Saif bowled out by more money

Organizers of a charity cricket match are withdrawing their offer to Saif to make an appearance because of his demand for a hefty fee.

The good folks at Bollyvista give us this-

Saif Ali Khan was asked to make a fleeting appearance at a charity cricket match at Mohali, but he demanded a fat pay packet to do it! Saif's unsporting gesture did not go down well with the organizers of the match.

The match will be a limited 20 over match played between former Indian cricketers and Bollywood personalities such as Neha Dhupia, Anupam Kher, Rahul Bose, and possibly Suneil Shetty.

Saif is riding high on his recent success with Parineeta, Salaam Namaste, Being Cyrus, and Omkara, so it goes without saying that he has made enough dough to keep his boat afloat. So what's up with the diva attitude? Shame on you, Saif, shame on you!

[via Bollyvista]

Tags: bollywood news, bollywood, saif khan, cricket,

Umrao Jaan - Movie Review

J P Dutta recreates the story of Umrao Jaan based on the famous book 'Umrao Jaan Ada' by Mirza Hadi Ruswa.

The story is about the emotional journey of a common small town girl Amiran, abducted from her home and sold in the bazaars of Lucknow.

When she first came to Lucknow, she was Amiran, the eight year old daughter of a lower middle class family. Her father was a Jamadar at the 'Bahu Begum Ka Makhbara' in Faizabad. A pious and simple man, he gave evidence in a case against Dilawar Khan, a habitual offender. Dilawar was sentenced to jail for ten years.

After finishing his sentence Dilawar came out, only to kidnap Amiran, car her to Lucknow and sell her to a kotha owned by the astute Khanum Sahib. This was the vengeance and a few rupees as bonus. "Let her suffer a death worse than a death", he said.

A kotha in that age, especially that of Khanum was not only a cultural hub known for excellence in performing arts but also a temple of learning - learning the art of living. As an inmate of the kotha, Khanum gave her the name 'Umrao', Bua Hussaini brought her up in style. Maulvi Sahib imparted education; Khan Sahib initiated her into the world of music while the great Kathak Acharya made her feet move to rhythm. In the company of Bismillah, Khurshid and Gauhar Mirza, Umrao developed varied skills including poetry. The pen name "Ada" was ample proof of proficiency in writing and presenting poetry that she went on to acquire.

Graduating in years, Umrao became a rage in Lucknow. A beauty that was stunning, a manner that was enticing and words that were soul stirring, made the name of Umrao Jaan mean sheer joy of watching and listening.

Stepping into youth, she had to seek the love of her life. His name was Nawab Sultan. With the whole of Avadh at her feet, Umrao craved for Sultan's company. Somewhere deep inside her being, she had a dream of a husband, a family and a home. She chased her dream from one end of the rainbow to the other.

Would she realize her dream ever? Would she come face to face with Amiran once again?

Release Date: November 3, 2006

Rediff India Abroad - 3/5
Rediff India Abroad - 2.5/5
Indiafm - 1.5/5
Bollywood Blog - 3.5/5
nowrunning - 1.5/5
Movie Talkies - 2/5
Planet Bollywood - 6/10



Tags: umrao jaan, bollywood, movie review

Amar Akbar Anthony will get the remake treatment

No movie from the 70s or 80s is safe these days, especially the Amitabh Bachchan ones. Amar Akbar Anthony is the next movie starring Amitabh in the original that is being remade by David Dhawan.

Curious about the casting? The good folks at Telugu Portal give us this-

He has roped in Salman, Arbaaz and Sohail Khan in the roles of Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor respectively, reports Bollywood Trade.

What is up with Bollywood and remakes these days? Has the well of creative writing run completely dry? Are there no original stories left to tell in Indian movies? Now remakes by itself is not a bad thing, but I just feel that Bollywood is going overboard with it. I am especially skeptical about David Dhawan being at the helm of this. David has produced his fair share of duds in the past and I would hate to see him ruin a classic like Amar Akbar Anthony to a street-side comedy.

