Saturday, November 28, 2009

Different strokes for Kat


On the sets of Rajneeti, Prakash Jha has had to deal with much more than temper tantrums. It took Jha a lot of time to explain the concept of continuity to the film’s lead actress Katrina Kaif.


It is said that Katrina’s role is fashioned after Sonia Gandhi. Thus, a lot of effort and styling has gone into deglamourising the usually sensual actress. She has to maintain a sari-clad look sans make up, which is far from the way she has been portrayed in her past films.


Our source said, “Katrina did not seem to understand the importance of continuity. Every other day, she would turn up on the sets looking completely different. Often, Jha would be surprised to see Katrina looking like a different person altogether. He had to summon her make-up man to get her look redone; to make it match the look in the last scene on the previous day.”


The funny bit is the fact that Katrina never seemed to realise this. She would simply say, “Main to waisi hi lag rahi hoon, different nahin.”


Naturally, a lot of time was wasted while the make-up man worked on Katrina’s look. Jha denied the story saying, “What rubbish! Katrina’s character undergoes a metamorphosis in the film but I never had a continuity problem with her and didn’t lose any time either. She was perfect.”


Katrina, of course, echoed Prakash Jha’s statement.

Vivek is sorry no more!


Vivek Oberoi on love, life and a fresh innings in Bollywood.


You have got some good reviews for your role in Kurbaan.

Yes. I have not stopped smiling since the film's release. At one of the trials, Bebo (Kareena Kapoor) and Saif (Ali Khan) did tell me that I was good in the film. Then Karan (Johar) and Rensil (D'Silva)also told me the same thing. I had not seen the film till then as I was shooting in Hyderabad. It was a nice feeling when Karan told me 'finally you make me proud.' I saw the film just a day before its release and I had knots in my stomach. I was very nervous but I was with people who have always been kind to me. There were Shah Rukh and Gauri, Imran and his fiancée Avantika, Yash uncle, Davidji (Dhawan). They all hugged me and said I was good.


• Why have you not done a romantic film after Saathiya?

Honestly, I really don't know. Kurbaan has got a romantic track but Mission Istanbul and Shootout At Lokhandwala had zero romance. I have not done an out-and-out romantic film and I am really looking forward to doing one.


• People are saying that you have changed and that you want to leave the controversies behind and concentrate only on your work.

I wanted this for a really long time. However, after Shootout ... things did not fall in place. Almost four years ago, when I did Omkara, I saw Saif getting under the skin of the character Langda Tyagi. I loved the work ethics. That's when I thought that I should stop doing what I was doing, but I had a backlog to finish. Then my close friend Amit Chandra sat me down and helped me streamline my life so that I could practically achieve what I was trying to. Now, I have learnt not to take anything for granted.


• How did Ramu and you patch up?

I don't think patch up is the right word as we were never at loggerheads. I will never have the audacity to say anything against Ramu and as an artiste, I will always be indebted to him for giving me Company. But when he called me and told me 'I will never work with you again', I was shocked. Now, when he called me and said that he had something for me, I was so happy. When I met him, he said that he could see the same passion in my eyes again and gave me Rakta Charitra. I felt exactly the same on the first day of Rakta Charitra that I felt on the first day on the sets of Company. Ramu made me feel so comfortable.


• You have done some amazing stunts in Prince, something which you are not known for.

Yes. Kookie Gulati is quite a whiz kid. I did so many things that I cannot possibly explain — right from learning how to skateboard, doing parkour, learning cable work, to action training. I had to put so many things into my system that after the training session, things became easier.


• You have said that you are done with apologising to people.

I made a mistake and it is human to make mistakes. Personally, I think it's humbling and it's also building character to stand up and say I made a mistake and please forgive me. It is always an ego-based thing to say that why should I apologise. It is a real man who can say 'I am sorry' and that too in public. I have said sorry to the assistant director whom I was rude to, I have said sorry to the movie star whom I had a fight with and I even said sorry to the director I snapped at.


• I have not done an out-and-out romantic film and I am really looking forward to doing one

I want to be a mom: Shilpa


Barely two days after her grandiose wedding, Shilpa Shetty-Kundra – that’s how she wants to be known now – feels she’s on top of the world. “Thank God, I plan to get married only once! This has been the most exhausting week of my life .


