BOLLYWOOD (Hindi)

[kiran]

Paoli Dam's explicit sex talk irks censor board

Director Vivek Agnihotri is miffed. Thanks to the censor board, Paoli's explicit sex talk in the controversial promo of " Hate Story" will now have to be beeped changing the thrust of the film from being an erotic thriller to a mushy, romantic movie.

Says Vivek, "The censor board has old-fashioned people and we have no choice but to live with the norms. The soap operas show so much of vulgar stuff and yet, no one has any problem with that. Lovemaking scenes are being shown on television. There is so much of vulgarity in the minds of characters from popular serials. But no one is bothered. When it comes to the promos, we are told that we have to mute certain words. We have to cut a few things here and there. The scene where Paoli says: 'Main iss shehar ki sabse badi r**di banna chahti hoon (I want to be the biggest whore in the city)' and 'I f**k those who f**k with me' will be there though the words will be beeped. The result is that the promo is not representing the boldness of the movie. It's like buying a Merc but still having to negotiate bad traffic. However, when it comes to my film, I will not cut anything and will fight till the end. Mine is an adult film. It is not for kids and not meant for adults who think like kids."

However, the promos on YouTube will remain uncensored. "YouTube has very international laws of censorship. We are also finding out ways of using the digital media to screen these promos. We have a confused government and don't know what to do with life," he says.

Talking about performances, Vivek says he is lucky to have got someone like Paoli Dam who is "hungry to make a mark in Hindi cinema" and her ease to shed her voluptuous look. "Voluptuousness doesn't work in Bollywood. It might work in South Indian and Bengali cinema. But in Bollywood, the rules are different. Kareena too changed herself when she went for size zero. Paoli hit the gym thrice a day with Prashant Sawant, who trained SRK to get his six-pack abs and Ajay Devgn's body in "Singham". Paoli is on par with any international actor," he insists.

What about rumours that her character is to some extent modelled on that of Sharon Stone in " Basic Instinct"? "This is the most original script by Vikram Bhatt. It has an Indianized commercial setting," the director says, adding, "A journalist told me that Paoli has left Sharon Stone far behind while doing this movie. She can turn you on with her clothes on by just having the audience stare at her eyes!"

[kiran]

Vivek Agnihotri asked Paoli to stand naked for HATE STORY


One may accuse the makers of HATE STORY to be going a little overboard here but prod them on and they seem to be quite serious about the comparisons being made. If the unabashed erotic content put on display by debutant Paoli Dam for HATE STORY wasn't enough then here is more. As per director Vivek Agnihotri, she is - hold your breath - the next Kajol in the making and would soon establish her presence as an actress par excellence who won't be restricting herself to only those films that are abound with skin show and foul language.

While one continues to be amazed with the comparisons being made, especially since Kajol has seldom been known to drop clothes, Paoli's director is unstoppable by this time.

Says Vivek, ''The point I am making is about confidence and attitude, not skin show. For such actresses, after a point you don't just care about their physicality; instead you see their eyes and know there and then how they are performing on a scene. This is the reason why Kajol and Madhuri are the milestone actresses and now Paoli too is up there. She was always acclaimed as an actress in Bengal; now she would be popular on an all-India level.''

[kiran]

Vidya had to undergo more than 60 tests to bag Parineeta

She is one of the most sought after actresses today but her journey in filmdom wasn't a cake walk.

Vidya Balan had to give over 60 screen tests for her debut Bollywood film, Parineeta.

After appearing in several ad films and music videos, she made her debut in B-town with Vidhu Vinod Chopra's home production in 2005.

"I was doing ad films and I had signed quite a few South films but then I went through a phase of being called jinxed because my first South film was stopped midway and then other directors threw me out of their films. I started doing music videos but Dada (director Pradeep Sarkar) had told me he would make a film with me," Vidya told reporters here, last night at the Vidhu Vinod Chopra festival.

"He (Pradeep Sarkar) went to Chopra (Producer) with the script and Chopra wanted a bigger star but he also said if I am able to show that I can do the role then they will take me. I gave over 60 tests right from Indian look, western look, curly hair, straight hair, song, emotional scene, etc. I kept doing it but later I was fed up as I was not aware if they were really going to take me or not," Vidya said.

"And the moment I gave up was the time when I got the film," 34-year-old actress recalled.

Producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra made her undergo gruelling tests for the role of Lalita, till she got it right.

"We tested her 60-65 times. After a few tests I saw her looking at the camera and abusing me. The fact that she was desperate to do the film, it showed in those 60-65 tests. But when she did not give a damn was the time when she performed. If you are desperate for something you won't get it," Chopra said.

