere

The Stunning Aishwarya at Festival De Cannes

As she walked down the red carpet at Cannes with Eva Longoria, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan finally proved that she was a pro at the routine, be it Bollywood or Hollywood.

But Ash has taken her time to earn these designer stripes. Her debut at the film festival seven years ago, and for a few consecutive years, was nothing less than a design disaster.

What she wore was the big issue, with the Indian designers throwing up their manicured hands in the air and asking Ash to shape up. And that is what the Bachchan bahu has done, although she took her own sweet time over it. Dressed in a Roberto Cavalli number, she ensured that the petite Longoria – Hollywood A-lister she may be – couldn’t take attention away from her. Here’s the design frat doffing their hats to the beauty and her Cannes bit...

Rocky S: Ash is looking stunning, just like one of the Hollywood actresses who are a pro at the red carpet. She surely has evolved and Ash’s sense of dressing just keeps getting better every year. She is looking at par with Eva Longoria and French actress Rachida Brakni, who walked with her on the red carpet. Her hair is right, her purse is right and I like the fact that she has not used to jewellery to mess up the look. Rating: 9/10

Tarun Tahiliani: She is getting better by the day. As it is, she has a stunning personality and I guess whatever she wears looks good on her. She has had some bad dress days initially at Cannes. While I had liked her ice blue dress she wore last time at Cannes, this is looking fabulous. She needs to keep herself on this track. Rating: 9/10

Narendra Kumar Ahmed: Aishwarya is doing a good job by wearing this dress for the red carpet. I don’t think today you have to proclaim you identity as an Indian by wearing a saree. You can be wearing a western gown and still retain your identity, which is what Ash is doing. I guess she went wrong at Cannes the first few times because even she was new and did not know what worked and what didn’t. Her first few appearances were low on confidence and tentative. But this time, she can stand up to Eva Longoria. I would like to call her the new sex symbol of India now! Rating: 8/10

Anna Singh: Ash is looking stunning and very charming. She is happy and confident within and that is making her look gorgeous. I think she has evolved as a person too. What had not worked for her earlier at Cannes were the last minute preparations. She is more prepared now. Rating: 10/10

Varun Bahl: While Ash is looking stunning, I don’t see her wearing a dress like this in India. And that is because in India, nobody wears clothes like this. Then why experiment abroad for a red carpet? She could have worn a saree instead. It is an inherently Indian dress and she looks great in it. Rating: 6/10

Ash back to the fore

At first, she may come across as yet another actress who’s back in the limelight with her first post-marriage film. But when the name’s Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, there’s more than what meets the eye. For those of you haven’t yet realized thanks to the ‘pre and post Bachchan wedding mania’ that ensured regular doses of Ash’s marital glow across our TV screens and glossy prints, last year saw Ash delivering only one Bollywood flick ‘Guru’.

But after a year of honeymooning, embarking on pilgrimages, arriving hand-in-hand with beau at premiere nights and basking in the glory of her recent success ‘Jodhaa Akbar’, Aishwarya is set to take Bollywood by storm once more. India’s highest paid actress who’s back in Mumbai after celebrating her first wedding anniversary in Miami last month, Aishwarya’s all geared up for her next big project ‘Sarkar Raj’.

Sequel to RGV’s ‘Sarkar’, this one’s releasing on June,6 and will see the Bachchan trio back together once more after the brief ‘Kajra Re’ sequence which took the entire nation by storm. But for those of you who are thinking that Aishwarya’s fate in the film will be similar to RGV’s previous heroines who succumb to playing sex objects, read on...

‘Sarkar Raj’ will see Aishwarya doing what very few women have managed to do in Bollywood. After impressing her fans as a staunch Rajput princess, Ms. Bachchan is now set to wow them with her ‘corporate’ avatar. Apparently, her character in the film is inspired by real life personality Rebecca Mark Jusbache, Head of the Enron International Division. Needless to say, with a well-defined and powerful character sketch as this one, Aishwarya’s sure to emerge as an equal rocker as hubby Abhishek and dad-in-law Amitabh if not outwit them!

Big B busy bee!

Though the superstar has aged, his self-assurance and poise are still intact.

And even actors of his era and time have either retired or are lost in the oblivion of a continuous media eclipse, the legend has reinvented and is busy at his age.

So over the weekend, he was busy shooting, attending meetings, writing his blogs, music releases and in between went to Goa to release a friend’s book, before catching a late night film to Nice to attend Cannes film festival finished. Now this is as busy as one can get!

Abhi-Ash attend the 'Kung Fu Panda' premiere at the Palais des Festivals during at Cannes

Preity Zinta attends the Soiree Chopard photocall at the 61st Cannes International Film Festival

Ash at the premiere of 'Blindness' at the the 61st Cannes International Film Festival

Cannes Diary 2008: Day 2

* Despite hopes that the business would pick up on Day 2, it remained as sluggish as Day 1, compared to the market in the years gone by. There was a pervasive wave of disappointment among the exhibitors in the Riviera and Palais about business being slack. That said, many market attendees were hopeful of the weekend!