And also the happiest. I’ve waited so long for my wedding. Outwardly, the only thing that’s different is the choodas, and the way I’m dressed. Inside me, everything feels the same. I’ve known Raj for so long that it feels no different otherwise,” says the not-so-blushing bride!


“I have a severe jaw ache from all the smiling at the reception. Now I know why my colleagues avoid wedding receptions! It really does get impossible to manage the entire crowd,” she adds. Apparently, there were more gatecrashers at the reception than guests. “At the wedding too, there were people climbing trees and walls to take photographs,” Shilpa giggles. “But it was a far more intimate, private and controlled affair than the reception. Shamita kept saying that she felt she was part of a Punjabi wedding sequence from a movie!”


After her effervescent laughter finally subsides, Shilpa says soberly, “The wedding was very traditional and simple. I felt I was going through a dream. My marriage was exactly the way I had imagined it.” The Kundras will now leave for their honeymoon, followed by a Mediterranean cruise for the entire family. Says Shilpa happily, “We’re going to the Bahamas for our honeymoon. Then after we return, Raj is taking our entire family, all the Shettys and the Kundras, on a Mediterranean cruise for Christmas. He thought everyone needed a break.”


And where does Mrs Kundra plan to live now, Mumbai, or London? “I have to get acquainted with Raj’s circle of friends in London, get used to socialising with them.Yes, we’ll have two homes now. In any case, I was always travelling to and fro. Now I’ll be doing this even more! I have my film-production company in Mumbai. So I can’t be in London only.”


Talk about motherhood, and Shilpa’s all eager, “Oh yes! I certainly want to be a mother. I can’t wait to start our family.”


Genelia back with Katha


Telugu moviegoers are dissatisfied this year, but why? Because in 2009, they could watch only one new film from gorgeous Genelia, whereas the previous years saw an average of 3-4 Genelia movies releasing in Telugu! The reason is not far to seek; the actress has been concentrating more on her Bollywood films: Life Partner, It's My Life and Chance Pe Dance, to build a stunning career in Hindi as well!


Luckily for Tollywood fans, Genelia has no plans to leave her them completely disappointed! The actress will soon come up with her second Telugu film of the year Katha, being directed by debutant Srinivas Raga and produced by Gunnam Gangaraju. After Kangna Ranaut, who recently charged one crore for her Telugu debut Darling, Genelia is being paid one crore for Katha.


According to sources, Katha has already completed its shooting and is expected to grace screens in December. Music director S.K. Balachander has set music to four songs. The cast includes Prakashraj, Raghubabu and Shafi. Cinematography is by Andrew and art is by Ravinder.

Navdeep admits and clarifies facts


In his 15-film career, Navdeep has had to deal with more flops than hits, but the actor is not one to give up. the 24-year-old who has been missing in action, is all set to make a Tollywood comeback and has three films slated for a back-to-back release.


Despite making waves in the Tamil film industry with Arinthum Ariyamalum, Navdeep, who was last seen in a small cameo in Ready, says he is keen on moulding his Tollywood career again. “In the last two years, I did three Tamil films and have also been shooting for Arya-2. This is probably why my fans didn’t get to see much of me. Also, my previous Tollywood movies didn’t do well and I was waiting for something interesting,” he says.


Out from a “hibernation” of sorts, Navdeep is treading cautiously in the industry now. “While I enjoy working in both the industries, Tollywood is where I feel at home. But when I choose films here, I’m extra careful, since the Telugu film industry is more image conscious and hero-centric,” he adds.


The young actor also admits that his no-show at the box office is because of a few “obligatory” movies he did. “I used to oblige friends who approached me with requests and most of them bombed. But now I’ve learnt not to yield to pressure,” says Navdeep, who is now helping his brother find his footing in the film industry. “I help Parthu get in touch with the right people, but nothing beyond that,” he clarifies.


For an actor keen to make his mark in Tollywood, Navdeep is conspicuous by his absence at most filmy dos. “I prefer staying away from filmy bashes. I don’t like to be in a place where all film stars do is talk about movies. I don’t think they live in the real world, which is why I prefer staying away,” he says.


Why Allu Arjun's dance is incredible...


With his tantalising dance moves in films like 'Arya', 'Bunny', 'Happy Days' and 'Parugu', young star Allu Arjun earned the fame that he was one of the best dancers in Telugu cinema. In his latest film Arya2, Arjun has performed near-impossible dancing. Yes, some of them you can't believe with your eyes. We call for suspension of disbelief.


