Monday 30 May 2011

Rahman’s Oscars were bought, accuses Ismail Darbar

Mumbai: Coming as a rude shock here’s an accusation which might startle you no ends. Music composer Ismail Darbar has said that the Oscars won by music maestro AR Rahman for Danny Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ were compromised aka ‘bought’!

Retorting to the claims of Darbar, Rahman said “Oscars cannot be bought. It’s 3000 people... how can it be possible!”

Without offering any proof for the claims he has made, Darbar at a recent press conference in Nagpur said that AR Rahman, who has to his credit two Academy Awards — Best Original Score and Best Original Song — for his music in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, had ‘bought’ the honours and did not deserve them.

On contacting, he explained, “I just don’t understand how the music for that movie won the prestigious award. Aap hi bataiye us film ke music main Oscars jaisa kya tha ... kuch bhi toh nahi tha (What was extraordinary about the song ‘Jai Ho`? Nothing). Agar Rahman ko `Roja` ya `Bombay` ke liye milta, toh samaj bhi aata aur main bhi khush hota… but not for Slumdog (I would have been happy had he won it for films like `Roja` or `Bombay`). He did not deserve it. Aur, mujhe pata hai ki ise kharida gaya hai (And, It know that it has been bought).”

Darbar further said that it is not publicity that is driving him to make the allegation. “There are other ways to get publicity,” he said.

Meanwhile, others from the industry seem to support Rahman. “It’s sad if Darbar said that. Rahman has made us proud,” said composer Lalit Pandit. “I don’t think Rahman can ever do that,” said composer Sulaiman Merchant.

Well, only time will tell if there is any truth to the claims made by Darbar against Rahman, or is this case of sour grapes?

Thalaivar Rajini leaves behind message for fans

Megastar Rajinikanth has been admitted to the intensive care unit at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital, where his condition is said to be stable but before leaving Chennai he left behind a voice message promising his fans that he will be back soon.

The 61-year-old actor flew in to Singapore yesterday and was immediately taken to the ICU for "rest and rehabilitation" after being discharged from the Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre where he was admitted on May 13 for respiratory infection and other problems.

His son-in-law Dhanush, a Tamil actor, said that his condition is stable and there is no cause for any alarm.

With his fans converging at the Chennai hospital in large numbers enquiring about his health, the `Endhiran` star left a brief recorded voice message in Tamil promising them that he will be back among them soon.

The voice clip was sent to the media and fans by his daughter Soundhariya before he left Chennai.

"I am happily going about my routine. Will come as soon the treatment gets over," Rajinikanth said in his one-minute message.

"How can I reciprocate the love you have shown for me? I get money for acting, for that you are showering so much love. How will I pay you all back?"

"I will conduct myself in such a way that I will never let down all my fans throughout the world. I have God`s blessings and the blessings of the Guru. Above all, I have the blessing of all my fans who are the manifestation of God," he added. Special pooja and "homams" (puja performed for a particular deity by invoking Agni ? the God of Fire) were conducted across temples in Tamil Nadu by fans for his speedy recovery. While some ardent fans tonsured their heads, others ate food served on floor.

Devotees flooded micro-blogging site Twitter to convey their prayers and best wishes for the superstar.

"My prayers are with RAJINI, he moves the people of TN, he is their icon and hope, a truly non corrupt non intrusive icon," wrote one fan, while another posted, "Let us all pray for Rajini sir 2 get well soon."

Rajnikanth had suffered from exhaustion on April 29, the first day of the shoot of his latest venture `Raana`, and was admitted to the Isabel Hospital in Chennai.

He was discharged the same day only to be readmitted there on May 4 for allergic bronchitis and viral fever.

On May 13, he was admitted to Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre for respiratory infection and other problems.

Sunday 29 May 2011

From The Horses Mouth: Sofia Hayat

Launch vehicle

Vinod Mukhi’s Diary Of A Butterfly marks my Bollywood debut. It is a film about two friends, Udita Goswami and myself. The film examines the lives of these two women and explores the ups and downs of their friendship. I essay the role of a loving, homely Catholic girl who is having trouble with her boyfriend.

