Jackie Chan for Shahrukh Khan’s ‘Ra 1’

Shahrukh Khan’s production house Red Chillies Entertainment is planning to rope in Jackie Chan for the superhero flick 'Ra 1'.

It’s learnt that if Shahrukh has his way, fans might see martial art legend Chan making a Bollywood debut with his first sci fi film. According to sources, SRK’s company is in talks with Chan to play the role of a scientist who helps Shahrukh to fight the villains. As a source tells a tabloid, “They are hoping Jackie agrees to be part of the film. The production house has sent him a detailed script with the action scenes and a brief synopsis of his character.”

The movie will be based in Miami and the gorgeous Kareena Kapoor is going to play the female lead. SRK is leaving no stone unturned to make it in a big way. He has got the Hollywood crew for the film which he is making for his son Aryan. Cinematographer Ueli Steiger of The Maiden Heist fame has been signed while David Benullo of Shadow Man is the screenwriter.

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Flying Kareena Kapoor's Sky High Fee!

The industry whispers are turning louder and post '3 Idiots', the resounding verdict is out. Kareena Kapoor is being touted as the "highest paid actress." Her fee …a mere seven crores ...if Bebo has to wield her Monc Blanc!

Although KK diplomatically shoves away queries about her awesome remuneration, she readily concedes to being on a globe trotting spree, lending value to lifestyle and fashion products. Reportedly, Bebo has signed up for close to 10 pricey brands!

KK, though admits to being amused. "Either it's my price or my size that the media is always speculating upon," she giggles in a newspaper interphew. "If I get any thinner, I'll be a hanger!"Verrrrry Un Saif idea.

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Ishqiya Reviews

Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Vidya Balan, Arshad Warsi and Salman Shahid

Director: Abhishek Chaubey

Two crooks on the run, Khaalujaan (Naseer) and Babban (Arshad) arrive at beautiful widow Krishna’s (Vidya Balan) doorstep. They tell her they were late hubby’s good friends at one point of time.

The duo has actually run away from their Jiju Mushtaq (Salman Shahid) after duping him of a huge sum of money and is hiding at Krishna’s house to save their lives from him.

But Mushtaq arrives at Krishna’s house and warns them to give back his money in 15 days or face death. The duo then on Krishna’s insistence plans to kidnap a mill owner for the same. Meanwhile, Krishna begins her flirting game with the two.

While Khaalujaan loses his heart to her, Babban ends up getting physically involved with her. But then Krishna has her own agenda which the two are completely unaware of which may leave them in a shock!

Debutante director Abhishek Chaubey has been a Vishal Bharadwaj assistant for almost all his films and has co-written them as well. This explains the reason why throughout the film you keep getting the film that you watching a Vishal Bharadwaj film.

Abhishek has handled the film like a pro and it doesn’t appear his first effort at all. However, he takes a bit of a time before the interval to set things up but post it the grip is tight and narrative just perfect.

With the film set in eastern UP, the dialogues are as real as they can get. However, the use of expletives and double meaning dialogues could have been lessened. The smooching scene between Vidya and Arshad is quiet long too.

Naseeruddin Shah is just excellent playing Khaalujaan and you can’t think of anyone else in his place for the role. Arshad playing completely to the gallery is in top form after a long time.

Vidya is in a completely opposite role to her recently released Paa pleasantly shocks with her range and uninhibited act. Pakistani actor Salman Shahid last seen in Kabul Express is impressive. The village kid playing Arshad’s buddy is too good.

Vishal Bharadwaj’s music of the film is already topping the charts with the pick of the lot being Dil To Bachcha Hai Jee and Ibn-e-Batuta. Vidya’s hilarious in the Ibn-e-Batuta number.

Watch Ishqiya for its crazy zany characters and excellent direction.

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Katrina Out ! Fatrina In?

Yoooo hooooo ….. it's a great one for the tabloids!! Reportedly, Fatrina, er sorry, Zarine Khan of 'Veer' will replace …. Katrina Kaif, in the sequel to 'Partner!!' Expectedly, both director David Dhawan and Lady Khan have been making the right evasive sounds and dodging the incendiary issue.

The shirtless Khan has made his fondness known for his lead Khan in no uncertain terms. "He said that I was destiny's child since I was chosen for 'Veer' over so many other girls." gushed an awed Zarine to the media. "I'd heard about Salman being short tempered, but not once did he lose his cool with me! Though I must confess that I was really scared of facing his anger." Guess, Katrina might do the honours now ….

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Shahrukh Khan character does sex in the kitchen

The straight face with which Shahrukh Khan cracks jokes makes it difficult to judge if he’s serious or just being frivolous. In a recent interview on Zoom, when asked if there was any sex scene in his upcoming film My Name Is Khan, SRK gave a reply that knocked his buddy Karan Johar, who was also promoting the film, almost off the chair.

“Oh, you’re asking about sex? Be more specific,” SRK replied the host and added, “Yes of course, there’s plenty of sex...My character does it everywhere. In the kitchen, the hall, the drawing room - everywhere. That’s what the movie is all about.”

But the superstar was obviously joking. Karan Johar, who’s the film’s director, clarified: “No way. I clarify right here that there is no such thing happening in the movie. It’s a love story with a twist, that’s all.”

Only after the clarification from Karan did SRK let out a sly smile that revealed that he was indeed joking.

Must say, SRK really had us believing his ‘sex in the kitchen’ bit for a moment.

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Juhi Chawla playback singing for the first time 'Sukhmani'

Brand endorsements and acting assignments are a steady factor in her kitty. And now the former Ms India (1984), model and actress has added one more facet to her forte.

Juhi Chawla did train in classical singing, but the thought of playback rendition still seemed a daunting prospect. That tuneful block, though, is out of the way. Thanks to 'Sukhmani', a Punjabi flick starring Gurdas Maan in which Chawla has crooned two song numbers in her own mellifluous voice.

"Earier, I'd done a classical rendition on stage in front of my Guruji," admits Juhi in a Press chat. "But I have done playback singing for the first time. When 'Sukhmani' was offered, it was Gurdas who convinced me to sing for the movie."

Freshly inspired, Chawla asserts that, "I do my 'riyaaz' everyday and I am open to singing offers." Clearly, Chawla's singing a different tune now ….

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Katrina Kaif is single

Being committed in a relationship often means one is not single anymore. But that’s not how Katrina Kaif looks at things. For her it’s marriage that decides whether a person is single or not.

“I believe that until you are married, you are single!” Kat gave a frank reply when quizzed about her relationship status by Karan Johar on the show ‘Lift Kara De’. You can catch Kat’s words of wisdom in a forthcoming episode.

Quite candidly, Katrina also admitted that it is Salman Khan and the Khan family who are responsible for what she is today. And she didn’t forget to mention the others who helped her to get a toe-hold in Bollywood. She named designer Anna Singh, director David Dhawan and Anees Bazmee, who, in fact, are Salman’s friends.

