BOLLYWOOD (Hindi)

[kiran]

I couldn't live a day without my wife and son: Akshay


This year, you complete 20 years in Bollywood. It's been a long journey from Saugandh (1991) to Desi Boyz (2011). I believe it will continue for years. When I look back at those golden years, I feel it was easier to bag films initially. It's tougher to maintain a position in the industry. In comparison, it is easy to make films but publicising and releasing films is very difficult.

ques: After two decades of stardom, do you feel you are still a desi boy? Or do you feel your roots have grown distant?

Akshay: I am still completely the desi boy all my friends knew at school; I just have cooler sunglasses now, that's all (laughs). I carry my roots everywhere I go; my mother wouldn't have had it any other way. And I couldn't live with myself if my oldest friend told me, "Rajiv (Akshay), you've changed, man!"

ques: You are paired with Chitrangda in Desi Boyz. Will this art-commerce blend be palatable?

Akshay: Art and commerce have blended well. Whenever I see Chitrangda, I am reminded of Smita Patil, whose films I loved watching when I was young. Chitrangda is beautiful, and a great actress. Now, she has made a connect with commercial cinema, and will go a long way.

ques: For five years after Garam Masala, John Abraham and you steered clear of each other. Suddenly you are doing two films (Desi Boyz and Housefull 2) together. What gives?

Akshay: When we worked together in Garam Masala, I was not as friendly with John as I am now. Today, we chat and work together. We didn't take up films together simply because we didn't get a great script which would work for us.

ques: Has John changed?

Akshay: The John I saw in Garam Masala, and the John I see now are very different. Not only has his physique improved but his comic timing has bettered with time.

ques: You are the rare star who has five releases every year. How many days do you shoot in a month?

Akshay: I do not work much but my films get finished in time because I report to set on time and leave at the designated hour. On Saturdays, I work from 7 am to 2 pm, after which I spend time the way I want to. I always take an off on Sunday. Every year in June, I take a family vacation because that's when my son has holidays.

ques: The Sanjay Bhansali-produced Rowdy Rathore's poster seems to point to your return to action.

Akshay: The Faulad ki aulad poster has created a lot of curiosity. Such posters were seen back in the 1970s. This film demands a poster like it, and dialogues like khoon bhari maang and faulad ki aulad. In my free time, I practice martial arts but it took a vanvaas from action on screen. Now, I am eager to do such films. Rowdy Rathore, Once Upon A Time In Mumbai 2 and Khiladi 786, are all packed with action.

ques: Why did you choose to act in Himesh Reshammiya's Khiladi 786, considering his films have not done well?

Akshay: I do not go by box office success reports. The script of Khiladi 786 offers an actor a lot of scope.

ques: Isn't Himesh your co-star in the film too?

Akshay: He has a small role; I play the title role.

ques: So, it's action films and comedies coming up. When do we see you in a grand romance?

Akshay: Once Upon A Time In Mumbai 2 is a very romantic and passionate film although action forms a backdrop.

ques: How integral is your personal life to your success?

Akshay: Tina (Twinkle) is my greatest success! You can take away my films, my awards, my career, and I would survive, but I couldn't live a day without my wife and son. Tina has made me a home; one I can run to any minute. I want to share the rest of my life with her.


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[kiran]

Ranbir still haunts Dippy


Deepika Padukone is in a great phase of her career these days. After all, she has two major films ‘Desi Boyz’ and ‘Race 2’ lined up for release soon. Besides, there is an achievement award by a Mumbai institute that the actress has been named for. Though the controversies aren’t new for the leggy beauty, the latest is the alleged catfight between Dippy and her co-star Chitrangda Singh on the sets of ‘Desi Boyz’, over a costume. However, both Dippy and Chitra Singh vehemently refute it. Dippy says that the controversies don’t worry her any longer. She shrugs off the rumor as a figment of someone’s imagination.

Anyway, Dippy could afford to ignore controversies and rumors as she has already secured a good place for herself in the industry. However, in spite of all this, what irritate the Padukone babe are the references to her ex-flame Ranbir Kapoor. Ask her about her alleged patch-up with the Kapoor scion and she squirms. She isn’t yet ready to talk about him! She needs to take care of this too.

[kiran]

Desi Boyz, The Dirty Picture & Don 2: Films To Look Forward To

Which are the films one can hope to see opening well in the last seven weeks of this year?