Casting coup

I went for the auditions and bagged the role. But before the shooting of Diary Of A Butterfly commenced, I had to watch a couple of Bollywood flicks to master the language. I belong to an Indian family, which had settled in UK in the seventies, and for me Hindi is not alien. But as I had not spoken the language for years, I had to touch-up on my Hindi-speaking skills.

Stepping-stone

I have a BA Honours in Performing Arts and Music. I started to perform at the early age of five, when I wrote my first song and performed for my family. From then on I was always involved in school plays. I featured in Hollywood feature films including The Unforgettable, Cash And Curry and Exitz. I had also appeared in Jonathan Creek and Waterloo Roadthat aired on BBC.

 First shot


It is a confrontational scene between Udita and myself. We are standing on the balcony and talking of my relationship. On the first day of the shoot, I was very divorced from the situation and the team. Here were a bunch of people I had never met before, and I felt like an alien for the first three days of the shooting.


Lessons learnt


One needs to be very hardworking to be a part of the industry. Things are very chaotic in Bollywood, and as an actor I have realised that it’s important to be open to all kinds of roles and be very pro-active to climb the ladder.

Stumbling-blocks

Acting for Bollywood is unlike what goes into a performance for a feature in UK. Cinema is larger than life in India; probably that stems from the living conditions of Indians and the fact that cinema represent art and escapism. Acting in England is very subtle, while in Bollywood the gestures are 10 times louder. For me, I had to unlearn everything I had learnt during my acting years back home. It was like going back to kindergarten.

Matinee idol


I love Hrithik Roshan as an actor; he has got enormous potential and is a great dancer. I watched his film Guzaarish, and I felt that his performance in the film was not very impressive. But as an actor he has good films under his belt and I would love to work with him. There’s lot of talent in India. I like Dibaker Banerjee’s body of work including LSD and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye. My all-time favourite is Mother India.

Future projects

I have a couple of films in the pipeline. One will be shot in London and is expected to go on floor in July. I hav signed another project that will be shot in Mumbai and its production will begin in the second half of the year. I am eagerly looking forward to Diary Of A Butterfly. The music in the film is great and it has been shot very well. I hope the film fares well at the box-office.

Saturday 28 May 2011

Madame Tussauds decides to skip Kareena’s wax statuette

It seems that Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor has  lost out on a chance of having her wax replica at the Madame Tussauds due to some glitches between her manager and an event management company. According to industry sources, the actress was short listed amongst a bevy of B-town actresses to be waxed at the famous museum. The museum already has wax statues of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan. Kareena would surely have been in august company if her statue was also put up.


The tussle occurred between Bebo’s manager and event management firm ‘Wizcraft’. The event organisers already share a cordial relation with the officials of Tussauds. In the past, they had announced the news of Big B’s statue being unveiled at the museum. In fact, the first look of the statue was unveiled at an awards show organised by ‘Wizcraft’. Subsequently, all the B-Town statues have come to their award functions held at Macau and Amsterdam.

Speaking to a daily, an industry insider revealed, “The announcement will only be made at Toronto. Tussauds always makes a decision in consultation with the company.” Since the issues between Bebo’s manager and Wizcraft have not been sorted out, chances of Bebo’s wax statue seems to be bleak at the moment.

Says a source, “The list of actresses included Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, Madhuri Dixit and Rani Mukerji, and Kareena was the final choice. The decision of the next star to be waxed was to be announced at an award function in Toronto. Kareena was also supposed to be present for the Raj Kapoor retrospective held there. But following the ego hassles between her manager and the event managing company, Bebo might not even go to Canada. The opportunity of a lifetime might go to Madhuri, Priyanka or Rani, all of who will be present.”

Although when contacted, Wizcraft officials have stated that Kareena would not be able to make it to Toronto as she is busy shooting for Salman Khan starrer ‘Bodyguard’.