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Priyanka Chopra returns ‘Don 2’

No more speculations. Priyanka Chopra returns as the feisty butt-kicker for Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Don 2’. The National Award winning actress has confirmed the news.

Priyanka tells a tabloid, “Yes, I am doing ‘Don 2’. Ever since I worked in the first movie, I was looking forward to being on board for the sequel as well. It would be good to be a part of ‘Don 2’ as it is an action thriller.”

Farhan, who is busy with other projects, was planning ‘Don 2’ ever since he made the ‘Don’ remake with Shahrukh Khan. Though SRK’s presence was confirmed, it was doubtful whether Priyanka will feature in the sequel. She acted well and looked stunning as Roma, the character originally played by Zeenat Aman. In fact, Priyanka even learnt martial arts for it.

On the other hand, Priyanka is not doing Dostana sequel. The original desi girl will be missing from the movie. “No, I am not the leading lady of ‘Dostana 2’. My story had ended in ‘Dostana’ and there was no point being paired with any of the boys (Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham) in the sequel.”

We prefer wild cat than desi girl.

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Rann Movie Review

When the watchdog of democracy turns into a business enterprise and when journalistic ethics are pawned off for TRP-friendly sensationalism, it’s time to sit up and take note.

Without succumbing to cynicism typical of other filmmakers repeatedly offering us the so-called ‘slice-of-life cinema’, Ram Gopal Varma guides us through the innards of the fourth estate, revealing its dirty underbelly that serves as a handy tool for politicians in their power games in Rann.

At the centre of the drama, without hogging the limelight, is Amitabh Bachchan, playing Vijay Harshwardhan Malik, the founding head of a news channel, India 24/7. In a media age where news is selectively edited, hyperbolized and presented with attention grabbing headlines and dramatic background music to boot, Malik is somewhat an oddball. A conscientious newsman, he sticks to his uncompromising journalistic ethics, even though it may lead to nose-diving TRPs for his channel. No surprise that his US-returned ambitious son Jay (Sudeep) doesn’t believe in his dad’s ideals and opines that the news channel ought to be run like a business company if it has to beat their rival (Mohnish Bahl), who believes in ‘creating’ news rather than reporting it.

Things take a turn for worse when Malik’s son Jay and son-in-law (Rajat Kapoor) become pawns in the hands of the wily and cunning politician Mohan Pandey (Paresh Rawal) who masterminds a media-led campaign against his political rival to get to the Prime Minister’s seat.

There’s only one man who can put a spanner in their working - Purab Shastri (Ritesh Deshmukh) who imbibes the lofty journalistic ideals of Vijay Harshwardhan Malik and an unwavering desire to dig out the truth and report it to people.

Credit must be reserved for Ram Gopal Varma for not making ‘Rann’ a mere bland exposé of the world of overzealous hacks. Ramu pumps in enough drama, grit and a wee bit of suspense and thrills to make the movie a compelling watch. However, at times the maverick filmmaker does overflap in his flight of idealism. Sequences like the one where Bachchan is shown spieling against religious hatred on a national television seem far-fetched. Also the plot gets a little convoluted in the second half as the story keeps flitting between a dozen or so characters. There’s also humour to be found in some characters - like that of Rajpal Yadav, playing the creative director with a knack for sensationalizing even the dullest of news stories. In a sequence he tells a filmmaker (Gul Panag) that the media’s job isn’t very different from that of a filmmaker - that is, providing entertainment.

‘Rann’ boasts of some stupendous performances, not the least by Amitabh Bachchan and Sudeep. Big B somehow stays the central force of the film without hogging much footage, but it is Sudeep (of Phoonk fame) who truly impresses with his well nuanced performance. Ritesh Deshmukh takes to a serious role effectively and Gul Panag (as his live-in girlfriend) does emote well the few scenes she’s given. Paresh Rawal is superb as the debauched politician. On the sidelines, Suchitra Krishnamurthy (playing the programming head of India 24/7) and Neetu Chandra (the Muslim fiancée of Jay) perform well.

Like his previous film ‘Sarkar’, Ramu’s cinematographer Amit Roy plays with light and shade and cans the shots from imaginative angles. The background music however gets jarring at times. Ramu can’t seem to do without it. Rohit Banawlikar’s writing is not without holes. The dialogues reek of superfluity in some sequences.

‘Rann’ takes off well but begins to lose momentum in intermittent reels. The drama does build up nicely in the last half hour - with a literal ‘sting’ in the tale - and concludes on a thought-provoking monologue by Big B.

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Shahrukh Khan married 20-yr-old fan

She has been in love with him since she was seven, has watched all his films, and she dressed up as a bride at a five-star hotel in Ahmedabad where Shahrukh Khan came to promote his upcoming film My Name Is Khan.

It was a unique promotional event where people who had unusual love stories were called in to narrate their tales. When the 20-year-old Tillana Desai came on stage, she said she’s loved someone since her childhood but can’t marry him as he’s already married.

When asked who the man was, SRK was shocked to know that Tillana has been in love with him for most of her life. The besotted fan then took out a wedding ring and asked SRK to marry her.

Courteous enough to not break her heart, SRK obliged by staging a mock marriage with Tillana. He bent down on his knee and slid the ring into Tillana’s finger. The girl was simply ecstatic, to say the least.

“I will never remove the ring and I am glad that he accepted my love and admiration for him,” Tillana later told a tabloid.

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First Look: Anjaana Anjaani

Producer Sajid Nadiadwala can’t meet Sylvester Stallone without Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor.

It appears that both the stars are not ready to take ‘no’ for an answer. Sajid, who is producing Anjaana Anjaani (starring Ranbir and PC) is quoted as saying, “I think Ranbir and Priyanka will kill me if I go without them to see Sly. We’ll all be driving down from Las Vegas, where Ranbir and Priyanka are shooting, to Los Angeles to meet Stallone.”

Sajid has been a good friend of Sly ever since he worked with the Hollywood star in his Kambakkth Ishq. Earlier he even took Saif Ali Khan to meet him. According to reports, Sajid was supposed to meet Stallone during the New Year, along with his son. But the actor injured his neck and the meeting got cancelled. Now a new date is proposed and both Priyanka and Ranbir insist on accompanying Sajid for the meeting.

Ranbir, who is a big Sly fan, in fact, has Rocky T-shirts and plans to get Sylvester’s autograph on some of them.