In songs like Guppedantha gunde premaki and at the beginning of the song Ringa ringa, his dance is simply amazing. You will say the 'ekalavya shishya' of Michael Jackon, to whom he has dedicated the movie, is, by any standard, one of the most amazing dancers in South India.

Arjun recently confessed that he learnt dance mostly by himself, by hanging to the wall of his practice room, the photos of his three biggest idols - Chiranjeevi, Michael Jackson and Prabhu Deva. After watching Arya2, you will say that Prabhu Deva and Chiranjeevi will openly speak big of him.


In fact, one of the biggest high points of Arya2 is his dance.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Arya 2 movie Review


Cast: Allu Arjun, Navdeep, Ajay, Kajal, Shraddha Das and others.

Banner: Aditya Arts.

Cinematography: RD Rajasekhar.

Editing: Marthand K. Venkatesh.

Music: Devisri Prasad.

Presenter: BVSN Prasad.

Producer: Aditya Babu.

Direction: Sukumar.

Release Date: November 27, 2009


Allu Arjun and Kajal Aarya is torn between love and friendship, and till the end we are not sure if he is just plain crazy, crazy about his friend or utterly selfish. There are some surprises, a certain amount of predictability and the tiny touches here and there we've come to expect out of Sukumar's debut and sole other film. Whereas Aarya in Aarya was an adorable, papaam kind of guy (but with the ability to bash up 20 men-just that he prefers not to), Aarya in Aarya-2 is eccentric, chain-smoking alcoholic, whose friendship with Ajay seems forced, almost violent initially. The narration and screenplay deserve a mention. The movie starts with Navdeep who plays Ajay proclaiming that 'with a friend like Aarya, there is no need of enemies'.


Aarya and Ajay belong to an orphanage, and Aarya befriends Ajay. He sets the rules, Ajay tolerates him. Ajay is adopted by a rich family and Aarya grows up to be an embarassment to the now polished, educated Ajay who heads a company. Aarya somehow bags a job in that company on the condition that a single complaint and he's out. So a whole new Aarya emerges 'Mr. Perfect'. Geeta joins the company, wins admirers but of course Ajay and Geeta fall in love with her. Aarya shows his real side to Geeta, Geeta grows to detest him and Ajay churns out his own plans to get Geeta. Meanwhile her family fixes her marriage to their rivals (to befriend them) and end faction in..where else? Rayalaseema. And another adventure post-break.


Remember how in Aarya he throws a coin into coke paper cups? Well here he tosses heads or tails for all the major life decisions. Like who gets the girl. If Ajay calls heads, and heads it is, then Aarya wins. How? Everything that Ajay owns is his. The office has a bunch of characters, like Brahmanandam playing Dasavatharam with his insight on psychology, Shraddha Das as Shanti-a manic-depressive girl hopelessly in love with Mr. Perfect. What works-Aarya's love for his friend, his madness for the girl and a couple of twists and turns. The deterring point here is that actually the character itself is not exactly likeable-he is obsessive, then in the office its all nothing but pretence and even though we see the honest and likeable side post-break, helped by a little mischief on the part of Ajay, he IS pretty neurotic. Oh and the little touches? He bashes up people if they are rude to Ajay and then performs first-aid on them or calls for an ambulance. And the director adds stuff like this here and there (spoilers).


Arjun acts, overacts, reacts, overreacts, dances, prances, keeps a poker face, sobs, weeps and does a few back flips too. Whew. Navdeep maintains a serious face throughout, only coming alive post-break. Kajal does the whole bubbly act that's expected out of our female leads and she also steals a scene or two only towards the end. Ajay plays a Rayalaseema hulk, a little dim but also madly in love with Geeta, and the scenes between Arjun and Ajay are fun; cheesy, but fun. The climax drags a little, but seems crucial for the necessary closure required for all those people in this love circle.


The music is good, though for some reason, a lot of the lyrics have been changed in the movie. The choreography is good, although it gets a little repetitive. Arjun dances like never before. The item song will stay on the charts as will the club song, along with both the love songs. Mr. Perfect is cute.


Aarya 2 lacks the simplicity of its predecessor; but the complexity and eccentricity of the protagonist and all his relationships is what defines this movie.