Friday 27 May 2011

My female co-star tried to molest me: Alisa Khan

It seems Bollywood is running short of new publicity ideas. A newcomer in Tinsel Town Alisa Khan has blamed her  co-star Rakhi Vohra for 'getting fresh' and doing other ‘indecent acts’ with her during the shoot of ‘ My Husband's Wife’ in Kuala Lumpur

Model turned actress Alisa Khan plays an important role in producer-director Vinod Chhabra's film My Husband's Wife was so upset with her co-star that she went to the extent of accusing her of molestation.

She told media persons that she was zapped by this experience and decided to leave B-Town to  get a job as an airhostess.

"When I was shooting for the movie, my co-actress, Rakhi Vohra suggested that we share the same suite in a five star hotel in Kuala Lumpur. I agreed to shift to her room because I thought I would have some company.

‘However, I didn't know what was awaiting me," said Alisa.

"Rakhi started getting fresh with me. She started stripping and chasing me stark naked. When I protested, she locked me inside the room and went for the shoot alone.

It was only after I called up Pawan and the producer Vinodji that they pleaded with Rakhi to give them the keys," she added further

Saturday 21 May 2011

Keerti Kulhari shares details of her ‘ Shaitan Smooch’ with Kalki Kochelin

In an exclusive interview with Mauli Singh of ' Mid Day' the actor of Khichdi The Movie, Keerti Kulhari shares the details of her lip lock with Kalki Kochelin her co-star in the movie' Shaitan'.

She told Mauli that she got bold for her role in Bejoy Nambiar's Shaitan.In the Anurag Kashyap production, she plays Tanya, a girl next-door who's part of a wild group and is compelled to lose her inhibitions.

Tell us about Tanya...
She is the most sober in the gang of shaitans.

How does she end up kissing another girl, Amy (played by Kalki)?
Tanya doesn't want to kiss Amy. They're playing truth and dare. Amy is a cool girl who likes to try different things. It's her turn and she 'dares' to kiss me.

How do you rate Kalki as a kisser?
It was hardly a kiss.

Is it the only time you have been kissed by a girl?
(Laughs) Yes. And it will be the last time ever.

Has any girl made a pass at you?
Yes. In Standard 10, there was a girl in my badminton team. I think she had the hots for me. Though she never said anything, the way she used to talk and give me attention, made her intentions very obvious. She would feel very jealous if I talked to guys...

Were you told that you would have to kiss a girl?
No. Bejoy told me about everything else but the kiss. Well, he did bring it up once, but I thought he was kidding. It wasn't until we were rolling, that Bejoy announced that the scene was on. Kalki kisses me in that scene.

Did you enjoy it?
I was traumatised. Thankfully, it was just one take. The reaction in the film was what I was actually going through at that time. I haven't even kissed a guy onscreen. And I did my first kiss with a girl! That was an experience.

Did your co-stars tease you?
Yes, they were all teasing us after the shot. After the shot, Kalki even fooled around. She started behaving like she had the hots for me. She tried to run her hands on my thighs. I told her to stop it and let me regain my senses. I was very amused.

How did your family react?
They were shocked. But they completely understand that it's part of the profession. They have been supportive.

What is your take homosexuality?
To each its own. I like to kiss a guy and want to be kissed by a guy, but I have nothing against people who have homosexual tendencies. I have gay friends.

Friday 20 May 2011

Yana cashing on her new found fame: Goes Topless For FHM

Czech model and a prominent item number dancer Yana Gupta, who made sensation with her no-panty act is slowly climbing up the ladder. Her sensational stunt has fetched her few offers and Yana is looking to make the maximum out of it. Recently Czech hottie Yana Gupta has posed topless on the cover of the May issue of the men’s magazine FHM.

Yana poses sans her top in skimpy denim shorts for the cover that describes the ‘Bijli Giri’ siren as a reluctant item girl.

As per the grapevine, Yana Gupta charged Rs. 15 lakh to do this topless shoot. She was even willing to go full nude but the publication couldn't afford the high price tag that the actress demanded and settled down with just a topless photo shoot.