"Vidya became Vidya Balan when she stopped caring. I am happy that she sustained those 65 odd tests and did not give up and look where she is today," he said.

The Dirty Picture star also revealed that even director Pradeep Sarkar, made her do 28 takes to capture an emotional moment in the song Raat Humari Toh.

Parineeta besides Vidya, also starred Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt in pivotal roles and was a hit at the box office.

PVR Cinemas, in association with Chopra has organized a first of its kind retrospective of his films as a tribute to mark his completion of 30 years in the film industry.

On the second day of the fest when Parineeta was screened, those present on the occasion included Vidya, Raima Sen, Pradeep Sarkar, cinematographer Natarajan Subramaniam and music director Shantanu Moitra among others.


Read more at: Vidya had to undergo more than 60 tests to bag Parineeta

[kiran]

Sanjay, SRK to come together for KJo film

Sanjay Dutt and Shah Rukh Khan have come together on screen just once. In the title song of the SRK starrer Om Shanti Om in 2007.

But if all goes well, the two superstars may soon share more than just a dance step on screen in Agneepath director Karan Malhotra's next.

While there had been rumours about the 'next' venture in question being a sequel to Malhotra's 2012 blockbuster Agneepath, the filmmaker told us that it would be an original idea.

"All I can say at the moment is that I do have a film in mind and it's not a sequel or a remake. As soon as I have a clearer picture I will first tell my producer Karan Johar about it, then share it with the world," Malhotra told Mirror.

Our source close to Dharma Productions however indicated that the filmmaker's next project would be a rugged action film with 'tailor-made' roles for Dutt and SRK. While the two actors have been very friendly off screen, they had never come together for a full-fledged production ever. This would be the first.

Moreover, Karan Johar's production house that was rumoured to be moving away from their favourite hero Shah Rukh is planning two projects with the actor in the coming year. Our source revealed, that Malhotra would definitely direct one of them.

[kiran]

Ritesh Deshmukh on a roll

The newly married Ritesh Deshmukh is gearing up for work in the multi – starrer, Housefull 2, the sequel to Sajid Khan’s, Houseful.

We get him talking about what his married life is like and the four sequels — Housefull 2, Total Dhamaal, Masti 2, Kya Super Kool Hai Hum – that he has lined up, and also why he does not like comedies.

We asked him if he believed that men changed after marriage now that he has crossed over to the other side.

With a laugh and a look like he was thinking back to his bachelor days he said, “Yeah, I’m not single anymore. I guess Genelia will notice I have changed or not since we have known each other for a very long time.

Talking about coming to terms with the fact of being married, he cannot seem to decide. He feels that at the time there were too many things happening and what with his brother getting married after three weeks of his wedding and his own shooting schedule of Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya and dubbing for a film just a day before the sangeet ceremony of his wedding.

Then he was shooting for Filmfare awards and after his reception he had to play a cricket match in Hyderabad.

His schedule during the time of his wedding was so hectic that it appeared that his wedding was an event on the side lines.

About coming to terms with being married, he says that he will have to wait till Housefull 2 is over and done with before the will have some time to let reality sink in.

Commenting on Housefull 2 he says that it is a different situation and a sequel to part one therefore the humour quotient will change.

He says, “Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya was a success, so there is a sequel to it. When you do a sequel, you are almost repeating the genre, the character and the style. As an actor, I would love to do something else also.”

He admits saying, “The four funny people that I have met are Karan Johar, Farah Khan, Sajid Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala.”

[kiran]

January wedding for Saif and Bebo?

Mumbai: Speculations have been rife about the impending marriage of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor for some time now. The couple, who have been dating for many years now, have remained evasive about the issue and only hinted about their wedding plans. But now, according to a tabloid, the couple are most likely to tie the knot in January 2013.

Speaking to the tabloid, a source close to the couple said, "Saif and Kareena have decided to tie the knot early next year. It would either be January 2013 or early February. The venue and the functions are to be finalised."

Kareena had hinted that she would become the ‘Begum of Pataudi’ by the end of this year, while promoting ‘Agent Vinod’. In fact, news had it that the couple were planning to tie the knot soon after the release of ‘Agent Vinod’. But now it seems, both Saif and Kareena are busy completing their film projects and have postponed their wedding to a later date. Kareena is currently shooting for Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Heroine’. Post ‘Heroine’, she will start working on Sanjay Leela Bhansali`s film with Ranveer Singh which will be wrapped up by the end of this year. The wedding dates will be chalked out after that.

Earlier this year, Saif had said, "Marriage is a question that I won`t answer until I am done with the release of Agent Vinod."
Now that the film has released, is Saif finally going to speak about it?