Desi Boyz, The Dirty Picture and, of course, Don 2.

If really, smoking is almost banned in films for universal exhibition, what is the way out for producers?
Komal Nahta: To revolt against such a rule or to bear the consequences!

With Rockstar taking the initial it did this week, is it right to say that Ranbir Kapoor is also an initial wallah hero now?
Komal Nahta: His solo starrer, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, had taken a bumper opening in 2009.

[kiran]

Vidya Balan - | Photos | | India Today |

[kiran]

‘Ladies Vs Ricky Behl’

Isn’t it strange that ‘Ladies Vs Ricky Behl’ is being promoted without ladies? The film is titled ‘Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl’, but the ladies themselves haven’t been promoted at all. In fact, Yash Raj Films wants to promote Ranveer Singh to the hilt, and has therefore completely sidelined the actresses. Even Anushka Sharma has only been mentioned a few times while the other two — Parineeti Chopra and Dipannita Sharma — haven’t been even mentioned. One can understand that Ranveer may be a hot commodity, but one cannot miss the presence of ladies in its promotion.

Sadly, the first music video “Aadat Se Majboor” shows many girls without focusing on any of the three female actors. Justifying their action Rafiq Gangjee of YRF said, “Every film sets and demands its own marketing and promotional strategies. For ‘Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl’, we felt it would be much nicer if we let people first discover the debutant talent in the film. It would make the introduction more meaningful, and besides, we would prefer their performances to speak first”. Hope the audience is convinced of Rafiq’s clarification.

[kiran]

I am UK size 8: Anushka Sharma

Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma’s soon-to-release film, Ladies V/S Ricky Bahl, has trade circles buzzing and audience expectations soaring. Anushka is upbeat following the enthusiastic response to Jazbaa… her solo track.

While a large part of the film was shot in Amritsar, Delhi
and London, this track was picturised on the streets and a railway station in Mumbai, with Anushka prancing around with senior citizens, children and even the dabbawallahs.

“Shruti was ambitious but not street smart like this character, who lives alone in a big city and knows how to get even with con artists. Ricky meets his match in her,” the actor points out, adding that character’s lingo and look is very different from Band Baaja Baaraat.

That’s apparent with tabloids speculating on her diminishing waist and alarming weight loss through past-and-present pictures. Anusha retorts, “I didn’t want to go into technicalities and chose to remain silent when the article appeared. But when we were shooting ‘Jazbaa..’ the director of photography agreed that it’s easy to fool people by taking photographs from certain angles. It happens all the time on the teleshopping networks.”

She insists that even as a child, she was fit and sporty, dabbling in basketball, badminton and athletics, and naturally thin like 50 per cent young Indian girls “I have a high metabolism rate and can eat anything every two hours. I work out every single day, doing heavy weight training and cardio. I have a healthy lifestyle and no bad habits,” she reasons, pointing out that even in her first film, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (200, she was not a big girl. “For Ladies V/S Ricky Bahl, I was only asked to tone down. Since I am tall with long legs and a long torso, I look a little slimmer.”

There’s talk of her having gone down to a size zero. She is furious, “I’m a UK size 8. A size zero would be a 13-year-old girl. Do I look like I can get into a teenager’s clothes? I have a great body that I’m proud of, thank you so much.”

[kiran]

Anushka loses out on role for being too loud

Mumbai: Is Anushka too loud? Apparently that's why Anushka Sharma lost out on Habib Faisal's 'Ishaqzaade'.
Despite being one of the most sought-after actresses in Bollywood, Anushka Sharma has recently lost out on a plum film role that she had been coveting. The actress who auditioned for Habib Faisal's 'Ishaqzaade' was rejected as the makers deemed her to be too loud for the role.
A source adds, "Anushka had loved the script and was very keen to be part of the film. She auditioned for the role, but came across as a little too loud.

Ishaqzaade is a love story and there were certain specifications the makers were looking for as far as their lead characters go." The film is being produced by the same banner under which the actress made her debut.
The source adds that the female lead character in the film is mellow and subtle. However, the kind of energy and personality Anushka has, she would not gel with what's in the script.
Interestingly, Parineeti Chopra who has bagged the lead role in 'Ishaqzaade' will be debuting in 'Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl' with Anushka and Ranveer Singh. We wonder if there will be any tension between the two girls on the sets. Says the source, "Parineeti is a newcomer, she still has a long way to go. There is no reason Anushka needs to be insecure."
Sources also say that another reason why Anushka was kept out was because the production house wanted her to concentrate on 'Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl' and her next film with Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif, directed by Yash Chopra. The actress is also doing Vishal Bharadwj's 'Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola' opposite Imran Khan.
Anushka remained unavailable for comment.

