Archives for October 2008

‘Pretty’ actress Preity Zinta won the Silver Hugo award for the Best Actress at the Chicago International Film Festival recently. The award was given for her performance in Deepa Mehta’s Heaven on Earth.

“It was my director Deepa Mehta who informed me that I had won. I couldn’t go to Chicago, and neither could Deepa. Without any lobbying I’ve done it. I am so happy and excited.” Reportedly, the judges chose her ‘for her strong yet subtle performance as a woman struggling to keep her dreams despite brutal realities.’

Read the complete story

Katrina Kaif trumps Christina Aguilera. At least, that's what our online readers seem to think. Last weekend, our interview with the Bollywood actress was the most-read story, over and above cover girl Christina. Both were in the UAE for shows – Aguilera was the latest high-profile star to play Emirates Palace, in a concert on Friday, while Kaif was the opening act in an all-star Bollywood show headlined by Emirates Business favourite Shah Rukh Khan at Dubai Festival City on Saturday.

This is a pattern that consistently shows up in reader interactions: Quite simply, the UAE loves Bollywood.And as you might expect, it's a finding that often leaves people wondering. People who don't understand Bollywood cannot figure out its popularity or why anyone wants to read about films made in a language they cannot comprehend.

Read the complete story

Stars, numbers and astrology, Ekta Kapoor’s life and career have been ruled by them. The lady who was known to have a `midas touch'  is now going through a rough patch. First it was curtains for her flagship show Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and then came her fall out with Star Plus.

Two big shows KGGK going off air and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi receiving step motherly treatment from the channel shows Ekta has been at the receiving end. 
 
If all that wasn't enough, the Balaji czarina has found herself in yet another crisis (read controversy). Apparently, a horse was found dead on the sets of her magnum opus serial, Mahabharat . But what aggravated the matter even more was that the unit was using the animals without taking any prior permission from the concerned people.

Complications and controversies, they just don't seem to leave her side. Wonder what do the stars have in store for Ekta Kapoor this year. Will she bounce back or topple down like the Indian Sensex?

Dusky actress Chitrangada Singh, who returns to the big screen for Onir's Sorry Bhai after a three-year break, doesn't like to term her second innings as a "comeback", but as a "new beginning"."I am barely two films old so my coming back to the industry with Sorry Bhai is barely a comeback. It is a new beginning for me," said Chitrangada.

Sorry Bhai came her way just when she had started looking for work."Sorry Bhai pretty much happened by chance like Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi happened to me.

I was thinking about calling back people for some offers and I received a call from Onir for the role. He sent the script to me and I read it by the evening and called back to say I was in. The very next day he was at my place and I signed the contract," she said.

Read the complete story

Pooja Bedi’s 11-year-daughter Aaliya walked the ramp for designer Pallavi Jaipur at the Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai. An excited Pooja Bedi said, “It was her first solo experience and memorable one too. Aaliya was dressed as a Rajasthani princess. Such memories stay with you for life.”

Pooja said that Aaliya had walked the ramp with her for a charity show earlier. “She was too small then. But that moment stays with her even now.”

Pooja clarified that there was no pressure on Aaliya to walk the ramp. “It was her decision! I asked her if she was comfortable with the idea of walking the ramp and she said yes.”

Pooja rubbished stories that it was not right to expose her daughter to the fashion world at such tender age. “I look upon Aaliya walking the ramp as a cute memorable experience. It is not a hardcore career defining step for her.”

Raj Kapoor perhaps started it all. The master film maker used to hold such lavish tash parties, befitting his image that almost the entire industry would turn up for the parties. In fact, there would be so many of them that the place would actually start looking like one of those old taash parlours in Hindi movies.

Amitabh Bachchan held Taash parties for a while, and for reasons unknown decided to discontinue them after a while. His holi parties are better known, though.

Around 200-250 film and TV artistes are doing voiceovers to animation characters - from Ravana, to an evil ant to playing narrator to Alibaba or even to a rich spoilt dog.

 Collectively, these artistes are involved in over 25-30 animation film projects slated for release in the next six years worth somewhere around Rs 250-300 crore. However, compared to Hollywood where they spend millions, in India budgets are modest. According to estimates, between 5 to 6 per cent of a film's total budget is being spent on the art of voicing.

Read the complete story

John Abraham will not only be acting in filmmaker Abbas Tyrewala's second venture "1-800-Love" after the hit "Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na", he will also be co-producing it.

"1-800-Love" is a quirky, witty and savagely funny look at the man-woman relationship and writer-director Abbas roped in John for the project, after having worked with chocolate boy Imran Khan in his debut film.The filmmaker, who's still polishing up the movie's script, says John decided to jump in as a producer the minute he heard the narration.

"After hearing the narration, John not only loved the script, he wanted to come on as a partner. So, effectively, the project will have three producers - Madhu K., John and myself," Abbas told IANS.Incidentally, "1-800-Love" gets its title from the toll-free phone numbers in the US.

John, who's currently shooting in New York for Kabeer Khan's film on terrorism entitled "New York", is now looking out for roles that would challenge him as an actor. After Anurag Kashyap's "No Smoking" and Nagesh Kukunoor's to-be-released "Aashayein," Abbas seems to be the director John needed to get his creative juices flowing.

Abbas' movie is set to be shot in Boston in April in a start-to-finish schedule and the filmmaker has now headed for the hills to write the final draft of the script, a source close to him said.

Deepika Padukone wants nothing more than to do a sports -based film. And if it is about badminton then nothing like it. "Look at what Chak De India did to hockey. I'd love to do a really good film on the game of badminton which is the family game."

In fact efforts are on to put a project like this together. Deepika recently played bandminton with her dad Prakash Padukone recently. "We were playing together after a really long time.I like to contribute as much as possible to sports. Yes, I'd support badminton more than any other sport. But I'd like to support Indian sports in every way possible.This was the first time that we played in front of the media."

While doing the intricate stunts and martial arts in Chandni Chowk To China Deepika Padukone got herself a chronically sprained ankle. "The stunts in Chandni Chowk To China were tough. Fortunately I got no broken bones. But I got a twisted ankle which will remain with me. My left ankle will remain sprained for all my life.

I sprained it once while rehearsing and then I sprained the same ankle at exactly the same place twice again. Luckily it's not a fracture. But I can't sit cross-legged or sit on my hunches…I can't do anything that requires me to put my weight on my left leg."

Read the complete story

Bollywood actress Preity Zinta is on seventh heaven after winning the best actress award at the 44th Chicago International Film Festival.

Preity won Silver Hugo Award for Best Actress "for her strong yet subtle performance as a woman struggling to keep her dreams despite brutal realities" in Toronto-based director Deepa Mehta’s film Heaven On Earth .In the movie, Preity plays a Punjabi wife who is a victim of domestic violence."I'm walking on sunshine. I can't believe where I am," Preity is quoted by IANS.

Preity says she was unaware about the award until director Deepa Mehta informed her."It was my director Deepa Mehta who informed me on Saturday afternoon that I had won. I couldn't go to Chicago, and neither could Deepa. Without any lobbying I've done it. I am so happy and excited," Preity told the news agency.

Read the complete story