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67th Golden Globe Awards Winners

Sandra: Best Actress

Actress Sandra Bullock poses with her award for best performance by an actress in a motion picture drama for 'The Blind Side' at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Jeff Bridges: Best Actor

Actor Jeff Bridges poses with his award for best performance by an actor in a motion picture, drama for 'Crazy Heart' at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

James Cameron: Best Director

Director James Cameron poses with the award for Best Director for 'Avatar' at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Mo'Nique: Best supporting actress

Actress Mo'Nique poses with her award after winning best supporting actress for a motion picture for her role in "Precious" at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Meryl Streep: Best Comedy Actress

Actress Meryl Streep holds the award for best performance by an actress in a motion picture, comedy or musical for 'Julie & Julia' at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Drew Barrymore: Best Actress in Miniseries

Drew Barrymore poses with her award for best actress in a miniseries or motion picture made for television for 'Grey Gardens' at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Robert Downey Jr.: Best Comedy Actor

Actor Robert Downey Jr. poses with his award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical for his role in 'Sherlock Holmes' at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Toni Colette: Best actress in a TV series

Actress Toni Colette poses with her award for best actress in a TV series comedy or musical for her role in 'United States of Tara' at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Chloe Sevigny: Best Supporting Actress TV

Actress Chloe Sevigny kisses her award after winning best supporting actress in a series, miniseries or motion picture made for television for 'Big Love' at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Julianna Margulies: Best Actress in a TV Drama

Actress Julianna Margulies poses with her award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series-Drama for her role in 'The Good Wife' at the 67thannual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Best Movie: 'Avatar'

The winner for Best Motion Picture Drama, 'Avatar' director James Cameron (2nd L) poses with cast and producer (L-R) Sam Worthington, Cameron, Zoe Saldana, producer Jon Landau and Sigourney Weaver at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

'The Hangover': Best Comedy Film

(From L to R) Cast members of the film 'The Hangover', Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Mike Tyson, and Bradley Cooper pose after the film won best motion picture-comedy or musical at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Kevin Bacon: Best Actor TV

Actor Kevin Bacon poses with the award for best actor in a mini-series or motion picture made for television for his role in 'Taking Chance' at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Christoph Waltz: Best Supporting Actor

Christoph Waltz holds the award for Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for 'Inglourious Basterds' at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Michael C. Hall: Best Actor TV (Drama)

Michael C. Hall holds the award for best performance by an actor in a television series-drama for 'Dexter' at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Pete Docter: Best Animated Film

Director Pete Docter poses backstage with his award after winning best animated film for 'Up' at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters Photo)

Jason & Sheldon: Best Screenplay

Jason Reitman (L) and Sheldon Turner hold the award for best screenplay for 'Up in the Air' at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

'Glee': Best TV Series

'Glee' creator Ryan Murphy (C) and the cast celebrate backstage with their award after winning for best television series-comedy or musical at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

'Mad Men': Best Television Series- Drama

Creator and executive producer Matthew Weiner (2nd L) poses with cast members of 'Mad Men' after winning the award for Best Television Series- Drama at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Michael Haneke: Best Foreign Language Film

Director Michael Haneke, winner of the best foreign language film for 'The White Ribbon' from Germany, poses with presenter Sophia Loren at the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on January 17, 2010. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

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Bollywood reunites for 'Phir Mile Sur' film

A great multi-starrer ‘Phir Mile Sur’ is a new initiative to make the nation sing a song of secularism, was brought to you by The Times of India Group and Vodafone Essar...

Phir Mile Sur recreates the mood for an upbeat generation of united Indians. Filmed by Aarti and Kailash Surendranath, this commendable initiative has also been supported by Kingfisher Airlines and Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. Bollywood has been a part of this initaiative and here is what some of the proud Indians who made Phir Mile Sur have to say about the initiative...

Amitabh Bachchan
I’m honoured that there’s been a gap of almost 23 years and still the makers of this wonderful commercial Mile Sur want to include me. Though circumstances may have changed, the words and the feelings of the song still remain the same. I feel good about it.
Times of India have always been involved in many such nationalist, social, moral movements and I have had the great honour to being a part of it. I thank ZOOM for making me such a part once again.

Shah Rukh Khan
The first time I heard Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, I was around 20, yet the first thing that caught my eye was the visual appeal. It was more of a non preachy, personal patriotic song. It has a great secular feel and people are moved by it even now. I’m glad to be associated with this subtle yet powerful movement to be at secular equality with each other and stand united. (In this picture, Shahrukh Khan is seen with Kailash Surendranath, co-creator of the video)

Salman Khan
It’s a brilliant concept that shows us how to get everybody on board and how to get everybody together. This song also underlines that we’re all on the same plane; that no one’s richer or poorer in emotion. No religion, caste, creed or colour is greater than the nation and the individuals of that nation. This song is almost like a second anthem!

Priyanka Chopra
Mile Sur is as patriotic and moving as a song can get. It’s a brilliant initiative and I’m glad to be part of it. It was something I really admired and I used to look forward to watching it. I say we should sing it every morning when we wake up.

Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Abhi- I used to look forward to it to see all these luminaries and celebrities of the country. Almost towards the end, Dad used to be on it and I would excitedly look forward. I remember growing up thinking how cool it’d be to be a part of it one day. Today, it’s even more wonderful, because I get to be part of Phir Mile Sur with my wife.

Ash-I remember watching Mile Sur on TV and listening to the track. It was so inspirational. I was a kid in school and it was just overwhelming and impactful. It gave me gooseflesh; I remember it till this day.

Ranbir Kapoor
Mile Sur is like an anthem for every child who grew up watching DD. This song speaks about oneness; it’s been an important part of our country’s history, it’s feelgood, it’s emotional, it’s cathartic, and even after 20 years if you listen to the song it will have same impact.

Shahid Kapoor
Mile Sur drew a sense of patriotism out of me; a sense of secularism and a reminder that we’re all the same. It was one of the more prestigious videos that came out; with the most eminent of personalities were in it.

Deepika Padukone
I remember Mile Sur being one of the first commercial message films my Dad shot for. When I got a call to be a part of the new version I was thrilled and called my parents, who were like ‘You MUST be part of it!’ I think it’s a great unifying thought for our diverse country.

Anoushka Shankar
Mile Sur is such an iconic piece of music. I’m 28 now and this is something I’ve grown up listening to and watching on TV. After seeing all those musical greats and then, specially being a part of this, as a musician, is such an incredible experience.

Shankar Ehsaan Loy
We’re happy that Zoom and Times of India have taken this iconic song and redone it to suit today’s tastes, because no one can do it better than them.

Aarti and Kailash Surendranath(Co- creators)
It was an exhilarating experience creating Mile Sur Mera Tumhara which was a mosaic of so many different celebrities from various walks of life and regions in India. Today, we feel the same emotions gushing, after a span of two decades. So many things have changed in India — growth, prosperity, the economic scenario, however, as citizens of this wonderfully diverse country, our feelings for India have only grown stronger and Phir Mile Sur aims to showcase just that. And after filming over 60 days on-location in prominent and historic sites across 13 cities of India and 30 days of post–production work, the video of the iconic song features is a gift of love to the nation.

