Hot Bollywood Gossips and Sexy Actress

Although animation films haven’t really made a mark in India, the fortunes could change for better with UTV, Karan Johar and now Ketan Mehta in the fray. Ketan Mehta, who has worked with some of the biggest names in the business like Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, is back after a sabbatical. And this time it’s with an animation film called RAMAYANA - THE EPIC, which has been directed by Chetan Desai.

This writer had an exclusive dekko at the first promo of RAMAYANA - THE EPIC and I wish to add that one is mesmerized by the stylized and contemporary manner in which the makers have narrated the story. Slated for release on Dashehra [15th October], the film will be released in six versions simultaneously across India - Hindi, Tamil Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali. Hollywood giant Warner Bros. is distributing the film in India.

The first promo will be launched tonite [Thursday] amidst industry bigwigs at an event in Mumbai.

That Rohit Shetty has made some great entertainers in the past, is known to all and sundry. Naturally then, you expect the ultimate in entertainment from his next release GOLMAAL 3, produced by Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision. The challenge lies in superseding the first two installments of GOLMAAL in terms of content and of course, business.

GOLMAAL 3 carries the burden of humungous expectations and the first promo of the film more than lives up to the hype. Like all Rohit Shetty films, GOLMAAL 3 promises lots of fun, excitement and loads of entertainment. I am sure, the promo will be greeted with ceetees and taalis at plexes and single screens alike. It leaves you asking for more!

This Diwali, GOLMAAL 3 is sure to strike like lightening. It is sure to tickle your funny bone yet again. Oh yes, this time it promises to be bigger and better. This writer had an exclusive dekko at the first promo of GOLMAAL 3. It will officially be launched with DABANGG next Friday [10th October].

While Nikhil Advani is super busy with his Akshay-Anushka starrer Patiala House, the director faced a tragedy when his Bandra office was reportedly burgled on Saturday.

Apparently, the contents that have been stolen consist of a laptop and two cameras worth Rs. 1.12-lakh. A complaint that had been lodged with the Bandra police station points at an 18 year old boy named Abdhullah Shaikh as the main accused.

Nikhil Advani remained unavailable to comment.

When two titans come together, they’re bound to make news. The latest buzz is that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has apparently agreed to feature in ace director Shyam Benegal’s next. The film in question will apparently go on floors next year and is touted to be an out-and-out female-oriented subject.

Ash, who has back to back releases this year, has finally decided to do Benegal’s film stating that it is a very special project. In the past, Aishwarya was offered Benegal’s film Chamki Chameli, an adaptation of Georges Bizet’s classic French opera Carmen, but there was no further word on the project

The latest Benegal film apparently, takes Aishwarya into a different time zone; however it is not a period film.

The official announcement of the film is awaited.

He is an engineer by qualification but his passion for acting got him into films. What sets him apart from the rest in Bollywood are his good looks and acting prowess. He is Sonu Sood. The model turned actor who shot to fame with the portrayal of Abhishek Bachchan’s brother in the critically acclaimed film Yuva. He then started in some successful films like Jodhaa Akbar and Singh Is Kinng. Sonu will now be seen in the much awaited and talked about film Dagangg as the antagonist.

Bollywood Hungama knows how keenly awaited this film is and hence gives you a chance to interact with the man of the hour, Sonu Sood himself on Bollywood Hungama’s Celebrity Chat on Saturday, September 4, at 1200 hrs IST.

Post Om Shanti Om, all the Bollywood buffs were highly looking forward to Farah Khan’s next venture. She however shocked one and all as not many saw this coming. The film in question was Tees Maar Khan of course and the debate was about how Farah, a dear friend of SRK, signed Akshay Kumar for her mega venture.

The story doesn’t end there, Kahaani abhi baaki hai mere dost… Farah Khan has now managed to do a casting coup of ’sorts’ by getting Salman Khan to do an item number in her film. At a time when the whole media is floating stories about stress between Salman and Katrina, Farah is busy shooting an item song with Salman, Katrina and Akshay.

Speaking exclusively with Bollywood Hungama, Farah Khan confirmed the news about the coming together of Salman, Katrina and Akshay for an item number. “The focus is on Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan while Katrina is also there in the song,” states the director.

It is ironic that Salman and Akshay were seen together in Shirish Kunder’s directorial debut Jaan-E-Mann, while this time, the two superstars also feature together in his first film as a producer. But will they both be fighting for the same girl again (Katrina in this case), remains to be seen.

Watch this space for further developments on Tees Maar Khan.

Enough has been said about the Common Wealth Games this year to be held in Delhi. Right from corruption to shady jobs and sportsmen backing out, many hurdles have come in the organising of the whole show. However, one thing that everyone was positively looking forward to was the motivational and energetic Common Wealth Theme song to be composed by the revered A R Rahman.