[via Telugu Portal]

Tags: amar akbar anthony, bollywood, bollywood news

Retailers shy away from MP3 soundtracks

The advent of original soundtracks produced in MP3 format has retailers worried. One shopkeeper stated the following reason-

First and foremost the margins are quite low. While I can send a regular CD for approx. Rs. 150/= and earn a margin of Rs. 25-30 at an average, in case of MP3 this comes down substantially since its cost is in the range of Rs. 60-80/=. Fair enough, I may still manage to cover some ground due to the volume factor as it is bound to grow, but then what happens to the other titles that I wish to sell.

Typically these original MP3 CDs come with a selection of tracks from other films. The retailers are worried that including additional soundtracks hurts the music sale of the regular audio CDs for those films. The shop owners have adopted to keep the MP3 CDs away from their displays and sell them only if a customer demands it.

This is a worrisome trend. Although I can understand that it makes business sense for the mom & pop music shops, I am afraid that such tactics will hurt the adoption of original digital music. They need to understand that a lower margin coupled with a small loss from the soundtracks of older movies is better than no business at all, which is what will happen when the kids get pirated music online for free.

[via IndiaGlitz]

Tags: bollywood, bollywood music, bollywood news

Sooraj Barjatya is Karan Johar's guru

CNN-IBN's Rajeev Masand recently interviewed Sooraj Barjatya and Karan Johar to discuss their brand of film making. The interview contains the usual fluff with Karan and Sooraj expressing admirations for each other's films, but it I found this quote from Karan Johar interesting-

After seeing Hum Aapke Hain Kaun I realized Indian cinema is about values, tradition, subtlety, romance. There is so much soul in it. After watching this film I got the answers to all the questions I had in my mind. I decided to go ahead and be a filmmaker only after watching this film.

Come to think of it, both Barjatya and Johar's films have similar themes. They address the values and traditions of the Indian culture. The difference being that Karan's films are heavily westernized and whereas Sooraj's films are heavily Indianised. In the interview, Barjatya even admits this by saying-

If I had conceived KANK, it’s setting would not have been New York but perhaps somewhere in Delhi.

Perhaps Amit ji's character would have been someone from Haridwar or Jhansi who dons a holy ganji. I think it’s just the way we look at characters.

The dream merchants: Barjatya and Johar | Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

Tags: bollywood, karan johar, sooraj barjatya

Dhoom Machale on iTunes

October 28, 2006 was a joyous day for Bollywood music lovers. In a first, Yash Raj Films has made the soundtrack of the much anticipated Dhoom 2 available on iTunes.

The good folks at Indiafm give us this-

Yash Raj Films intends to be on the forefront of the ever-emerging digital technology and availability of Dhoom:2 music content in digital format for downloads is the first step in this direction. Subsequently, other archive/catalogue audio titles shall also be made available online.

I applaud Yash Raj Films for this bold first step. The availability of legal digital music for $ 0.99 per track will go a long way in curbing music piracy plaguing Bollywood. While studios routinely complain about piracy in both movies and music, I am glad to see Yash Raj Films actually take steps in solving the problem rather than just whining about it.

The link to the Dhoom 2 soundtrack in the iTunes store of your country is available on the Indiafm page.

[via Indiafm]

Tags: dhoom 2, bollywood news, bollywood music

Guru teaser trailer

The teaser trailer of Mani Ratnam's Guru is out and you can check it out below. The music in the trailer as well as the soundtrack of the film is composed by Mani's (and my) favorite A.R. Rahman. Guru is expected to release on December 22, 2006.

The good folks at Mega Movie Digest give us this-

It stars Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Madhavan (as the antagonost) and Vidya Balan in pivotal roles. The movie also stars Mithun Chakraborty in a supporting role and Mallika Sherawat in a cameo role. Current reports state that the film is based on the life of India’s biggest petrochemicals tycoon, Dhirubhai Ambani.

What are your thoughts on the trailer?

[via Mega Movie Digest]

Tags: guru, bollywood news, trailer

AIDS awareness films courtesy Bill and Melinda Gates

It is a season of changes in Bollywood. Everyone is trying something new, something different - sequels and remakes included. In the face of these changes, Bollywood is going to try another something that is new, novel, and noble.

Mira Nair, Kamal Hassan, Vishal Bhardwaj, and Santosh Sivan have been roped in to direct four 12-minute short films on AIDS for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Mira Nair will kickoff the campaign by directing AIDS Jagao with Shiney Ahuja and the Parineeta duo Saif Khan and Vidya Balan to be penned by Zoya Akhtar. All 12-minute films will be screened in theaters all over the country alongside commercial Bollywood movies.