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Katrina Kaif Eye on the National Award Now

Actress Katrina Kaif has seen it all in bollywood. She has seen hits and flops with equal fervour.She has won Awards at various awards nights and she has been labelled as the most beautiful, sexy and attractive star inbollywood many a times. But this Barbie doll actress of bollywood is not one to sit with her shoes tied at all these trivial distinctions.

Now, after having got almost all that an actress would normally aim for, she has her eye on the National Award now. According to sources, she has been pinning on her performance in her yet to be released ‘Rajneeti’ directed by Prakash Jha. She plays the role of a politician in the film and says an insider it is one of her finest performances till date.

The film also has Ajay Devgan who is a National Award winner twice in films Zakhm and Legend of Bhagat Singh. According to sources, Katrina has many a times tried to convince the director Prakash Jha to give her very crucial scenes with the acclaimed actor and lucky girl did get to do exactly that in the film.

This film will see the actress in simple cotton saris and her life style too has been depicted as very down to earth in the film. Now, with quite a few bollywood actresses getting recognition due to National Awards it is probably not an unachievable wish for Katrina as well. Lets hope for the best

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Veer Success Not Measured By Reviewers Alone

Salman Khan urged his fans to ignore the negative reviews and see the movie for themselves. Negative reviews or not, it appears Salman carries more clout with his millions of fans than movie reviewers do. Star power is alive and well in Bollywood.

According to the numbers we have received from inside the Veer camp, the film took in roughly 7.01 Crore, or about $1.5 million dollars on its first day, that’s in India alone. This news puts Veer just beneath Three Idiots in single screening, first day revenue. Veer is on a course to eclipse Wanted depending on the weekday and ongoing attendance. This news reflects both the appeal of Salman Khan, and how little people depend on movie reviews – at least when their heroes are involved.

We have ongoing interviews with the cast and crew, and will continue to follow the news about Bollywood’s most talked about film this year. We received exclusive photos from the U.K. premier of the film. The weekend box office receipts will not be available until tomorrow. In other buzz about Salman Khan, some media outlets are reporting he has affirmed his relationship with Katrina Kaif is ongoing, amid so many rumors.

Meanwhile, fans voiced their support for Khan as he ran in a Jaipur half-marathon today. Regardless of the muddy reviews for the film, Salman is still loved by many millions.

As for the other stars of Veer, most of the UK cast and crew appeared at the premier there. The beaufiful Lisa Lazarus in her debut film poses next to veteran actor (and as we learned dry comedian) William Chubb. From the images we received, it appeared fans there loved the film, and of course hob-bobbing it with movie stars.

Rumor has it that Lisa Lazarus has already been swamped with offers after her limited exposure in the film. We are scheduled to interview her later on in the week, if she can get past all the photo ops that is.

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SRK wears his own wedding ring for ‘My Name is Khan’

Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming film is My Name is Khan opposite the powerful actress Kajol. In this movie, SRK is seen wearing his very own wedding ring presented to him by his wife, Gauri and a very old Tag Heuer watch.

Director Karan Johar, says, “Normally, Shah Rukh doesn’t wear accessories but since the watch and wedding ring is part of the narrative and his character in the film, he agreed to wear both. It’s his own wedding ring that he’s wearing for a certain period of time.”

Talking about the two accessories SRK says, “The watch is gifted to my character Rizwan Khan by his very old teacher who had got it from his father. Therefore it needed to be of 1920s at least.”

He says further, “The watch brand I endorse had their old pieces from those years in their museum and kindly agreed to give it to us. It’s one thing that is so sacred to him and kind of depicts his love, marriage and relationships.”

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Rani Mukherjee to work outside Yash Raj camp

Bollywood actress Rani Mukharjee, who has been working with Yash Raj Films for a long time, has finally given a positive nod to other producers.

rani-mukherjee-to-work-with-outside-yash-raj-camp

The pressure of the last three continuous flops Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic and Dil Bole Hadippa with YRF probably compelled her to take such decision.

Rumors are there that Rani has recently signed in a UTV project named ‘No One Killed Jessica’ with co star Bidya Balan.

The movie is expected to go on the floors by middle of the next month under the direction of Rajkumar Gupta, who directed ‘Aamir’ earlier.

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Nayantara replaces Aishwarya in Uppi's next

South Indian hot actress Nayantara has replaced Aishwarya Bachchan in Upendra's next venture. Earlier it was reported that Aishwarya will be doing the lead role in the film. Kannadigas are disappointed again by the news that Ash is not part of the movie. Ash's name was doing rounds in Upendra's previous venture H20 as well.

As we know the title has been left to audience to decide but Gandhi Nagar has labelled it as Super and also few reports have claimed it as Hamsa Hastha, excellent, OK etc. Nayantara will be making her debut in Sandalwood through this movie. She dropped Crazy star Ravichandran's Kichaka due clash of dates. Interestingly she has agreed to give bulk dates to this film. Upendra and Nayantara have worked in Telugu movie Salute which was dubbed in Tamil as Sathyam.


Upendra has penned the story, screenplay and he is directing the movie after a decade. This is expected to be made with the budget of Rs. 20 crores and is undoubtedly the highest budget film ever made in the Kannada cinema. Interestingly, Rockline Venkatesh who said no to for 18 Crores to Yogaraj Bhat's Lagori has come out with full swing to produce this film. According to some sources seventy percent of the film will be shot abroad. V.Manohar has been finalised to score the music
and Johnay Lal is the cameramen. Cast and crew are yet to be finalised.

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Hrithik fulfills Bhansali's guzarish!

Sanjay Leela Bhansali had to cast for an important threeminute cameo for his film Guzaarish. But he just couldn’t make up his mind after auditioning various people. That’s when Hrithik Roshan suggested Makrand Deshpande’s name. Interestingly, Hrithik doesn’t know Makrand personally nor has he ever worked with him.
A source revealed, “Makrand got a call from Bhansali’s office and was equally surprised by the offer.”

Makrand grabbed the opportunity to work with the cast and crew of Guzaarish. He said, “Yes, I have done an important cameo, but I am not supposed to speak about it as the character is a vital part of the film. It was a pleasure working with Sanjay sir, Hrithik and Aishwarya Rai. Hrithik and Aishwarya are such hungry actors. When I got a call from Mr Bhansali’s office, I wondered why they chose me. When I met Hrithik, he told me it was his suggestion to cast me in the cameo and Sanjay loved the idea!”

Recalling his experience, Makrand tells us, “I remember that during the sequence I suggested that I should carry flowers in my hands and Sanjay loved the idea. He stopped the shooting to arrange for the flowers. The entire three-minute scene which had so many dimensions was shot in one take. We even had a long chat after pack-up. I was amazed that Sanjay was aware of my plays and he even knew that I had made a film. He also spoke at length about his musical Padmavati. I still have to finish a couple of shots for the film which I will do soon.”

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Padma Lakshmi beats Ash and Freida

Supermodels Padma Lakshmi and Lakshmi Menon have beaten Indian actresses Aishwarya Rai and Freida Pinto in a most desirable women poll conducted by a portal.

