Its Shahrukh Khan Who Made Ra.One Possible – Anubhav Sinha

Shah Rukh Khan isn’t quite known for coming out of his comfort zone too often. Content with working with his favourite set of people that have ranged from Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra, (earlier) Farah Khan and (now) Farhan Akhtar, Shah Rukh has seldom given a go-ahead to any director outside his camp. However, when he brought Anubhav Sinha on board for Ra.One, he gave him all the luxuries and support to make the dream project. And that when the film was not just touted to be the biggest Indian film ever being made but also the costliest.

“Without Shah Rukh’s conviction, this film wouldn’t have happened”, says Anubhav who is now counting the number of days left as Ra.One paces towards its Diwali release, “I had heard that he treats his directors as a kid. With Ra.One I saw it first hand. He is magnanimous to the core. If I asked for say, two people to join the crew, he would give me eight. If I wanted a set to look bigger, he would make it the biggest ever that I would have seen.”

This is not all as Shah Rukh himself is taking active interest in making his Ra.One, which is rumoured to be costing over 175 crores, stand out amidst the crowd. This means that he has kept his promotional and marketing strategy operational right from the IPL days itself. Post that he has been releasing snippets and teasers about his superhero film at regular intervals.

“Yes, Shah Rukh is working on the film day and night and that’s when his Don 2 is up for release as well”, says Anubhav, “Last I heard, he was heads-on into closing merchandising plans for the film. The man is phenomenal. And frankly, the only flipside that I have seen of working with Shah Rukh is that he truly spoils you. I just hope that I continue to get similar treatment from other producers as well in my other films.”

When it comes to his dream project though, Anubhav truly believes that it is making a healthy progress for sure. With a mere two months to go for the film’s arrival on the big screen, he is feeling triumphant about the journey that Shah Rukh and he undertook for the making of this film.

“Frankly, making Ra.One has been akin to climbing Mt. Everest”, he says with a sign of relief, “Of course when you reach the peak of it, you experience something which is totally breathtaking. You feel triumphant, breathless, tired and little scattered as well. But then it is all worth it because it is a journey of climbing that matters. And then all of it seems like just worth it because the view down below is so nice. All that you want at this point is to have others join in your happiness as well and look at what you have accomplished.”

Well Anubhav, we would join you for sure on 26th October once the film finds a global release for itself. Source

View the original article here

Salman Khan Takes The Art Class In Symbiosis Institute

Students of Symbiosis Institute in Pune got a rare insight into the actor’s passion for colour when ‘Bodyguard’ was shot there

While we know that Salman Khan has earned laurels for his work as an artist, it seems he wasn’t too inclined towards the canvas during his student days.

However, during the shoot of Bodyguard at Symbiosis in Pune, the actor took an impromptu art class.

Salman, who plays a bodyguard to the film’s lead heroine Kareena Kapoor, was taken by surprise during a lunch break one day.

“The students started asking him all sorts of questions about art,” recalls our source, adding that it began when one guy asked what the actor did during his spare time to relax.

Our source further adds, “Salman said that painting took up most of his spare time as it also had a soothing effect on him.

Then he proceeded to draw a sketch of Jesus on the blackboard with the colour chalks available in the classroom.”

That’s not all. “Then he also went on to talk at length about his interest in art and explained how he went about exploring himself as an artist.

He was pleased that several students there loved art, and so he encouraged them to find time to indulge in their creative interests,” says our source.

Towards the end, Kareena too joined in the interaction with the students. Source

View the original article here

Bodyguards For Salman & Kareena

Salman Khan’s next film has been making the headlines these days, the latest being the declaration of the innovative Bodyguard Contest. The said contest which will be held in cities where Salman and Kareena are travelling for their promotions has the local people going berserk and the entries have been pouring in non-stop.

The makers are taking the concept of Bodyguard to every town and city that Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor are travelling to. You can be ‘their Bodyguard’ for a day in your city and protect them through the day.

Salman and Kareena both will kick start their tour to promote their upcoming film Bodyguard soon, with Salman travelling to Kanpur tomorrow.

But what’s interesting is that in just one day, a whooping 2.5 lakh people from Kanpur have applied to become Salman’s bodyguard. Seems like the people of Kanpur do not want to lose out on a chance of becoming their favourite action hero’s Bodyguard for a day and travel with him to all the places he visits in Kanpur.

The winners of the contest will be like a shadow to the stars and will get to touch and feel the glamour world intimately. For a lay person this would be a great opportunity to be with celebrities for one entire day.

Atul Agnihotri confirms, “It is overwhelming to see how positively people have responded to this and now to choose one person amongst so many deserving ones will be a task! As a concept it is an extremely enriching experience.”

Close sources also reveal that the local people from their respective cities are going berserk, the contest idea is a big success allowing the common man to reach out to their stars and get a chance to guard them for one day with a once in a lifetime experience.