John joins anti-AIDS movement


John Abraham and Smita Thackeray have come together for a mission — to eradicate AIDS.


The ‘I Pledge’ campaign of Smita Thackeray-helmed Mukti Foundation took off with actor John Abraham as the face of the campaign.


“When it comes to eradicating HIV/AIDS, it is the attitude that makes the difference,” says Smita Thackeray. Considering that more than 2.5 million AIDS cases in India will be moving to more alarming levels by 2010, according to CIA’s National Intelligence Council Report, Smita’s move seems to be very timely. The anti-AIDS crusader has also roped in John Abraham for the campaign. John was recently voted the sexiest Asian man of the year by a leading British Asian weekly.


Says Smita Thackeray, “HIV can be prevented, but it is our attitude that sees it becoming an alarming monster. I have taken a pledge to eradicate HIV and wanted a youth icon to take the same pledge and encourage our youth to do the same.”


Says John, “When I realised the essence of Smitaji’s campaign, I immediately wanted to be a part of it. As a public figure, I want to make the difference. I felt that it was time for us to act, and to pledge for an AIDS-free life. I want the youth to stand up and pledge to practice safe sex, to be faithful to our partners, get ourselves tested for HIV, and not to discriminate a HIV-affected patient, spread awareness, use new syringes and not visit commercial sex workers. I have pledged and I want others to follow the same. We will make that difference with our commitment.”


Adds Smita Thackeray, “The idea is that we should all pledge together and show our commitment towards the cause of eradicating AIDS, because together we can, together we are, together we will fight AIDS from our country. John is the perfect choice as the face of this movement.”


‘I Pledge’, the public interactive campaign, aims to take a pledge from the public where each individual makes a promise that they would contribute in their own small way to eradicate HIV. On-ground activities are being organised at public places like malls, multiplexes and other youth hangouts from Nov 29-Dec 1.


Maoist shadow over IFFI


Maoists are set to cast a shadow on the 40th International Film Festival of India.


Red Alert-The War Within, a Hindi film that travels into the Naxalite heartland of Andhra Pradesh, will premiere on Saturday evening in the presence of its director, Ananth Mahadevan, and its lead actors Suniel Shetty and Sameera Reddy.


Red Alert, theatre and screen actor Mahadevan’s eighth film as director, is a world apart from run-of-the-mill Bollywood. It captures the gritty, the grimy and the gory with unwavering focus, taking Indian political cinema a step forward towards acquiring mainstream currency.


Red Alert is riveting fare. It journeys into the Maoist-infested jungles of Andhra Pradesh to craft a searing portrait of a Naxalite dalam in action. The filmmakes no concessions to Bollywood conventions - it has no glamour, no songs, and no crowd-pleasing diversions. What it does have in abundance is frisson and energy. It adopts an edgy style that is perfectly in keeping with the bleak, benighted setting of the drama.


"I was clear from the very outset that Red Alert would have to be brutally uncompromising. I did not want any melodrama or scenes of high emotion in the film. There was no room for all that in this setting," says Mahadevan.


Co-scripted by him and writer-director Aruna Raje, this ’real’ tale of a poverty-stricken farm labourer, the director says, is not so much about Maoism as about one man’s moral and physical struggle to give himself and his children a better life.


This struggle pits the man, Narasimha, against his own conscience and the vicious environment that he lives in. He is sucked into the world of the Maoists - he hopes to make enough money by working for them to educate his children - but he ends up antagonising them. So he is fan on the run from himself, his erstwhile associates and the law.


Red Alert is unlike anything that theatre, television and film veteran Mahadevan has done before. His big-screen directorial debut was 2002’s retro musical, Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar. He followed it up with commercially oriented films like Dil Maange More, Aksar and Aggar.


Besides Suniel Shetty, who plays Narasimha with just the right mix of vulnerability and virility, Red Alert has an array of fine actors in the cast - Vinod Khanna, Ashish Vidyarthy, Seema Biswas, Ayesha Dharkar, Makarand Deshpande and Naseeruddin Shah.


"It was a tad difficult for some of the actors to reconcile themselves to the tone and approach of the film. But once they got the hang of things, they gave their roles everything they had," says Mahadevan.