According to the top 99 women poll by askmen.com, Padma Lakshmi has grabbed the 15th spot while Menon sits at the 45th position leaving behind Slumdog Millionaire star Pinto and former Miss World Aishwarya in 50th and 63rd positions respectively.

"I am delighted that the readers of this portal have chosen to include me on their list. I am extremely flattered," the website quoted Padma as saying.

Beating all of them, however, is Canadian actress Emmanuelle Chriqui, who tops the list. It also features singer Beyonce Knowles at sixth position, Spanish actress Penelope Cruz and Tranformers star Megan Fox at seventh and 11th spots respectively.

After a six-week long voting period, six million votes decided the ranking of these beautiful women.

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Salman Khan still dating Katrina Kaif!

Getting true and straight forward answers was something actress and TV show host Koel Purie managed when she interviewed Salman Khan on her couch.

In a recently shot episode of Koel’s show ‘On The Couch’, Salman finally admitted publicly that he is dating Katrina Kaif and that the rumours of their split are baseless.

When asked if he was dating Kat, Salman replied with an emphatic “yes”. Not only that, Sallu was in a candid mood and also answered questions about Shahrukh Khan and his ex-girlfriend Aishwarya Rai without losing his temper, though he was a bit uncomfortable.

However, all this wasn’t easy, as a source tells a daily: “Salman wasn’t ready for the interview, but Koel grilled him on his set at Mehboob Studio. She asked him all sorts of questions, some of which were controversial. But Salman answered each and every one of them in monosyllables.”

The show also had public asking questions from Salman. When asked whether he will work with his ex-girlfriend Ash, he just said ‘no’. And on SRK he said that their lives were going in opposite directions and that they would never be friends again.

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AR Rahman And Goutham Menon at Couples Retreat Audio Launch

Saregama India launched Rahman's latest Hollywood film Couples Retreat sound track in India at a Chennai five star on Monday (Jan 18) evening. AR Rahman, Gautam Menon along with Apurv Nagpal CEO of Saregama India were present.



Music Review

I didn’t quite like the vocals in Sajna (which I believe is done by Vince Vaughn, he is supposed to have recorded a song for the movie), mainly due to the corny lyrics, but Rahman’s mesmerizing arrangement is more than enough to have you hooked to the track. The big surprise comes in the next track. How often do you get to hear Tamil song playing in a Hollywood soundtrack? Well here is one for you, Rahman crooning a chirpy Kuru Kuru set to a mildly folksy orchestration. A really addictive track this one, as I am discovering at this precise moment (thanks to a close friend for deciphering the lyrics). Jason and Cynthia Suite on the other hand begins on a more solemn note, Rahman employing all his orchestral splendour to a gradual buildup over three minutes before springing a surprise mode change to a more folksy segment led by the flute for the next two minutes. Nana which comes next, has a lot of tribal sounding words interspersed with rap in a carnivalesque track. I couldn’t discern Blaaze’s voice among the rappers. And I think the kid’s voice belongs to Rahman’s son Alim who had reportedly recorded a song in this movie.
In spite of a slight resemblance to Jaage Hai’s orchestral sequence in its grand opening, Tour of the Villas is an absolute treat, an instrumental and more elaborately orchestrated version of Sajna. Strangely enough for a minute-long segment in between the song goes into a karaoke mode without a leading tune, just the backing instruments playing on. Of course that takes no credit off this short and sweet track. Meeting Marcel, the next track, is a spiritual song, albeit arranged in a sinister manner. While the first half with a folk tinge is dominated by the flute, the latter half taking on a darker tone belongs to the violins. Itinerary is typical background track material rather than something intended for a CD. It is made up of a sequence of different tunes which wouldn’t make much sense unless listened to while watching the movie. Undress sounds very Indian and very nicely so, thanks to the extensive use of ghatam, no negative connotation intended mind you. Lasting just over 1.5 minutes, this track would have been a perfect fit in a movie like Lagaan or Swades. It will be interesting to see how the picturisation of this happens (my interest has nothing to do with the title I assure you!).

Sharks is another mindblowing track albeit a totally classical-oriented one (Puriya Dhanasri/Panthuvarali the raga is I guess). With the violins playing at a frantic pace to an equally frenzied percussion, this song took me back to Rahman’s classic Hai Rama for a moment. Luau refers to a Hawaiian feast. And John O’Brien’s sole score for the movie is quite evocative of the party mood with its very native arrangement. Salvadore is superb fusion, Kailash Kher’s well executed Hindustani tarana (similar to thillana in Carnatic) mixed brilliantly with a Latin/Middle Eastern instrumentation. Intervention is another track marked by its orchestral opulence, and the combo with Rahman’s soulful humming is quite deadly! The result, another totally riveting track.

Similar to Itinerary, The Waterfall also features a collation of varied tunes which would be better viewed than listened to. Rahman produces an elegant reprise to Jason and Cynthia Suite with Jason and Cynthia Piano Theme, cutting down on the orchestral elements and making it more easy on the ear. Things are rounded off with another bouncy track, Animal Spirits, which starts off as a spruced up version of Jason and Cynthia theme but then moves on along a different line for about two minutes where things take a turn, with a revisit to the opening sequence of Tour of the Villas.

After a long hiatus post winning the Oscars suddenly there is a deluge of Rahman songs. While Blue was more commercialised and Passage at a more esoteric one, Couples Retreat combines a bit of both. Honestly I didn’t expect a Rahman soundtrack to displace Passage from the position of his best soundtrack this year, so soon! And now the million dollar question is, will the movie turn out to be worth such a brilliant effort. Hope it does. You can listen to the soundtrack here.

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First India International Film Festival will begin Friday night

The first India International Film Festival will begin Friday night with a red carpet event, followed by a showing of "7 Days in Slow Motion," directed by Umakanth Thumrugoti, a former Disney features animator.

TAMPA - Motivated by the recent success of Indian films in mainstream American cinema, the Indo-U.S. Chamber of Commerce has organized the first India International Film Festival of Tampa Bay.

The festival runs Friday through Sunday and will showcase more than 20 independent and short films, panel discussions and music videos at Channelside Cinemas. Interview sessions with film directors and producers will follow some screenings.

Francis Vayalumkal, who spearheaded the event, hopes to bring quality international films that portray India in different ways.

"We wanted to highlight the political and social issues, comedy and children's films," he said. "We hope to show more of what Indian cinema has to offer other than just Bollywood dramas."

Tampa is home to more than 35,000 people of Indian origin, according to the Indo-U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Organizers hope to provide a platform for Indian cinema and culture by promoting films representing the diversity of India. They also want to promote the Bay area as a venue for future film festivals and advertise it as a location for filmmakers. Vayalumkal is working with the Tampa Bay Film Commission to attract Bollywood producers to Tampa.