This is a fantastic experiment that I wish tremendous success. If not for anything else, I hope people will go and watch the compilation of short films out of curiosity for the new format. Movies that serve as commentaries on contemporary social issues rarely fare well, but I am hoping the efforts of Bill and Melinda Gates will be better rewarded.

[via Rediff]

Tags: aids, bollywoodnews

Traffic Signal has no story

Madhur Bhandarkar's next venture titled Traffic Signal, to be released in January 2007, is one, according to Madhur himself, that has "no story".

In a recent Reuter's news report, Madhur said

"The movie, honestly, has no story. It's a slice of life. I have 60 characters and the film is about people you see every day at any traffic signal. It will show their lives, their perspectives, their ups and downs."

No, that is not a typo. There are 60 (sixty) characters in the movie. Madhur has earned respect as a story teller with his real-life dramas such as Page 3 and Corporate, but this has me seriously concerned. A movie with 60 characters and no story to hold them together? Even if the characters were varied and interesting, you have to have a story to tie it up. Without a story, the movie will be nothing but a collage of clips thrown together from the perspective of a traffic signal. I might be reading too literally into his comment so I will reserve judgment until I check it out myself, but it does make me wary.

[via WNED]

Tags: traffic signal, madhur bhandarkar, bollywoodnews

Vinod Khanna's replacement in Qurbani remake

It is the season of remakes in Bollywood. Hot on the heels of Don, Feroz Khan has announced Kurbani, a remake of Qurbani originally directed and starring Feroz Khan himself. The remake is going to star Fardeen Khan stepping into the role of his daddy playing the role of Rajesh. They have not, however, announced the name of a suitable lead for Vinod Khanna's role.

The good folks at Indiafm give us this-

The latest on KURBANI is that Khan Sr. has finalized a top actor to step into Vinod Khanna’s shoes [Fardeen is enacting the role that Khan Sr. had portrayed in the original]. But neither Feroz nor Fardeen are ready to divulge the name yet. “Yes, we’ve finalized the actor, but we’d like to announce it later, not now,” Fardeen tells me.

In my opinion, if anyone can do justice to the role of Amar, originally essayed by Vinod Khanna, it is Hrithik Roshan. Think about it. Hrithik can bring the same chiseled, smart look lended by Vinod Khanna in the original. Hrithik has portrayed deep friendship and a common love interest in Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon. I believe he is the right choice for Amar in the new Kurbani. Your thoughts?



[via Indiafm]

Tags: qurbani, kurbani, bollywoodnews, hrithik roshan

Music of Dhoom 2 and Vivah goes digital

Yash Raj Films and Rajshri, makers of Dhoom 2 and Vivah, respectively, have devised a novel plan to combat music piracy and increase the sales of the their albums. The idea is to make the MP3 CDs of the original music available with the audio CDs.

The good folks at IndiaGlitz give us this-

Marked at half the regular price of an original music CD and comprising of 40-50 songs at an average, they are a double delight for the listener since they come with numerous other hits from the production houses.

The MP3 CD of Vivah are said to include numerous Rajshri hits from yesteryears while the Dhoom 2 CD includes music from Bunty Aur Babli, Salaam Namaste, Veer Zaara, Neal N Nikki and many more.

This is a fantastic idea. I would lap up the MP3 CDs at half the price containing additional soundtracks any day over the regular audio CD. I hardly listen to audio CDs anymore and my iPod is my best friend. So, sign me up. Now, I wish they would make these CDs available for the state-side geeks.

[via IndiaGlitz]

Tags: dhoom2, vivah, bollywoodnews

Jaan-E-Mann - Movie Review

Once upon a time there was a dude...

There was a geek...

& there was a beauty...

The dude and geek both loved the beauty...

But who did the beauty love...

Ten years pass...

The dude lives in his dream world...

The geek lives in space...

The beauty lives alone...

& then they meet...

to fall in love...

Again...