[kiran]

Salman Khan gifts an item song to Ajay Devgn

When Devgn approached Salman for an item number in Son of Sardar, he readily agreed.

Bollywood is a mutually admiration and gifting film industry. Actors do not mind lending their starry appeal to good friends. The latest in case is Salman Khan who will be doing an item number in an Ajay Devgn film.

Ajay Devgn is ensuring that his next film Son of Sardar that also stars Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha and Juhi Chawla gets bigger and better. So when he asked good friend Salman Khan for an item song in the film, Salman agreed without second thoughts.

The song will soon be shot in Mumbai on a lavish scale. And in true Bollywood style, Salman will be apparently doing the item song without taking any fee for it. What are friends for after all!

Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn have been good friends ever since they did Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam a decade back. Though London Dreams might have bombed at the box-office, it only got them closer as friends. Just last year Ajay Devgn did a cameo in Salman Khan's Ready. Now it's Salman's time to return the favour.

[kiran]

Sachin Tendulkar headed to Bollywood?

Sachin Tendulkar may soon be seen dancing around trees instead of swinging his bat on the field. Rumours are rife that the Little Master, who recently completed his 100th ODI century, is all set to make his big screen debut in filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Ferrari Ki Sawari. And, author Shobhaa
De’s tweet suggests it may be more than just a special appearance.

“There’s a distinct impression that Sachint is preparing for a new innings. In Bollywood. Fans will be over the moon if that happens,” De tweeted on Friday. When we asked her about it, she said, “I’ve just said that it’s an impression. It’s a remark made by Vidhu Vinod Chopra that he is trying to ask him to do a cameo, but it may turn out to be nothing more than that. Sachin might even look at it from a serious point of view and if that happens, it’ll be great.” Sachin’s fans are ecstatic. Director Anees Bazmee says, “I’d love to see him in movies ... I’m sure he’ll do good.” Filmmaker Subhash Ghai, however, says, “Let us be masters of our own field... Can you imagine Salman Khan hitting a century?” Cricketers who tried their hand at acting and failed include Sunil Gavaskar and Ajay Jadeja.

[kiran]

Blood Money Review: You won’t stay beyond the interval

It would take the Bhatts, those grand-masters of morality tales, a very long time to live down this one. Clotted with cliches and cluttured with trite situations straight out of the Bhatts’ earlier impressive oeuvre, “Blood Money” dives into a cesspool of predictable characters who we know are heading nowhere. And we couldn’t care less.

"Blood Money" suffers from a serious deluge of monotonous scenes where the actors speak their line as though in a radio play.
Debutant director Vishal Mahadkar seems to vacillate between high-anxiety and laziness. He lets the plot hang loose at the most crucial junctures prompting us to wonder if the director lost interest, just like we do after a point.

There are seeds of an engaging morality tale here. A bright-eyed eager-to-succeed MBA from India arrives in Cape Town with his equally wide-eyed wife.They take in the grand lifestyle with squeals and gasps that kindergarten children would recognise when they visit the zoo for the first time.

The scenic location is shot with a kind of inert aloofness that comes to the camera when it knows it’s shooting a no-go.

Once in Cape Town, the directors simply flops down to a kind of cinematic siesta from which the narrative seldom wakes up. Plodding through a sequence of long-winded images denoting the protagonist’s (Kunal Khemu) descent into a diamond-studded hell, we are left with a film that has too much to say, and doesn’t say it well enough to hold our interest.

At the outset, Khemu’s idealistic wife(Amrita Puri) tells us their posh mansion reminds her of the chocolate-coated home in Hansel & Gretel. Before one could chew on that one, the director moves to an elaborate sequence in an Italian restaurant where, vis-à-vis Khemu’s growing awareness of the “money trap” laid down by his bosses, his boss snarls, “So you want to taste the dish or investigate what’s going on in the kitchen?”

We really don’t know what’s gone into the slow-cooking plot of “Blood Money”. The screenwriters seem to have decided on piling on the predictable with no respite in sight. The songs credited to four composers come on with a desperate intensity that fails to impress us about the film’s noble intentions.

“Blood Money” purports to be an eye-catching soul-piercing take on misguided ambition, degeneration and redemption. But it fails to generate any kind of original perception on the subject. Worse, there are sure signs of laziness in the storytelling where the original intention of creating a sense of foreboding and suspense in the hero’s morally challenged world, falls apart leaving gaping holes in the narration.

The film talks of maladies and aberrations in a multi-billion corporate house. But on screen, all we see is one snarling tycoon and his hyper-ventilating brother whose sophisticated-goons’ acts are as intimidating as two amateur guys trying to hold up a bank with a toy gun.