A red carpet event with directors and producers of independent films opens the festival at 6 p.m. Friday. It will be followed by the showing of "7 Days in Slow Motion," directed by Umakanth Thumrugoti, a former Disney features animator.

Other screenings include "Kavi," which was shortlisted for the Oscars in the short films category; "Tahaan," the story of a boy determined to find his donkey, directed by Santosh Sivan; "Bombay Summer," by director Joseph Mathew Varghese; "Amal," which was filmed in New Delhi and explores the meaning of success in modern India; and "The Salt Stories," a documentary on the famous salt march of Mahatma Gandhi.

Many English-language movies also are on the schedule, and those that aren't in English will have English subtitles.

Several films representing India's various regional languages are scheduled, including "Gulabi Talkies" (Kannada), directed by Girish Kasaravalli; "Kanchivaram" (Tamil), by popular Bollywood director Priyadarshan; "The Voyeurs" (Bengali), directed by Buddhadeb Dasgupta; and "Ghabricha Paus" (Marathi).

The only high-budget Bollywood offering will be "Wake Up Sid," a popular film with megastars Ranbir Kapoor and Konkana Sen Sharma.

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Abhishek Bachchan and Viveik Oberoi friends again?

Viveik Oberoi was associated with the most beautiful woman in the world, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at one point of time.

But, then things took a sour turn between the two and ever since then the two have never faced each other. Viveik also suffered cold shoulders from the Bachchan family after Ash married Abhishek Bachchan.

However, news is abuzz that the attitude of Bachchan’s towards Viveik is changing.

Apparently, when Ash and Abhishek were at Shah Rukh’s residence, Mannat for some party King Khan himself played the peace-maker between Abhishek and Viveik.

So, does that mean animosity is over and friendship has begun between Abhishek and Viveik? What does Ash have to say about this?

If the rumors doing rounds were believed to be true then Aishwarya Rai will be soon seen in a special appearance in King Khan’s superhero flick, Ra.One.

Apparently, King Khan was the one who approached the Bollywood diva for a cameo in his upcoming flick.

The duo last shared screen space in Devdas, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus. When Shah Rukh was talking to Ash about Ra. One, Abhishek was around.

It is also being said that when Abhishek heard this dialogue, he urged wife Ash to consider doing the cameo for SRK.

So, will we soon get to see the two stalwarts on the big screen again?

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Manisha second innings as Mother-in-law

Bollywood popular actress Manisha Koirala is ready to play the role of Dhanush’s mother-in-law in his upcoming film ‘Mappillai’.

The hero Dhanush thanked the actress for accepting the role in his movie and said that the role’s weightage has been increased with her entry in the movie.

The movie is directed by Suraaj and produced by Nemichand Jhabak and V Hitesh Jhabak for Sun Pictures. Glamarous heroine Hansika Motwani pairs opposite Dhanush in the movie. And the music for the film has given by Mani Sh

Dhanush was very much delighted with the outcome of his recent flick ‘Kutty’ and says that its all credit goes to the whole unit of the movie.

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Katrina Win Best Actress but in Trouble why?

Katrina Kaif has good reasons to feel alarmed about her career. After all her closet competitors: Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor have already started giving her sleepless nights by signing some of the biggest upcoming films of this calendar.

Buzz is that Katrina has only few films this year when compared to Priyanka and Kareena. It's also learnt that Katrina is trying to work with Madhur Bhandarkar too since his films guarantee big success something which Kats is desperately looking forward to crush her competitors.

Katrina might have ruled in the year 2009 with some of the big hits to her credit, but it seems the year 2010 is not going to be an easy affair for the actress.

MUMBAI: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has bagged the Reader's Choice best actor award for the movie "Paa" while Kareena Kapoor was adjudged best
Kareena Kapoor

actress for "Kurbaan" at the seventh Stardust Awards here.

Rajkumar Hirani's well-made "3 Idiots" got the Reader's Choice best film of the year award even as Imtiyaz Ali bagged the Reader's Choice best director award at the star-studded ceremony Sunday evening.

Rohit Shetty bagged the Stardust Editor's Choice award for best director for his movie "All The Best". The best actor and best actress awards in the same category were given to Shahid Kapoor for "Kaminey" and Kareena Kapoor for "Kurbaan", respectively.

While "Wanted" bagged the best film in action thriller category, "All The Best" was adjudged the best comedy film.

Another special award, Superstar of tomorrow (male), went to Ranbir Kapoor for "Wake Up Sid" and "Ajab Prem ki Gazab Kahani", while Superstar of tomorrow (female) was grabbed by Mugdha Godse for "Jail". The hottest new filmmaker award went to Ayan Mukherjee for "Wake up Sid".

The new musical sensational (female) award went to Kavitha Seth for "Iktara" from "Wake up Sid" and the award for new musical sensational (male) went to Suraj Jagan for "Give me some sunshine" ("3idiots").

Piyush Mishra won the Stardust performance by a music director award for "Gulaal", while Subrat Sinha won the Stardust performance by a lyricist for "Radio".

Rekha was honoured with Stardust Editor's Choice Icon of the Industry award at the ceremony.

Asin look like an Angle in Green Dress

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'Avatar' wins top Golden Globe

"Avatar" was Cameron's first film since 1997's phenomenon "Titanic," which also won Globes in those same categories. "It's sure an exciting evening," Cameron said, looking at the crowd. "This is the best job in the world." He echoed the message of the film about a planet of nature-loving blue people and remarked that "everything is connected, all human beings to each other, and us to the Earth" and urged everyone to "appreciate this miracle of the world we have right here."

Avatar, not surprisingly, took home the prize for Best Motion Picture and the film's director James Cameron won for Best Director. The blockbuster is already one its way to beat Cameron's previous box office record with Titanic and is a favorite to win big at the Oscars.

The film with the $400 million budget, that took more than a decade in computer technology development and studio wrangling to make it to the big screen, is about a paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission and who becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.

Other big prizes of the night went to Robert Downey, Jr. for the title role in Sherlock Holmes, directed by Guy Ritchie.

Up in the Air won Best Motion Picture Screenplay for Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner. The George Clooney-led film is a favorite Academy Award contender.

Best Comedy went to The Hangover and Best Comedy or Musical TV Series went to newcomer Glee.