* Variety did a special spotlight on the Indian film industry titled "Beyond Bollywood" emphasising on Indian cinema spreading its wings internationally. The feature additionally had a special tribute to Mukta Arts turning 30 and Whistling woods.

* Screen International ran a special feature on the hot films from different countries being showcased at the market. From Asia, among a number of Chinese and Taiwanese product, Jodhaa Akbar(UTV), Taare Zameen Par (UTV) , Tahaan (iDream), Road, Movie (Studio 18) and Little Zizou (Studio 18)were the five selected.

* Preity Zinta made a quick appearance at the Chopard Beach Party (Preity is the brand ambassador of Chopard). Aishwarya Rai Bachchan attended the screening of Blindness, the opening film of the festival, presumably courtesy of L'Oreal.

* The market is bracing for the opening party at The Majestic Beach tonight!

By: Tanuj Garg (from Cannes)

Cannes Diary 2008: Day 1

By: Tanuj Garg (from Cannes)

A lot is happening on the world cinema and Hollywood front at Cannes 2008, but a few quick pointers on what Day 1 held for the Indian film community specifically:

• The market was largely sluggish but many expect the second day to witness a pick-up in the business.


• Santosh Sivan's Tahan featuring Rahul Bose and Rahul Khanna among others, and Jag Mundhra's Shoot On Sight with Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri were screened at the market.


• The big boys exhibiting this year are UTV, Eros, Indian Films-Studio 18, and new player, Reliance ADAG. Shemaroo is around as well promoting their animation feature, Ghatothkach.


• Eros' front-running products on display include Sunday, Sarkar Raj, U Me Aur Hum, Bhoothnath and Om Shanti Om, among others, while UTV's Cannes advertising stresses on Taare Zameen Par, Race and Jodhaa Akbar. Indian Films-Studio 18 are promoting Jab We Met, Welcome, Singh Is Kinng, Kidnap and Golmaal Returns, to name a few.


• From the teaser poster of Singh Is Kinng presently doing the rounds on the net (featuring a clean-shaven turbaned Akshay Kumar), Indian Films-Studio 18 unveiled an attractive creative of the Vipul Shah-produced film, featuring a bearded macho-looking Akshay holding Katrina, clad in a dazzling skin-hugging orange gown.


• Dev Anand's 1960's classic Guide is set to glow at the Festival's Classic section, and the legend is likely to visit the palm-lined town of South France to celebrate the occasion


• From the Asian markets, India and China, in this order, have the largest presence at Cannes 2008. India and China are followed by Japan and Korea.

(Media and international business expert, Tanuj Garg, will do an honorary Cannes 2008 diary for Bollywood Hungama. This will feature periodic updates on the mood and the action on The Croisette over the next fortnight. Tanuj is currently Marketing & Distribution Head for the UK & Europe at Studio 18)

Cannes Diary 2008

By: Tanuj Garg (from Cannes)

Cannes: Day 0

A month after being here for MIPTV (in April), I'm back in the scorching palm-lined seafront town of Cannes for the Cannes Film Festival, the biggest industry event of the year.

I flew out of Heathrow to Nice on Monday to get done with the registration and miscellaneous formalities before the bulk of the crowd descended yesterday. Besides, it's always good to be a tad early and dive into the mood and action to get into what I call 'The Cannes mode'.....

a. A chunk of the attention and hype is around the Steven Spielberg-created Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, which will premiere outside the main competition on Sunday, 18th May. No doubt the reviews will be online within minutes of the culmination of the screening though adverse review-leaks on the net (last Thursday) from anonymous theatre execs who saw the film last week at previews in the US has thrown some cold water on the excitement.

b. Among the posse of A-list Hollywood celebrities due to attend the event, there is a buzz that Madonna will be around while Robert De Niro will present the Palme d'Or at the closing ceremony on May 25. Troubled sports figures - Diego Maradona and Mike Tyson are also likely to attend, being subjects of new documentaries.

c. This year, there are more than 8,000 market participants from about 500 companies and 93 countries. The new countries hitting the Croisette this year include Macedonia, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Anguilla. The Palestinian territory will also be roped. Consequently, there is an even greater demand for market screenings, all of which is indicative of the huge amount of product being flogged at Cannes, year-on-year.

d. India has an even bigger representation at Cannes 2008, so much so that some of the leading trade dailies (Variety, Screen International, Hollywood Reporter, etc.) are coming up with special India spotlight pieces on different days.

Times are hard, recession is ripe, the market is overpriced and acquisition execs are becoming increasingly selective about the product they pick up, having to carefully and painstakingly examine a glut of screeners, brochures and sales pitches. The Euro has strengthened against the Dollar, making this edition of the festival more expensive for several attendees. Making matters worse, Sundance in January and Berlin in February recorded less-than-swift sales.

Will Cannes 2008 reverse this gloomy trend for sellers? With this big question, the worldwide film community embarks on the 61st Cannes today....

(Media and international business expert, Tanuj Garg, will do an honorary Cannes 2008 diary for Bollywood Hungama. This will feature periodic updates on the mood and the action on The Croisette over the next fortnight. Tanuj is currently Marketing & Distribution Head for the UK & Europe at Studio 18)