The conference where the song was to be launched, well, didn’t have the song but the details about it. The reason was that back then the CWG committee wanted the song to be tweaked and releasing it without the necessary changes would’ve been foolhardy. Despite all this, everyone was expecting a highly inspiring anthem from Rahman, given his current status in world music.

However, after the song came out on the internet, the response was far from encouraging. Rahman fans weren’t just disappointed, they were actually shocked. The comments ranged from “this song got no vibe…I mean you should be getting Goosebumps for some event like this. It was supposed to be more like an epic song” to “CWG Organizing Committee should be made to listen to this song 10,000 times as a punishment.”

Some supporters feel that the song will grow on people and with enough marketing people will like it, while some others feel that the lyrics lack the punch, still others from the music industry are of the opinion that with a wide range of Indian instruments that Rahman could’ve used, his song lacks Indian-ness and the sporting spirit of this event.

The theme song hasn’t gone down well with the CWG committee as well who feel that the song is nowhere worth the price (Rs. 5 crore) demanded by the music composer. They are insisting for the track to be recomposed, while others on board can’t understand why Rahman was given the sole responsibility for the composition and that too for six months.

Though Rahman’s die hard fans stand by him and insist that listening to this song over and over again would help and some others demand for a whole new song, one really wonders if any damage control can be done when we’re so close to the Common Wealth Games.

Here is a squabble between a politician and a celebrity yet again. The politician being Mr. RR Patil and the celebrity in question is none other than Big B. Here is how it all started. On the morning of August 29, Big B wrote his blog as usual where he started out with a mention about the much in talk ‘Mumbai Metro rail’. He went on to say in his blog, “The metro rail being laid over the metropolis called Mumbai, some under the ground, some above over large tracts of cement structures is taking shape. There is general happiness from the commuters, for, the misery of crowded locals and the uncertainties of the three-wheeler or the yellow black cab shall hopefully be greatly reduced. But here is the killer… its going to roll over Prateeksha!! Yesterday the authorities came over to check externally the structural condition of all houses that would get affected by the rail car moving in its proximity and they came into Prateeksha. So bye bye privacy and hello fellow traveller.” Reading this Home Minister RR Patil was rather upset. He went ahead and commented to the media that Mumbai traffic has been steadily growing and the common man is spending almost 4-5 hours commuting. And it is them that one should be thinking off.

Understanding Mr Patil’s ire, Amitabh was quick to explain as he said in a letter to the media that, “Mumbai as a city has given my family and me a place in their hearts besides recognition and respect.” He went on to say, “My blog represents my heart and on the matter of the Metro it clearly says the ‘general happiness’ that it brings to ‘commuters’ and that ‘the misery of crowded locals and the uncertainties of the three wheeler or the yellow black cab shall hopefully be greatly reduced’. Indeed I have ended the piece by saying welcome ‘fellow passengers’. By fellow passenger I include myself as one.”

It seems like Big B is time and again misunderstood by one and all. Earlier in the year he had to heavily explain his comments on the editing of the film Raavan and now the metro rail. Wonder what’s next?

Click above for more stills

Portrayal of animals in poor form or display of any form of harm towards them in movies has surely become an issue of major concern globally. And now it seems like Zoya Akhtar is also pulling some attention from animal lovers for the same reason.

Zoya, who is busy filming the multi starrer Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (starring Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol), seems to be in the eye of a controversy now. Reason? Well, she shot the bull-running matches in Spain alongwith the starcast, as a requisite of the script.

After learning from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India that the upcoming motion picture Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is set to include a scene showing the running of the bulls, the talented Spanish-American singer, actor, comedian and guitarist Charo sent a letter to the film’s director, Zoya Akhtar. The letter urges Akhtar to open her heart and cut out any scenes glorifying the running of the bulls. For the uninitiated, Charo, who is beloved in the US and Spain, is also a vocal opponent of bullfighting and recently starred in a video public service announcement for PETA US to speak out against it.

Here’s a sneak peek at the letter that Charo wrote to Zoya:

Dear Ms Akhtar,

I have spent my career entertaining people, but there is nothing remotely entertaining about sending panicked bulls into a stampede and then stabbing them to death in the bullfighting arena, which is what happens at the end of the Running of the Bulls. As a proud Spaniard and member of PETA, I am writing to ask that any scenes that glamorise the Running of the Bulls be cut from your upcoming film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

The Running of the Bulls cannot be dismissed as a harmless tradition. These animals run because they are terrified. During the run, the bulls are taunted, and many lose their footing, fall and break their bones. In the end, the exhausted bulls are released into the arena and stabbed to death. The growing movement in Spain against the Running of the Bulls and the bullfights that follow exemplify the good hearts of so many Spaniards who rightfully condemn this sadistic blood sport. You may be aware that the Spanish region of Catalonia recently banned bullfights.