Below, a complete list of winners:

Best Motion Picture, Drama - Avatar
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama - Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama - Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy - Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy - Robert Downey, Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical - The Hangover
Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical - Glee
Best Director, Motion Picture - James Cameron, Avatar
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture - Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture - Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Chloe Sevigny, Big Love
Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - John Lithgow, Dexter
Best Television Series, Drama - Mad Men
Best Foreign Language Film - The White Ribbon
Best Actor in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical - Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Best Actress in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical - Toni Collette, United States of Tara
Best Screenplay - Motion Picture - Up in the Air, Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner
best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Grey Gardens
Best Actress in a Television Series, Drama - Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Best Actor in a Television Series, Drama - Michael C. Hall, Dexter

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"Avatar" on track to surpass "Titanic"

'Avatar' hits $1.6 billion worldwide

"Book of Eli" opens at No. 2 in North America (Refiles to add dropped word "weekend" in lead paragraph. Updates with "Avatar" worldwide sales; other films in North America)

LOS ANGELES, Jan 17 (Reuters) - In an unprecedented display of strength, "Avatar" led the worldwide box office for a fifth consecutive weekend, fast catching up on all-time champ "Titanic," distributor 20th Century Fox said on Sunday.

James Cameron's sci-fi spectacular has now earned $1.6 billion, just $237 million short of the $1.8 billion record set by the filmmaker's "Titanic" in 1998.

"Titanic was a ship. Avatar's a rocket ship," said Chris Aronson, Fox's senior vice-president of domestic distribution.

The North American contribution stands at $491.8 million -- the third-highest tally of all time -- thanks to a $41.3 million weekend. Fox, a unit of News Corp (NWSA.O), expects it to hit $500 million on Monday, when business will get a boost from the U.S. Martin Luther King holiday.

That will mark the film's 32nd day of release. By contrast, "Titanic" took 98 days to reach that tally on its way to a record $601 million. On the other hand, "Avatar" sales are inflated by higher ticket prices in general and premium pricing for 3-D screenings.

Aronson said he expected "Avatar" to surpass the $533 million haul of 2008's "The Dark Knight" next weekend, leaving only "Titanic" ahead of it. The No. 3 slot was previously held by "Star Wars" with $461 million.

Aronson said the $600 million level is "within our sights," and he predicted the Feb. 2 announcement of the Academy Award nominations to pique interest.

"AVATAR" AT $1.1 BILLION OVERSEAS

"Avatar" is enjoying strong holds every weekend. In the current period, it was off just 18 percent. "Titanic" was the last movie to lead the box office for five consecutive weekends, although "Avatar" might struggle to reach its record of 15 unbroken weekends.

The foreign total stands at $1.1 billion after a $125 million weekend. "Avatar" trails the "Titanic" overseas haul of $1.2 billion by just $127 million.

"Avatar" is the tale of a disabled ex-Marine sent from Earth to infiltrate a race of 10-foot (3-metre) blue aliens and persuade them to let his employer mine their homeland for natural resources. It was reportedly the most expensive film ever made, with a budget of at least $300 million.

Elsewhere in North America, Denzel Washington's "The Book of Eli" opened at No. 2 with $31.6 million, the actor's second-best opening after the $43 million launch of 2007's "American Gangster." Young men accounted for about two-thirds of the audience for the Christian-themed apocalyptic thriller, said distributor Warner Bros. Pictures.

The $80 million film was produced by FedEx Corp (FDX.N) Chairman Fred Smith's Alcon Prods., and distributed for a fee by Warner's Time Warner Inc (TWX.N) parent. Alcon principal Andrew Kosove said he expected the film to reach the mid-$80 million range, surpassing the breakeven point of $67 million after DVD and TV sales are factored in.

Director Peter Jackson's adaptation of "The Lovely Bones" took the No. 3 spot with $17.1 million in its first weekend of national release, as the "Twilight" crowd flocked to the supernatural murder story.

Distributor Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc (VIAb.N). said women accounted for almost three-quarters of the audience, and 40 percent of moviegoers were aged under 20.

The big-screen version of the Alice Sebold novel about a murdered girl had played in a total of three theaters in New York and Los Angeles for the past five weeks. Its total now stands at $17.5 million.

The only other major new release was Hong Kong action hero Jackie Chan's family comedy "The Spy Next Door," which opened at No. 6 with a modest $9.7 million. It was released by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp (LGF.N). (Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Mary Milliken)

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Madhwan first time playing grey shade character in "Teen Patti"

Madhavan will be seen sporting not one or two but a total of six avtaar in the thriller that also stars Amitabh Bachchan and Hollywood star Ben Kingsley.

'Teen Patti' is in the news because of some passionate scenes between Madhavan and Saira Mohan. However Madhavan denies the whole report strongly and said that film has come out clean and with a big U-certificate from the censor board.

Therefore, no question arises of having any such steamy stuff in the movie.

'Teen Patti' is the story about greed and deception set in the backdrop of high stake gambling and will be hitting the screen on February 26.

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Will SRK bail out YRF this time too?

It is a known fact that Yash Raj Films have not been doing too well. In last two years hardly one or two films have clicked at the box office. To revive the banner and bring back the glorious day Head Honcho of Yash Raj Films Yash Chopra has now taken the charges of the affairs in his own hand. Sources within the Yash Raj camp inform us that Yashji is all set to direct a film and in the lead will be the blue-eyed boy of Yash Raj banner, Shah Rukh Khan. It may be recalled that on more then one occasions Shah Rukh has bailed out the banner out of trouble with successful films like Chak De India and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. The latest we hear that after series of disastrous films, the banner needs a hit film desperately. As they have done it in the past, Aditya Chopra has asked Shah Rukh Khan to do a film with them. But this time directorial reins will be in the hands of senior Chopra.

Sources inform that the film has been in the pipeline for some time but the Chopra’s go busy with their Television channel (Which never materialized and they tied up with Sony Television to telecast their TV shows). Khan too has been busy with My Name Is Khan and his next Ra -1; both are his home production films. In the meantime, Khan allotted dates for Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2. SRK is neck deep in his commitments, but he will have to skillfully pull off a supreme juggling act for Yash Raj Films!

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Yes, 'Avatar' Academy Screeners Going Out

There's widespread belief across Hollywood that 20th Century Fox will not send out DVDs of "Avatar" because the studio and director James Cameron insist upon Oscar voters seeing it in 3-D on a big screen so they can fully appreciate its truly special effects. But a rep tells Gold Derby that "Avatar" screeners will be sent soon to academy members and — contrary to another rumor — prior to Oscar nominations being announced on Feb. 2.

"We prefer that voters see it on a big screen, of course, but we want them to have the DVD so they can enjoy watching it at home too," he adds. Here are listings of official industry screenings.

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John Abraham catches Milla Jovovich's eye

Bollywood hunk John Abraham has got a new fan in the hottie Milla Jovovich. The Ukrainian siren is reportedly struck by John.

If the latest buzz is to be believed, NRI director Deepa Mehta has planned a movie on a bunch of Punjabi gangsters in Canada called ‘Beeba Boys’, and has signed the Resident Evil star Milla Jovovich for it.

The movie will have lots of Punjabi-Asian male actors and Milla’s presence as the only firang hottie will catch ample attention.

But we hear it’s John who’s caught Milla’s eye as of now. The gal, famous for her action roles in sci-fi thrillers, is so keen to work with Mehta that she watched her Oscar-nominated film Water where…ahem…John caught her attention.