Red Alert, which won a critics’ award at the Stuttgart ’Bollywood and Beyond’ Film Festival earlier this year, fetched lead actor Suniel Shetty a prize for best acting at the recent South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) in New York. Says the Bollywood star: "I have been in the film industry for nearly 20 years but I’ve never won any acting award. And now I have an international award in my kitty."


"I’m so happy for Suniel," says Mahadevan. "He really got into the skin of Narasimha." The screen character emerged from a newspaper report that the director had read a year or so ago about a man on the run from both the police and his one-time comrades, the Maoists.


"Red Alert isn’t so much about the problem of Maoism as it is about one man cornered by a system that he can barely comprehend," explains Mahadevan. "In essence, the human drama is universal despite the fact that it addresses a burning Indian issue. All rebellions begin with a just cause and then distortions creep in and violence takes over."


Shetty, on his part, has reason to be delighted at how the film has shaped up. "The discussions that we had prior to and during the shoot really helped me grasp the essence of the character," says the actor who has built his career predominantly around action films and comedies. "The last offbeat film I did was Gulzar’s Hu Tu Tu. That was another high point."


Shetty feels that having a woman as a screenwriter was a big advantage. "The humanist perspective and the strong female characters set Red Alert apart… What the film says in no uncertain terms is that violence can never be a solution."

Namitha sizzles again


After the Jaganmohini debacle, Namitha is badly in need of a hit to salvage her position as the ‘oomph queen’ of south cinema. Newer sirens like Mumaith Khan and Rachna Maurya are breathing down her neck.


But Namitha has not given up, as her first Malayalam film Black Stallion, directed by commercial filmmakers Pramod and Pappan, gets ready for release.


Her role in the film, for which she is reported to have been paid her highest salary, is also said to be her most glamorous till date. The producers of the film, after seeing the first copy, have chosen to get it dubbed in Tamil as Nil Gavani Ennai Kadhali and in Telugu as Iddaru Monagallu. The trade is going ga-ga over the stills from the movie in which Namitha is said to have exposed the maximum so far in her career. Her pictures in the film have become one of the hottest downloads on the Internet. Namitha is sure to set the temperature soaring in Black Stallion as she is shown stepping into a swimming pool.


Though she doesn’t don a bikini, she wears a see-through white top, and has also done some hot bedroom scenes with Tamil actor Bala, who has now become popular in Malayalam. The movie has Kalabhavan Mani, Bala and Namitha in the lead. The wafer thin storyline of the film has Namitha playing a bar dancer named Laura, who is on the run from the villain — a cop played by Kalabhavan Mani. Bala, who plays a photographer, turns out to be her saviour. All that Namitha is willing to say about Black Stallion is, “My role in this film demands glamour, but there is also scope for performance.”

Ranbir is special: Sonam


Despite her two films, Saawariya and Delhi 6, not making way for her at the box office, Sonam Kapoor is still counted among Bollywood’s more sensational leading ladies.


She did manage to pick up accolades for her two performances and is being closely watched by the big daddies of cinema because she has talent in abundance... not to mention that ‘it’ quality to make her soar. In one of those off-the-cuff interviews, Sonam talks to BT about her leading men, and her varying chemistry with each of them...


Ranbir Kapoor

My chemistry with Ranbir is special. Ranbir will also always be the most special co-star in my life because he is my first hero. After Saawariya I was offered a couple of films with him but if we haven’t worked together, it is because I’ve decided that when we do team up it must be for something sensational. I don’t want to do a multiple heroine project with him. Both of us must have equal parts.


Imran Khan

Shooting for I Hate Luv Stories is a riot. Imran and I are like two puppies always getting at each other. Our pairing is similar to the Dimple Kapadia-Rishi Kapoor one in Bobby. We’re both young, we’re constantly pulling each others’ legs on the set. It’s a young, fun pairing that is vibrant.


Abhay Deol

He’s a fabulous performer. Aisha wouldn’t be the same without Abhay in it. He keeps feeding me humus with carrots/cucumber. And I find our chemistry similar to the Julia Roberts-Richard Gere one in Pretty Woman. Abhay is more mature and grounded than I am. Also he is very intelligent. I love spending time with him on sets.


Abhishek Bachchan

Well, what can I say? I think I played the perfect Bittu to him in Delhi 6. We haven’t been offered any other film together as yet. Those reports that I was offered Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se before Deepika Padukone signed it, are untrue. Of course, I’d love to work with Abhishek again.