Spain is known for everything I hold dear: flamenco dancing, fabulous guitar work and a rich cultural diversity. But deriving any pleasure from abusing bulls is something we should all be ashamed of and certainly nothing that should be promoted in a feature film.

Yours truly,

Charo

Click above for more movie stills

Title We Are Family is not just apt for the Karan Johar production, it pretty much holds true for Khan family as well. With Dabangg looking piping hot and all set to be a huge earner at the box office, the Khan family has now come together to rake in some good moolah as well. Rather than selling the film to outside distributors, Khans have decided to keep a major chunk of it within the family and extend the adage of ‘all in the family’.

As per the latest developments, Salim Khan (father of Arbaaz, Salman and Sohail) would be distributing the film in CI and Rajasthan territories. This is not all as producer Arbaaz himself would distribute the film in Delhi, UP and East Punjab - some of the most lucrative territories that the country has after Mumbai.

Says a trade observer, “It was imperative that the family sticks to the film right through the release as well as post that rather than just releasing it for money and being happy with whatever they earned. Ensuring that distribution stays with them is also a means of telling the world that they are mighty confident of the film’s prospects.”

Arbaaz doesn’t deny that he is confident about the film but also adds that distributing a film is nothing new for the family.

“Yes, the film is turning out to be huge and congratulatory messages have started coming in advance. It is always a good sign”, he says while keeping his excitement in check, “However, we have always been into distributing films. When it comes to the CI territory, dad has distributed most of Salman’s films there in the past. He has a distribution concern there so whether it is an in-house production or even outside productions, Salman’s films are released in CI through him. But yes, this time he has picked up Rajasthan as well.”

He also confirms that he too is stepping in to distribute the films in some important territories. “I wanted to exploit Delhi, UP and East Punjab territories and hence have personally stepped in for distribution as well”, says Arbaaz.

The trade observer has the final word, “With the film seeing such huge hype, the makers could have made huge profits on the table by selling off all distribution rights. However, other than the monetary value, Dabangg also carries a huge emotional value for Khans there. Not just it stays on to be Arbaaz Khan’s debut production; it also sees Salman Khan going all out to promote the film like never before. Malaika Arora Khan’s ‘Munni Badnaam’ is a rage while Sohail Khan has silently worked in the background as well.”

No wonder, one can see the entire family circle of Khans as well as film fraternity in general coming together in support of Dabangg, hence ensuring a huge release for the film. 10th September was never this hot.

In spite of the security threat, Ram Gopal Varma is at this very moment moving around in Hyderabad unescorted. He is visiting his mother in the city. And won’t stay away because of the threat.

He isn’t being brave, just practical. “This is not the first time I’m under threat. It has happened to me on several occasions. When in the history of assassinations have security guards been able to save anyone? The one who is determined to kill you will do.”

Supporters of an alleged outlaw Ubala Reddy who figures prominently in Rakta Charitra are not amused by the way they think their leader must have be portrayed in Varma’s film.

But Ramu is more amused than frightened by these threats. “They’ve sent a long legal notice in which they express their misgivings about Ubala Reddy. But I want to know how they know how I’ve portrayed the character (played by Abhimanyu Singh) when they haven’t seen a single frame?”

Ramu refuses to surrender to such arm-twisting tactics “They’re welcome to do what they like. My film remains unchanged.”

While Rakta Charitra is being released on October 22, the release date for the sequel which is ready, is not decided.

Says Ramu, “We decided on doing the sequel simultaneously to save costs. It doesn’t matter how Rakta Charitra fares. We’ll release the sequel. So far whoever has seen the film has loved it. The best compliment came from a rival actor who said he was sad about it, but this film would bring Vivek back into the reckoning.”

It was earlier reported that filmmaker Mani Ratnam’s latest Bollywood
release Raavan is going to be screened at the prestigious 67th Venice
Film Festival and the stars Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan were
supposed to attend the event. However, as per the latest reports the
couple would not be able to attend the screening of their movie because
of prior promise to their brand endorsements.

Remember how Aamir Khan promoted Ghajini with that unique haircut and 3 Idiots with the 3 Idiots custom-made tees. Arbaaz Khan, the producer of Dabangg, has in collaboration with PVR cinemas pan India recently launched the limited exclusive merchandise of Dabangg at PVR cinemas. The merchandise includes sunglasses, watches and t-shirts.

The Dabaang team - Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha and Arbaaz Khan - launched the merchandise in Delhi on August 29. If you’re all set to buy it, behold! The film merchandise will be available for purchase only from September 10. Can’t wait? Well as Arbaaz tweeted, “The merchandising is being used primarily as a promotional activity. Will make it available on Dabangg website if demand exceeds. Cheers.”