We would suggest the queen of kick-butt to see John’s Dostana too.

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Hrithik Roshan big flim Kites - BIG's tent pole movie at this years festivals

If it's Reliance ADAG, it has to be 'BIG'! Following BIG Pictures' successful launch at the Cannes Film Festival last year, the company is going back to Cannes this year with a wide range of new films. In fact BIG Pictures would be marketing the largest number of new films by an Indian film company, during the festival starting May 13th, 2009.

KITES is BIG Pictures' tent pole international movie at the festival this year. KITES stars Hrithik Roshan , Barbara Mori, Kangana Ranaut , Nick Brown and Kabir Bedi in pivotal roles. The film is produced by Rakesh Roshan's Filmkraft, India's leading production house and directed by Anurag Basu.

BIG Pictures is also marketing various films in world cinema and popular cinema categories, directed by world renowned, international award winning and acclaimed Indian film makers. These include films in various Indian languages such as Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam and Kannada amongst many others, all with universally appealing stories.

CHECK OUT: Big Pictures-KITE deal is open ended!

BIG Pictures' World Cinema slate

Famous Malayalam director Shaji N. Karun's latest film KUTTY SRANK starring Mammootty, Padmapriya, Kamalini and Meena Kumari. In 1989, Karun's film PIRAVI won awards at Cannes Film Festival and Locarno Film Festival.

Bengali film director Baddhadeb Dasgupta's JANALA starring Tapas Paul, Swastika Mukherjee, Indranil SenGupta. In 2000, Dasgupta's UTTARA won the Best Director award at Venice Film Festival and in 1993 his film CHARACHAR won the Golden Bear award at Berlin Film Festival.

Rituparno Ghosh's two films, ABHOMAAN and SHOB CHARITRAO KALPONIK. ABHOMAAN stars Dipankar De, Mamta Shankar, Jisshu Sengupta. SHOB CHARITRAO KALPONIK stars Bipasha Basu and Prosenjit Chatterjee. In 2000, his BARIWALI won the NETPAC award at Berlin Film Festival.

Kannada Director M S Sathyu's IJJODU starring Meera Jasmine, Anirudh, Srivatsa, Nagkiran and Arundhati Jathakara. Marathi film actor and director Amol Palekar's SAMAANTAR starring Amol Palekar and Sharmila Tagore.

All of these films are ready and will not only be promoted to international buyers and distributors but also be showcased to various festival directors who are keen on inviting these films for their festivals later this year.

CHECK OUT: BIG Pictures & Shyam Benegal team up

BIG Pictures' Popular Cinema slate

Popular cinema films such as SIKANDAR directed by Piyush Jha, comic capers DO KNOT DISTURB directed by David Dhawan, WELL DONE ABBA directed by Shyam Benegal and CHALOO MOVIE directed by Vinod Pande, Punjabi film CHAK JAWANA directed by Simerjit Singh and MIRCH directed by Vinay Shukla, which are in various stages of production and release will also be promoted at the festival this year.

BIG Pictures' catalogue also includes the biggest blockbuster of Indian cinema GHAJINI, the cult film ROCK ON!, 2009's acclaimed films LUCK BY CHANCE and 13 B and many more films.

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Yash Raj Films "Enchanted Journey" Switzerland

Yash Raj Films (YRF), India’s Premier Film Studio, has entered into an agreement with SOTC, a part of the Kuoni Travel Group, India, the country’s largest Travel & Tourism Company, and Brandinvest AG, a Switzerland-based enterprise. The partnership, signed by Mr. Yash Chopra, India’s most renowned Producer & Director and Chairman of Yash Raj Films, Mr. Zubin Karkaria, CEO & Managing Director of Kuoni India & South Asia, and Mr. Marco Casanova, Co-Owner & CEO of Brandinvest AG, offers a unique and once in a lifetime entertainment experience to Indians and Indian-film fans visiting Switzerland. The ‘YRF Enchanted Journey’ gives consumers a firsthand opportunity to live the authentic YRF experience by visiting original sites and locations in Switzerland used by Yash Raj Films, as well as engaging with various themes and elements seen in the Studio’s most famous movies, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Mohabbatein, Veer-Zaara, Chandni, Darr and Bachna Ae Haseeno.

“We at YRF are convinced that this very special offering in Switzerland will provide a previously unattainable opportunity to a lot of Indians and fans of our films. It is a unique entertainment product that we are bringing to the market that promises to be a showcase offering for tourists visiting Switzerland. Film Studios across the globe have slowly shifted their focus to creating derivative “entertainment experiences” around their actual movies, such as theme parks for instance, and we feel that this very innovative approach is a natural extension of the YRF brand of entertainment and provides a very personal experience for our audiences – something that has never been done before by an Indian entertainment brand. Moreover, I have lived some of the most intense and emotional moments of my life in Switzerland and I have used its spectacular locales extensively in a number of my flagship films that have been seen and loved by millions worldwide. I feel it is only apt that I now share this journey with YRF fans through a personalized walk down memory lane, and allow them to see these moments through our eyes. I am very excited to partner with India’s leading travel brand, SOTC, and the highly reputed and skilled professionals at Brandinvest AG, in bringing this YRF experience to you”, said Mr. Yash Chopra.

Mr. Zubin Karkaria said, “Bollywood is deep-rooted in the psyche of most Indians, and it gives us immense pleasure to be able to offer our customers a taste of Mr. Yash Chopra and Yash Raj Films’ several blockbuster films shot in Switzerland. It is also an honour to be able to work with Yash Raj Films on an exclusive basis in this venture. We are convinced that this will be a very successful project, where we would be able to offer our customers an authentic Bollywood experience on our tours to Europe.”

Mr. Marco Casanova said, “We are proud to have developed with our partners, Yash Raj Films and Kuoni, an innovative tour concept that we will implement in our home country of Switzerland. We feel honoured by the trust of Yash Raj Films and Kuoni and are convinced that our product offering will be very well-received by the multitude of YRF fans around the world. It is because of Mr. Yash Chopra and his films that Switzerland has become a dream destination for many Indians, and we are confident that through this unparalleled experience we will give audiences some truly memorable moments in Switzerland that they will cherish for a lifetime.”

Mr. Jörg Krebs (Director Markets, Switzerland Tourism), representative of the ‘YRF Enchanted Journey’ Co-Host, Switzerland Tourism, added, “Switzerland is still a highly appreciated destination. Our travellers want to see our lakes and mountains and to touch our snow, of course. The ‘YRF Enchanted Journey’ tour spans the famous regions of Saanenland, Berne, Lucerne, Mount Titlis and Ticino and fits perfectly with our corporate strategy. Our guests can explore wonderful, dramatic landscapes and a truly diverse Switzerland experience. This first collaboration between a film studio, a tour operator and a country with a national brand, will bring fruitful results for all involved as well as new emotions and experiences for our guests.”

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