Bodyguard is this season’s biggest film releasing on a long weekend of Eid and Ganpati on 31 August, 2011. Source

View the original article here

Aamir Has To Be A Little More Careful

Abhay Deol was right. Post the super success of his ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ and Emraan Hashmi’s ‘Murder 2', he was confident that stocks of their next film together, ‘Shanghai’, would be sky high.
Well, his belief has stayed on to be true, what with the makers of ‘Shanghai’ willing to take on none less than Aamir Khan.
“‘Shanghai’ has been confirmed for release on India’s Republic Day i.e. 26th January next year. Now this is the same date that was locked for Aamir Khan’s next with Reema Kagti which is rumoured to be titled ‘Dhuaan’”, confirms a trade source.
Now this is nothing less than shocking because in the times when no film would dare to come anywhere close to an Aamir Khan starrer, ‘Shanghai’ has taken it heads on and that too after making a sudden announcement. “It makes sense though for the film since it is a political thriller and reflects the state of the country that we live in. With corruption and scams all around us, it is a good marketing strategy to bring a topical film like on the Republic Day”, adds the source.
One wonders though whether Aamir would be equally thrilled with this development since this would be pretty much a first for him. Whether it was ‘Ghajini’, ‘3 Idiots’ or ‘Dhobi Ghat’, all of them have arrived without anyone daring to enter Aamir’s territory. However Emraan and Abhay are pretty much doing that now.
Says Dibakar Bannerjee, “Frankly I have been stunned by the performances from our stars and our character artistes. I can safely say that all preconceived notions that people have about both Abhay and Emraan are going to be shattered by this movie. I can’t wait to get to the edit table to shape this movie into one that will bring out the best of these performances.” On the other hand Kamal Gianchandani, President, PVR Pictures (which has produced the film) also confirmed that ‘Shanghai’ would arrive on 26th January since there is ‘no better date’. Source
View the original article here

Be Ready To Witness High Class Action In ‘Force’

Well-known action director Allan Amin was the one to introduce Bollywood with the concept of stylized action and special effects. He all started with MISSION KASHMIR followed with QAYAMAT: CITY UNDER THREAT, DHOOM series, DUS, CHOCOLATE: DEEP DARK SECRETS and many more. However his upcoming action film FORCE starring John Abraham doesn’t consist of the stylized action, which is in vogue.
Allan says FORCE is much different from his other films as the action here is much real, ‘The action in FORCE is all real. We haven’t made use of cables or any equipment or special effects for that matter. Moreover John has good caliber who did all the stunts by himself. What with lifting a bike or jumping off from a great height he did it all without the help of cables or airbags. And must say he performed it quite naturally.’
Certainly whatever Allan does he does it with much elan and elegance but what about the audiences who are used to watching stylized action these days and under such circumstances how FORCE action will appeal to the masses? To which he answers, “No it’s completely stylized in its own way but without losing its originality. When you’ll watch the film you’ll come to know.”
Ask him if it became a time consuming process to have real action and he says, “Though time consuming but it was fun shooting it naturally.”
He may have designed best of the action sequences for the various films he did in his career but finds FORCE as his most challenging action film till date. “Yes FORCE has been the most challenging film in my career as it was all done without using any cables or any other aid,” says Allan.
Allan further talks about the most difficult and the best action sequence in FORCE. “The most difficult was the one where John goes running behind several buses lined up and jumps from one bus to another as it was to be shot without the use of cables. While the best one was the bike sequence where John lifts the heavy bike and throws it. Actually I just asked John to lift it halfway but he decisively lifted the whole bike. Even the introduction scene of FORCE is one to watch out for.”
Allan and John’s bonding dates back to the time when John was about to make his mark in the industry. Says Allan, “I know John from long time. We have worked together for the films like KAAL, DHOOM, etc. We share a good rapport. There is a sort of good understanding and comfort level between us.”
Ask him about the return of action genre or the genre gaining its lost glory and the prudent action master says, “It’s just a phase of life where everything comes and goes back.”
Allan becomes diplomatic when it comes to selecting his favourite action hero in Bollywood. “Everybody is good. I enjoy working with all of them,” says Allan on a parting note. Source
View the original article here

Don’t Mess With Shahrukh Khan

A legal notice has been sent to jewellery brand Agni for illegally using the unreleased song, Chammak Challo, from Shah Rukh Khan’s next film Ra.One at the recently held India International Jewellery Week (IIJW) 2011.
The song, which is sung by Akon and has been picturised on the leading lady of the movie Kareena Kapoor, has already been leaked online a few months ago.
The brand played the song while showcasing their creation on the fourth day of IIJW held last week in Mumbai.
Actress Amrita Rao along with other models was seen walking the ramp for Agni, while the song played in the background.
T-Series that owns the music rights of the film have sent a legal notice to the brand, asking for a compensation of Rs 2 crore.
Bhushan Kumar, the head honcho of the music label confirms the news, “Yes, we have sent a legal notice to Agni for using our unreleased song without prior permission. It is an illegal thing to do. We are moving court and suing them for about Rs 2 crore. One needs to get a license to use any song for a show. However, for an unreleased song you cannot even obtain a license.”
A source from SRK’s production house Red Chillies Entertainment says, “SRK was livid when he learnt that the unreleased number has been used by the brand.”
The source further adds, “The scratch version of the song was leaked on the internet a few months ago, which was probably picked up by the jewellery brand. It is a very careless mistake. Surely they knew that the song requires license.” Source
View the original article here