Khemmu tries his utmost to inject earnestness into his bland role. He fights off the cliches to come up with some heart-melting emotional moments.But he can’t really hold up a film that sags like an over-the-hill diva’s face-lifted glamour.

Puri as Khemu’s wife succumbs to the vast legacy of dejà vu that her role carries. From Mumtaz in Vijay Anand’s “Tere Mere Sapne” to Sonal Chauhan in Kunal Deshmukh’s “Jannat“, leading ladies have forever watched their husbands lose their moral ground with no hope of redemption. Puri is way back in the queue.

“Blood Money” suffers from a serious deluge of monotonous scenes where the actors speak their line as though in a radio play. We hear them loud and clear. But we fail to empathize with the cleverness that the dialogue tries to achieve in scattered showers.

By the time Khemu’s character takes that tumble in the hay on the office desk with the office whore, we know the film and its main character are doomed.

Salvation in this film is that exit door which we rush to when the end-credits roll. Provided we last that long.

[kiran]

Movie Review 'Blood Money': Bhatts' recycled morality tale disappoints

Movie review Blood Money; Starring: Kunal Khemu, Amrita Puri, Manish Chaoudhary, Sunil Sickand. Directed: by Vishal Mahadkar; Rating: * 1/2

It would take the Bhatts, those grand-masters of morality tales, a very long time to live down this one. Clotted with cliches and cluttered with trite situations straight out of the Bhatts' earlier impressive oeuvre, Blood Money dives into a cesspool of predictable characters who we know are heading nowhere.And we couldn't care less.

Debutant director Vishal Mahadkar seems to vacillate between high-anxiety and laziness. He lets the plot hang loose at the most crucial junctures prompting us to wonder if the director lost interest, just like we do after a point.

There are seeds of an engaging morality tale here. A bright-eyed eager-to-succeed MBA from India arrives in Cape Town with his equally wide-eyed wife.They take in the grand lifestyle with squeals and gasps that kindergarten children would recognise when they visit the zoo for the first time.

The scenic location is shot with a kind of inert aloofness that comes to the camera when it knows it's shooting a no-go.

Once in Cape Town, the directors simply flops down to a kind of cinematic siesta from which the narrative seldom wakes up. Plodding through a sequence of long-winded images denoting the protagonist's (Kunal Khemu) descent into a diamond-studded hell, we are left with a film that has too much to say, and doesn't say it well enough to hold our interest.

At the outset, Kunal Khemu's idealistic wife (Amrita Puri) tells us their posh mansion reminds her of the chocolate-coated home in Hansel & Gretel. Before could chew on that one, the director moves to an elaborate sequence in an Italian restaurant where, vis-à-vis Khemu's growing awareness of the "money trap" laid down by his bosses, his boss snarls, "So you want to taste the dish or investigate what's going on in the kitchen?"

We really don't know what's gone into the slow-cooking plot of "Blood Money". The screenwriters seem to have decided on piling on the predictable with no respite in sight. The songs credited to four composers come on with a desperate intensity that fails to impress us about the film's noble intentions.

"Blood Money" purports to be an eye-catching soul-piercing take on misguided ambition, degeneration and redemption. But it fails to generate any kind of original perception on the subject. Worse, there are sure signs of laziness in the storytelling where the original intention of creating a sense of foreboding and suspense in the hero's morally challenged world, falls apart leaving gaping holes in the narration.

The film talks of maladies and aberrations in a multi-billion corporate house. But on screen, all we see is one snarling tycoon and his hyper-ventilating brother whose sophisticated-goons' acts are as intimidating as two amateur guys trying to hold up a bank with a toy gun.

Khemu tries his utmost to inject earnestness into his bland role. He fights off the cliches to come up with some heart-melting emotional moments.But he can't really hold up a film that sags like an over-the-hill diva's face-lifted glamour.

Amrita Puri as Khemu's wife succumbs to the vast legacy of dejà vu that her role carries. From Mumtaz in Vijay Anand's "Tere Mere Sapne" to Sonal Chauhan in Kunal Deshmukh's "Jannat", leading ladies have forever watched their husbands lose their moral ground with no hope of redemption. Puri is way back in the queue.

"Blood Money" suffers from a serious deluge of monotonous scenes where the actors speak their line as though in a radio play. We hear them loud and clear. But we fail to empathize with the cleverness that the dialogue tries to achieve in scattered showers.

By the time Khemu's character takes that tumble in the hay on the office desk with the office whore, we know the film and its main character are doomed.

Salvation in this film is that exit door which we rush to when the end-credits roll.

Provided we last that long.