Released: October 20, 2006

Indiafm - 3.5/5
Rediff - 3/5
Bollyvista - 3/5
nowrunning - 2/5
Movie Talkies - 4/5
Planet Bollywood - 7.5/10



Tags: bollywood, jaanemann, moviereview

Don: The Chase Begins Again - Movie Review

The drug trade is booming. Trafficking between Asia and Europe is at an all-time high. There are rumors that a dreaded gang has moved their operational headquarters to Kuala Lumpur. The cartel is headed by Singhania [Rajesh Khattar], but the business is managed by his lieutenant Don [Shah Rukh Khan].

An Indian officer Desilva [Boman Irani] has sworn to put an end to the nexus. He knows that in capturing Don lies the key to unlock this puzzle. And he succeeds one day. Don is captured and Desilva puts his plan into action. Unknown to even his own department, Desilva recruits and trains a man who is a splitting image of Don. His name is Vijay.

Vijay infiltrates the cartel and manages to give Desilva all the information he needs to bring it down. But in a bizarre twist of fate, Desilva is killed during a raid and the secret that Don is in fact Vijay is buried with him. The only people who realize that he's an imposter are the members of Don's cartel [Pawan Malhotra and Shakeel Khan] and they want their revenge.

Vijay manages to escape and is now on the lookout for the one last piece of evidence that can get him out of the mess. Helping him on this quest are two people: Roma [Priyanka Chopra] and Jasjit [Arjun Rampal].

Released: October 20, 2006

Indiafm - 3/5
Rediff - 1.5 / 5
Bollyvista - 3/5
nowrunning - 3/5
Movie Talkies - 3/5
Planet Bollywood - 7/10



Tags: bollywood, don, moviereview

Bachhan as Gabbar: Good idea or bad?

As most you already know by now, Amitabh Bachchan is slated to play the iconic villain Gabbar Singh in the Ram Gopal Varma's remake of Sholay. Amitabh has said in recent interviews that he wanted to play Gabbar in the first outing. Now that Amitabh's wish has been granted, Shadaab Khan, the actor-director-screenwriter son of the late Amjad Khan, has come out swinging to declare that this a very bad idea. The good folks at glamsham give us this quote from Shadaab:

You can't get one legend (Amitabh Bachchan) to play the role played by another legend. It's like getting Kishore Kumar to sing a song already done by Mohammed Rafi. Both Bachchan saab and my dad have very strong personas. It wouldn't work. The image of my dad as Gabbar is too strong. Anything Varma would do would look like a caricature. No matter how hard Bachchan saab tries, he won't be able to better my dad's Gabbar.

Well said and point taken. Even though I can understand his need to preserve his father's image as the only Gabbar Singh, comments like this only go to show his own insecurities. RGV has maintained that Gabbar's character is going to be a reimagination where he heads a well-organized crime gang in Mumbai wielding a scorpion headed stick, a far cry from the commander of a ragtag gang of thieves lashing a leather belt in his hand. Like any other remake, this has high potential for failure. But just the curiosity factor of seeing Mr. Bachchan in the role is going to make it a memorable experience. I am going to wager this one against you Shadaab.

[via glamsham]

Tags: bollywoodnews, sholay

Woh Lamhe... - Movie Review

In the glitzy entertainment capital of Mumbai as dusk descends, famous actress Suna Azim (Kangana Ranaut) slashes her wrists in a hotel room, in an attempt to kill herself. When this news reaches film maker Aditya Garewal (Shiny Ahuja), he is devastated. Aditya has been searching for Sana all over the world. Sana who was intensely involved with Aditya, had mysteriously disappeared from his life without any explanation, three years ago, only to surface now in what could be the last moments of her life.

As Aditya waits outside the ICU in a death watch situation, praying to be reunited with her, he is hurled back into the perfumed days and champagne nights of his memory, wherein Sana Azim played the role of both, lover and mentor to a struggling Aditya.

Everything was perfect, except for an enemy which lurked in the shadow, waiting to destroy their love. An enemy which neither of them saw till it was too late...

When Aditya realizes that the only way he can save Sana from total devastation is to take her away from Bollywood and the vested interests that threaten to destroy her completely, he runs away with Sana putting his career on the line. Those moment lived in the sanctuary of their love are like an oasis in the desert.

Until one day, suddenly, she disappears, leaving him with unanswered question. Why did she leave at the very acme of their love, when there seemed to be hope' What pushed her to attempt suicide' Will be finally be able to piece together the puzzle that has been haunting him and almost destroyed him' And most important of all, will be reunited with his love'.