If the buzz is to be believed, Yana demanded two crore rupees to go full monty. She is waiting for internationally celebrated magazines to offer her huge bucks.

Any takers??

Rahul Bose miffed over promos of ‘Kucch Luv Jaisaa’

Actor  Rahul Bose is heard to be upset with producer Vipul Shah for his alleged bias towards his actress-wife Shefaali during the promotions of  their movie `Kucch Luv Jaisaa`.

Rahul Bose is betting big on this movie as he claims that he  has a meaty role in the film but the producer Vipul Shah is more focussed on showcasing his wife Shefaali during the first round of promotions.  

Sources close to  Rahul Bose  have told Bollywood reporters that he feels very little attention has been paid to him as far as promotions are concerned. The promos give a feel of `Kucch Luv Jaisaa` being an out-and-out `Shefaali Shah` film, they said. Producer Shah, however, is surprised at such suggestions.

"I am surprised. Yes, we have started our promotions with Shefali but that`s because it is a story of Shefaali`s character. Idea was not to alienate anyone. Rahul has started his promotions from this week. Shefaali and Rahul have performed extremely well in the film," he said.

The 43-year-old actor Rahul plays the character of a criminal on the go that Shefaali misreads as a detective and spends an entire day with him. Shefaali plays a rebellious housewife and has lost oodles of weight for her character.

Thursday 19 May 2011

Visible Bra Straps: Bollywood Explores Cyber Love

A film with the title Visible Bra Straps is bound to grab the eyeballs. Add to that the bit that it’s a story of two lonely women and you already have the curiosity sparked.

The film stars Indian model Reeth and foreign actress Petra Khruz in principal roles.

Directed by Ajitesh Sharma, the film is an Indo-Italian collaboration. It is a story of two women: A young Italian corporate professional Sandra (Petra Khruz) and a young Indian college student Sanjana (Reeth).

Sandra has lost her job and Sanjana has lost her love. Their solitude brings them together, not in person but in virtual, through web chat. They are entirely different as individuals; their cultures and way of lives are poles apart. It is their difference that connects them more and more. Sandra is shocked to see how Sanjana can restrict herself to constraints, which seems so ridiculous to her. Sanjana is equally shocked to see the joy Sandra finds in her own body.

Visible Bra Straps is their point of reference to the Sandra's freedom and Sanjana's bounds. But not all freedoms bring solace. Life has not connected them only for fun…

The film has made rounds of a lot of festival and was also showcased at Cannes Film Festival.

 

Candice Boucher Grabs Maximum (eye) Balls!


The Annual gala event held every year at Cannes attracted lots of media attention this year. India was adequately represented by a string of celebrities like Aishwarya Rai, Sonam Kapoor Anurag Basu, Mallika Sherawat. Bollywood bombshell Mallika Sherawat had made elaborate plans to attract maximum number of  balls (eyeballs) with her revealing outfit this year.

What was disheartening was that a firnagi model and a newbie to Bollywood Candice Boucher outshined the Bollywood actress and reportedly, made more heads turn than Mallika Sherawat.

“Mallika did wear a revealing outfit with her undergarments quite visible but it was Candice Boucher who walked in minutes before her in a see through gown and the photographers went berserk,” revealed a source.
The outfit adorned by Candice has created a stir around the world. Mallika did wear a revealing outfit with her undergarments quite visible but it was Candice Boucher who walked in minutes before her in a see through gown and the photographers went berserk.

Candice was walking the red carpet since her film Azaan was to be showcased. She walked in with director Prashant Chaddha and the lead actor of the film Sachin Joshi. Mallika was obviously fuming but what could one do," informed an insider at the event.

Although Mallika remained unavailable for comments, her spokesperson said, "Nothing like this happened."


Katrina Kaif has No Talent: Sofia Hayat

Sofia Hayat Bollywood's new import from Bollywood Thinks Katrina Kaif is a not a good enough actress. She cliamed if someone like Katrina could make it big then she could make it bigger. Well I must say at least she's got something bigger than her ;-) hehehe...