Amitabh Bachcan Is In Full Supoort Of The Indian Cricket Team

The Indian cricket team is getting brickbats after it lost its World No.1 Test crown to England. But Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan supports the team, saying that rubbing them off completely after the loss is a ruthless way of dealing with the situation.
“For years and till not too far away, our cricket team and its captain (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni were the masters. One loss in England and suddenly they are incompetent. People reaction is as subtle and as ruthless as this,” Big B posted on his blog.
“It requires immense acumen to be where they put you and in some manner to maintain it. Some understand the futility and the improbability of the situation and reconcile to it. Others and many others do not. Once there, they believe they are there and nowhere else. This is not entirely an adverse situation.”
“It is quite possible that it thrives too. Others succumb to the moment, understand and accept. This is not entirely wrong too. Both can co exist, its a matter of reconciling with its complexity,” Bachchan added.
Earlier this week, Indian team tasted humiliating defeat after they lost the series by 3-0. The newspapers and the cricket legends have been criticizing their performance in foreign turf by calling it Indian team’s worst performance in recent years. Source
View the original article here

You Will Have To Wait More For Dhoom 3

Aamir Khan’s current schedule has him shooting for director Reema Kagti’s next film, getting in shape for Dhoom 3 and ideating for his much-awaited talk show, being produced by Siddharth Basu’s Big Synergy on the lines of the Oprah Winfrey show.
But news is that he is trying hard to juggle dates between shooting episodes for his TV debut and Dhoom 3.
Incidentally, the Yash Raj production has already been delayed, thanks to papa-to-be Abhishek Bachchan.
Says a source, “Yash Raj is very particular about their shoot dates; they don’t really juggle things around. They are now working with Aamir on a schedule that is conducive to both.”
However, buzz is that the actor is putting all his energies in the pre-production of the talk show.
Adds the source, “This is Aamir’s first time on television and he obviously wants nothing to go wrong. He is looking into every little detail of the show.
There are many short-films and documentaries that are part of the format, so there are a lot of elements to be looked into.”
Apparently, Aamir has roped in his Delly Belly composer Ram Sampath to give music for the documentaries that will be aired as part of the show. What’s more, perfectionist Khan will not just be personally supervising the edits, but apparently will also rope in friends from the industry to make guest appearances on the show.
Aamir is scheduled to start shooting for his TV show in September, the first of 20 plus episodes he is expected to do. It is expected to go on air in January next year.
And since his next film with Rani Mukherjee and Kareena Kapoor is also expected to release around the same time, don’t be surprised if you see a parallel publicity strategy for the both by the superstar. Source
View the original article here

Akshay Kumar To Play The Role Of Kanhaiya In His Next Flick

He charmed the ladies with his flirty style and now he will literally turn into the Hindu God who is known for his popularity among Gopiyaans. Yeah, buzz is that Khiladi Akshay Kumar is going to don the role of Lord Krishna in his next film.
According to sources, the film is based on Paresh Rawal’s popular Hindi play titled ‘Krishan Vs Kanhaiya. After watching it recently, Akshay said to have been so impressed with the story that he planned to turn it into a full-length movie. The play deals with the conflict between an atheist and God.
The project, sources revealed, will be co-produced by Akki’s banner Hari Om Productions and Paresh. While Akshay will play Kanhaiya, hunt is on for an actor who will do Krishan’s part. Source
View the original article here

The Idea Of ‘Mere Brother Ki Dulhan’ Came From Matrimonial Ads

Matrimonial ads aren’t exactly known for their creativity or their ability to entertain. For debutant director Ali Abbas Zafar, however, the ads in the classified pages of newspapers were what inspired him to make Mere Brother Ki Dulhan.
“I used to see the matrimonial page of newspapers on Sundays. It’s a very creative page. There are so many ads well written seeking brides or bridegrooms. It has ads of every caste and culture - be it Hindu, Muslim, Sikh - and what’s most interesting is that all have almost same requirement,” said Zafar.
“You will find entire India together in one page. It’s so entertaining. Then I thought that if a film is made based on that subject it could be hugely entertaining with a lot of mass appeal,” he added.
The director also took inspiration from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Chupke Chupke and Gol Maal while giving shape to his film, starring Imran Khan and Katrina Kaif.
“You will find some glimpses of those films because they are also family films, very sophisticated, clean films. My film has Dhunki and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan like songs, but it’s a clean and celebratory kind of movie,” he said. Source
View the original article here