Released: September 29, 2006

Indiafm
indiaglitz
Glamsham
Planet Bollywood
nowrunning



Tags: bollywood, wohlamhe, moviereview

Gafla - Movie Review

‘Gafla’ is a story about big dreams. An adventure that starts with ambitious intentions... and gets caught up in a crime-web.

'Gafla' begins as a story about an ordinary young man, Subodh, in ordinary circumstances. Subodh starts out like any middle-class guy, with limited opportunities to survive and go ahead. Perhaps he has a little bit more drive than the others, more energy and bigger dreams. But then, he is just a smart guy.

‘Gafla’ follows Subodh’s journey into the stock markets and beyond through the eyes of different people in his personal and professional life.

Released: October 6, 2006

Indiafm
nowrunning



Tags: bollywood, gafla, moviereview

Shah Rukh Khan in Dhoom 3

The sequel bug has bitten Bollywood. After Krrish and Lage Raho Munnabhai, it is now time for Dhoom to get another sequel after Dhoom 2. While Dhoom 2 is not even out yet, Yashraj Films has gone ahead and green -lighted Dhoom 3 with Shah Rukh Khan in taking over the legacy of John Abraham and Hrithik Roshan. Sanjay Gadhvi, director of Dhoom and Dhoom 2, will reportedly not be directing the third-installment of the franchise. If Hollywood can make sequels of Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean in parallel, then so can Bollywood.



[via Naachgaana]

Tags: dhoom2, bollywodnews

Shilpa Shetty's inbox is no "marital portal"

Shilpa Shetty, in a bid to connect with fans in new and novel ways, gave out a special e-mail address and got a thousands of marriage proposals in return. This is not only stupidly funny, but it is so for 2 reasons:

1. From Shilpa's perspective - What was she expecting? Kudos on the great job she did in her last movie, praises for her stunning good looks? She claims she is not computer savvy, but her never heard of SPAM? I guess not. In a world where more than 85% of the email being transferred is junk, she makes her email address public and then frowns about it.
2. From the fan's perspective - Marriage proposal? Yeah, right.

Dear Shilpa:

I think you are stunning and unbelievably hot. I would like to marry you. Please don't say no.

And that is supposed to get you into a mandap with her. Are you serious?

Get a grip people. An email proposal to your girlfriend even is not going to get the wedding bells ringing.

Tags: bollywoodnews, shilpashetty

Michael Jackson's "Thriller" goes Mollywood - VIDEO

Michael Jackson's horror video, the most expensive at the time it was made, has been ripped-off true Indian-ishtyle. It is not a Bollywood remake like it is being reported in the media. The video seems to be a production of the south-Indian film industry (of which I do not know the name, Mollywood?). It is hilarious. It doesn't get cheesier than this. Check it out...



Tags: bollywood, michaeljackson

Katrina's skirt causes uproar in Ajmer

My first post had to be about a place that is my second home, Ajmer. If you have read my profile, you know I went to school there.

News has come out that Katrina Kaif was visiting too. She was there shooting for Vipul Shah's (Waqt) next called Namaste London. Katrina was on location at the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti shooting with Rishi Kapoor in a short skirt and offered 'chadar' to the Sufi saint's dargah for a scene in the film. The reason this is making news is that according to tradition, it is considered disrespectful to wear outfits with short sleeves or legs inside the shrine. The director has is being cooperative and has offered to reshoot the scene with a more acceptable dress on Katrina.

I am all for respecting the traditions of your faith, but the committee that granted them permission to begin with should have clarified this before. I cannot for one second believe that the thought could have slipped their mind. I believe the fault squarely lies on the committee in this. In typical Indian fashion, the committee will protest and investigate rather than admit and correct. And before, I am labeled a hater of the Islamic faith, I would like to point out that if this were to happen in a Hindu temple, my opinion would be unchanged.

Tags: bollywoodnews, katrinakaif, katrina kaif, namastelondon, namaste london

Hello World!

Hello World! This is my first post. This blog is all about the Indian film industry otherwise known as Bollywood. I will talk about movie and music news, reviews, and previews for everything that is happening in the land of dreams. Welcome. And stay tuned.