[kiran]

Anushka hopes for a hattrick with LADIES V/S RICKY BAHL

This stems from the fact that LADIES V/S RICKY BAHL would be third film of hers to release in the second week of December, something which is turning out to be a constant fixture for her. In a superstitious industry like Bollywood, one can well say that after RAB NE BANA DI JODI (10th December 200, BAND BAAJA BAARAAT (12th December 2010) and now LADIES V/S RICKY BAHL (9th December 2011), Anushka has pretty much patented the slot.

''Aah! now to say that we were consciously planning it all would so contrived,' smiles Anushka, 'Really, it is not really a conscious call per se. I guess it is just that things are falling in place all by themselves. It is a good time to release a movie as holidays set in. Also since December is a month of festivals and celebrations, it works well for Bollywood as well. December is a month which has been lucky for me twice. I hope I can score a hat trick here.''

Well, when it comes to successes, Anushka must be looking forward to a great Diwali too next year. Since she would soon be beginning shoot of her next film with Chopras, this time with the head of the family - Yash Chopra - himself, Anushka is now reuniting with Shahrukh Khan again for this yet untitled film. No wonder, the Bangalore girl can well be expected to be quite happy with the state that she is currently finding herself in.

''See, the thing is that I feel very uncomfortable talking about my status and situation in the industry. If I say something flattering about myself, it just doesn't make any sense. What's the point in me passing an opinion on myself? Shouldn't this be done by the audience or others in the industry,'' questions Anushka who, after doing RAB NE BANA DI JODI, BADMAASH COMPANY and BAND BAAJA BAARAAT with Chopras, is now seeing good vibes coming her way for LADIES V/S RICKY BAHL too, a film which has practically the same team as BAND BAAJA BAARAAT.

Well Anushka, we will flatter you for sure if your spunky act continues to impress in LADIES V/S RICKY BAHL as well.

[kiran]

Anushka Sharma, Ranveer Singh play hide and seek!

Break–ups or patch–ups between actors has become a common scene these days especially if their film is up for release. And the latest ones to join the ‘not together’ gang are actors Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh. The Band Baaja Baraat duo is back in the news and, not for any professional reason this time. The actors have been heard making statements about their rumoured on and off relationship, as soon as the first promo of their next movie together, Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl went on air a couple of weeks back.

A source says, “In spite of being debutants, their first movie, was one of the few movies that did very well at the box office in 2010. And their jodi became an instant success. After that they were spotted at various events and also while shooting for their next film in Goa.Apart from having fun on the beaches, it was heard that they apparently were staying together too. However rumours about Ranveer and actor Sonakshi Sinha’s friendship started doing the rounds during this time. And post that, Ranveer acquired the title of serial-dater, which is what his character is in his upcoming film is. So now ‘we are not dating’ statements by them seem like a publicity stunt for their film.”

But this kind of publicity can prove harmful for the duo. “Both the actors should realise that their personal equations can have an effect on their fan following as a pair. For instance actors Shah Rukh Khan – Juhi Chawla or SRK – Kajol was always a hit as they were widely known to be best buddies and that helped them expand their fan base. So Anushka and Ranveer should take a cue from this. Also considering that they were actually very friendly while shooting for KBC, shrugging off talks of their relationship when in public events is not healthy for them!”

[kiran]

Sonakshi finds Ranveer over-friendly, irritating

In a surprising turn of events, Sonakshi Sinha has started to find her dream date, Ranveer Singh, annoying, over-friendly and irritating.

The beautiful Dabangg actress had once told Karan Johar, on Koffee With Karan, that she would love to date Band Baaja Baaraat discovery, Ranveer. The two even signed a movie together recently, which will go on floors early next year.

However, our sources say that Sonakshi has started avoiding Ranveer, finding him increasingly over-friendly and irritating.

Well, considering how Ranveer's new film is titled Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl, could it be the hunky actor is still in character? Watch this space for updates.


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