So do wait for Dabangg’s release to get your hands around the limited exclusive merchandise of the film.

Remember how Aamir Khan promoted Ghajini with that unique haircut and 3 Idiots with the 3 Idiots custom-made tees. Arbaaz Khan, the producer of Dabangg, has in collaboration with PVR cinemas pan India recently launched the limited exclusive merchandise of Dabangg at PVR cinemas. The merchandise includes sunglasses, watches and t-shirts.

The Dabaang team - Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha and Arbaaz Khan - launched the merchandise in Delhi on August 29. If you’re all set to buy it, behold! The film merchandise will be available for purchase only from September 10. Can’t wait? Well as Arbaaz tweeted, “The merchandising is being used primarily as a promotional activity. Will make it available on Dabangg website if demand exceeds. Cheers.”

So do wait for Dabangg’s release to get your hands around the limited exclusive merchandise of the film.

Come September 2 and his name will echo from theatre halls across the country. We’re talking about Siddharth Malhotra, the director of We Are Family.

The film starring Kajol, Kareena and Arjun which is an erstwhile remake of the acclaimed Hollywood film Stepmom marks Siddharth’s debut as a director in Bollywood. Bollywood Hungama gives its users a chance of a lifetime to catch this maverick on Celebrity Video Chat on Wednesday, September 1, at 1600 hrs IST. Be there!

The producers of the much-awaited RA.ONE, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal, have finalized the date of release: 3rd June, 2011. The film will arrive soon after the IPL cricket matches next year. Remember you read this on Bollywood Hungama FIRST.

Purab Kohli is someone who can be rightly called as cool and charming actor. Readers may recollect as to how he literally ‘rocked’ the Bollywood scene with acting skills in the blockbuster Rock On. Not just that, Purab, has to his credit, the rare honour of being one of the most recognizable faces on both, TV as well as silver screen.

For starters, post his Channel (V) stint, Purab went on to do films like My Brother Nikhil, 13th Floor, Awarapan, Woh Lamhe and Bas Ek Pal. And the news is that Purab Kohli has been chosen as the brand ambassador for Nescafe, alongwith yet another hottie Deepika Padukone.

Now, with Purab coming on board with Nescafe, drinking coffee just won’t be the same again! What say, Purab?

Nagesh Kukunoor is a man, who is armed with a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering, which makes him, by far the most unlikely candidate to enter films. For the uninitiated lot, he is the same Nagesh, who has directed critically acclaimed films like Hyderabad Blues, Rockford, Iqbal and Dor and the recently released film Aashayein starring John Abraham alongwith Sonal Sehgal.

This director, who has carved a niche for himself in Bollywood, will be live on Bollywood Hungama’s Celebrity Chat today, August 31, at 1700 hrs IST.

He adores Kajol and Kareena Kapoor and although Siddharth Malhotra felt like he was part of one big family while making We Are Family, both his “heroes” Kajol and Kareena have no time to promote the film now.

Kajol of course has a perfectly legitimate reason for her absence in this last crucial lap of the film’s journey into release. To her credit this super-spirited diva has been giving interviews and building a bank of promotional activities before her maternity leave was to begin.

Now Kareena has left for a month-long schedule of Saif Ali Khan’s home production Agent Vinod.

Trying to smile through this setback to his project, director Siddharth Malhotra says, “Earlier this month she was on a holiday with Saif which she said she had to take. On 26th night she had to leave for another shoot (Agent Vinod). She was back in India to promote the film from 23rd to 26th. And she really did her best. After that there are Karan -Arjun (producer Karan Johar and the film’s leading man Arjun Rampal) to push and promote We Are Family.”

When told that the time given by Kareena is very little considering Kajol’s absence, Siddharth replies, “I guess Bebo is doing the best she can. For the rest, what can I do, except keep the faith? I guess these are the perks of working with super-busy stars.”

Siddharth has no complaints about Kajol. “I can’t say the same for Kadz. Even at this advanced stage of her pregnancy she has gone out of her way to promote the film in whatever way she can.”

Siddharth attempts a feeble defence for Kareena. “Bebo is trying. But I guess her over-committed schedule doesn’t permit her to give more time to We Are Family. In any case I’ve already stressed myself out regarding the marketing. Finally, it’s the film that counts. And I know I’ve made my film from the heart. It’s better to believe in yourself and your work rather than depend on extraneous factors.”

If sources are to be believed than Pallavi Gupta also known as Bitto
of Sahara One’s ‘Bitto’, recently had an accident as she fainted on the
sets while the major scene of the show was shot.